If you’re interested in upgrading the quality and safety of the indoor air in your Chandler, AZ home, you may be wondering if an air purifier can be added to your HVAC system. This is an installation that can absolutely be completed. Not to mention, it’s a great way to reduce the number of particulates that are floating around in the air you breathe each day. Dirt, dust, pet dander and mold spores are just some of the contaminants that can plague our indoor air quality. When we breathe these things in each day, it can lead to an increase in allergies, asthma and respiratory illnesses.
How Does a Whole-Home Air Purification System Work?
An air purifier can be installed into the furnace and ductwork of your home’s HVAC system. These air-cleaning devices will use filters, electrostatic force and potentially UV light to trap pollutants. Your furnace already has some type of filter that it uses to remove particulates, but an air purifier is much more advanced. They can even get rid of germs, odors and VOCs.
Is It Better to Hook Up to Your HVAC System?
There are standalone air purification devices that can be used throughout your home. However, they don’t typically cover a lot of square footage. That means you’ll need multiple units located all over your home to really benefit from reduced contaminants.
When you have a purification device hooked up to your HVAC system, there are a number of ways that you benefit. You will experience cleaner air throughout your entire home with just one system. Your ductwork will remain cleaner, adding to the efficiency of your system as a whole. This also protects your furnace.
Consider the maintenance that would be needed for multiple stand-alone units throughout your home. You could easily spend an entire hour having to collect filters and plates, clean them, let them dry and put them back into your units. While you will still have to maintain your air purifier that’s hooked onto your HVAC system, it is just one unit that requires your attention every now and again. Routine maintenance for your furnace can incorporate your air purifier, so everything gets inspected and serviced at once.
What Type of Home Benefits From an Air Purification System?
Essentially, every home has the potential to benefit from having an air purification system installed in the HVAC system. Whether you are prone to allergies or not, pollutants and particulates can cause harm to your health. From the very young to the very old, it is essential to remove anything that is reducing the quality of the air you’re breathing when you’re inside your home. You may even be able to reduce the number of illnesses that spread, as many air purifiers can eliminate bacteria and pathogens that make us sick.
What Types of Air Purifiers Can Be Added to Your HVAC System?
There are a few different types of air purifiers that can be added to a home’s HVAC system. The type you choose will be based on the particulates that you’re looking to remove and what kind of technology you want to invest in.
Filtration-Based Systems
Similar to stand-alone air purifiers, a whole-house filtration-based air purifier will be installed right onto your furnace. When air passes through this system, it will be fed through one or more upgraded filters. By removing much smaller particles than a traditional fiber-based furnace filter will, you’ll experience healthier and cleaner air. You can select an air purifier based on the kind of filters you want to use (HEPA, carbon, etc.).
UV-Based Systems
A UV home air purifier utilizes UV-C light to target pathogens and microorganisms so they can be removed from the air circulating through your home. This is an ideal system to invest in if you want to promote a healthier living environment. There are a number of air purifiers that include both filters and UV-C light together.
Electronically Charged Purifiers
Electrical energy charges particles negatively or positively in order to remove them from the air. These systems usually don’t incorporate filters; rather, the particles will accumulate on some sort of metal plate that will need to be periodically washed and replaced. This is a very effective purification method since you don’t have to worry about the size of particles that can slip through a filter. Both large and small particles can become electronically trapped.
Understanding MERV Ratings
If the air purifier that you choose for your HVAC system comes with a filter that needs to be replaced, you’ll want to know about the different options that you have. Some filters are able to trap particles that are as small as 0.3 microns in size. However, some furnaces can’t handle a very dense filter. It impedes airflow, causing more wear and tear on the interior components of your system.
Look at the MERV rating on the filter that you’re considering. Short for minimum efficiency reporting value, MERV ratings represent how effective a filter is at trapping particulates. Here’s a breakdown:
1-3 MERV
This is typically a fiberglass filter that is very affordable. However, it usually needs to be changed every 30 days. There will be a lot of particulates left behind with this low MERV rating.
7-12 MERV
These filters still feature a pleated design, but they trap a lot more pollutants from your indoor air. This is where you have to start being careful with your furnace. A MERV rating of 12 can put a lot of strain on your HVAC system if it’s not powerful enough.
17+ MERV
A HEPA-rated filter that has a MERV rating of 17 or above can remove as much as 99% of the particles in your indoor air. You’ll need a very powerful HVAC system to withstand the draw through these filters, though.
Considering the Investment
The price of a whole-home air purification unit that attaches to your HVAC system can come with a hefty price tag upfront. However, you can’t really put a price on your health. Not to mention, removing particles from the air before they pass through your HVAC system can help protect its interior components. You may not require as many repairs over the life span of your unit. Also, you may find that your furnace experiences better efficiency, leading to lower energy bills each month.
If you would like to learn more about having an air purification system installed on the HVAC system of your Chandler home, reach out to Emergency Air Heating Cooling & Plumbing for more information. Not only can we perform an indoor air quality test to determine what kind of contaminants you’re currently dealing with, but we can also make a recommendation regarding what type of purifier you’ll benefit from most based on your budget, your home needs and your health. Also call us for assistance with the installation of new heating and cooling equipment, emergency repairs and routine maintenance. We are here for you any day of the week, providing you with exceptional service.
Call Emergency Air Heating Cooling & Plumbing to schedule an appointment today.
