Keeping the air clean inside your home is critical. It’ll make you feel good, and it actually matters for your health. What’s more, bad air can mess up your house over time. The good news is that you can add some things to your HVAC system to make the air way better. Two popular choices are whole-house air purifiers and dehumidifiers. They each do different things, so let’s figure out which one’s right for you.
What Is a Whole-House Air Purifier?
Whole-house air purifiers are a class of HVAC equipment that can remove certain pollutants from the air in your home. Some work well for removing particulate matter, while others can neutralize germs and pathogens in the air. The following are three common types of whole-house air purifiers.
Extended Media Filters
An extended media filter is like a beefed-up version of the air filter you already have in your HVAC system. To add one to your HVAC system, you need a housing installed in line with your HVAC return air ductwork. Most rely on pleated, disposable filters up to eight inches thick. That ensures ample surface area for optimal contaminant capture without harming airflow. They work best for removing dust, allergens, and other particles from your air.
Electronic or Electrostatic Filters
Electronic or electrostatic filters use an electric charge to attract particulate matter. They’re another type of filter you can install in line with your HVAC ductwork. They work by passing a high-voltage current through a set of fins, creating a magnetic field. Then, as air passes through the fins, any particles in the air pick up a positive charge. A metal plate with a negative charge is at the back of the filter unit. That plate attracts the positively charged particles and traps them, leaving a stream of clean air. Electronic filters are highly effective at trapping particulate matter. They even capture tiny particles that pass through most extended media filters. That includes substances like smoke and mold spores.
UV Light Sterilization
Finally, UV light sterilization systems are a whole-house filtration technology capable of killing germs, pathogens, and mold. They consist of a ductwork-mounted unit that emits light in the UV-C wavelength. Living organisms exposed to UV-C light quickly suffer severe cellular damage. Since this is the case, UV light sterilization systems typically kill things like bacteria, viruses, and spores on contact. And anything that does survive becomes inert and incapable of reproducing.
What Is a Whole-House Dehumidifier?
You may not know it, but high indoor humidity is an air quality problem. A whole-house dehumidifier is a device that extracts moisture from indoor air to maintain proper humidity. Experts indicate that proper indoor humidity for the average home is between 40% and 60%. A whole-house dehumidifier constantly measures the humidity in the air passing through your HVAC ductwork. If it detects humidity above your preset threshold, it activates to remove moisture until reaching the preset.
Whole-house dehumidifiers work much like your air conditioner. They consist of a closed refrigerant loop, a compressor, expansion valve, and condenser coil. When activated, the expansion valve lowers the pressure and temperature of the refrigerant. Next, the refrigerant passes through the condenser coil while an included fan or your HVAC pushes air through it. Moisture held in moist, warm air condenses on the coil and drains away through a condensate line. Then, the compressor increases the pressure and temperature of the refrigerant. That way, the system can use it to reheat the dehumidified air back to room temperature.
Choosing Between an Air Purifier and a Dehumidifier
Air quality testing is the best way to figure out which type of air quality system your home needs. If your home has unusually high humidity levels and particulate matter in its air, you might benefit from both. Many homes in our area suffer from high indoor humidity in the summer months. The ones that don’t typically have a tight air envelope that keeps excess humidity outside. However, that can lead to other air quality problems caused by a lack of ventilation. Air quality experts can test the air inside of your home and let you know where you stand. Then, they’ll recommend the system or systems your home needs.
Local Indoor Air Quality Specialists
TS Heat & Air is your one-stop shop for all your indoor air quality needs in Bethany. We sell, install, and service air purification systems from respected manufacturers like Lennox. Plus, our team of HVAC technicians have extensive training and experience. We’re also a Nextdoor Neighborhood Fave and a winner of the Angi Super Service Award. So, if you have indoor air quality concerns and want an air purifier in Bethany, contact TS Heat & Air today!
