Air pollution is a serious health and comfort concern throughout the warmer months. Many people spend over 90% of their time indoors, where pollutants can be several times more concentrated. Your family must contend with more dust, other elevated allergens, and high humidity, which can all negatively impact comfort and health. It’s important to protect your family by actively improving your indoor air quality. One of the most effective ways to do that is to install a whole-house air purifier. The right system can trap most pollutants and filter all the air throughout your home multiple times an hour.
Why Indoor Air Quality Becomes More Important During Summer
Multiple factors can worsen indoor air quality throughout the warmer months. In many homes, the air conditioning system runs two to three times an hour all day and much of the night. Often, there’s not much ventilation to infuse the home with fresh air. This can have a negative impact if the evaporator coil or other aspect of the AC system is dirty. The increased airflow can also exacerbate indoor air quality issues already present in the home. The air is naturally more humid during the summer months because warmer air can hold more water vapor. When relative humidity is above 50%, you’ll feel less comfortable, and cooling will be less effective. Another issue is that increased water vapor leads to more suspended particulate matter in the air.
- Dust
- Pollen
- Pet dander
- Fungal spores
- Volatile organic compounds
What Is a Whole-Home Air Filtration System?
A traditional air purifier is a system that cleans air by forcing it through a series of media stages. Whole-house air purifiers are larger, more powerful systems that integrate with your HVAC equipment. The higher power allows for much greater filtration and air circulation. The typical system functions on the return side, allowing the filtration system to clean the air throughout your home without placing excessive static pressure on the supply side.
That’s a key difference between an HVAC filter and a dedicated air filter. There are limits to the HVAC filter because restricted airflow would undermine AC performance and efficiency. Another difference is that an HVAC filter provides a singular form of filtration. A whole-house air purifier often has three or more discrete stages for various purposes.
How Whole-Home Filtration Helps Reduce Allergens and Dust
Air moves from the air conditioner into the return duct, where the whole-house air purifier is. It has its own high-powered fan that can draw air into the system. A well-sized air purifier should be able to filter all the air in your home five or more times an hour.
Most air purifiers have multiple forms of mechanical filtration. There’s typically a prefilter to trap the largest particulates and preserve the more valuable filter media. Many systems have a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter for the primary mechanical filtration. HEPA filters can trap over 99% of all dust and other particulates that move through the system. Many systems have activated carbon for the adsorption of gases and airborne chemicals. You can also pair your air purifier with an ultraviolet lamp that neutralizes over 99% of bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens.
Can Air Filtration Systems Improve HVAC Performance?
Yes, a whole-home air purifier can improve HVAC performance in a number of ways. With dedicated air purification, there will be far fewer airborne particles. As a result, your HVAC system’s filter will perform better and last longer. Dust will accumulate more slowly in your system, which is particularly important for the evaporator coil. A clean coil results in more efficient cooling, less energy usage, and less equipment wear and tear over time.
How Better Indoor Air Quality Can Improve Home Comfort
Cleaner air promotes better circulation, which results in more even cooling and lower humidity levels. You’ll feel more comfortable at a higher temperature. With an air filter, your home will be less prone to persistent unpleasant odors. An air purifier can also promote a healthier living environment.
- More restful sleep
- Less respiratory inflammation
- Fewer headaches and body aches
- Lower exposure to common viruses
- Reduced allergy and asthma symptoms
- Higher energy levels and cognitive function
Why Humidity and Air Quality Often Go Hand in Hand
There’s an important relationship between indoor air quality and relative humidity (RH). RH is the measure of humidity within the context of temperature. It determines how you perceive temperature and other aspects of comfort within your home. High RH can lead to stale indoor air, especially when there’s little to no natural or mechanical ventilation. At above 60% RH, a home is much more prone to mold growth and the presence of dust mites. High humidity also inflames your respiratory system and makes you more susceptible to allergic reactions.
What Homes Benefit Most From Whole-Home Air Filtration?
While all households can benefit from whole-home air filtration, some have a more pressing need for it. Children and seniors are much more susceptible to negative short- and long-term health effects from air pollution. If family members have allergies, air filtration can be very helpful. In fact, households with severe allergies can greatly benefit from six or more air changes per hour (ACH). Even without allergies, you may need air purification if you live in a high-pollen area. Homes with dogs and cats can benefit from it as well, especially if there are multiple pets.
Why Professional Installation Matters
In order to achieve your desired ACH, you need a powerful enough air purifier fan. An HVAC professional can accurately determine that size based on cubic footage and other factors. A professional can help you determine which filter media you need and consider long-term costs and maintenance requirements. An expert installer will also integrate the air purifier in a way that complements your AC and doesn’t negatively impact it.
Upgrade Your Indoor Air Quality Before Summer Peaks
Precision Heating & Air is a family-owned and -operated HVAC company based in Dallas, GA. Our team has been helping households breathe easier for over 40 years. We provide professional HVAC evaluations to help improve your comfort and air quality in the summer. Our NATE-certified technicians install and service whole-house air purification systems, ultraviolet lamps, and dehumidifiers. Through our duct cleaning services, we can remove all the dust that’s built up in your ducts over the years. Our team can keep your ducted or ductless AC clean through our seasonal cooling tune-ups as well. We also offer a Precision MVP Membership that can help you improve air quality while saving money on AC tune-ups. To request further details or schedule a service appointment, call today or contact us online.
