The air we breathe is one of the most important things in our daily existence. Without air, we can’t live… and the cleaner it is, the better and healthier it is.
It’s always been this way, of course. But let’s face it — it’s on the top of our minds more than ever due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The outbreak has raised concerns about airborne viruses and pathogens, not to mention increased time spent at home. It’s prompted virtually everyone to ask or think consciously about the air they’re breathing. As a result, we’re willing to bet that many people have rushed out to purchase air purifiers for the home, but are the inexpensive portable types really doing the job?
PORTABLE AIR PURIFIERS: ARE THEY UP TO THE TASK?
Small or otherwise portable air purifiers are everywhere. You can easily find them at any big box store, pharmacy, or discount venues online. Because of this, they’re quite tempting as a very low-cost solution to an indoor air quality problem. While they may be a great solution for a dedicated, smaller space, their downsides are numerous.
THE DOWNSIDES OF PORTABLE AIR PURIFIERS
They’re often quite cheaply made. Put simply, a small portable air purifier that you can grab for a cool $20 or $30 is worth about as much as it costs, if not less. The problem is that these units, in order to be produced so cheaply (and in mass quantities) have to undergo compromises to get there. These inexpensive units tend to fail quickly, sometimes in less than 6 months of heavy use.
They don’t purify all the air inside the home. A portable air purifier is typically only designed to purify the air inside the room that it is in. The tinier ones are, generally, woefully inadequate for purifying larger spaces. It’s not likely you will see a noticeable benefit from them in a decently sized room unless you purchase an expensive, high-end model. Even if you put a unit inside every room in the house, now you have anywhere from 3-4 to 6 or more individual units that are drawing power and that require maintenance.
They require regular maintenance. Speaking of maintenance… in our experience, maintaining portable air purifiers can be — to say the least — inconvenient! Filter-type air purifiers require regular filter replacements to function optimally. Depending on the model, replacement filters can be proprietary and costly to replace. There’s cleaning, too… count on having to grab that duster and get into every little nook and cranny on the outside vents of the device to remove the built-up dust and hair that has accumulated there.
They produce noise. We don’t need to elaborate very much on this one — while many portable air purifiers do a great job at keeping quiet, they do produce noise levels that could be irritating enough to be a distraction from sleep or relaxation.
THE UPSIDES OF WHOLE-HOME AIR PURIFIER SOLUTIONS FOR HVAC
When you’re ready to take the air quality inside your home to the next level, there are whole home indoor air quality solutions engineered specifically to get the job done.
These devices aren’t just an additional filter, nor are they a portable-type device that is marketed as a whole-home device. AA Temperature Services offers several options for whole-home air purification, including the Reme HALO and the AirOasis nano Induct. Both of these whole home air quality devices are installed inside your home HVAC system — typically inside the air handler or duct system — and utilize ionization and other technologies to clean the air.
Because they are placed inside the existing heating & cooling system ducts or air handler, they natively scrub and purify the air that is being circulated throughout your home right from the source. Unlike filters or portable air purifiers, it’s not necessary for particulates or other airborne nasties (like dust, pollen, mold spores, other allergens, etc.) to pass directly through the unit. Rather, the ionization process causes these particulates to stick together, making them more easily caught by the filters already in place inside your HVAC system.
Finally, whole-home air purifiers do a whole lot more than just attack viruses and allergens and reduce pollutants in the air. They can also reduce mold activity — especially important in the humid climate of Southwest Florida — which helps to extend the life of your entire HVAC system. Talk about hidden benefits!
WHAT ABOUT UV LIGHTS FOR HVAC?
Yes, UV lights are another whole-home air quality solution! UV light systems tend to be quite affordable, but they do require regular replacement of the bulbs to ensure efficient operation. They are most often used to help control mold inside the ducts and HVAC system and thus extend its life, but they do help to purify the air as well. They are often installed in tandem with solutions like the Reme HALO to get the best advantages of both options!
OK, I’M READY FOR WHOLE-HOME AIR PURIFICATION. HOW DO I START?
One thing to be aware of is that you can expect to pay more for a whole-home air purification solution than you would pay for a portable humidifier. The whole-home air quality solutions we offer to our customers are engineered and built specifically for use in HVAC systems. They are intended to provide years and years of maintenance-free service in your home and require professional installation to ensure they are working at maximum efficiency.
Please give our friendly staff a call at (941) 766-0975 — we’ll be happy to work out the most affordable quote we can for the air quality solution your home needs! We also offer HVAC financing, so you won’t have to wait to breathe cleaner air!
