It’s allergy season, and that means stuffy noses, sneezing, and itchy throats. But what if walking through the door of your home meant getting a break from your allergies? In today’s HVAC Q&A, we’re going to talk about a solution that provides that level of protection. Marcus in Louisville, Kentucky writes: Allergy season in Louisville, KY is pretty bad. I’m always uncomfortable, and I feel like I don’t really have a place I can go to get away from all the junk in the air. I’ve heard about air purifiers, but I don’t want to spend money on something that won’t actually help my situation. What kind of allergens does an air purifier actually remove from the air? Are some better than others? Which one should I buy? Unfortunately for Marcus, he lives in one of the worst cities for spring allergies, but relief is just one air purifier purchase away. Air purifiers come in all different shapes and sizes, and with all different types of features. Before we get into the different types of air purifiers on the market, let’s take a minute to discuss high-efficiency particulate arrestance, or HEPA for short.

In order to be classified as HEPA, an air filter must remove no less than 99.97 percent of particles 0.3 microns or larger from your air. This standard, enforced by the Department of Energy, makes HEPA air filters the gold standard for allergen and airborne particle removal. But There are So Many Different Types Of HEPA Purifiers… Now, on to the good stuff. If you want to create an allergen-free space to relax this spring, here are the four types of air purifiers you’ll have to choose from and an explanation of which allergens they remove from the air: True HEPA/UV-C Air Purifiers Remove The Most Allergens True HEPA/UV-C air purifiers are the best you can buy. These air purifiers are typically more expensive than others, but they’re worth it for homeowners who live in high allergen areas or that have especially bad reactions during allergy season. True HEPA/UV-C air purifiers combine replaceable HEPA air filters with an ultraviolet germicidal light to trap 99.97 percent of airborne allergens and 99 percent of airborne germs and odor-causing bacteria.

True HEPA Air Purifiers True HEPA air purifiers use replaceable HEPA-rated filters to remove 99.97 percent of the airborne particles in your home. If you or a member of your family has a bad allergy problem, True HEPA is the minimum level of protection you should look for. They rid your home of the pollen, dust mites, and mold spores that are the main causes of seasonal allergies and help keep your home smelling fresh.new vehicle dealer application for clean air vehicle decals Just like your HVAC system’s furnace filters, the HEPA filters in True HEPA and True HEPA/UV-C air purifiers need to be replaced at least every three months.best air purifier pet odor These air purifiers are the less-effective cousin of True HEPA air purifiers. can i use an air purifier with windows open

If pollen and dust mites aren’t as big of problem in your home, these more economical air purifiers might be the best for you. The replaceable filters still trap 99 percent of small airborne particles including dust, smoke, and pet dander to help keep the air in your home cleaner, but they do not get rid of smaller particles like pollen and dust mites that may cause allergies. Permanent HEPA-Type Air Purifiers Permanent HEPA-Type air purifiers work just like HEPA-Type air purifiers, except they have filters that do not need to be replaced. The reusable filters require occasional cleaning to help trap 99 percent of airborne particles. When it comes to air purifiers, there are plenty of extra options, some of which can be incorporated into the choices above. Here are some other air purifying options to watch out for when you’re shopping: use small, absorbent pores to capture pollutants as they pass through the filter. Since the pores chemically react to the pollutants in the air, activated carbon filters are great at removing odors, chemicals, and smoke from the air, but they do not remove dust and allergens.

If you have an odor problem, look for HEPA or HEPA-Type filters with activated carbon to remove odors and purify the air. remove bacteria and viruses from the air. These ultraviolet germicidal lights kill airborne germs to help keep your family healthy. Like activated carbon filters, they are rarely used alone to purify air and work best when combined with HEPA or HEPA-Type air purifiers. don’t actually purify the air. Instead, they send streams of negative ions into the air that attach to airborne particles, making them too heavy to remain airborne. Since most surfaces are positively charged, the negatively charged particles are attracted to the surfaces in the room, and settle there. In other words, the particles may be removed from the air, but they’re still stuck in the room. Remember, your air quality needs will determine which air purifier to buy. If you’re looking to create a safe haven from seasonal allergies caused by pollen, dust mites, and mold spores, then a True HEPA or True HEPA/UV-C air purifier is the right choice for your home.

If you just want to get rid of the pet dander, lint, and household dust that makes breathing a little more difficult, save some money and choose a more economical HEPA-Type air purifier. How do you deal with seasonal allergies? Which air purifier do you think will be best for your home? Share your thoughts in the comments below! experts to answer, send us an email at .Air purifiers and dehumidifiers minimize allergens in the room, making it easier for those suffering from allergies and asthma. An air purifier circulates air through a filter that traps air-borne pollutants and irritants like dust, smoke and pollen. A dehumidifier sucks in moisture and reduces the humidity levels in the air, killing mold and microbes that thrive in moisture. Air Purifier versus Dehumidifier comparison chart Air PurifierDehumidifier 2.79/512345 3.1/512345 Purpose To circulate and filter the air by trapping dust, smoke and other allergens To reduce the moisture content in the surrounding area.

Humidity levels Can vary Used where humidity is greater than 50% Types Filter, Ionizing, Ozone generators, Adsorbents, UV light Mechanical /refrigerative, Air conditioners, Adsorption/desiccant, Electronic, Ionic membrane, Makeshift Application Beneficial to allergy sufferers and asthmatics as they reduce or eliminate dust, second-hand tobacco smoke and other air-borne allergens. Recommended to alleviate allergy by eliminating mold, dust mites and mildew from the air. Contents: Air Purifier vs Dehumidifier An air purifier circulates air through a filter which removes air borne pollutants, like dust or smoke particles, and even pollen, which a dehumidifier cannot. An purifier may prevent mold build-up as it removes the spores from the air. However, because it cannot control humidity levels in a house, excessive moisture can cause mold to return. The video below deconstructs a humidifier to demonstrate how it works: A dehumidifier's primary function is to eliminate excessive moisture from the air and bring down a room's humidity levels.

While this device does not clear or filter air, it does help remove allergens, like mold and dust mites, which thrive in a moist or humid environment. With a humidity level less than 50%, these sources of allergies and asthma wither and die. This is how a dehumidifier works: Two types of dehumidifiers are typically found in the marketplace: warm mist and cool mist. Regardless of mist type selected, both affect moisture level in the air and lower the level of humidity. Mechanical /refrigerative is the most common type and works by drawing moist air over a refrigerated coil with a small fan. Condensed air is collected, and is effective at higher ambient temperatures where the relative humidity is over 45%. Air conditioners inherently act as dehumidifiers. Adsorption/desiccant is special humidity-absorbing material, moving along a belt, which is exposed to the lower-temperature air being conditioned. Air is reused after being heated to remove humidity, typically at levels of 35% or lower.

Electronic dehumidifier uses a Peltier heat pump to generate a cool surface for condensing the water vapor from the air. It has no moving parts and hence is quieter. But it has low energy efficiency and this design is used for smaller humidifiers. Ionic membrane - a specialized type of ionic membrane can be used as an ionic pump to move humidity in or out of sealed enclosures at the molecular level. The device is mainly used in industrial areas with fuel cell, chemical, or water improvement application. Makeshift - Window air conditioner units that operate similar to mechanical/refrigerative dehumidifiers. Makeshift dehumidifiers function by sending its heat exhaust back into the room. The types of air purifiers include: Filter air purifiers, which use a HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filter or an ULPA (Ultra-Low Penetration Air) filter to circulate air and trap dust particles. Ionizing purifiers use corona discharge, a small but powerful electrical field which creates and uses oppositely charged particles to collect together and settle out of the air.

Ozone generators which work like ionizing purifiers by changing the oxygen molecules in the air into ozone. Adsorbents use an adsorbent material to take care of odors, fumes and chemicals in the air. UV Light which renders some micro-organisms sterile through ultraviolet radiation. Health hazards of Air Purifiers Ozone production is typical for air ionizing purifiers. Ionic air purifiers can produce ozone as an additional feature to eliminate odor. Many air purifiers generate some ozone, and in the presence of humidity, small amounts of nitrogen oxide. The noise level of a purifier can be obtained through a customer service department Maintaining dehumidifiers requires cleaning all its coils and buckets periodically, and also checking these coils for frost, to improve efficiency. Air purifiers can be maintained by replacing the filter every 6 months. If the humidifier has plates, they should be washed once a week. To clean the plates, take them out of system and place them in the dishwasher or submerge them in the sink.