Air Purifiers for the Home

Many people, concerned about mold and other air pollutants in the home, consider buying air purifiers for the home. We frequently receive emails from such people, asking what type of home air cleaner purifier they should buy or if they really need one at all. People also ask us if they really work. Of course, the truth is, some work better than others. Here’s what you need to know.

How Do Air Purifiers Work?

It depends on what type of home air cleaner purifier you select.

Mechanical air filters, including high energy particulate air (HEPA) filters, work by capturing particles in the air with a filter. This is the type of air purifier usually recommended if your home has a mold problem.

Electronic air filters include electrostatic precipitators, which work by charging particles in the air with an electrical charge so that they stick to a collection plate, and ionic air purifiers, which work by charging particles in the air so that they stick to each other and to surfaces like walls and furniture. Notice that while ionic air purifiers may reduce the number of particles drifting around in the air, they don’t actually remove all the particles from your home.

Gas-phase air filters work by using activated carbon or a similar material to absorb gasses and odors from the air. This type of home air cleaner purifier only works on specific gasses or odors and it will not help remove particles like dust, mold or pet dander from the air.

Do You Need a Home Air Cleaner Purifier?

It depends on the air quality inside your home and on your health status. If you have asthma or other respiratory problems, having clean indoor air is especially important to you. No one should breathe in a lot of mold, dust or other allergens or irritants, however; that could lead to the development of health problems in previously healthy individuals.

If your home has a mold problem, or is affected by other airborne allergens or irritants, air purifiers for the home might be a good idea for you. They may prevent the development of allergic reactions, respiratory problems and other health problems, or may reduce the frequency and severity of such problems occurring.

If you have poor air quality inside your home, it’s important to address the cause and try to correct it. Don’t simply look to air purifiers for the home to resolve a household mold problem, for instance; you’ll need to clean up all the mold that can be found and eliminate the excess moisture that led to the growth of mold in the first place. If you’re unable to eliminate all irritants and allergens in the environment, however, or if you’re concerned mold may regrow, an air purifier can keep your indoor air quality good and give you peace of mind.

Selecting the Right Home Air Cleaner Purifier for Your Home

As discussed above, different types of air purifiers work in different ways, so the right air purifier for your home will depend on why you need an air purifier in the first place. We recommend mechanical air filters over electronic air filters because they will actually capture and remove particles of mold, dust, pet dander and other potentially harmful substances from the air. We especially like the Honeywell air purifiers for the home with HEPA filters. They remove at least 99.97 percent of all particles in the air and also have activated carbon prefilters to help remove odors from the home.

You can follow this link to Amazon.com to view the different size Honeywell Air Purifiers available. They have good information on the various models, as well as consumer reviews that are really informative. They also have the best prices we have seen.

Additional Reading:

Mold In Homes - What to do if you find mold in your home. Health issues due to mold, testing, removal, when to call in a mold removal specialist.

Best Home Air Purifier For Mold – Information on selecting an air purifier if you have a mold problem.

Do Ionic Air Purifiers Work? – Learn about ionic air purifiers, and see if they are right for your needs.

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