Winter can be festive and beautiful. It can also be aggravating, uncomfortable, and filled with flus and colds. There are ways you can prepare to keep sickness away from your household during the coming flu season, such as arranging to have flu shots. But you may not have considered indoor air quality installations as one of the best weapons against the spread of germs and viruses in your house. The proper installation of air purifiers (as well as air filters) will improve health in your house and alleviate issues for asthma and allergy sufferers. Contact us for an air purifier in Syracuse, IN, and we’ll help you find the right IAQ options for your house.
Standard air filters are rarely enough
When starting out with solving indoor air quality problems, most homes have special air filters installed. This is an excellent idea, since these filters catch the majority of pollutants (dust, lint, dander, dust mites, etc.) that circulate through a home. There are filters that will stop bacteria, viruses, germs, and microorganisms, like the HEPA filter. However, these powerful filters are usually not suitable for use in residential homes because they are so thickly woven that they’ll stop the flow of air in the ventilation system. The less powerful filters aren’t much good against the contaminants that cause common winter illnesses.
The air purifier adds to the filter’s power
Air purifiers are designed to catch the particles that slip through a residential air filter. They are electrically powered and use a variety of techniques to remove minute contaminants. The most common types of air purifiers are ionization and oxidation purifiers, which create electrical fields to affect unwanted particles passing through the ducts. These particles include many gases and chemicals which can trigger asthma and allergies.
However, the best type of purifier to beat colds and flus during the winter is the UV air purifier. This purifier consists of ultraviolet lamps emitting a frequency of light that is harmful to organic tissue. You’ll recognize this effect each time your skin tans—or burns—in the sunlight. The lamps in a UV air purifier are much less powerful and won’t harm people or pets. But they will kill or render inert bacteria, mold spores, viruses, germs, and microorganisms. UV air purifiers are easy for professionals to install, and they work without you even noticing them (aside from the better health in your household!).
We’d also like to suggest proper home humidification
There are other indoor air quality products that help combat flus and colds and other general seasonal ickiness. One of them is a whole-house humidifier. The air in winter is often dry with relative humidity levels dropping below 30%. This makes cold weather feel even colder, but it can have negative effects on health inside a house as well. Dry air means dried sinuses and mucous membranes, and this robs the human body of one of its major defenses against the spread of illness from person to person. If dry air is an issue in your home (too much static electricity is a warning that it is), contact us for a whole-house humidifier installation.
Collier’s Heating & Air Conditioning is a Company You’ve Grown to Trust! Serving Warsaw and Northeastern Indiana for more than 30 years.
