Choosing An Indoor Air Quality System: 4 Factors You Shouldn't Overlook
by Greg Leisgang on October 3, 2012
Posted in: Indoor Air Quality
Are you concerned about the vast number of little microorganisms and dust particles floating around your house at all hours of the day and night? Perhaps it is time for you to invest in an indoor air quality system to help get rid of all those harmful Cincnnati elements.
When deciding on such a system, many homeowners overlook a few important factors that should be taken into consideration, such as:
- Ionization of particles -- Indoor air quality systems that utilize ionization do not permanently remove particles from your air. Instead, the ionization electrifies them, which causes the particles to stick to various surfaces throughout your home. Instead of permanently taking up residence inside the air purifier, these particles are often recirculated through your home's air supply.
- Long-term testing -- When an air purifier is tested and rated, most units are rated on the first half hour of use only. So, often the rating won't reflect how the system will work once it's been in use for a while. Systems typically deteriorate over time, and their efficiency will be lowered. When shopping for a system, ask your contractor about long-term efficiency performance.
- Extremely small particles -- Many air purifiers are tested to ensure that they can filter out particles as low as 0.1 micron. However, it is estimated that a majority of particles in the air are smaller than 0.1 micron, and these smaller particles also cause more health problems. Look for an air quality system that can capture these smaller particles.
- Odor removal -- One common reason for a homeowner to install an indoor air quality system is to remove odors -- generated from chemicals and gases -- from the air. Unfortunately, air-cleaning systems than can address odors achieve a lower efficiency rating, due to the lower airflow that odor-removing technologies produce. If you desire to remove odors from your home, keep in mind that such a system may rate lower than non-odor-removing systems.
If you have questions about these factors or need additional information concerning an indoor air quality system or home comfort in general, please be sure to contact the friendly experts at Tri-County Heating & Cooling. We have been proudly serving Butler County and Greater Cincinnati for more than 40 years.
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