If you have been thinking about getting an air purifier you may have come across some common myths that are perhaps making the decision process a little confusing. Is an air purifier for home use really going to improve the indoor air quality? Can air purifiers help with mold? Can air purifiers remove dust? Let’s take a closer look at some of these questions and discover the truth behind the benefits of having an air purifier in your home.
Why are there myths surrounding the use of air purifiers?
Some of the myths around air purifiers may be based on earlier more simple air purification designs. Over the years, air purification technology has developed, and the modern sophisticated air purification systems work far more efficiently.
As you continue to do your research, keep in mind that it is important to choose a good quality air purifier to ensure that it really is doing what it is supposed to do, which is to clean the air creating a healthier indoor environment without introducing any further harmful elements.
Let’s delve deeper and investigate some of the questions people have about air purifiers so you can decide for yourself whether air purifiers are worth it.
- Is it healthy to have an purifier for home use?
- Do air purifiers help with humidity?
- Can air purifiers help with mold?
- Can air purifiers remove smells?
- Can air purifiers remove VOCs?
- Can air purifiers remove dust?
- Do air purifiers work?
Is it healthy to have an air purifier for home use?
One of the main motivations for people getting an air purifier for home use, is the health benefits. However, there is also some concern about air purifiers being harmful to our health.
First let’s look at how air purifiers can improve our health. With the majority of people spending more time indoors than outdoors, breathing the same stale air in a confined space means there is an increased likelihood that we are breathing in more dust, pollutants and allergens than we would if we were outside. This can affect even a usually healthy person by causing headaches, fatigue and skin issues but for those who suffer from allergies or respiratory problems, poor air quality can exacerbate their conditions.
Air purifiers can also help prevent the spread of the common cold and flu that is so often shared between family members. Air purifiers with HEPA filters capture bacteria and viruses present in the air so they are not breathed in by others. By filtering and sanitising the air to remove airborne pollutants, an air purifier can be extremely beneficial to our health and can even improve your sleep and general wellbeing.
So the question remains, can air purifiers be harmful to health? Well this may depend on the type of air purifier. Some air purifiers use ozone to purify the air. This can be an effective method, but it comes with a downside. While there are safe levels of ozone, it can still cause issues for some people such as throat irritation, coughs and breathing problems. This will of course be heightened in those with asthma and respiratory disease, so it is best to avoid these types of air purifying systems.
Do air purifiers help with humidity?
A common myth about air purifiers is that they will dry the air. However, this is not the case. Air purifiers are not designed to remove moisture so they will not affect the humidity levels in your home. This also means that an air purifier does not help with damp so if this is a problem in your house you might want to consider a complete air conditioning system that is combined with air purification, dehumidification and humidification, such as the Daikin Ururu Sarara.
Can air purifiers help with mold?
The simple answer is yes, air purifiers can help with mold. To be clear, however, an air purifier cannot remove mildew or mold already living on surfaces in your home, but it can be very effective in removing mold spores from the air. An air purifier with a HEPA filter can capture these airborne molds, preventing them from spreading and growing in other places around your home. The Flash Streamer technology used in Daikin’s air purifiers then destroys molds and fungi, making them inactive and no longer able to cause harm.
Can air purifiers remove smells?
Having an air purifier to remove unpleasant smells from your home might be one of your reasons for wanting one. After all, this is something tangible that seems like evidence that your air purifier really does work.
This is not necessarily the case. Whether or not an air purifier can remove smells really depends on the technology used. An air purifier with a HEPA filter alone is great for extracting at least 99.97% of particles as small as 0.3 microns from the air. However, odours do not fall into this category. For an air purifier to remove smells it needs to have an activated carbon filter to trap odours. Daikin air purifiers also have a titanium apatite filter which can capture household smells from pets, cigarette smoke and cooking.
Can air purifiers remove VOCs?
When we think of air pollution our first thought is often exhaust fumes from traffic. However, VOCs are also present in many common household items used around our homes. VOCs are volatile organic compounds, a group of chemicals that release often odourless gases and, among other things, can be found in paint, carpet, composite wood, cleaning products and cosmetics. Even though many VOCs have no obvious odour, they are still present and can be harmful to our health, causing nausea, breathlessness and in some cases can make us lethargic and unable to function at our usual capacity.
So can air purifiers remove VOCs? As with smells, VOCs cannot be captured by a HEPA filter, so an air purifier with an activated carbon filter is needed. With the right combination of air purifying features, VOCs can be removed from the air.
Can air purifiers remove dust?
Absolutely! Having an air purifier for dust removal will help keep your indoor air feeling clean and fresh. Most air purifiers are designed to remove dust from the air with a HEPA filter and some may have a prefiltration system to capture larger particles to help prevent the HEPA filter getting clogged.
It is important to keep in mind that an air purifier can remove dust from the air but not when it has already settled on surfaces. However, once you start using your air purifier regularly you will find that it will capture the airborne dust particles before they have the opportunity to settle so you can expect to see a reduction in dust on your furniture.
Do air purifiers work?
Given our myth-busting answers above, the conclusion is that yes, air purifiers do work. Ultimately this will depend on having a good quality air purifier that is designed to effectively achieve the results you want.
It is important to also keep in mind that for an air purifier do its job well you need to choose one that is appropriate for the size of the room. An air purifier also needs to be regularly maintained to ensure it is always running optimally to maintain a healthy indoor environment. Air quality is important for our health and when we spend a large amount of our time indoors, using an air purifier to clean the air we breathe can only be beneficial.
So now you have discovered the truth behind air purifier myths, you are ready to find out more about how to choose the right air purifier.