How Does Air Filtration Work?
Many people believe that indoor air is cleaner than the air outside. However, this is often not the case. Your indoor air may be full of small particulates, invisible gases and even tiny microbes. The air filters that are placed over your air system intake vents remove some of these particles, but utilizing an additional, complete filtration system will provide better purification by removing more of the common pollutants present in your indoor air.
Small Particles
Small particles are constantly circulating throughout your home. These minuscule particles are made up of dust, fibers, pollen, pet dander, allergens, fungal spores, bacteria and other types of tiny substances. Much of this will be trapped by your traditional air system filter, but a lot of the finer dust will pass through and recirculate. Over time, these particles will accumulate as they continue to be passed through your air system.
An additional portable or whole-house filtration and air purification system will use more specific and higher-quality filters to trap these particles. The options range from pleated filters to electrically charged filtration, and they do an excellent job of removing a much higher percentage of particles from your indoor air.
Gases and VOCs
Besides the small particles that are floating around your home, there are invisible gases and volatile organic compounds (or VOCs) that are also present. These fumes will not be trapped by ordinary filters because of their gaseous structure. Instead, you will need specialized filters that utilize carbon or other materials to neutralize the chemicals and fumes. These types of filtration devices are often called air purifiers or air sanitizers, and they can be portable units or whole-house filtration systems.
Fritch Heating & Cooling, Inc. has been serving the Peoria, IL, area with superior heating and cooling for over 35 years. We are highly knowledgeable in all matters pertaining to air comfort in your home, including managing indoor air quality, AC and furnace maintenance and installation and 24/7 emergency HVAC repairs. To discover how we can help you improve the air you breathe in your home, give us a call today.