Many St. Louis area homeowners are familiar with air filters and how they help protect your furnace from airborne particles. But did you know you have another option for protecting your furnace that also helps keep your family healthy? It’s called a home air cleaner, and it’s a great way to improve the air quality in your home.
How is a home air cleaner different than a filter?
An air filter works by getting in the way of airborne particles as air is cycled through your furnace. But air filters can only block out particles that are larger than the holes in the filter. The best air filters can only block out particles that are 1 micron in size or larger.
However, 98 percent of the particles in the air are smaller than 1 micron. That means that the best air filters on the market can only block out 2 percent of the particles in the air. An air cleaner, on the other hand, uses a technology that removes particles out of the air that is smaller than 1 micron, many of which cause illnesses and aggravate symptoms of asthma and allergies.
How does a home air cleaner work?
Instead of “getting in the way” of particles as an air filter does, air cleaners rely on the positive and negative charges of airborne particles to pull them out of the air. This technology allows air cleaners to remove more than 95 percent of particles from the air in your home, which keeps your air clean and your family healthy.
What is the relationship between a home air cleaner and furnace airflow?
In the case of air filters, the better a filter is at blocking particles from entering your furnace, the worse it is for airflow. Air cleaners have the advantage of allowing for great airflow while also removing many more particles out of the air than an air filter can. That’s because air cleaners don’t need to get in the way of airflow to do their job. This allows your furnace to run extremely efficiently while also getting maximum protection from the particles in the air.
If you have any questions about home air cleaners, or if you’d like to have one installed in your furnace, contact Jerry Kelly Heating & Air Conditioning, your St. Louis area heating and cooling company.
