Air Filtration vs. Air Cleaning

You can’t control the allergens outdoors, but you can keep them at bay indoors. Improving indoor air quality can make your home a refuge from pollen and other common pollutants. When deciding between using air filtration versus air cleaning to combat allergies, here is what you should know.

Air Filtration

The air filter in your HVAC system prevents dust and other harmful particulates from clogging the inner components. It also keeps indoor air more pure by trapping dirt and dust.

The degree to which your air filter can trap airborne particulates depends much on the MERV rating. This stands for the minimum efficiency reporting value, and indicates a filter’s ability to trap small particles. High MERV-rated filters trap more particles than those with lower ratings.

It might seem that using a good air filter in your HVAC system is all that is necessary to achieve good air quality. However, there are other factors to consider when deciding between air filtration alone versus adding an air cleaner, namely:

• Standard air filters allow many common allergens, such as mold spores and dust mite particulates, to pass through.
• HEPA filters and other high-rated MERV filters are incompatible with many HVAC systems due to decreased airflow through the filters.

Air Cleaning

Air cleaners work with your HVAC system to filter out additional contaminants and prevent them from entering ductwork. This means adding protection from common allergens such as pollens, dust and mold spores. If you or another member of your family suffers from allergies, adding an air cleaner can help you breathe easier.

For even better indoor air quality, invest in an air purifier. Although often used synonymously, these differ from air cleaners in that they use different technology, such as germicidal UV light, to kill microbes and spores and get rid of other impurities in the air.

At Sobieski Services, Inc., our goal is to help our customers in Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland and New Jersey learn more about energy and home comfort issues – especially HVAC and plumbing issues – so that they can save money and live in healthier, more comfortable homes.

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