Is your home’s indoor air clean? We spend most of our time indoors, yet air quality doesn’t get as much attention as it deserves. Your indoor air could be loaded with microscopic contaminants ranging from pet dander, smoke, dust, pollen, mould, and mites, to name a few. Your home is well ventilated, and you even open windows and doors to improve the airflow. That’s a great measure, but to kick the air quality, breathability, and comfort to the next level, you may need more. This is where the air filtration system comes in, a solution that helps maximize contaminants’ control and keep the air quality at its best.
Featured Image VIA
The modern market is loaded with all sorts of air filtration solutions, from portable to whole-house systems. A portable device may suffice in a small house with fewer people and less demanding air quality needs. On the other hand, a whole house air filtration system is a more practical solution for larger homes, especially with vulnerable individuals or in settings exposing you to many pollutants. Among the factors that make the whole-house system a better solution includes:
The Occupants
Who lives in the home? Kids, older adults, or people with a weakened immune system are susceptible to the contaminants. For instance, if you are allergic or live with asthma, a minor change in indoor air quality can cause significant concerns. The asthma flare-ups could wreak havoc, emphasizing the need to keep the contaminants in control. Younger and older adults may struggle to operate the portable device, especially if they want to move and use it in a particular room.
If your home occupants are vulnerable or unable to use a portable air filtration system efficiently, you’ll be better off with a whole-house system. Besides the centralized control, you won’t have to worry about a spike in contaminant levels in a certain room where the device hasn’t been recently used. You’ll comfortably keep the indoor air quality at its best in every room, making it easier to keep allergy attacks, asthma flare-ups, or respiratory conditions at bay.
Your habits also count as you consider the occupants. For instance, are you a smoker, and do you have pets? Smoking leaves an unpleasant smell that can linger for a long time. You may want a solution to such smells, an area the whole-house air filtration system addresses. Your furry friends are a great addition to your home. Nonetheless, as they jump from one room to the next, they leave dander which can cause worries. With the whole-house air filtration system, you won’t deal with the hassles of moving the device from one room to the next to deal with the smoking smell or pet dander. This makes it easier to keep the indoor air clean at all times, making it a valuable investment.
The Location
Is your home close to a busy highway or in a dusty neighbourhood? Are there factories nearby that emit an odour that gets to your home, even at negligible levels? Your home’s location can expose you to unfavourable indoor air. The dust and smoke from the heavy traffic can impact your respiratory health as the gradual exposure causes damage over time. The small can also make your home uncomfortable. A portable air filtration system may not be the best fit in such settings. You may be forced to overwork it to keep the indoor air cleaner. This is more so with multiple occupants, which may force you to invest in a few devices.
A whole-house system allows you to conveniently and cost-effectively control the contaminants. You only need one interface to deal with the concerns, and as it covers the whole house, you won’t incur significant energy bills as it would take with multiple devices.
Weather
Do you live in an area that experiences colder winter and hot summer seasons? In such settings, homeowners usually invest in tight insulation. You want to insulate your home and ensure warm air doesn’t escape out during the cold season, which would force you to crank up the heater. The same goes for the hot seasons since you want to keep the cold air in and the hot out.
Tight insulation is great for your home and the AC. Since you won’t overwork the unit, you also save money by reducing the energy bills. However, this impacts indoor air quality. There is less movement, meaning the air can easily be polluted as the contaminants hardly have the space to escape. Portable devices may not be the best solution in such instances since you may be forced to buy more or keep moving them from one room to the next.
The whole house air filtration system is a great fit in such areas. You can keep the house tightly insulated while ensuring the indoor air quality in every room remains at good levels. Even better, since the AC won’t be pulling through dirt, it will run more efficiently and for an extended period, further saving more money since you won’t be dealing with regular repairs and replacements.
Improving indoor air quality is critical as you strive to lead healthier lives. This may not need much emphasis if you have allergies, asthma, or other respiratory conditions. You know how frustrating it gets when you can hardly sleep due to a blocked or stuffy nose, wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath, and itchy eyes, to name a few concerns. With an air filtration system, you can keep the microscopic pollutants under control, making your home safe and comfortable.
Following your situation, a whole-house air filtration system may make more sense than a portable option. With professional installation and routine maintenance, you can keep the system in top shape for an extended period. However, it is wise to take a step back as you hit the market and evaluate what the right system for your home requires. For instance, would you be best suited by HEPA, electronic, electrostatic, carbon, or pre-filters? How about your budget; would you be better off with an aftermarket option or a new one? Such considerations can help you pick the right air filter, finance it, and have it installed and running with minimal friction.
