Air purifiers, also known as air sanitizers, are designed to filter the air in a single room or area. An easy and inexpensive way to make your own air purifier at home is with a box fan and oven filter. These “filter fans” can filter out small particles that are common in wildfires or wood smoke. Particulate matter contamination can cause a number of immediate and long-term health impacts, including breathing problems, asthma attacks, and lung and heart disease.
Particulate matter contamination is especially dangerous for children, the elderly, and people with sensitive immune systems. A whole-house filter doesn't fit the wall like other air filters. These filters enter the ducts directly in front of the HVAC unit. Some varieties have a housing or cartridge into which they fit before being installed, while others are inserted directly into a duct slot.
It is important to know how to change an air filter and keep up with regular air filter changes. Professional HVAC maintenance is also recommended, even if you are keeping up with regular air filter changes. While some allergic or asthmatic patients report benefits from air filters, the evidence remains anecdotal. The best filters trap indoor contaminants, such as dust, pet dander, and pollen, helping to clean the air in your home.
Cabiclean and Durabasics filters fit perfectly into the machine, hermetically sealing their edges to prevent unfiltered air from escaping another important factor in HEPA performance. We then tested them and a genuine Coway filter in the same manner as described above, burning matches and measuring the filters' ability to reduce 0.3 micron smoke particles. Of course, the insect has to reach for the filter before it can be removed; if someone sneezes on their face, UV technology won't help. However, at its medium-high and high speeds, it produced a persistent rattle that we couldn't ignore or correct by repositioning the machine and making sure the filter was properly positioned. If the air quality is poor and you don't have an air purifier, an HVAC filter attached to a box fan is better than nothing.
Whole house filters offer significantly larger surface area than one-inch filters because of the deep V-folds that fill their nearly half-foot thick frame. In conclusion, it is important to know how to change an air filter, keep up with regular air filter changes, and invest in a quality air purifier for your home. Professional HVAC maintenance is also recommended for optimal air quality in your home.
