To keep your house clean and healthy, you scrub floors, wipe down countertops, disinfect toilets, and tidy the living room. Don’t overlook clean air as part of your housekeeping tasks. HEPA filters in the home are especially useful in removing contaminants and pollutants from indoor air. These filters are helpful in households with family members who suffer from asthma or allergies.
What is a HEPA filter?
HEPA is an acronym for High-Efficiency Particulate Air. These filters work by forcing air through a fine mesh to trap air pollutants. In order to be called a HEPA filter, the filter must be tested and approved. The Institute of Environmental Sciences and Technology dictates that a HEPA filter must trap 99.97% of particulates that are 0.3 microns or larger. Some HEPA filters trap even smaller particles. “HEPA-like” filters are not true HEPA filters.
Why Do I Need an Air Filter?
Pollution doesn’t just occur in big cities. The air inside a home can be contaminated with irritants: pet dander, dust, mold, and cigarette smoke, to name a few. Air filters remove airborne pollutants from your home. HEPA filters were first developed to remove contaminants from the air in nuclear facilities and hospitals, so they are more effective than standard air filters.
Uses for HEPA Filters in the Home
There are several possible uses for HEPA filters. Some vacuum cleaners feature this type of filter. Vacuuming with a HEPA vacuum is a better way of trapping harmful particles than using a standard vacuum. Air purifiers are another common use of HEPA filters in the home. Purifiers clean the air in a specific room. To be effective, the filter will need to be changed out frequently. Another use for these filters is within a whole-home purification system. This type of system uses your HVAC unit to circulate and filter the air, improving indoor air quality throughout your home.
HEPA Filters and Mold
Mold is a common and dangerous allergen in the home. A vacuum or air purifier with a HEPA filter will trap mold spores.