You’ve probably heard that the US EPA has determined that indoor air is 2-5x worse than outdoor air. But why?
There are Two Main Reasons: 1. More off-gassing products in the home (building materials, furniture, carpeting, solvents, paint, scented household products, etc.) 2. Poor air exchange. Newer homes are more energy efficient (aka air tight), and most people don’t open their windows often enough. As the weather gets colder, people tend to not open them at all. These things create a scenario for harmful chemicals to build up inside our homes. You add to this more frequent wildfires that are happening with greater force and frequency, and increased air pollution in certain areas, and our indoor air can get much worse. Given this, I do recommend air filtration in our homes. |
What To Look For In An Air Filter |
The goal is not perfection but rather to make air quality better. With very few exceptions, any air filter will make the air quality in a home better. Sometimes I get asked what the “best” filter is, and that’s hard to answer because it can depend on what a person’s main priorities are. When it comes to wildfire smoke, you need both types of filtration.
Some units have more features than others; sensors that kick the filter to a higher setting if it identifies increased particulates, timers, ionizers, etc. Most of these are nice-to-have’s not need-to-have’s. |
What To Avoid In An Air Filter |
There are two things I encourage clients to avoid when buying an air filter:
What’s the problem with ionizers? Some air filters have an ionizer setting that, when turned on, releases negatively charged ions into the air. These negatively charged ions attach themselves to dust, pollen, and other pollutants, causing them to fall to the ground or get stuck to surfaces (like walls, furniture, etc.) They don’t “capture” anything – those particles are still present in the space, they are just not in the air. The bigger issue is that ionizers also generate and release ozone, which is a respiratory irritant and can lead to coughing, chest pain, shortness of breath, as well as reduced lung function and worsening asthma from long-term exposure. Some excellent filter brands come with an ionizer setting but I just instruct clients not to use it.
What is the problem with PECO/PCO? PECO or photoelectrochemical oxidation is a technology that claims to destroy VOC molecules and kill mold and viruses. The problem is that this Ti + UV process can create secondary pollutants. According to Consumer Reports, PECO technology can “react with some pollutants to generate other dangerous byproducts, such as ozone, formaldehyde, nitrogen dioxide, and carbon monoxide.” When Moleuke filters first hit the scene, I believed the hype, and spent over $800 for one. I immediately regretted it because every time the UV light was on, my bedroom would smell like chemicals. The company wasn’t very helpful, but some more research clued me in to the issues with these filters, and PECO technology as a whole, so save your money or you’ll have an expensive clothing rack in your bedroom! |
Filters That I Like & Recommend |
There are hundreds of brands of filters on the market – I haven’t reviewed all of them, but there are a handful that check all the boxes for me and are the ones I recommend. These have HEPA filters and around 15 pounds of carbon per unit – the most of any filter company I’ve found. This means superior VOC capture. And because of how much carbon is in each filter, they last for around 5 years versus 6 months for many other brands. They don’t have any bells or whistles, but are a solidly great filter. AirDoctor filters have excellent HEPA filters (down to .003 microns – excellent for allergies, dust, or viruses), and they are one of the better filters available at lower price points. However, they are a little light on carbon, coming in around 1lb. This is better than nothing though! Their filters come with sensors, timers, a dim setting for sleep, and a notification when it’s time to change filters – all of which I appreciate. These units do have an ionizer option – just don’t use it. |
An Inexpensive & Effective DIY Option |
If a $300-$900 air filter is not in the budget but you live in places with poor air quality or are prone to wildfires, a DIY filter is a good solution. The simplest configuration (1 fan + 1 20x20x1in filter) will cost around $40, while the Corsi-Rosenthal cube, which is far more effective, will cost around $100. I encourage all people living in areas where wildfires, or wildfire smoke are possibilities to always have at least 1 box fan and at least 1 clean filter on hand, as these quickly sell out when a fire is happening.
I hope this blog post is helpful. Stay safe and take care.
Warmly, Sara
|
0 Comments