The problem of dirty air is urgent both in city apartments and in-country houses, which are located near the highway. Sometimes it is enough to open the window for an hour to settle dust and soot on the surfaces around it. And sometimes there is so much dirt that you have to go and get a wet rag. And that’s the air we breathe.
To avoid opening the window unnecessarily, many people use special devices that maintain a comfortable microclimate in the room and make the air clean and fresh. Let’s look at what options are the most popular.
Install an air conditioner
In the heat we want coolness, and this task is coped with by an air conditioner. It does not belong to the ventilation system and only cools the air. Even if it is a modern model with filters that collect dust, detain harmful microorganisms, and remove foreign smells.
Thus conditioner is still the device, which first of all cools the air, but does not clean it completely.
It is better not to use a conditioner in winter, as it generates condensate, which may freeze in pipes. In this case, there will be problems and the unit may fail.
Advanced models of air conditioners have additional filters. Carbon filters absorb odors and harmful gases, antibacterial filters disinfect the air. Filters with silver ions are more purifying. These technologies improve the air quality in the apartment but do not let in new air.
Bottom line: the air conditioner can only cool the room, but it doesn’t solve the problem of dirty air. Models with additional filters slightly improve their quality, while carbon dioxide remains in the room.
Buy a humidifier, purifier, or air washer
Some devices are initially needed to improve indoor air quality – to clean, humidify and ionize it.
You can buy a separate humidifier and purifier, but some units combine the two functions. These are called “air washers.
The purifier is a box the size of half a computer system unit, well on the market, of course, there are 2000 square feet air purifier. The device blows air through itself, using filters and static electricity to work. Coarse dust, hair, and fine particles are trapped in the coarse filter. At the same time, the fine particles, due to the static electricity, are deposited on the floor and do not get into the lungs. To get rid of them, it is enough to wipe them off with a cloth or mop once a week.
Air quality is not just about cleanliness. That’s why most purifiers have a humidification function. The unit is filled with tap water, which will evaporate. The humidity in the room will quickly become higher. In some models, if specified in the instructions, you can add essential oil for a pleasant fragrance.
Air washers are advanced devices that often have an ionization function. The device has a special rod built into it, through which the air is passed and saturated with negative ions that clean it and keep bacteria and viruses from spreading.
Bottom line: the devices clean, humidify and ionize the air.
Consider ventilation in your apartment
Air conditioners and sinks do not solve the main question – where to put the carbon dioxide. That is why there is no point in “chasing” the same musty air around the apartment, ionizing it and humidifying it. To make it easy to breathe, you need ventilation.
It can be natural, which works on the difference of pressure, or forced. For forced ventilation, you need ventilators, recuperators, or breezes – they “drive” the air from the street into the premises.
A simple and cheap device is a ventilator, sometimes called a supply valve. It refers to passive ventilation. For the ventilator to work, you need a house hood. The device does not heat the air like some other models, and often it does not even have a filter.
A recuperator is more complicated. The device can filter the air as well as cool or heat it. Unlike ventilators, a recuperator does not need other types of ventilation to work, it is completely autonomous.
The Breezer is an expensive and advanced device. It has several filters for maximum cleaning, heating and cooling functions, and the ability to automatically adjust the room climate. Breezers provide clean air, so they are often installed in laboratories and operating rooms, as well as in apartments that are located near production facilities or in the epicenter of dusty city life.
If you live in a quiet suburb where the environment is fine, natural ventilation with a simple ventilator will do. It will also save money.
Bottom line: the ventilation system removes carbon dioxide from the room. The more expensive the device, the better it will clean the incoming air.
What you need to remember
- Natural ventilation is needed when there is clean air outside but is not suitable for apartments that are located near dusty highways and hazardous industries.
- Air conditioning is not part of the ventilation system and only cools the air, but does not solve the problem with its purity.
- You can buy a separate humidifier and purifier, or an “air washer” with an ionization function, which prevents the spread of bacteria and viruses. But these devices also do not take in air from the street and do not make it fresh.
- You can install forced ventilation – ventilators, breezes, or recuperators. A functional and advanced Breezer will clean any air, but the device is expensive and filters need to be changed often.
Conclusion
The problem of how to clean the air in the apartment from germs, viruses, dust, and CO2 should not be postponed for “a more appropriate time.
You should take care of your health as well as the health of your loved ones now.
We should not wait for a global solution to environmental issues, because it is hardly possible in the foreseeable future. Therefore, the problem of clean air in your own home should be solved independently and already today.
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