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Wildfires and Your Indoor Air Quality

If you are dealing with the smoke from nearby wildfires, you may be concerned about your indoor air quality. Aside from negatively impacting your house, breathing in smoke and pollution from wildfires is downright uncomfortable.

Your indoor air quality in Roanoke, VA is very important, and there is something you can do to improve it. When you invest in an indoor air purifier, you ensure that your family can breathe easy and stay healthy at home no matter what is going on outside. Keep reading to learn more about how an air purifier can specifically help with wildfire smoke.

Role of Your AC

You may be wondering why you need an indoor air purifier. Doesn’t your air conditioner have an air filter? While your air conditioner does have an air filter to help remove dust and dirt from the air, it can only do so much. Many particles are so microscopic that they can squeeze through the fibers of your air filter. Sure, you can invest in a higher quality air filter, but even then there’s only so much that can be done without an air purifier. 

How an Air Purifier Works

An air purifier is different because it is specifically designed to remove those microscopic particles from your air. Sometimes investing in a super high-quality HEPA filter for your air conditioner can actually be detrimental. If the air filter is too dense, it can block airflow into your air conditioner, causing it to work harder and putting a lot of strain on the system. Air purifiers are very powerful, and stand apart from your air conditioner. 

They don’t use much energy, but they get the job done. In fact, an air purifier can actually lighten the load on your AC. Whole house air purifiers are installed inside of your air conditioning system where all airflow has to pass by before entering your home. They either use high-quality HEPA filters to capture particles or UV lights to neutralize harmful particles in your air, including those from wildfires.

Benefits of an Air Purifier

An air purifier benefits both your air conditioner and your family. By eliminating 99% of the harmful particles in the air, your family will be healthier. Viruses and bacteria also get removed along with pollution and smoke. Your family will be less likely to get sick and suffer from allergy symptoms.

And as we mentioned earlier, an air purifier can actually lighten the load on your air conditioner. Even though harmful particles are microscopic and you can’t even see them in the air, they still have an impact on your air conditioner’s efficiency. With your air purifier filtering the air 24/7, clean air begins to circulate through your air conditioner for cooling. Without these harmful particles, your air conditioner can work more efficiently. In fact, you may even notice a slight reduction in your energy bills. 

And once the wildfires are gone, an air purifier will still benefit your home. Every time you leave and come back home, you bring new germs and pollution with you. It’s inevitable, but that doesn’t mean you can’t do something about it. An air purifier is very low maintenance and the filter or UV light only needs to be changed once a year.

We can help you make the best choice for indoor air quality. Rely on the experts at W.C. Butler Heating and Air Conditioning and schedule an appointment today.

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