Breathe Easy: Indoor Air Filters For Your Home

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Another option is an electronic air cleaner (also called an electrostatic precipitator). These use electricity to create an electrostatic attraction that traps charged particles as small as .0001 microns onto a washable, reusable flat plate made of metal, glass or fiberglass. A Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation study found electronic air cleaners to be the most efficient overall. On the downside, these cleaners generate ozone (20 parts per billion). As a comparison, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) sets the ozone output of indoor medical devices to be no more than 0.05 ppb.

Don’t confuse an electrostatic precipitator with other air cleaners such as ionic air and ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI). Consumer Reports magazine found that a number of Sharper Image ionic purifiers failed to clean the air, and a class-action lawsuit alleging that the company misled consumers about its ionic air cleaners is said to have contributed to Sharper Image filing for bankruptcy.

A UVGI—which uses ultraviolet radiation from UV lamps to allegedly destroy biological hazards such as viruses, bacteria, allergens and molds—isn’t much better for your home. The Environmental Protection Agency is critical of the device, and says you’d need a higher UV exposure to have an impact.

No matter which filtering system you end up with, maintenance is key. Stay on top of cleaning and changing filters if you want to breathe easier—in all senses of those words.

• DON’T upgrade your filter without advice from an HVAC expert to ensure your system can compensate for the
reduced airflow.

• DO change or clean your filter more often than the manufacturer’s recommendations if you have pets, children, burn candles or have recently renovated.

Vacuum values

The right vacuum works hand-in-hand with filters to improve your home’s indoor air quality. The American Lung Association (ALA) recommends vacuums with high-efficiency filters, such as microfilter or HEPA, that also have good suction and sealed construction. It suggests checking the size and amount of dust particles the vacuum captures (e.g., 96 percent at 1.0 micron or 99.97 percent at 0.3 micron). The higher the percentage and the smaller the size particles, the more effective a vacuum should be. The ALA also recommends installing a whole-house system, a network of piping inside your walls that pulls dust and dirt into a central canister in your garage or basement. You simply plug a lightweight, 25- to 30-foot hose into special wall outlets that automatically start the vacuum’s motor. This system’s big advantage is that particulates are exhausted to the outside instead of being stirred up in a room. These systems run from $800 to $2,000 for materials and installation.

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