SmartHomeOwners

The air in your home may seem fine, but too often there are unknown indoor air pollutants that can pose serious health risks.  Many pollutants cannot be seen and have no taste or smell, but yet can cause a number of health problems if left unchecked.

Common Household Air Pollutants

The first type of indoor air pollutant is particular matter.  This includes smoke, animal dander, tobacco smoke, particles from combustion appliances (such as stoves), and dust particles.  Also included in this category are particles from organisms such as molds, dust mites, viruses and bacteria.

There are also gaseous pollutants.  These can come from a number of combustible products such as vehicle exhaust, gas stoves, tobacco smoke, furnishings, building materials, varnishes, paint, cleaning products, and pesticides.

As you can see, most homes around the world are subject to air pollutants.  This doesn't include any outdoor air pollutants that may enter your home.  You might live near a factory that puts out much pollution minute-by-minute.  Or if you live on a very busy street, the exhaust from cars passing by can result in poor air quality.  Finding some sort of solution for filtering the air in your home is not a bad idea, no matter where you live!

Types of Filters

You can purchase an electronic air cleaner that takes the air from within your home, cleans it, and then re-releases the same air into your home.  These come in handy if the air outdoors is of poor quality.  The only downside is most are not large enough to clean air in the entire home - only for one room.

Another way to filter the air in your home is to install air cleaning devices into your central heating/air unit. If the air outdoors is fairly clean, then you can open windows and doors to allow your home to ventilate.

For removal of gaseous pollutants, buy gas-phase air filters, which use a sorbent to absorb the gas pollutant.  The method is different from particle removal, so be sure to read all indications before buying any air filter.

Even if your home always seems clean and fresh, you should still consider an air filter of some sort.  Your family could be exposed to a pollutant or allergen for many years and not even know it.  The health risks may not show for years either, so it's better to be safe than sorry.