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Air Treatment Buying Guide: the right air treatment for your home
Air Treatment Buying Guide
To create the most comfortable home possible you need to consider the air you breathe; especially if you or loved ones have allergies, asthma or any other respiratory conditions. It’s not pleasant living with air that’s too damp, too dry or too dusty, or has unpleasant pet, cigarette smoke or cooking odours. You may already know your home air is too humid or too dry, but if not you can use a humidity gauge to determine which kind of air treatment you need to create a more comfortable home. This Air Treatment Buying Guide will make it easier to choose the right kind of air treatment for your home.
1. Where & how will you be using it?
How big is the room you want to use it in? The bigger the room the more power and larger water tank capacity you’ll need
Do you want to be able to move it from room to room? If yes go for a portable model with wheels so it’s easy to move around
If you choose a model with a smaller tank size, you’ll have to refill or empty it more often
Do you want to use it at home or while travelling? A compact portable model is better for travel, whereas as wall mounted console model is obviously more suited to home use
2. Purifiers, humidifiers & dehumidifiers
Humidifiers
Inject more moisture back into your home air
Prevent dry air that may lead to:
Skin drying out and cracking
Plants drying out
An increased risk of contracting colds and the flu
Existing respiratory conditions being triggered
The finer the water droplets produced the easier they are to absorb
Some models produce a:
Cool mist that also keeps the room cool which makes them great for young families
Hot mist models also heat the room so are good for use in cold climates
Ultrasonic models are the quietest with the finest mist so are the best for babies’ rooms
Humidifiers help dry your laundry so are great for use in apartments that don’t have a dryer
Air purifiers
Capture allergens and remove them from the air you breathe
The filter traps dust, mites, bacteria, smoke, pollen and other airborne allergens
When comparing models look at their Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR) – this tells you how fast it purifies the air
Most air purifiers have filters that need to be replaced
Dehumidifiers
If you live in a place where the air is really humid, you have lots of window condensation or your house is quite damp, a dehumidifier extracts moisture from the air
Once the water has been removed from the air, some models:
Collect the water in a container you’ll need to empty on a regular basis
Automatically drain the water by connecting to a hose
When comparing different models look at the extraction rates – a higher rate means moisture is removed from the air faster
All-in-one units
Some models are a combined air purifier and humidifier in one unit
Some air conditioners have a built-in dehumidifier and/or HEPA filter to capture allergens
3. What matters to you?
Think about which of the following features matter to you most:
Smart sensors – adjust the air treatment output to suit the room conditions for consistent air quality
Adjustable speeds – for greater control over your home air
Filter change alert – tells you when the filter needs to be replaced
Humidistat – can be set to automatically adjust and keep your room at the desired humidity
Timer – so it can be set to switch off after you’re asleep
Sleep mode – noise reduction technology that ensures it’s quiet during sleeping
Washable filters – saves on replacement filter costs
Remote control for complete home air quality convenience
4. Looking after it
Read and follow all of the manufacturer’s care instructions
Make sure you empty your dehumidifier water collection tank on a regular basis
Make sure you check and change your filters as recommended by the manufacturer
5. Other Considerations
If there are allergy sensitivities in your household also consider:
Filters – Most air treatment models require replacement filters so keep a couple on hand
Vacuums – While air treatment products capture allergens from the air, a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter captures allergens from the floor for an even healthier home
Washers/dryers – some laundry appliances have a HEPA filter that removes allergens