For most homes, basements are known for stale air. It is not only irritating but also poses a health hazard. Air pollution may be the cause of the musty smell, reducing the quality of air in the basement. This low-quality air may even spread to other parts of your house; leading to the house has an unpleasant smell. Having the right air purifier in the basement will help increase the quality of the unhealthy air. Unlike how air conditioners work, air purifiers tend to eliminate harmful particles rather than circulate the air.
Why basement air tends to be unpleasant
Basement air tends to have a blend of impurities with each posing a distinct health problem including:
Mold – Basements provide perfect breeding grounds for mold. The moisture in the basement allows molds such as penicillium to strive, and this may lead to you inhaling spores which may lead to breathing complications.
VOCs – Volatile Organic Compounds, chemicals infiltrate the air, some stink, but some have no odor at all. The poor airflow in basements and storage of old paints accelerates the levels of VOCs.
Radon – Radon is extremely poisonous and increases susceptibility to lung cancer. Radon occurs naturally as a radioactive gas and accumulates in the soil.
Dust- Dust poses the greatest risk as far as neglect to cleaning the basement is concerned.
Stagnant air – Stagnant air in the basement accelerates air pollution increasing the concentration of irritants.
Benefits of using a basement air purifier
Use the air purifier to boost up your eco-friendly ways of keeping your home clean including the basement. The basement air purifier will get rid of mold spores and especially the musty smell. Below are some of the benefits you can enjoy with a basement air purifier:
Increased air circulation: Basement air can be stuffy as most lack windows and doors. The purifier will help facilitate the air exchange rate reducing pollutant concentrations.
Less pet dander: Pets that have free-range access in your house may lead to the building up of hair and dander in the basement. Air purifiers get off the dander and hair down there in the basement.
Lower dust accumulation: Basements are almost certain to accumulate dust. Air purifiers tend to rap the dust in filters whilst circulating the air in the basement.
Mold spores extraction: Air purifiers suck the mold spores in the air into their filters and eliminate them with ultraviolet light.
Less smoke and odor: If you use the basement as a smoking zone, an air purifier will get rid of smoke particles and strong odors left behind.
Features to look for in a basement air purifier
If you require a basement air purifier, there are a few things you need to consider to ensure you get the best in the market. The features below guarantee the best air purifier to be in your basement:
- True HEPA filter: Crucial in a basement air purifier as the filters can also trap the smaller particles, including mold spores. Inferior filters will not get the job done hence go for air purifiers that have the word ‘True’ attached to its HEPA filter.
- Ultraviolet light: The technology has the ability to destroy mold spores and other microbes. The light is perfectly safe for humans but destroys the DNA structure of the microorganisms.
- Activated carbon filter – it is through the process, adsorption, where odor clings to filter medium whereby odors are removed. Activated carbon filters get rid of volatile organic compounds and common odors.
Using the basement air purifier
Getting yourself an air purifier is sure the first step in ensuring the quality of air in your basement improves. For more efficiency, here are a few tips you can follow to guarantee results:
- No obstruction of the airflow. The air purifier should have at least 24 inches of space all around it. This is to ensure a sufficient amount of air can be sucked into the device and pumped back with ease.
- Don’t occasionally turn off the air purifier. The air purifier is not a cooling fan, and it works best if it runs continuously. The more it runs, the more the quality of air improves.
- Check and change filters. Clogged filters with pollutants will affect the air purifier’s work efficiency. The filters should be regularly checked and replaced where necessary.
- Placement of the air purifier. The air purifier should not be stuck in the corner but centrally placed in the basement where airflow will not be restricted.
Conclusion
When looking for a purifier, choose one that suits you and fits according to your budget. For a larger basement, go for a stronger and bigger air purifier capable of cleaning the air in the large rooms. Air purifiers have proven effective and reliable to solve almost all basement air quality issues. Technological advancements, including UltraViolet light, have ensured purifiers eliminate microbes too including bacteria and mold spores. Most purifiers have carbon filters; hence bad smell should not be a problem anymore in your basement.