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Why Air Purification Devices Are Not a Substitute for Fresh Air Appliances
Reading Time: 4 minutes
Safety
Much more often these days, homeowners incline to equip their home with portable air purification devices to improve indoor air quality. What many that add these gadgets to their home do not realize is that air purifiers recirculate air rather than replace it. What they accomplish can be achieved with cross-ventilation aided by a fresh air appliance.
Throughout this article, we detail the differences between air purifiers and balanced whole-house ventilation systems. Use this article as a guide to improve your knowledge on fresh air appliances and why there is no comparison to a thoroughly designed balanced whole-house ventilation system.
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What are air purification devices?
These devices are consumer products that clean indoor air by recirculating the air through a strong filter or air ionizer. They are maneuverable, easy to operate, and easy to maintain.
While these devices clean the air within their immediate vicinity, what they cannot do is bring in fresh air to dilute and replace stale air throughout the entirety of the house. To match the effectiveness of a whole-house ventilation system, multiple air purifiers would be needed to ensure complete coverage of the living space.
What are balanced whole-house ventilation systems?
A balanced whole-house ventilation system, on the other hand, is an engineered solution designed to fit the home as needed. This system brings fresh air in while they simultaneously exhaust stale air out. They require expertise to successfully implement into a home and installers with the necessary experience to integrate these appliances into the living space.
We know involving a contractor can be a deterrent, but the result will exceed your expectations; by delivering fresh air in a consistent and balanced way throughout the entire living space.
Some may think that opening a window or door is an effective method to introduce fresh air into the living space. This will let fresh air in to replace stale air, but what it will also do is bring in non-conditioned air to increase the energy load on the HVAC system.
Fresh air appliances utilize cross- and counter-flow cores where the outgoing air transfers thermal energy (either heat or cool) to the incoming air. Thereby keeping the living space fresh and comfortable.
Can your air purifier do that?
No Comparison
While an air purification device is a nice supplement to mechanical ventilation, they cannot accomplish what a fresh air appliance can: introduce fresh, conditioned air. Learn more about the differences between these two appliances below.
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Airflow Flexibility
In order to maintain the living space’s pressure scheme, an adequate supply of fresh air needs to be brought in while stale air is released to the outdoors.
One way fresh air appliances stand out from air purification devices is the ability to match the outgoing air with incoming air. This is called a bi-directional setup.
In comparison, air purifiers are one-directional only and they only alter air quality in one way.
Removal of Dangerous Contaminants
With air purification devices, since most use either a strong filter or air ionizer, they are capable of eliminating most harmful airborne contaminants from the living space.
Harmful Airborne Contaminants
Examples include bacteria, mold, viruses, animal dander, pollen, Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), and more.
Chemical Products
Cleaning Products
Glues and Pastes
Personal Care Products
Building Materials
Insulation
Paint and Wood Finish
Carpet
Pressed Wood Products
Combustion Sources
Gas and Oil
Kerosene
Wood Stoves
Fireplaces
Tobacco Smoke
Outdoor Sources
Radon
Pesticides
Pollen
Outdoor Air
Pollution
Other Sources
Pet Dander
Dust Mites
Mold
Viruses
This type of clean air design is not sufficient to create a healthy and comfortable indoor environment throughout the entirety of the living space. As a higher number of air purifiers will be needed to provide fresh, clean air throughout the house.
Additionally, fresh air appliances can be outfitted with a Total Volatile Organic Compound (TVOC) sensing control. Controls, such as the ECO-Touch IAQ, constantly measure the air within the living space, searching for CO2 or TVOCs. When abnormal settings are detected, the control will tell the fresh air appliance to increase the airflow rate.
These controls monitor indoor air, and when periods of high activity are detected, they accelerate the fresh air appliance to keep the living space healthy and comfortable.
Aesthetics and Function
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Appearance
Thanks to their ease of use and maneuverability, air purification devices can be installed and placed anywhere. Consequently adding to an increased number of devices on the floor or wall. Some may find this to be a deterrent because of how it looks or logistically because of the decrease in floor or wall space.
Fresh air appliances are installed as part of the ducted solution behind walls, in utility closets, in basements, in attics, in crawlspaces, etc. And because of their remote and concealed installation, they are rarely seen, heard, nor felt.
By comparison, this keeps the commonly-shared floor and wall space clear of extra devices that some would rather not be seen or where there is limited space.
Sound
Air purification devices are by no means considered to be loud. However, they do emit noise and as a result they could be considered distracting to some individuals.
Whereas fresh air appliances, due to how they are installed, are nearly silent and still offer quality air movement throughout the living space.
Maintenance
One advantage most think air purification devices would have over fresh air appliances is the ability to be cleaned/maintained much more easily. These devices do make maintenance easy and simple; however, fresh air appliances offer this same advantage by an optimized design.
When designed and installed correctly, the fresh air appliance can be accessed easily and simply.
Regulatory Compliance
Most state and local building codes require a certain amount of fresh air to be introduced into the living space. This regulation ensures inhabitants are kept safe by reducing indoor air pollutants with mechanical ventilation.
While this is not a federal regulation in the United States or Canada, neither is the requirement that a living space utilize air purification devices.
Meanwhile, federal agencies can recommend the use of air purifiers, but they have not formally backed the manufacturer’s promise of completely cleaning the air within a space.
The Bottom Line
Air purification devices are great as a supplement to a balanced whole-house ventilation system. However, they should not be used as a straight substitution.
Fresh air appliances can supply fresh air and remove stale air simultaneously. Air purifiers cannot introduce air into the living space nor expel air out of the space; which would consequently not meet the outdoor airflow rate regulation required by some state and local governments.
Stale air can contain VOCs that can affect comfort. With a fresh air appliance, these VOCs and harmful airborne contaminants are removed by replacing the indoor air within the living space.
Speaking of space, a fresh air appliance can save an abundance of it because of how they are installed.
| Fresh Air Appliances | Air Purification Devices | |
|---|---|---|
| Bi-Directional | ✔ | ✗ |
| Offers Whole-house Ventilation | ✔ | ✗ |
| Introduces Fresh Air | ✔ | ✗ |
| Exhausts Stale Air | ✔ | ✗ |
| Conditions Incoming Air | ✔ | ✗ |
| Cleans Recirculated Air | ✗ | ✔ |
| Portable | ✗ | ✔ |
| Easy to Maintain | ✔ | ✔ |
| Quieter | ✔ | ✗ |
| Required by State and Local Building Codes | ✔ | ✗ |
| Takes Away Floor/Wall Space | ✗ | ✔ |
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