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Your Guide to Air Ionizers

There's nothing more important than your health and safety. That's why we believe every HVAC system should have an air purification component. If you're looking for a powerful indoor air quality solution for your Long Island home, an air ionizer could be right for you.

Why Is Indoor Air Quality Important?

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) studies of air pollutants have found that indoor levels of pollutants may be 2 to 5 times higher than outdoor levels – and occasionally even more than 100 times higher. These air pollutant levels are concerning because exposure can lead to adverse health effects. Common household airborne particles like dust, germs and toxins can both cause and worsen short-term health symptoms (headaches, difficulty breathing, dry eyes, etc.) and long-term health conditions (such as nerve damage, chronic respiratory conditions, heart disease, birth defects, or cancer).

How Do Ionizers Improve Indoor Air Quality?

Ionizers are indoor air quality devices that remove particles from the air to purify it. These devices use negative ions to help tiny airborne particles collect and settle out of the air so they can no longer circulate through your home.

Air ionizers can offer many benefits, including the ability to:

Inactivate viruses in the air
Stop the growth of viruses, bacteria and mold
Reduce odors and certain VOCs
Freshen the air by neutralizing airborne contaminants and allergens
Reduce static electricity in the home
Reduce sunbeams and floating dust particles in the home
Keep the HVAC system coil cleaner
Have a positive impact on immune function, mood and sleeping patterns*

What Type of Ionizer Do I Need?

There are many different types of air ionizers on the market, and there are significant differences between them. Not all ionizers offer the same air purification benefits or maintenance/replacement part requirements, so it’s important to select the right product for your home’s particular needs.

The most important consideration when choosing an air ionizer is safety. Certain types of air ionizers may produce harmful byproducts and/or contain mercury or titanium dioxide. Varsity Home Service recommends the Nu-Calgon iWave because it does not produce these risks. Additionally, there are no replacement parts required for the life of the device so there are no hidden costs.

Compared to other types of ionizers, the iWave has several advantages:

How Do Ionizers Compare to UV Lights?

Ionizers and ultraviolet (UV) lights can both be used to treat indoor air quality, but they work very differently.

UV lamps use powerful light to kill bacteria, mold and viruses by destroying the molecular bonds that hold their DNA together and making the organism unable to replicate. Beyond HVAC applications, UV lights are commonly used to decontaminate surgical equipment.
Ionizers work to remove particles from the air entirely, so they can provide extra benefits compared to UV lights. Additionally some types of air ionizers do not require replacement parts like UV lamps do, so they could cost less over time.

Both UV lights and ionizers are installed within your HVAC system and operate continuously to automatically purify the air in the home 24 hours a day.

Your Air Ionizer

Interested in indoor air quality? We’ve got you covered. Give Varsity Home Service a call today to learn more about ionizers, UV lights and other indoor air quality options.

Other Indoor Air Quality Considerations

Whether you decide an ionizer or a UV light is the right fit for you, there’s another indoor air quality component you can’t forget – your air filter! While UV lights and ionizers tackle the smallest size particles, your air filter is important for removing large particles from the air. Varsity Home Service offers free, two-day shipping on air filters year-round in the online store.

*Source: Shu-Ye Jiang, Ali Ma, and Srinivasan Ramachandran. "Negative Air Ions and Their Effects on Human Health and Air Quality Improvement." International Journal of Molecular Science. 2018 Oct.