Air Purifiers vs Plants

Indoor air quality affects your life in many ways, from dust on your furniture to allergies. As you look for ways to improve the quality of air inside your Dallas Fort Worth home, you may find information about using houseplants for this purpose. While plants do bring a bit of nature indoors, air purifiers offer several advantages over botanicals.

1. REMOVE MORE FROM THE AIR

In a study conducted in 1989, NASA found that certain houseplants effectively removed harmful gases and chemicals from the air. This spurred the long-held belief that adding plants to a home would improve indoor air quality. Unfortunately, gases and chemicals are not the only issues that Dallas Fort Worth homeowners want to remedy with the help of our experts at Air Patrol Air Conditioning. Dust, pollen, bacteria, mold spores, viruses and many other small particulates need to be corrected. Houseplants cannot help with these situations, so a home air purifier is the best option.

2. SAFE FOR CHILDREN AND PETS

When you are selecting houseplants to improve indoor air quality, you should research the safety of having certain botanicals in settings with children and pets. Many houseplants contain toxins that are harmful to children and pets. These safety concerns are not relevant for home air purifier systems from Air Patrol Air Conditioning.

3. WORKS IN EVERY ROOM

Houseplants require specific lighting conditions in order to grow and thrive; therefore, you’re limited to where you can use plants in your home to remove chemicals and gases from the air. With a home air purifier, the system cleans the air inside your entire home rather than limited spaces.

4. NO GREEN THUMB NEEDED

Not everyone has the green thumb that is needed to take care of houseplants that are known to remove chemicals and gases from the air. If you rely solely on plants for indoor air quality, you will be spending a great deal of time tending to watering, fertilizer and transplanting. Home air purifiers require very little maintenance, and the units operate with little to no intervention from you.

5. SPACE-SAVING DESIGN

Although there are no specific guidelines for how to use houseplants for indoor air quality, the NASA study does give some indication. In general, you need about one plant for every 100 square feet of your home to reap the benefits of botanical air purification. Additionally, each plant needs to be in a 6- to 8-inch container. Lastly, you will need to have enough plants in each room based on the square footage of the space. For example, a 10×20 bedroom (200 square feet) would need two houseplants. The same is true for all other rooms of your home. With a home air purification system from Air Patrol Air Conditioning, all you need is a single unit that cleans the air throughout your entire Dallas Fort Worth home.

6. VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUNDS

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are concerning for some, but not all. When Dallas Fort Worth homeowners contact Air Patrol Air Conditioning for help, we often explain that VOCs are problematic in some situations, but typically are only short-term issues. You may have VOCs in recently constructed or renovated homes. Other situations that are known to increase VOCs include using a large amount of cleaning products and buying new furniture. An air purification system may not trap the VOCs, so this is when combining houseplants with an air purifier is quite beneficial.

7. WORRY-FREE VACATIONS

You know what happens when you decide to go on vacation. Unless you hire a house sitter or rely on neighbors and family to take care of your plants, you come home and find that your houseplants have wilted and are fairly close to dying. If you want to continue to use houseplants for air purification, you may have to invest in replacing the ones that die. With a home air purification system from Air Patrol Air Conditioning, you can go on vacation or a business trip worry-free, knowing that the indoor air quality is being maintained by the system.

8. ONE-TIME INVESTMENT

An air purification system for your home is a one-time investment that gives you a good return. Houseplants are living things that require a lot of attention and may need to be replaced every few years, depending on your expertise. You also have to invest in fertilizers, pots, basic gardening tools, watering containers and so much more when you rely on houseplants to improve indoor air quality.

9. GREAT FOR SMALL SPACES

Air Patrol Air Conditioning offers air purification systems for spaces of all sizes. If you live in a smaller home or apartment, you may not have room for the number of plants that are needed to remove gases and chemicals from the air. The experts at Air Patrol Air Conditioning will recommend a home air purification system based on the square footage of your home, all while keeping your budget. You don’t need to turn your cozy home into a jungle just to enjoy the benefits of clean air.

10. BENEFICIAL FOR CHRONIC ILLNESSES

Asthma, bronchitis, sinus infections and allergies are common in the Dallas Fort Worth area, especially among children and the elderly. If you have a chronic respiratory illness, houseplants cannot effectively remove all the airborne irritants from inside your home, such as pet dander, dust and pollen. Air purification systems are designed with HEPA filters that capture even the smallest particles that float through the air. If you have a chronic respiratory illness, discuss your options with the professionals at Air Patrol Air Conditioning.

11. BETTER WITH DUST

The climate of the Dallas Fort Worth area means that older homes are prone to a good accumulation of dust each week. If you spend a good amount of time dusting your furniture and feel like it is a never-ending battle, a home air purifier is ideal. The filters on the system remove dust from the air, and this means that there is less to settle on your furniture, carpets, rugs and upholstery.

12. REDUCE PET DANDER

Pet dander accounts for much of what you remove with vacuuming and dusting. Many people believe that dander is pet hair, but it is actually skin cells that your furry friend loses every day. A home air purifier circulates the air in your home and removes pet dander. You still need to dust and vacuum to manage pet dander, but you will see a noticeable difference in how much has settled on your furniture and carpets. Houseplants are not effective for removing solid particles from the air.

FIND THE RIGHT AIR PURIFIER FOR YOUR HOME

Air Patrol Air Conditioning specializes in air purifiers for homes in the Dallas Fort Worth area. Call us today, and one of our experts will work with you to find the best product for your indoor space and budget. Be sure to ask about our other services and products. Since 2003, we have provided exceptional installation, repair and maintenance on heating and cooling systems, as well as fireplaces and energy audits in Farmers Branch, TX.