HEPA Filters and Mold Spores

Most people know generally what a HEPA filter does, but what they usually do not know is just how beneficial having appliances in your home equipped with them can be. These filters are designed to remove almost anything that you can think of in your home’s air that could be making you sick or aggravating your allergies. With more and more people working from inside their homes, the importance of the air quality inside it has also increased. For those with pets, allergies, family members who smoke, among other things, having an air purifying system in your home equipped with a HEPA filter can help you make sure that your air stays pure to about 99.97%.

It stands for “High Efficiency Particulate Air” and purchasing anything equipped with one can be a great benefit to your health. The technology was originally developed by the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission for the removal of 99.97% of airborne particles so that your air is as pure as it is capable of being. These filters will remove irritants from the air down to about 0.3 microns in diameter. This includes almost everything that you can think of: pet dander, dust, mold spores, smoke, chemicals, and etcetera.

A vacuum cleaner equipped with a HEPA filter can be very helpful, since most vacuum cleaners simply throw dust and other particles up into the air. Stirring up these particles into your air is bad for everyone, but it always happens when you vacuum or dust items in your home.

Air purification systems are popular in homes with people who have respiratory conditions or those who become sick easily. These can run into the hundreds or thousands of dollars, though, so you will want to make sure that it will be worth it to you and your family. Some families will want or need these more than others.

If you are about to undertake a fair sized mold remediation in your home or someone else’s property, you might want to think about buying a respirator that is equipped with a HEPA filter. This will really help you if you are planning on tearing out drywall or are going into a home with a high mold spore count. The last thing that you need to do when you are doing one of these necessary projects is to go in without wearing a respirator at all. Wearing a simple N-95 type respirator from the hardware store is preferable to wearing none at all.



Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
water damage restoration companies and
mold remediation companies across the united states.