How Does an Electronic Air Cleaner Work?

There are a number of different indoor air quality solutions that you can hire professionals to install in your HVAC system to remove unwanted airborne contaminants. When standard air filters that trap particles in a mesh are not enough, it’s a good idea to have an electronic air cleaner, also known as an air purifier, installed. The right air purifier matched with the right filters can remove more than 99% of the pollutants circulating through your house.

Electronic air cleaners operate through a number of different processes. The most common type is an ionizing purifier. These purifiers generate an electrical discharge called a corona discharge that affects a section of the HVAC system where air must pass. Most of the atoms in the air have a neutral charge, but the corona discharge will cause the larger particles in the air—which are the ones you don’t want in the air—to either lose or gain an electron, making them either positively or negatively charged.

The charged particles will then either be attracted to each other, clumping together and falling out of the air, or they will be drawn down to a set of plates on the purifier itself. The plates have opposite charges to attract both types of charged particles. These plates can then be removed easily and cleaned.

The other types of purifiers include ozone purifiers, absorbents, and UV germicidal lights, which specifically target microbes and mold spores, eliminating them without using any chemicals.

Which kind is right for your home? That’s something you should leave up to an indoor air quality specialist. The technician will determine what type of air cleaner will work best with your filters to deliver healthy air for your home.