If you have young kids or if someone in your family has a lung condition, you probably want the air in your home to be as clean as possible. Even if everyone in your family is healthy, you may still want to clean the air so your home smells fresher and indoor pollution is less of a threat. A residential bipolar ionization unit could be the solution you're looking for. Here's a look at how this type of air cleaner differs from other options.

Air Filters Trap Particles

Filters work by holding on to particles that try to pass through them. You can have an additional filter added to your HVAC that's capable of blocking allergens from circulating through your home, but filters need to be changed or cleaned regularly or they become less effective.

A bipolar ionization unit doesn't filter the air. It causes particles to become heavy and drop to the floor so they don't circulate through your home. This is done by charging the air that passes over the device to create positive and negative ions. These ions then react with particles in the air to break them apart or attach to them. By causing the particles to drop out of the air, the air is cleaner without having to fuss with maintaining a filter.

UV Lights Inactivate Microbes

If you want to clean microbes from the air to reduce exposure to viruses and bacteria, you can install a UV light in your HVAC or buy a portable air purifier that has a UV light added. When air passes over the UV light, the microbes are inactivated so they are no longer a threat. An ionization unit works on microbes too without the need for an additional UV light. If you want to buy a portable unit rather than have the ionization unit installed in your HVAC, you can get the benefits of cleaning the air of microbes, allergens, and gases all in one compact unit.

Electrostatic Precipitators Collect Particles

An electrostatic precipitator air cleaner is similar to an ionization unit except it collects the debris it creates. When air passes over a plate, the particles develop a charge. They're then attracted to a plate in the unit that has an opposite charge. The particle debris builds up, and as it does, the system becomes less efficient at cleaning the air. Plus, these air cleaners can create ozone and electrostatic electricity in your home.

A bipolar ionization unit works differently in that the charged particles fall from the air and land outside of the device so the cleaning ability remains constant and effective. Also, a bipolar ionization unit creates both positive and negative ions, which is similar to what's found in nature, so you aren't exposed to an unbalanced ratio of too many negative ions.