Installing an air purifier filtration system in your home is an easy decision to make – as long as you know the right air filters to buy. However, if you happen to own a pet or two, you might wonder if the filtration system you are considering is actually safe for your pets.
At the same time, while your pets are probably your best friends, it can be quite irritating when you come home after a long day, only to find the same pet has left odors and dander everywhere.
In the quest to search for the best air purifiers you will likely come across plenty of information concerning air purifiers and pets, and it is best to know what to look for.
Are Air Purifiers Safe For Pets?
What you might not realize is that many air purification systems are actually a hazard to your pets. They can harm their well-being, even though they seem like the perfect solution when dealing with pet fur, dander, and odors in the house.
If you are wondering, “Are air purifiers are safe for pets?” the short answer is yes. The long answer is, “As long as you use them correctly.” It is important to note that certain air purifiers will also emit dangerous by-products into the air, which are dangerous for your pets and can even be life-threatening when they inhale them.
The main by-product you must always avoid for the sake of your pets is ozone. And there are air purifiers that will emit this. This is exactly the same ozone that covers the earth and protects it from dangerous UV rays from the sun. But it is never safe for your pets to inhale, which is one of the unfortunate dangers that come with it.
When the pet is exposed to the ozone for long enough, it begins to develop problems with its respiratory system. If the pet already has some pre-existing issues, ozone will be even worse on its health. In fact, smaller animals such as birds can actually die from the smallest exposure to ozone. Therefore, if you want to be safe with your pets, it is best to avoid ozone-producing purifiers entirely.
With this knowledge, it is best to know the purifiers that produce ozone, as well as the ones that do not. This will help in promoting the safety of your pets, and use the purifiers correctly to avoid any fatalities.
What Are The Dangerous Purifiers?
Ozone generators
As we mentioned earlier in the article, ozone generating purifiers are bad news for your pets. You cannot prevent these generators from doing so. They must produce ozone in order to clean the air. They are very effective at removing odors generally due to the oxidation process, which makes them good for killing bacteria in the air as well as removing mold and dust. But many people, unfortunately, do not know their dangers.
In fact, the only point you should use them in your house is when there are no humans in your home either. (Yes, their effects are quite risky to humans, especially young children and toddlers.) Usually, they will work very well when you need professional cleaning services to deal with the smells of mold and odor. But you should go away for the rest of the day, then come back in the evening when the house is free of any smells.
Ionic purifiers
Also known as ionizers, they can also be quite the hazard to your pets. They work by releasing ions, which then attach to the contaminants in the air, making them too heavy to be airborne. This forces the contaminants to fall to the ground, or the purifier will collect them. The by-product of the process is ozone.
While they will not produce as much ozone as the ozone generators, they will still produce ozone levels that are dangerous for smaller animals like birds, lizards and hamsters.
What Are The Safe Purifiers?
This report might make you worried, but you do not need to be. There are many safe options you can use. In this article we will look at two of them that specifically cater to your pets.
PCO (Photo Catalytic Oxidation) purifiers
These are a clear favorite among many people. They can deal with almost any issue that involves keeping your pets indoors. This is particularly the case for the Airocide air purifier, for instance.
The reason that makes the PCO method so powerful is that it destroys all the contaminants in the air, regardless of what they are. They use very powerful UV-light rays and concentrate them on the contaminants. They combine the rays with titanium dioxide. The only by-products that will result here are carbon dioxide and water.
You might find out that PCO purifiers in the past used to produce ozone. But they no longer do so today due to the improvement of the technology they use.
There are also many that can work in bigger rooms of your home, such as Airocode that can cover up to 3000 square feet and will handle everything that can cause problems such as odors, gases and VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds).
The only drawback with them is that they are highly customized, which makes it challenging to get replacement parts as they are not common.
True HEPA pet air purifiers
The true HEPA filters are a mechanical device, which will trap particles by recycling the air in your home and re-taking it through the filter that is at the core of the system. They are very effective when you want to find a system that eliminates dust as well as pet dander. In addition, they can be good at removing pet odor when they have a combined activated carbon filter.
The only drawback with them is that you need to constantly replace them frequently. However, they will still serve you well.
Are Air Purifiers Safe For Pets? Final Thoughts
Getting an air filtration system that is compatible with your pets might be challenging at first, but it helps to know what you should avoid and what you can safely opt for. Just ensure that you follow all the safety regulations that come with the filter, and you will enjoy your home and pets for a long time.
