HEPA Filters

What Pollutants Can A HEPA Filter Capture?

When it comes to filtration, HEPA filters are overachievers. They're grabbing stuff so tiny you'd need a powerful microscope to see it! Your standard HVAC filter catches the obvious culprits like dust bunnies and pet hair, but HEPA filters go after the microscopic troublemakers that slip right through regular filters. Here's what gets stopped in its tracks:

• Dust Mites & Dust Mite Waste: These microscopic critters live in your bedding, furniture, and carpets, producing waste particles that are major allergy triggers. Even though you can't see them, dust mite allergens float through your air and can cause sneezing, congestion, and respiratory irritation. HEPA filters capture these tiny particles before they can circulate through your Post Falls home, providing significant relief for allergy sufferers.
• Pet Dander: Those tiny flakes of skin that pets constantly shed are much smaller than pet hair and stay airborne longer, making them particularly problematic for sensitive family members. Pet dander can trigger allergic reactions even in homes where pets are well-groomed and regularly bathed. HEPA filtration removes these microscopic skin particles from your air, allowing pet lovers to breathe easier.
• Pollen Grains: Whether it's from pine trees around Post Falls or seasonal flowers in your yard, pollen grains wreak havoc on allergy sufferers when they make their way indoors. These particles are small enough to penetrate deep into your respiratory system, causing those miserable seasonal allergy symptoms. HEPA filters catch pollen before it can circulate through your home's air system.
• Mold Spores: These reproductive cells from mold colonies can become airborne and spread throughout your home, potentially establishing new growth areas and triggering allergic reactions or respiratory issues. Mold spores are particularly problematic because they can remain viable for long periods while floating in your air. HEPA filters capture these spores before they can settle and multiply in new locations.
• Bacteria: Harmful bacteria like Streptococcus and Staphylococcus can become airborne through coughing, sneezing, or normal household activities, potentially spreading illness between family members. These microscopic organisms are small enough to stay suspended in the air for extended periods, increasing the risk of respiratory infections. HEPA filters remove these bacterial particles from your home's air circulation.
• Virus Particles: Many viruses, including cold and flu strains, can travel through the air attached to tiny droplets or dust particles that HEPA filters can capture. While HEPA filtration isn't a guarantee against illness, it significantly reduces the viral load in your indoor air, potentially lowering transmission risk. This is especially valuable during cold and flu season when respiratory viruses are most active.
• Smoke Particles: Whether from wildfires that occasionally affect the Post Falls area, cooking smoke, or tobacco use, these tiny particles can irritate respiratory systems and create persistent odors. Smoke particles are particularly harmful because they're small enough to penetrate deep into lung tissue. HEPA filters capture these particles, improving air quality and reducing health risks associated with smoke exposure.
• Fine Dust & Dirt: The ultra-fine particles that regular filters miss can accumulate in your lungs over time, potentially causing respiratory irritation and aggravating existing conditions like asthma. These particles are often so small that they remain airborne for hours, continuously circulating through your home. HEPA filtration removes this fine particulate matter that would otherwise settle in your respiratory system.
• Fabric Fibers: Tiny fibers from clothing, upholstery, carpets, and bedding constantly shed into your home's air, contributing to indoor air pollution and potential respiratory irritation. These microscopic fibers can trigger sensitivities in people with respiratory conditions or allergies. HEPA filters capture these textile particles before they can be inhaled or settle on surfaces throughout your home.
• Chemical Particles & VOCs: Some volatile organic compounds and chemical particles from household products, cleaning supplies, and building materials can be captured by HEPA filters when attached to larger particles. While HEPA filters aren't specifically designed for gas removal, they do catch many chemical compounds that have condensed onto dust or other particles, helping reduce your family's exposure to potentially harmful substances.