A recent survey states that every cubic foot of air in urban living spaces contains
an average of 3 million dust particles. "Dust" is an all-encompassing term that
includes many types of particulate matter such as pollen, pet dander, plant spores,
dust mites, and residue from cigarette and cooking smoke.
In America, most houses are sealed as a protection against heat loss in winter and
heat gain in summer. This practice is good for fuel efficiency but harmful for the
quality of indoor air. An insulated home keeps allergens circulating and multiplying
inside the home. In fact, the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) reports that
indoor pollution levels in American homes are a good five to six times more than
outdoor pollution levels.
How do you solve the indoor air pollution problem? Install a good quality air purifier
and breathe easy. To do this, you need to buy an air purifier that is of the right
kind and capacity for your needs.
Learn Air Purifier Jargon
HEPA Filters – Highly Effective
Particle Arresting filters. These filters have been tested and certified as being
capable of removing most types of air-borne allergens.
ACH Ratings - ACH stands
for Air Changes per Hour. This rating tells you how many times air is circulated
through the air purifier in an hour.
AHAM Accreditation - Adherence
to certain manufacturing standards earns air purifiers an AHAM accreditation. AHAM
is an acronym for Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers.
CADR Numbers - CADR stands
for Clean Air Delivery Rates. These rates are represented in numbers and are allotted
by the AHAM.
VOCs - Volatile Organic Compounds
are chemicals found in several products used commonly in most homes. Benzene, ethylene,
toluene, formaldehyde, etc., fall under this category. These chemicals, found in
paints, cleaning supplies, glues and the like, have the potential to turn into allergens.
Air Purifier Types
Currently, there are three main types of air purifiers are available on the market.
These air purifiers are classified based on the way they filter air and include
mechanical, electronic and combination air purifiers.
Mechanical
Air Purifiers
Air purifiers of this kind are fitted with fans to pull air through HEPA filters
and/or carbon charcoal filters. High Efficiency Particle Arresting (HEPA) filters
are used in some air purifiers to remove allergens from air. Health experts find
HEPA air purifiers to be very effective. The downside of mechanical air purifiers
is that the use of a fan makes them noisy when in use.
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Electronic Air Purifiers
This type uses ionizers to remove suspended particles from air. The ionizers charge
the suspended particles present in the air and collect them.
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This process can be performed in three main ways:
- Fans present in the purifier draw air into a chamber in the
purifier. Here the particles in air are ionized (i.e.positively charged). These
positively charged particles are attracted onto negatively charged surfaces as the
air is directed out of the air purifier. Air purifiers of this kind are called electrostatic
models.
- A charged filter is fitted in the air purifier and this charged
filter attracts particles from air as the air passes through it. This type of an
air purifier is called an electret air purifier.
- The third type of purifier in this category is a negative
ionizing purifier. This kind of purifier discharges negatively charged particles
into the room. Once out of the purifier, these negatively charged particles settle
onto surfaces like walls and curtains, leaving the air safe to breathe in.
The process that uses electrical charge to clean air releases
ozone into the air. Homes with asthma and allergy sufferers need to be careful as
even small amounts of ozone can trigger off asthma attacks. Larger amounts of ozone
can be highly toxic.
Combination
Air Purifiers
Combination air purifiers use two or more kinds of filters. Generally, these
air purifiers combine HEPA filters with charcol or activated carbon filters, which
have the ability to absorb odors and gases. Other models may combine several
pre-filters, ionizers and a fan to do the job. A few manufacturers, like Friedrich,
use a combination of different technologies to make highly effective air purifiers.
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Hybrid Air
Purifiers
The basic structure of a hybrid air purifier is two chambers in a metal box. This
is attached to the central heating or cooling duct of a home. The air passes through
filters placed atop the lower chamber in the metal box and then into the room.
A few air purifiers are also fitted with antibacterial and germicidal filters. These
filters are capable of neutralizing bacteria and viruses present in the air.
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There is one class of air purifiers which can neutralize strong odors. These purifiers
are fitted with ozone generators. Ozone has the ability to remove strong odors.
However, large amounts of ozone are not considered safe for human health as per
EPA specifications. There is still no consensus on how exposure to ozone affects
healthy individuals.
Factors to weigh before buying an air purifier
All air purifiers are marked with the square footage they cover. Make sure it is
the same as or at least a little more than the area of your room.
Check the ACH rating of purifiers to evaluate their performance. If there are allergy
sufferers at home, you should buy a purifier with a 6 or 8 ACH rating.
The Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers tests and certifies air purifiers.
Check for the AHAM seal. The test report will give Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR)
numbers for dust, pollen and tobacco smoke - the three most common indoor air pollutants.
A comparison of CADR numbers of different models will help you evaluate their performance.
Check for cost and frequency of filter replacements. Some air purifiers are fitted
with washable filters that are dishwasher safe. Air purifiers that are fitted with
combination HEPA and carbon filters will need replacements of both types at different
times. Check with the manufacturer for an annual maintenance program that includes
filter changes. Remember, a cheap air purifier that needs frequent filter changes
works out to be expensive over time.
The noise level of an air purifier is another aspect that needs to be considered
carefully. Noisy purifiers can turn out to be a real bother. A demonstration before
the actual purchase will help you decide about the noise level. Air purifiers that
are labeled ‘quiet operation’ should be chosen for bedrooms and living areas. The
extra cost involved will be more than worth it.
An air purifier needs to run continuously in order to be effective. So to
put another way, an air purifier equals continuous power consumption. Find out how
much running the air purifier will add to your utility bill. Be sure to look for
an energy efficiency label to lower this cost.
Check out the duration of the warranty and also what it covers. A ten year warranty
will not be very useful if it does not cover the fan, motor and other components.
Some manufacturers link the warranties to filter replacement purchase plans.
Price range of air purifiers
The prices of air purifiers depend upon size and quality. For every 250 square
feet that must be covered, you will need an air purifier capable of processing approximately
100 CFM (cubic feet per minute). Console or tabletop air purifiers come in
small sizes that have a 100-150 CFM rating. Bigger models give more output. Room
models generally start at 400 CFM.
Manufacturers like Rubbermaid, Hunter and Holmes give you small compact tabletop
air purifiers that can give coverage for up to 200 sq ft. Such compact models are
generally fitted with replaceable HEPA filters. Such models can be bought in the
$15-$30 price range.
Quiet air purifiers for small rooms can be bought for about $50-$100. Most of the
top manufacturers make compact and quiet air purifiers in this price range. Replaceable
HEPA filters are a common feature in most models in this category. Area coverage
may vary between 200 sq ft-500 sq ft.
The $100-$200 price range will bring you compact air purifiers with features like
replace filter indicators. You may even opt for air purifiers fitted with germicide
filters. Surround Air, Hunter, Hamilton Beach, Honeywell and Frontgate offer several
air purifiers in the up to $200 price range.
The price band of $200-$300 will bring you mid-sized air purifiers that can easily
keep the air in a 400 sq ft-500 sq ft room pure. This size generally suffices for
most small to medium sized rooms. Most of the air purifiers in this category have
a very low noise level and are equipped with a replace filter indicator. Austin,
Sharp, Honeywell, Whirlpool and Allen are among the manufacturers who make air purifiers
that fit the above mentioned specifications.
The next price category of $300-$500 will get you slightly larger console units
with a capacity of purifying rooms that measure up to 600 sq ft. Air purifiers that
can be integrated with existing heating and/or cooling systems are also available
in this price category. Different manufacturers use different types of combination
filters. Users can decide upon the ideal air purifier for their needs based on considerations
like size of cooling/heating system, ideal CFM required, and kind of filter used.
Console units are made sleek looking so that they blend easily into any kind of
décor.
Those willing to spend $600 and upwards will have access to top of the line models.
The top-rated models are capable of removing gases, bacteria, viruses and dust particles
from the air in your homes. HEPA filters suffice for allergy and asthma sufferers.
If you are looking for air purifiers for patients with specific medical conditions,
then there is a whole range of models fitted with germicidal filters to choose from.
This category stocks highly efficient air purifiers. In general, most of the high-priced
air purifiers are fitted with efficient filters and large fans. This enables them
to pull in more air, thus purifying larger areas.
It is possible to buy and install highly efficient air purifiers, yet, we would
be doing ourselves a favor by focusing on the source of indoor air pollutants. Vacuuming
and dusting on a regular basis and refraining from smoking inside can go a long
way in keeping indoor air pollutants in check. Control of allergen sources and ventilation
are two methods that should be adopted as often as possible. This, in combination
with a good quality air purifier, will help you and your family breathe easy while
at home.
Top Manufacturers