Quality air purifiers have never been more crucial for good health. To maintain your good health, there's nothing better than air purifiers. You should know, the tight seals that make your house comfy and energy efficient also make the indoor air more polluted. As a result, the air inside our home is five to ten times dirtier than the air outside, shocking huh?
We understand that, shopping for the perfect air purifier can be frustrating. Also, a lot of people get confused because there are so many choices. A shopping.com search for “air purifier” produced over 800 purifiers, with a plethora of makes, models, and air cleaning technologies. So, as you can see it is not an easy process. Some air purifiers on the market today actually pollute the air with harmful levels of ozone, a powerful lung irritant that can be especially dangerous to asthma sufferers. And then there are others who can simply confuse you with the sheer number of options, sizes and prices available. While comparing all these options can overwhelming. No matter the brand, price or style of air purifier you are searching for, there are key things to look for with any unit. To help you learn about air purifiers and find a safe, effective unit that is right for your needs, we created this air purifier buying guide.
When it comes to purchasing air purifiers, there are many shoppers who believe they have knowledge of what to look for. A lot of of those shoppers end up buying the inexpensive device or the one that appears to be the best. Course, you'll never prefer to offer more than you've to and although a fine-looking machine would-be fine and dandy, but you're advised against basing your decisions entirely on that. Instead, you should take the time required to learn more about the product you're interested in, namely the total cost of the purifier, as a whole, and the performance quality.
Common Household Air Pollutants
Air pollution happens from fireplace, cigarette, and cooking smoke; skin and pet dander; molds, mildew, and fungi; pollen and plant spores; and a variety of other sources. Course, dust is most visible where it settles and collects, on furniture or-worse-the hidden crannies and top shelves visited by a dust cloth only once each spring. Different air purifiers are created for different pollutants, so you need to identify which pollutants you want to get rid of from your home before you buy an air purifier.
Airborne Particles include pet dander, dust mite allergen, pollen, plant spores, fungi, mold, and tobacco smoke, and they're the most common cause of indoor allergy and asthma attacks. A HEPA filter will be able to eliminate airborne allergens easily.
Household Odors and Gases include cooking odors, kitty litter, tobacco smoke, various toxins, and gaseous pollutants like indoor pesticides or aerosols. Activated carbon filters are best suited for this purpose. HEPA filters will not work because these are too small to get trapped by a HEPA filter.
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) are found in a wide variety of common household products. A lot of people do not have a clue about this. VOCs are commonly found in: paints, varnishes, cleaning supplies, disinfectants, glues and adhesives, and even new carpet and building supplies.
Micro-organisms include antigens, pathogens, bacteria, and viruses. They are the everyday germs that make us sick.
These harmful air particles aren't waiting for us to be discovered. It can be a serious pollutant, particularly for allergy sufferers, asthmatics, people with bronchial problems, and those who are hypersensitive to airborne particulates. Even for people not suffering from any of these conditions, breathing air laden with bacteria and other contaminants is less than ideal.
Filtration systems
Most popular air purifier are filter based. In this system, a fan pulls air through a paper or mesh filter. There are two types of air filters, one that needs to be replaced and other is permanent, washable model. Washable filters are good for trapping dust, but they don't trap pollen and smaller particulates. Different air purifier filters target different types of air pollution. For example, HEPA air purifiers are the most popular, and they're perfect for eliminating household allergens such as dust, animal dander, and pollen, but they're not very good at capturing ultra-fine particles like viruses or eliminating foul odors, organic compounds, or chemical fumes. Many newer air purifiers incorporate pre-filters that catch larger particles in the air flow to boost the efficiency of the main filter. Also, many modern air purifiers combine two or more filter in the same unit.
HEPA filters: High-efficiency particulate arresting (HEPA) filters are the most efficient type of air filter available. They are designed to capture 99.97% percent of airborne particles measuring 0.3 micrometers. HEPA filters capable of removing mold spores, bacteria and dust from the air, making HEPA air purifiers some of the best on the market for people with asthma, allergies or increased susceptibility to illness. Hepa air filters were developed by the Atomic Energy Commission during the World War II to remove radio active dust from their plants, and are recommended by the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security.
Activated carbon: Activated carbon air filters consist of a vast system of pores of molecular size. They are not very good at eliminating odors; therefore, many air purifiers include some form of activated carbon in the design to absorb odors and chemicals. If you have pets or young children at home, look for an air purifier with activated carbon to remove odors from the air.
Electronic Precipitators: The second most common type of air purifier, electronic precipitators draw air through an electrical field and use the electric charge to capture and trap particles on charged metal plates or filters. Electronic precipitators work on the same principle of electricity as ion generators and ozone generators, but electrostatic precipitators capture impurities rather than simply forcing them to cling to an external surface. Some electronic precipitators use a fan to circulate more air at a time. These air cleaners release a small amount of ozone into the air, which is an important consideration if you use the unit in a small room. The main advantage with this type of air purifier is that the collector plates never have to be replaced; they can be easily washed in the dishwasher. Be aware that some electrostatic precipitators also generate ozone.
Ionizer purifiers: Both filtered cleaners and electronic precipitators can have built-in ionizing circuitry. An air ionizer creates negative ions, which change the polarity of airborne particles, causing them to magnetically attract together. Ionizers discharge electrons into the air, forming negative ions by attaching themselves to air molecules. The negative ions attract dust and pollen particles to form larger particles that are more easily trapped by filters. Air purifiers work more efficiently with the help of an ionizer. However, the ionized particles may also attach themselves to upholstery, drapes and carpets. As a result, it will increase the need for vacuuming. It is also capable of removing of particles from the air, including ultra-fine particles as small as 0.01 microns. It can circulate throughout the room to remove airborne particles that are across the room from where the air purifier sits.
Pre-Filters: It removes pet hair and other large particles prior to primary filtration and come with nearly all air purifiers.
Antibacterial and Germicidal Filters: These filters eliminate bacteria and germs. It also destroys micro-organisms, such as germs, viruses, bacteria, and fungi (including mold).
HEPA filters remove 99.97% of all airborne particulates like pollen, dust, and animal dander. There many good air purifiers currently available on the market, which uses activated carbon to remove chemicals and odors. Combining both a HEPA filter and a carbon filter provides the most effective air cleaning filtration.
Perhaps, the most important step when purchasing an air purifier is to familiarize yourself with all of your available choices. There are two different ways to do this. The first option requires you to visit one of your local mercantile establishments a.k.a. retail stores . You'll have to thoroughly examine and analyze each product that they've in stock. This should be done by reading the info which can be noticed on air purifier boxes. In addition to comparing prices and merchandises at the shop, you can also use the net. As a matter of fact, the internet may be the simplest and best approach. When you're online, you can not only familiarize yourself with different brands of air cleaning machines, but you can also read product reviews by other consumers, and you can compare prices at the same time.
Whenever you have the opportunity, I advise you to read online reviews of different air purifiers. These review articles can help you understand more about the product, at the same time, it should give you inside info on the operation, function and maintenance of multiple air purifiers. Even though product review articles are good for gaining information, I also advise you to do your own inquiry, as well as use your common sense. This is really important, especially when finding out the final cost of buying an air purifier.
With air purifiers, you will come across a number of different make and models. A few of these makes and models use filers, which is a good addition. Some of these filters just need to be cleaned, while others need to be replaced. Replacing filters can be a problem if you have a fixed budget. Also, If you need to change the filter in a purifier, you have to determine when that filter needs to be replaced and exactly how much it will cost. Like I said before, this is really important, especially if you are looking for something that is easy on the pocket. In some cases, you will see that some of the air purifiers need to have their filters changed in as little as a couple of months. Moreover, you may also find that the filter ends up costing more than what you originally paid for your air purifier. You are advised to avoid these types of air purifiers; a lot of times they are believed to be not just air cleaners, but financial traps.
When you're in search for a purifier, I suggest you to look for air purifiers/cleaners with "HEPA" filters. HEPA filters, though they're considered overpriced, are often the most well performing. This is because HEPA air filters have to fulfill specific regulations. These regulations, which by the way are imposed by the DE (also known as Department of Energy), are the reason why purifiers with HEPA filters are believed to be the most successful at removing unwanted or deadly air particles. So, in a sense, if you invest in air purifiers with HEPA filters, you will actually be doing yourself a favor.
After you've researched properly and analyzed a number of different air cleaners and you've made your final choice, you will see that you have a number of different purchase options. Air cleaners are sold all over the United States of America. A large number of retail outlets carry these purifiers, including home improvement stores, home stores, and also the most traditional department stores. In addition to storefront retail locations, air cleaners can also be bought online from a number of different retail merchants. When Shopping online you will have the largest selection of air cleaners right on your desktop or laptop screen, you will also have the advantage to quickly compare prices. So, I highly suggest you to think about shopping online before you rush to your local store.
Things to Remember when Buying Air Purifiers
Below are the things you need to remember when purchasing an air purifier. It will help you make the best decision.
- Particle Removal & Collection - Certain technologies have little effect in removing solid particles from the air.
- Air Purifiers for Allergy Relief - Air purifiers are great for people with allergies. Air purifiers help allergy sufferers by removing allergens in a room specific environment.
- Odor Elimination
- Removal of Chemicals, Gases, & Smoke - Activated carbon air filters are the most absorbent type of filter for chemicals, while HEPA air filters have not effect on these pollutants.
- Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR)
- Air Changes Per Hour (ACH)
- Noise - Air filtration units with a high wattage rating may be capable of drawing large volumes of air through the unit, but they are also very noisy.
- Air Pollution – Some air purifiers pollute the air with ozone.
- Destruction of Micro-Organisms - Ozone and negative ions have some ability to destroy certain micro-organisms, but UV (ultraviolet) light is the most effective at destroying the greatest variety of micro-organisms.
- Thorough Coverage Throughout the Home
- Air Purifiers Proper Placement - As a general rule, it is more difficult to filter the air in a large area. Large living rooms and family areas, especially those with abnormally high ceilings, present a challenge to effective air filtration. So, you need to remember this when purchasing an air purifier.
- Electricity Consumption - Many air filters consume heavy amounts of power, adding upwards of $200 a year or more to your electricity bill.
- Price and Replacement Filter Costs
- Air Purifier Air Exchanges - The amount of time it takes and air purifier to cycle through all of the air in a room is referred to an "air exchange."
- Manufacturer's Reputation - This is important, you should always purchase air purifiers from manufacturer with a good reputation. Search online for any bad reviews.
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