Ways to Simply find the Most effective Air Purifier For your needs
Indoor air pollution is just a serious problem. Based on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), air pollution levels are two to five times higher indoors. In a few buildings with too little proper ventilation, the indoor air may be 100 times more polluted compared to air outside! This is because modern buildings are constructed with energy efficiency in mind. However, the tight seals that make a home energy-efficient also trap pollutants inside. Together with that, the common American takes nine out of ten breaths indoors, so it’s imperative to make sure that your indoor air is free from allergens and other impurities.
Air purifiers eliminate allergens, toxic chemicals, and other dangerous pollutants. This article explains why people use air purifiers, how they work, which air purifiers you need to avoid, and how to pick the best air cleaner for your needs.
Common Indoor Air Pollutants
What is the origin of indoor air pollution? When it comes to organic pollutants, mold and dust mites are everywhere – and they are both most typical causes of year-round allergic rhinitis (hay fever). Pollen can also be a pervasive allergen that always finds its way into your property since it is so small and sticky. When you yourself have pets, they will surely spread their dander to every nook and cranny of your home. Many viruses and bacteria are also airborne.
Even though they are not organic allergens, Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) cause many people to experience allergy symptoms and other health problems. VOCs include formaldehyde, fragrances, pesticides, solvents, and cleaning agents. VOCs can enter the air through chemical off-gassing from furniture, new carpets, adhesives, plastics, and various building materials. Furthermore, many VOCs are known carcinogens (cancer-causing agents).
Environmental contaminants like cigarette smoke, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen dioxide may also be present in your indoor air, along with toxic heavy metals like airborne lead, mercury vapor, and radon.
How Air Purifiers Work
HEPA air purifiers work with a HEPA air filter, that was developed by the Atomic Energy Commission in the 1940s as a way to filter radioactive contaminants. HEPA filters set the typical for air purifiers: to be classified as HEPA, a filter must capture at the least 99.97% of pollutants at 0.3 microns or larger. Top-selling HEPA air purifiers include the Austin Air cleaner, available with a HEGA (High Efficiency Gas Adsoprtion) filter, alongside air purifiers from IQAir, Allerair, Blueair, and Honeywell.
Activated carbon filters remove gases, odors, and chemical toxins. The carbon is “activated” if it is treated with oxygen, which opens up an incredible number of tiny pores to attract and adsorb chemicals. Impregnated carbon filters have now been treated by having an additional chemical, normally either potassium iodide or potassium permanganate; these chemicals, called chemisorbents, improve the carbon filter’s capability to trap VOCs and other chemically reactive gases.
Electrostatic filters use an electrostatic charge to attract pollutants and trap them on collector plates. These filters are great for people who don’t want to have to be worried about changing HEPA filters, however if the collection plates are not cleaned frequently, they quickly lose efficiency. Also, beware that some electrostatic filters emit ozone, which will be regarded as a powerful lung irritant and can be very irritating with a people with asthma or allergies. The Friedrich air cleaner is, by far, the best electrostatic air cleaner, along with the entire top-ranked air cleaner in previous Consumer Reports rankings.
Charged media filters give pollutants an electrostatic charge before collecting them in a traditional filter. Charged media filters are usually quite effective, but like electrostatic filters, they lose efficiency rapidly-and they could require frequent and expensive filter changes. Some charged media air filter units also emit ozone. The advantage of charged media filters is that they’re quieter and more energy-efficient than HEPA air purifiers. The Blueair air cleaner is the greatest charged media filter, and it doesn’t emit ozone.
Where and How to Use an Air Purifier
If you suffer from allergies (especially if you’re allergic to dust mite allergen), then the best place for an air cleanser can be your bedroom. It’s essential to have climate in your bedroom because you spend about a third of your lifetime there. 辦公室空氣清新機 If you’re allergic to animal dander and have pets, then you might want to put an air cleanser in the area where your pets spend most of these time-and keep the pets from the bedroom! Also, you should not place an air cleanser in the corner of an area; it must be at the least a couple of feet far from the walls for maximum air flow.
You ought to run your air cleaner continuously for optimum performance. Most air purifiers have high and low settings. Even if you go on holiday, we recommend that you keep your air cleaner running on low. Otherwise, you’ll return to a home full of polluted air! If you should be concerned with your electric bill, discover how much energy an air cleanser uses before buying it. Typical HEPA air purifiers can use anywhere from 50 watts on low to 200 watts on high. For comparison, a typical lamp uses about 60 watts, while a typical computer uses about 365 watts.
Air Purifiers to Avoid
Avoid ozone generators and ionizing air cleaners. These air purifiers create ions that attract pollutants; however, lots of the pollutants are released back in the air, often times resulting in dirty spots on nearby walls. Besides the fact they don’t perform a good job of cleaning the air, ozone generators and ionizing cleaners also emit ozone. Ozone, a primary element of smog, may potentially cause a critical asthma attack.
Moreover, David Peden, researcher at the Center of Environmental Medicine and Lung Biology at the University of North Carolina, has examined how ozone exposure might exacerbate the allergic response of people who are allergic to dust mites, and his results declare that ozone worsens the asthmatic response. The EPA has warned consumers against using ozone generators, and Consumer Reports recommends against the newest Ionic Breeze Quadra, despite the addition of OzoneGuard, a tool meant to remove some of the dangerous ozone emitted by the Ionic Breeze.
Consumer Reports highlights: “Our air-cleaning tests show that the Ionic Breeze with OzoneGuard does a poor job of removing smoke, dust and pollen particles from the air when new and after 500 hours of continuous use” and “the Ionic Breeze with OzoneGuard still adds ozone to the air.”
How to Buy the Best Air Purifier
The air cleaner market is vast and riddled with confusing and often misleading advertising schemes. If you’re buying an air cleanser, then you definitely should first consider what sort of pollutants you’re trying to eliminate. Like, if you suffer with cigarette smoke, then you’ll want to ensure that your air cleaner has the capability to eliminate fumes, VOCs, and other gases.