Best Air Purifier Buying Guide

What Is an Air Purifier?

Simply stated, an air purifier is a device designed to remove particulate contaminants from the air. Recent developments have created a number of effective air purifiers available on the market today.

Uses of Air Purifiers

Most people use air purifiers to remove particles such as pet dander, pollen, dust, dust mites, smoke and other forms of allergens from the air. Reducing the amount of exposure to specific allergens such as these can reduce the symptoms and signs of allergies in humans. There are also a number of other health related uses for these types of machines, including the ability to remove disease and illness spreading bacteria and viruses from the air.

Air Purifiers: Maintaining Health

Air purifiers can also be used to help limit the exposure to other health related problems, especially respiratory illnesses, COPD, infections of the lungs and some forms of cancer. This because these illnesses are often caused by volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and smog, which can be effectively removed by these appliances. Very often these compounds can be more concentrated inside of a home than outside of it.

What Air Purifiers Do

Air purifiers can be commercial sized for very large buildings or designed as small, contained household units. Typically they run off electricity. The goal is to constantly take in contaminated air and to send out cleaner air. Rather than working to ‘clean’ a room, an air purifier works all of the time to effectively remove particles from constantly cycling air currents. The result is a continuous air cleaning process.

Where do Harmful Particles come From?

Harmful particles can be found in the air outside, which can then be transmitted through air ducts and open windows inside. Household cleaners and solvents can also create harmful air particles. Many particles are created inside of homes. Examples of these are dust created from human skin, dander created by pets, molds from water, smoke from cigarettes, particles from carpets and clothing and viruses and bacteria transmitted by humans.

How Long does it Take an Air Purifier to Work?

Unlike an air conditioner, most people probably won’t notice the effects of an air cleaner right off the bat, even though it begins to work as soon as it is turned on. Most people will begin to see the positive effects of an air filter after about 2 to 3 days of use. These positive effects can be anything from a reduction in allergies to a cleaner smelling room. Many people will report sleeping better and being able to breathe easier after they have used an air purifier for a few days.

More Benefits of Air Purifiers

Air purifiers can reduce the likelihood of the development of allergens or asthma in young children, as well as the health of adults – especially those with lung illnesses. They can reduce the spread of flu and colds, resulting in fewer sick days and also eliminate environmental biological and chemical pollutants. These appliances are also great for helping homes to maintain a pleasant odor at all times.

Air cleaners are very useful tools in the battle to keep homes clean and safe. The EPA states that the air inside of a home could actually be as much as 100 times worse than the air outside, showing the real need for indoor air quality protection.

Types of Air Purifiers

These devices remove harmful contaminants from the air. There are many different types of air purifiers available on the market today; each uses a different form of technology to capture harmful particles.

What Air Purifiers Do

There are many particles found in the air inside of homes that can cause harmful effects to human health. Air purifiers use a variety of techniques to capture these particles, some of which can be extremely small, to prevent them from being breathed in by people. Some of the harmful particles that can be found inside the average home are dust, mold, dander, dust mites, smoke, smog, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), bacteria, viruses and other forms of chemicals.

HEPA Air Purifiers

A filter works by trapping and collecting particles based on their size. In order for a filter to work air must be forced to pass through it. A HEPA air purifier is a specially designed type of air filter that traps extremely small particles. A HEPA filter can trap particles as small as .03 micrometers, meaning that it is extremely effective at removing many of the harmful and ‘lung-penetrating’ particles that are commonly found in homes. There are many models out there, so be sure to read HEPA air purifier reviews before purchasing.

Electrostatic Air Purifiers

Electrostatic air purifiers, sometimes called air ionizers, use a created charge to electronically charge ions found within household gases. This forces the charged ions to attach themselves to harmful airborne particles. Then the device uses a charged collector plate to trap the newly charged particles and hold them in place, effectively removing them from the air. Air ionizers also produce a very small amount of toxic ozone through the process, although the amount is not harmful in such small amounts.

Charcoal Air Purifiers

Charcoal air purifiers are usually used in conjunction with other forms of filters, usually HEPA filters. Activated charcoal is charcoal that has been formed through a special steaming process to create an extremely porous surface. Small particles found in the air will be trapped and held in these porous structures, which then can later be removed. Charcoal air cleaners have several drawbacks, including that the particles can be re-distributed into the air if the charcoal is disturbed. This is why many charcoal air cleaners are used in conjunction with other filter types.

UVGI

Ultraviolet germicidal irradiation or UVGI is a purifying process that uses UV lights to sterilize harmful particles as they pass through the device. This causes the RNA or DNA of living viruses or bacteria to be destroyed, rendering them harmless to humans. This process can be very useful in the prevention of many contaminant-related health problems, including many forms of respiratory illnesses, pulmonary infections, COPD and some forms of lung cancer.

Consumer Air Purifiers

There are many types of air cleaners available to consumers, many of which combine a number of different types of air purifying technologies for better results. These can include room purifiers, which can be compact in design or able to sit on a counter-top. Towers are tall but thin purifiers that can sit on the floor of any room. There are even small travel-sized purifiers for the health-conscious traveler. Others can be installed within the heating and air ducts of a home for whole house air purification.

The many different technologies and methods for purifying air that are now available to consumers means that anyone can benefit from healthier air within their home.

Why do you need an Air Purifier?

Most people would say that their home probably needs an air purifier, but often feel prohibited due to the cost. The truth is that there are many models that are affordable. Even so, the cost of these appliances is worth it, especially when it comes to improving the health of you and your family. Always read through air purifier reviews to get an idea of how well rated a particular model is.

Air Purifiers for Reducing Allergens

If anyone in your home suffers from allergies relating to pet danger, pollen, mold or dust mites, then you may wish to consider using an one of these appliances to remove these particles from the air. Most doctors will tell you that reducing your exposure to such particles is the first step to remaining healthy and a purifier can help you to do so. Reducing the amount of allergens floating around in your home can both lessen the symptoms of allergens and help prevent the development of allergies in the future.

More Health Hazards

There are also other potential health hazards that can be found circulating in the air of your home. Some of these can include certain forms of bacteria, viruses, smog, chemical fumes, smoke and soot. These types of particles are also very small, meaning that you would need an air cleaner to remove them. Many of these particles can lead to the development of asthma as well.

Air Purifiers Odor and Gas Control

The use of everyday household chemicals and pollutants from the outside world can cause a build-up of many different odors and gases inside your home. Again many of these chemical agents can be harmful to your health, while others serve to make your house smell bad. Examples of these can be ammonia, sulfur dioxide and formaldehyde. Reducing your family’s exposure to these types of harmful agents can help prevent many forms of illness and improve the odor of your home at the same time.

Air Purifiers Protecting Your Children

If you have young children, especially an infant, then an air purifier is a great tool for protecting their growing lungs. Infants especially can develop allergies and other types of lung problems if they are exposed to certain harmful particles for a prolonged period. An air purifier can be used to limit the types of particles that will be breathed in, improving their chances to remain as healthy as possible.

Air Purifiers Protecting Your Lungs

The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that the air inside of your home could be as much as 100 times more polluted than the outside air. This is because these particles have nowhere to go and continuously build-up. Many of these particles are considered to be ‘lung penetrating’ particles which can cause damage to your health. Air purifiers work well to improve this quality of air which has been considered priceless by many.

There are many different air purifiers currently available on the market which all work well, but some are better than others. With this in mind, take the time to research each option and read air purifier reviews from happy or disgruntled consumers.

What Features to Look for in an Air Purifier

An air purifier can help improve the quality of air inside of a home and lessen the affects of allergies, asthma and a number of other lung-related illnesses.  There are many different features to look for in air purifiers designed for the home.

Air Purifiers: Level of Purification

One of the most important features to look at before choosing a specific type of air purifier is the level of purification for each type. This refers to the clean air delivery rate (CADR) for a specifically sized room. This standard, which was developed by the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers, measures the amount of cubic feet of clean air that a product can deliver in 1 minute. The appropriate amount of an air purifier’s CADR should be at least 2/3’s of the square footage of the room.

Air Purifiers: Price

Finding the best price of an air purifier should be another important factor when deciding whether or not to employ this technology in a home. Obviously the price should be within the consumer’s range, but more efficient and productive models will cost more. It will also need to be properly maintained, so the price of replacement parts and replacement filters should be factored into the equation as well. Warranties for specific products should also be carefully considered.

Air Purifiers: Noise Levels

In order to work properly, many air purification models utilize a fan to force the movement of air. Some products use more powerful fans than others, resulting in different levels of noise. Some purifiers will have adjustable fan settings to help the consumer control the noise levels. Other products are fan-less, meaning that they make no noise, but the trade-off may be that the machine is less effective. Choosing a noise level that is acceptable to family members is an important part of the decision making process.

Air Purifiers: Efficiency & Maintenance

Efficiency and how often the device will require regular maintenance is another important factor to consider. Some products require less maintenance than others; for instance it might need the filter replaced, or the plates washed if it is an electrostatic air purifier. Many also have the Energy Star rating which is vital to avoid unnecessary electric bills.

Air Purifiers: Quality

The quality of the model can be based on how long the product will last, how well it is designed and problems that can arise due to frequent maintenance. Air filters that have a record of long-term use should be considered over products that break down easily or become less effective over time. The best way to know for sure is to read consumer reviews. We have provided some run downs on the most popular models to help you as well.

An air purifier can make a drastic different in the air quality of a home or business. This is why it really makes sense to take the time to ensure that you read the description and consumer air purifier reviews to make sure that it has the features that you are looking for.