How do you determine the right
air purifier
for your needs?
Air purifiers and air
cleaners come in all shapes and sizes, many different technologies
available. People often ask us, what is the best air purifier? Well,
the answer is not always so simple. Finding the answer lies beyond
the reach of the average consumer. The test results used in many publicized
reports do not tell the whole story. Consumer advocacy groups often
arrange the tests to favor the technology used by their their paying
members.
"The
fact is, anyone can use fancy sounding words..."
Have you seen the
commercial where they glamorize an economy car? The announcer uses
dynamic adjectives to describe relatively unimpressive features such
as, how the twelve thousand dollar go cart has more trunk space than
a fifty thousand dollar touring sedan? Or an amazing one full inch
more headroom than a particular brand of European sports car?
The fact is, anyone can
use fancy sounding words to describe their product, no matter how
cheap or unimpressive it may be. We believe that much of the air
purifier industry is more deceiving than the automobile companies
who use such tactics. The deciding factor when purchasing a car is rarely
decided because of an inch of headroom or a a few extra cubic feet
of trunk space, especially when comparing cars of drastically
different prices.
"the
air we breathe is necessary for life... the determining factor
in the quality of life we enjoy, our health and the well-being
of our families and pets."
With so many different
air cleaning technologies on the market and so much marketing hype
abound, the consumer has little chance of ever knowing the truth. We
all know that the air we breathe is necessary for life, the quality
of the air we breathe can often times be the determining factor in
the quality of life we enjoy, our health and the well-being of our
families and pets. While it would be imposable to fully educate a
consumer about every type of air cleaner, there are some things you
can do to help make the best decision when choosing an air purifier.
What should you
look for in a HEPA air cleaner?
-
HEPA - HEPA air
filtration has been used in homes since World War II. The
technology was developed for the military and has been refined
throughout the years. HEPA air purifiers are made by dozens of
manufacturers, the performance level of the units range from
poor to outstanding. So how can you tell the difference?
-
Many manufacturers
claim that their HEPA filters are "capable" of
removing microscopic particle and claim high percentages of
efficiency. There are HEPA air cleaners in all different shapes
and sizes, from cheap plastic units to high quality medical air
cleaners.
-
Depending on the
design of the air cleaner itself, the efficiency of many HEPA
air purifiers is less than one half of the filter rating they
show in big bright letters. The wording even usually says
"capable" of removing.....
-
Many HEPA air
purifiers are not efficient because of poor design, cheap
manufacturing or insufficient quality control. Air that leaks
around the filter, inside of the unit is not cleaned. As the
filter becomes more and more clogged, a larger percentage of air
leaks around the edges. A half clogged filter could result in
your air cleaner only cleaning 15-25% or less of the air, the
rest blows around the edges of the filter and can actually
worsen the air quality by circulating dust particles falling
from the clogged filter.
-
A high quality HEPA
air purifier will usually use an advanced form of filter media, capable
of capturing particles down to .1 micron. Many HEPA units claim
to be capable of capturing particles down to .3 micron. Which
ever level of filtration you choose, the real performance
difference is in the internal sealing, overall design and
quality of manufacturing.
-
Another confusing
advertising ploy is the CFM rating which is the number of cubic
feet per minute the unit is capable of moving through it. Some
manufacturers of inexpensive HEPA air cleaners boast inflated
numbers based on a brand new filter, as the filter becomes used,
these numbers drop drastically. Consider also that many cheap
and mid priced HEPA air cleaners also have low total system
efficiency due to air leaking around the filter. An air purifier
that is only 50% efficient but moves 25% more air is not nearly
as effective as a smaller unit with less CFM and a better
overall design and efficiency.
Other factors to
consider when deciding which air purifier
to buy:
-
Noise Level
-
Replacement Costs
-
Maintenance &
Cleaning
-
Energy Efficiency
-
Air Circulation
-
Air Contaminates
-
Coverage Area
We will be posting the
results of our own laser particle testing with streaming video of
the testing procedures so you can judge for yourself.
BreathePureAir.com is dedicated to providing the most informative
website about air purification and offering the finest products
available. Each product we offer on our website is thoroughly tested
and reviewed by Dr. Donnelly and purification experts, honest
reviews accompany each product. We wish you luck on your quest to
Breathe Pure Air.
Visit our home page
See our
complete line of commercial air cleaners, industrial
air cleaners, home air purifiers,
whole
house air purifiers ,
air testing equipment, or
medical/dental air cleaners.
If you have
any questions, call us, we'll be glad to help!
1-877-688-2703
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