Being in the market for an air purifier could leave your head spinning given how many different makes, models and types of air purifiers there are. Fear not, this short guide will help you figure out what to look for so you can get the right unit for your needs.
The first item to cover is that different types of filters are designed to filter different things from the air.Some filters are designed to remove irritants, others control smoke and odor, while others remove dangerous chemicals such as VOCs, paints and chemicals.So, if you need an air purifier to help control allergies, getting one that is great at filtering chemical is not going to be the best choice you can make.
Here are the most popular filter technologies in the residential market:.
HEPA
HEPA is short for "High Efficiency Particulate Arresting" and this is the type of filter most commonly seen in the marketplace. HEPA filters are made up by a paper thin maze of fibers.As air passes through the filter the particles in the air are snagged by a fiber leaving clean air to exit the filter.If you look at a HEPA filter, you will notice that there are many folds in it. This is to increase the surface area of exposed fibers and to allow as much air to pass through the filter as possible.
In order for a filter to meet the requirements to be a true HEPA filter, 99.97% of all particles 0.3 microns or larger must be removed from the air. IQAir's HyperHEPA filter is designed to capture air particles down to a size of 0.003 microns. IQAir HealthPro air purifiers achieve 99.97% efficiency rate for removing particles that are 100 times smaller than the particle size used to determine filter efficiency.
Primary Use: Allergen and particle control
Activated Carbon
If you have a water filter, you may be familiar with the term "activated carbon" because that is the technology used to filter impurities from water, too. An activated carbon filter adsorbs chemicals from the air (adsorb is something like absorb, but not the same). As air passes through the filter, the effect of Van deer Waals forces cause the chemicals to attach to the filter surface.As the filter cleans the air it becomes covered with a film of the chemicals it has removed.Once this happens, the filter will need to be replaced as it will not be able to capture any additional gases.
The IQAir GC Multigas air purifier uses activated carbon to control the widest spectrum of gaseous compounds, smoke and odors from the air. There are other IQAir GC air purifier models available that will control specific gases.
Primary Use: Control airborne chemicals and odors
Ultraviolet Light (UV)
UV filters are used to control viruses, bacteria and mold spores and they work by attacking the DNA of the microorganisms as they pass though the unit. The burst of UV radiation (which is low-intensity at 150 - 300 nanometers) either kills the organism or at least prevents it from being able to reproduce.
Because light radiation is not effective for capturing air particles or airborne gases, this technology is generally used in conjunction with another technology in order to be an everyday-use air cleaner. Because these filters use light radiation to do the work, the bulbs will have a limited effective life, so changing bulbs periodically is necessary.Please note: just as tanning bed bulbs will, these bulbs will still emit light even when they no longer produce the radiation needed to clean the air.
Primary Use: Control airborne microorganisms (viruses, bacteria, spores)
Electrostatic
Electrostatic air purifiers work by charging particles as they pass through the filter then collecting the charged particles before the air leaves the unit. In the first stage all particles are charged to one polarity and the second stage plate is charged the opposite polarity. As the charged particles pass by the second stage plate, they get stuck to it electrostatically. Over time the second stage plate will become covered by charged particles and will need to be cleaned off.
This type of technology is generally used in commercial locations, such as in bars and restaurants. There are residential applications for this technology, namely whole house systems.
A big downside to this type of filter technology is that the process may create ozone, which is a dangerous gas.
Primary Use: Removing airborne particulates
As you can see, there are a number of different filtering technologies used in air purifiers today. By knowing what exactly it is you need to remove from your air goes a long way toward identifying the right air purifier for you.
For more information about IQAir HealthPro Series air purifiers, please visit IQAirHealthProSeries.com.
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Technorati Tags: IQAir air purifiers, IQAir GC Multigas Air Purifier, IQAir HealthPro, IQAir HealthPro air purifiers
Tags: IQAir air purifiers, IQAir GC Multigas Air Purifier, IQAir HealthPro, IQAir HealthPro air purifiers
