An air purifier is a device that cleans the air of contaminants. The right air purifiers can improve the air quality for allergy sufferers and people asthma and other respiratory problems. Thanks to the advances in technology, there are many choices of air purifiers in the market today.
Buying an Air Purifier
With the multitude of air purifier choices available to the consumer today, it is important that you do your research and understand the benefits and drawbacks of each. Never take the claims of an infomercial or advertisement seriously until you have talked to health professionals and researched air purifiers yourself without bias. Described below are a few popular air purifier technologies along with their benefits and drawbacks.
- HEPA Air Purifier - A HEPA air purifier uses a HEPA filter. HEPA stands for high efficiency particulate air. In theory a HEPA filter is supposed to remove at least 99.97% of contaminants in the air with a size of 0.3 micrometers. Air purifiers with HEPA filters are an excellent choice for allergy suffers or those with respiratory problems as they are very effective. Many HEPA air purifiers have been known to make a lot of noise. Make sure that you take that factor into consideration. Additionally, a HEPA air purifier is as good as the condition of the filter. You need to change the filter every year and should factor that a replacement HEPA filter can cost $100 or more. Some popular air filters utilizing HEPA technologies include Hunter QuietFlo, Austin Air and Honeywell air purifiers.
- Ionic Air Purifier - In theory, ionic air purifiers produce negatively charged ions which bind to positively charged contaminants and draw the particles to the ground. In practice, the ionic air purifiers work by collecting the air particulates into steel plates inside the air purifier so that they can be easily cleaned. Ionic air purifiers have been very popular recently due their quietness of operation and the ability to easily clean the metal plates. Popular air purifiers utilizing
ionic technologies include the Sharper Image Ionic Breeze and the Oreck Air Purifier.
However, the process of ionizing the air produces ozone which at high levels can be damaging to the lungs. Some newer ionic air purifiers have ozone guards which may mitigate this effect. It is therefore recommended that you research thoroughly before purchasing an ionic air purifier.
- Ultraviolet (UV) Light Air Purifier - UV air purifiers utilize UV light which is known to kill bacteria, mold and microorganisms. Although pure UV air purifiers are effective at killing microorganisms, they do not actually remove the contaminants from the room. Some filter based air purifiers utilize UV light to disinfect the filters so that you get the benefits of both systems.
If you are buying an air purifier for a medical or health related purposes, always ask your doctor prior to purchase.
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