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.
|
 |
