Room Air Purifiers
Room air purifiers replaced tabletop units in the 1990s as the leading type of home air purifier. Tabletop units proved to be mostly ineffective, because of the inadequate volume of air being moved through the unit. Room air purifiers are almost as portable, and they are a lot more effective. There are three basic types of home air purifiers made for single-room use.
HEPA Filtered Air Purifiers
HEPA stands for High Efficiency Particulate Air. Most often made of charcoal, a HEPA filter is placed upwind of a high-velocity fan on the unit, which forces the contaminates into the filter, catching debris such as dust mites, tobacco smoke, pollen, and other pollutants.
Ion Generators
Ionic units work by sending negatively charged ions out into your home. The ions attach to chemicals and particles in the air, causing them to become attracted to the surfaces of your house as well as to each other. The pollutants simply drop right out of the air. You then wipe, mop, and vacuum the material off the surfaces, as part of your regular chores. Ion-generating home air purifiers produce some ozone, so be aware of emission rates.
Ozone Generators
Ozone units work by sending ozone out into your home. The ozone reacts with some chemicals in the air, effectively canceling them out, but producing some byproducts that can be harmful in greater or longer exposures. Buy a unit that emits 50 parts per billion or fewer.
Whole House Air Purifiers
Manufacturers design whole house air purifiers to be installed in a central heating, air conditioning, or HVAC system. The benefit of a whole house air purifier is that it is out of sight. A filter is located in a return air grille or plenum. Anytime the fan in your central system kicks in, air is moved through the filter, effectively cleaning some of the air throughout your house. A whole house air purifier doesn’t run all the time, since central air fans only kick in when the temperature drops too low or climbs too high. For an all-around air cleaning, install a whole house air purifier. But if you want to focus on one room, a room air purifier is much more effective.
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An Introduction to Air Purifiers
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Air purifiers have been around in various forms since the 1940s, when the first HEPA filter was designed to protect workers from airborne nuclear material. Since then, air purifiers have been used in hospitals, work sites, and homes to protect against viruses, mold, bacteria, pollen,...
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The Benefits of Owning an Ionic Air Purifier
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
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Ionic air purifiers are not filter systems. Ionic air purifiers work by sending out negatively charged ions into the air of your home. The ions latch onto chemicals and particles such as dust, tobacco smoke, and pollen, causing them to become attracted to each other...
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An In-Depth Review of Popular Air Purifiers
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There are at least fifteen major brands promoting air purifiers. Below you will find condensed air purifier reviews for four of the most popular brands: Oreck Air Purifiers The Oreck Super Air 8 Air Purifier uses four different technologies to clear your air. The pre-filter...
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The Benefits of HEPA Air Purifiers
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
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The military designed the first HEPA filter in the 1940s for use in the Manhattan Project, when safety from free-floating nuclear material was a primary concern. Today, HEPA air purifiers are very widely used to remove dust, pollen, mold, bacteria, and other airborne particles. They...
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The Benefits of Ozone Air Purifiers
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Ozone air purifiers or “ozone generators” are known for their effectiveness at reducing and masking the smells of new carpet and acrolein, a chemical partly responsible for the noxious odor of second-hand tobacco smoke. There are two types of ozone generators. Direct ozone generators work...
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Which Air Purifier is Best For You?
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Perhaps the best air purifiers are those from the IQAir line. These units are widely used in hospitals to eliminate mold, viruses, and bacteria. In fact, the Hong Kong Hospital Authority chose the IQAir Health Pro as the only acceptable air purifier during the SARS...
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Air Cleaners FAQs
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People are often very skeptical about investing in an air purifier. Thoughts like, ‘Is indoor air really unhealthy?’ are common questions. When in doubt, it is best to turn to the experts. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency [EPA] suggests that indoor air is one of...
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The Importance of Home Air Filters
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Many people are not aware that the air inside our homes is five times harmful than the air outside. Because of airtight home and office building constructions, the airborne pollutants are trapped inside, making the contaminated air unable to escape. Clean air is even more...
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Electronic Air Cleaners
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Electronic air cleaners are another form of air filters. These filters use electrostatic precipitation, static charge, or particle ionization to remove particles that have been sapped in by a fan through a foam pre-filter. What happens at this point is that larger particles are caught...
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Types of Humidifiers
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If you’ve determined that you have low humidity in your home or work space, and that you need a humidifier, what type and what brand of humidifier should you buy? In searching for the best humidifiers, much will depend on your circumstances. Three popular types...