How to choose, then buy an air purifier?
For many years, air purifiers have been existing in the market. But it is seldom that they are being valued by people.
But right now, I observed that people are starting to take notice of its importance. Primarily, an air purifier’s job is to ensure that the indoor air of your home is downright clean and free from contaminants.
Air purifiers are not proven to kill the novel coronavirus, but it can lessen the chances of you being susceptible to it.
Hence, it is crucial that you can get the right air purifier right from the start. Investing in a highly functional and effective purifier will relieve you from allergens, dander, and other particles that can cause asthma and other respiratory diseases.
Let me show you the practical approaches to choosing an air purifier.
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How To Choose An Air Purifier
Alarmingly, many commercial air purifiers today don’t explain their mechanisms. I noticed that most of them just resort to marketing pitches, stating that their products can miraculously eliminate every dirt present on the air.
Honestly, these claims are pretty outlandish. If air purifiers are designed to be like that, then most of us should have no respiratory illnesses and allergies already.
But at the same time, I cannot discredit the fact that these air purifiers can cleanse the air of your home, especially if they have the right kind of filtration systems. You will really need them if someone from your family typically smokes inside. You also need the purifiers if you have pets inside your home or apartment.
So since these things are pretty essential to be taken care of, the next thing that should come in your mind is the art of selecting a high-performance air purifier.
As I said, there are several purifiers in the market that tend to make outlandish claims. If possible, you should leave them out of your list.
For you not to get confused, the following guidelines should be adhered to whenever choosing and buying an air purifier.
The Room Size
Interestingly, the selection process starts by minding the entire size of your property. Of course, there are some of you who simply want to purify a particular space or part of their home.
There are portable units out there. They are great for small interiors. But for large living spaces, they will never get the job done. On the other hand, you don’t actually need a large and burly unit if you have just a small apartment. If you are just aiming to take care of your child’s bedroom, desktop air purifiers are the right choice.
You can identify the right size of the air purifier by checking out the “air changes per hour.” This is a gauge that should be present in the specifications of an air purifier. In this metric, you will know how many filtration cycles an air purifier can do per hour in a specific space.
For instance, a particular air purifier can do five air changes in an hour in a 200-square-foot room. But if you are going to put it inside a 600-square-foot room, it can only do one to two cycles.
The Pollutants
Not all air purifiers are created the same. Some units out there can only deal with specific types of contaminants. On the other hand, powerful air purifiers are versatile enough to capture a myriad of particles–from pet dander to bacteria.
Some also excel in dealing with smoke and foul odor.
I cannot really say that there’s a one-size-fits-all solution for these air purifiers. However, I have seen several options that are actually flexible in dealing with multiple types of pollutants.
But of course, you should not discount the fact that there are air purifiers out there that have been specifically engineered to capture the select type of particles and organisms.
The Type Of Filters
Once you know what type of pollutants that you want to eradicate in your indoor space, it is time that you know the kind of filters being used on these air purifiers.
I do recommend that you get an air purifier that is using mechanical filtration. This type of filtration works by physically trapping the tiny invaders that they capture.
The basic design features two filters: a prefilter and the main filter. The prefilter is the one that seizes the large particles such as pet hair. For the smaller pollutants, it is the main filter that screens them out.
Most of these prefilters have almost the same design. Some are washable, while others should be disposed of after they are used.
The most crucial filter here is the main filter. Specifically, you need to look for an air purifier that is using a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter. The HEPA filter is considered as the standard of the American Lung Association and Environmental Protection Agency. Honestly, I will never recommend an air purifier that doesn’t have this particular filter. That’s a downer.
What Is A HEPA Filter?
What makes HEPA filter a necessity in the first place? Well, the HEPA filter is the one that captures the 99.97% of particles that are swimming in the air. It can filter pollutants that are as small as 0.3 microns. Take note: this one is extremely small.
To make a comparison, the smallest object that the naked eye can see is about 70 microns. Moreover, human eyes are also capable of perceiving airborne particles that are illuminated. The smallest particles that we can see are around 10 microns.
Just imagine how small a particle of 0.3 microns in size is!
Keep in mind that not all air purifiers that are claiming that they are using HEPA filters are authentic. Sadly, these filters are not being tested, so there’s no saying that a claim in the label is true. Your best route here is to go with air purifiers that have “True HEPA Filter” printed labels.
Other Forms Of Filters
There are other air purifiers that went an extra mile on their operation. Aside from the basic filters, they are also using activated carbon and charcoal filters. They are not effective in trapping particles. However, they excel in filter gases and odor-causing compounds. They also work against volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
Air purifiers that have these filters are the perfect choice if you have a pet or smoker in your household. Let me remind you that carbon and charcoal filters require constant replacement. Over time, their effectiveness will reduce gradually.
Meanwhile, other air purifiers are also using ionizers and ultraviolet light. I am not pretty sure if they are effective or not. There are other health concerns that are attributed to them, such as the irritant called ozone.
CADR Ratings
Another aspect of air purifiers that you should mind is the CADR. The CADR, or the clean air delivery rate, is a number that was created by the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM). This rating is designed to help people understand the efficiency of a particular filter in cleansing particles that are within a specific area.
Let me give you an example.
A CADR rating of 300 for allergens indicates that a particular air purifier is capable of reducing the concentration of allergen at the equivalent of adding 300 cubic feet of clean air per minute.
Overall, the higher the CADR rating, the more particles that it can capture and filter. Moreover, it signifies that an air purifier is sufficient enough to work on larger rooms–even those spaces that are way bigger than its specifications.
Recommended CADR Ratings
According to Consumer Reports, people who are looking to buy an air purifier to clean the indoor space of a COVID-19 patient should go with units that have a CADR rating of 240 or higher.
Meanwhile, the Environmental Protection Agency also set its own guidelines for the correct CADR rating per room size. For a 100-square-foot room, the minimum CADR rating should be 60 cubic feet per minute. For spaces that are larger than 600 square feet, the recommended CADR rating should not go below 390 cubic feet per minute.
Moreover, EPA has mentioned that most air purifiers today don’t have CADR ratings that are effective enough for large contaminants such as cockroach-related particles and dust mites.
It is completely normal if some air purifiers have multiple CADR ratings. This means that they have different performances in dealing with various types of pollutants.
I have to remind you as well that CADR ratings are not absolute. The ones printed on the labels are based on controlled situations–where everything is set and given. There are external factors, such as dampness and moisture, that could affect the overall performance of an air purifier. Also, don’t get surprised if not all air purifiers are implementing the CADR system.
Noise Production
One should be aware that these air purifiers do make a sound. The reason for this is simple: these devices have fans within their system that are used to pull the air into them.
Of course, not all fans are boisterous. Some are crafted to be naturally soft and soothing, especially if you are going to set the air purifier on its lowest settings. The more you crank the air purifier, the stronger the humming sounds that you can hear.
As much as possible, noise should be eradicated in the operation of these air purifiers. Fortunately, you will never run out of options when it comes to this. You are going to need these silent purifiers if you are planning to turn them on during your sleep.
Just like other devices, the noise level of an air purifier is measured in decibels. The lower the number, the more silent the air purifier is. Some operate subtly since they have noise levels that are low as 15 dB.
Extra Features
You may also want the air purifier to possess the following features and capabilities:
- Automatic shutdown feature
- Programmable timer
- Filter-replacement indicators
- Dimming functions
- Accessibility and connectivity to digital applications
- Multiple power or speed settings
I am quite sure that an air purifier can function adequately without these features. But if you want ergonomics at your disposal, these following perks should be present.
Of course, it would really be great if the air purifier in your house is capable of giving you extra convenience. After all, we need modern devices that can simplify our lives, not make them extra hard.
Conclusion
With the number of air purifiers present on the market today, selecting the right one could become a baffling process. Hence, I am hoping that this guide will help you decide the appropriate one for your needs and settings.
Learning how to choose an air purifier is a precious knowledge in this time and age. We want to breathe air that is free from any harmful contaminants. A highly functional purifier can help you achieve this.
That’s it for now. For related questions and suggestions, feel free to drop them in the comment section below.