In this air purifier buyers guide, I will explain some of the fundamentals in choosing the right air cleaner in your home. After all, it is crucial that you can get an air purifier that perfectly suits your requirements and conditions.
If you’re an allergy sufferer, you’ve probably noticed that the air in many areas of your home seems dirty. In fact, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that indoor air can be two to five times more polluted than outdoor air. Several studies have shown that indoor pollutants may affect our health more than outdoor pollutants.
In the home, the two main types of pollutants are particulate matter (dust, pollen, dander, and mold spores) and volatile organic compounds (chemicals that evaporate into the air).
Of course, the solution to these problems may come in the form of an air purifier. And right now, you might badly be needing one.
Air Purifier Buyers Guide
An air purifier is a tool designed to clean the indoor air of your space or property. Every time the air passes through it, all of the foreign particles and unwanted elements are eliminated.
Well, that’s the short explanation for the mechanism of an air purifier. But it is better to explain this matter in detail.
How Does An Air Purifier Work?
An air purifier is a device that removes dust, pollen, smoke, and other airborne pollutants from the air. This device also helps to remove foul odors and improve the air quality in your home or office. There are two types of air purifiers: those designed to filter the air in a single room and those designed to do the same for an entire house.
Most products use a combination of filters and cleaning mechanisms to eliminate pollutants from the air. An air purifier works in two steps: first, it removes large particulate matter, such as dust and pet dander, with an air filter.
Second, it kills bacteria and other microbes with ultraviolet (UV) light.
The first step is performed by a pre-filter, a fine filter, and a HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filter. The first two filters (pre-filter and fine filter) large matter from the air. The pre-filter catches larger particles that could clog the HEPA filter. The fine filter catches smaller particles, such as dust, pet dander, and pollen.
Meanwhile, the HEPA filter removes 99.97% of particles 0.3 microns and larger. It is an essential filter that your air purifier should have. High-Efficiency Particulate Air, or commonly known as HEPA filters, are effective in taking out dangerous elements in the air such as bacteria, viruses, and germs.
If you are an allergy sufferer, or you are simply worried about acquiring airborne illnesses, these HEPA filters are perfect for you.
Types Of Air Purifiers
When it comes to air purifiers, there are several different types available. The most common is the air purifier that filters out particles in the air. There are also purifiers that remove odors and purifiers that remove chemicals from the air.
The following will elaborate you some of the common air purifiers today. Keep in mind that these could serve as your options for your first air purifier in your home, office, or workshop.
Ultraviolet Air Purifier
UV light can be used to sanitize the air, and many air purifiers now include this feature in their design. Ultraviolet air purifiers work by using UV light to break down particles in the air into smaller sizes, which can then be caught by the filter and removed from the air. This can help reduce the total amount of dust and pollutants in your indoor environment and help alleviate allergies and asthma symptoms.
There are two main types of UV air purifiers: the first uses a UV light tube, which emits UV rays that stick to particles in the air. The second uses a UV lamp, which uses UV rays to spark a chemical reaction that breaks down particles.
HEPA Air Purifier
I’ve already discussed how these HEPA air purifiers work. You see, they are the most common air cleaners out there. To surmise, HEPA air purifiers have HEPA filters that trap around 99.97% of tiny particles–elements that can’t be subdued by mechanical filters. The essence of these specialty filters is to ensure that illness-causing bacteria and viruses won’t get in your system.
Activated Carbon Air Purifier
An activated carbon air purifier is an air purifier that uses activated carbon to remove odors, chemical gases, and particulate matter from space. Activated carbon is densely packed with millions of tiny pores that trap pollutants as they pass through. The pores are created by treating the carbon with steam under high pressure or burning the carbon with oxygen. The EPA has found that activated carbon is particularly effective at removing formaldehyde and ammonia from indoor air.
Ionic Air Purifier
An ionic air purifier is an air purifier that uses ions to help clean the air in your home. This is accomplished by producing positive and negative ions. The positive ions attach themselves to particles in the air, such as dust and pet dander. The negative ions attach themselves to toxins in the air, such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and other harmful chemicals.
The ions are then neutralized by a filter, leaving your home with clean air and a fresh scent. Although ionizers are often used to cleanse indoor air from pollutants like smoke, pollen, dust, pet dander, and mold, their use in air purifiers is relatively new.
Electronic Air Purifier
Electronic air purifiers use a combination of filters and electronic air cleaning technology to clean the air in your home.
First, they use a mechanical pre-filter to trap dust, hair, pet dander, and other large particles. Then, the air is passed through an electromagnetic field, which attracts and captures smaller particles as well as microorganisms like mold, viruses, bacteria, and spores.
The air is then filtered once more to catch any remaining particles before being released through a diffuser or vent.
How To Choose An Air Purifier Based On Your Room Size?
The first thing you need to do before you get an air purifier is to measure your space’s size. For instance, if you intend to put the air purifier in your bedroom, you have to check the latter’s floor size.
Small air purifiers are not effective in dealing with large areas and living spaces. On the flip side, it is certain that heavy-duty air cleaners are too much for compact and tiny rooms.
Most of these air purifiers have labels when it comes to their coverage. You can see it on their manuals, too. If an air purifier can encompass your living spaces, then it could be a perfect choice for you.
Alternatively, you can also check the “air changes per hour.” It is a gauge that tells you the exhaustive capabilities of an air purifier in terms of cleaning your air. This measure suggests the number of times an air purifier can cleanse your indoor air in an hour. The more cycles it can do, the cleaner your air becomes.
This metric is affected by the size of your room. A small humidifier that can do eight cycles in an hour in a 200-square-foot room might only perform two to three cycles in a 700-square-foot area.
The CADR Rating Of Air Purifiers
Typically, air purifiers have a clean air delivery rate (CADR) on their labels. It comes in the form of a number and was created by the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM).
This particular rating is important, as it lets you gauge the efficiency of an air purifier when it comes to filtering dirt and particles in given floor size.
Allow me to explain this concept.
A CADR of 500 for pollen indicates that the air purifier can eliminate the presence of pollen in your room by pumping additional 500 cubic feet of clean air per minute.
Of course, the higher the CADR number, the more you can assure of the performance of the air purifier. It also suggests that the air purifier is designed for bigger rooms.
For those who are looking for an air purifier to combat COVID-19, it is recommended that you get a unit that has a CADR of 250 or higher. Of course, you have to take into account the size of the room where you are going to place the air purifier.
You can also check the table below for the recommended CADR per specific floor sizes:
Area | 100 square feet | 200 square feet | 300 square feet | 400 square feet | 500 square feet | 600 square feet |
Minimum CADR | 60 | 130 | 200 | 270 | 330 | 400 |
Noise Levels Of Air Purifiers
The majority of the commercial air purifiers today are using fans. These components are the ones that pull the air to the device for cleaning and filtration.
These fans are not that burly, though. Hence, they can go quiet, especially if you put the air purifier in the lowest possible setting. Meanwhile, others create noticeable sounds (such as humming) every time they are running.
Air purifiers have to quiet, especially if you want to put them in your bedrooms or noise-sensitive areas.
The noise rating of air purifiers is measured through decibels. The lower the number, the quieter the air cleaner is. Silent air purifiers have a rating of 30 decibels or lower.
Keep in mind that noise is relative to distance. The closer you are to the source, the louder the sound gets. Hence, it is also ideal that you place the humidifier away from you.
Portability
When choosing an air purifier, it is essential that you are mindful of its size.
Needless to say, some air purifiers are lighter and smaller than their counterparts. These compact units are the best choice for tabletop or travel-related applications. Technically, you can bring them anywhere.
But at the same time, I have to emphasize that the performance of these small humidifiers are pretty limited.
If you want heavy-duty air cleaning, you have to go to those heavy-duty units. However, these air purifiers are meant to stay in one place since they are big and heavy. While it is true that some of them have caster wheels, moving them would still be a challenge.
Other Essential Features
Your air purifier will perform better if the following features are present:
- Indicator light for filter replacement – It tells you if your air purifier filters are already dirty and require changing.
- Programmable timer – Sometimes, you don’t need your air purifier to run 24/7. A programmable timer lets you automatically control the runtime of the device, depending on the needs and conditions of your home.
- Remote control – Who doesn’t want a remote on their air purifiers? With a remote, you don’t need to tend to the device all the time manually!
- Digital interface – An air purifier should be easy to use. With a digital readout, you will be able to monitor the current status of the device.
Conclusion
With this air purifier buyers guide, I’m hoping that you will get the right air purifier for you. Not all air purifiers can fit your requirements, regardless of how powerful or efficient they are.
At this point, you have to identify the type of air purifier that you want to get. Be mindful of the floor size of your living spaces, as well as the filtration capabilities of the air purifier. In this way, your indoor air will be fresh and free from contaminants.
That’s it for now. For other related inquiries, feel free to ask me in the comment section below!