An air purifiers HEPA filter only requires replacing once every twelve to eighteen months or so depending on how much you use it. Whereas an air purifiers carbon filter would more likely need replacing over a period of around three to six months again depending on your level of usage. Always read the label/instructions of your air purifier system to get specific details for that particular air purifier.
HEPA air ionizer purifiers, these are air purifiers that use independently controlled ionizers, providing you with the option to release negative ions in to the surrounding air via the filtered air coming out of the air purifier. You have the choice to turn this function on or off for the HEPA air ionizer purifier. Ions are very small particles carrying a charge, negative or positive. Ions inhabit all of our surroundings naturally, throughout the air, ground and water. The negative and positive Ions are totally harmless, odorless and colourless. In the HEPA air ionizers purification process the negative ions play their part by clinging to tiny airborne particles in the surrounding air.
This causes the tiny particles to become negatively charged which results in them joining other particles that are positively charged which could be pollen, dust, pet dander or smoke. When these particles clump together you end up with larger particles that are going to be more susceptible to being captured by the air ionizer purifiers filter system. These larger particles may also become attracted to objects or surfaces throughout your home that are positively charged, such as floors, walls or lamps. This is likely to be a more frequent occurrence as the purifiers filter nears the end of its life and due to a decrease in effectiveness less of the charged particles are captured by the HEPA air ionizer purifiers filter.
If you use a HEPA air ionizer purifier for a long period you will likely find dust has collected on the front panel and grills. This is because of the ionization effect from the negative ions leaving the air outlet. This displays further proof of the effectiveness negative ions have for cleaning indoor air. To remove dust gathered at these areas simply clean it away with a soft brush or damp cloth.
You may notice when you use a HEPA air ionizer purifier you will experience some popping and cracking sounds occasionally. Do not be alarmed as this is completely normal and is simply a result of dust particles interrupting the flow of ions which generates a low build up of ions that eventually discharge creating that cracking and popping sound. Nothing to worry about.
If your HEPA air ionizer purifier is used with a dirty filter you may experience larger than normal amounts of dirty particles coming out of your HEPA air ionizer purifier and clinging to your home and its contents such as carpets, walls and other furniture. These dirty particles can be extremely hard to get rid of. If your household has more than the usual amounts of dirty particles such as dust, smoke or pet dander your HEPA air ionizer purifier filters life expectancy will be much shorter so you must therefore check the state of your HEPA filters more often and perhaps run the air ionizer less frequent than you usually would.
Remember it is very important that you replace the HEPA filter for you HEPA air ionizer purifier when recommended to do so by your devices instructions.
Washable foam is a foam layer in the purification cycle that helps remove larger particles and is designed for easy cleaning. To clean the washable foam filter you just take it out of the unit and wash it with warm soapy water, rinse it with clean water and then hang it out to dry. You must make sure it is dry right through before placing it back in the air purifier unit.
Air purifiers are available to suit most room sizes. Locate the AHAM seal on the product packaging for the information detailing the appropriate room size for that particular air purifier. You may find that many air purifiers have their recommended room size information on or near the front of their packaging as well. Room size can range from 6′x9′ to 20′x24′ and are always related to the product AHAM test results.
So who is AHAM? …
AHAM is the abbreviation for the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers. They are an organization which certifies results of tests performed on home appliances (i.e. dehumidifiers, refrigerators, air purifiers, etc.). External laboratories are used to test and rate various types of appliances. Their website link is: www.aham.org
Air purifiers take out a lot of the pollutants from our air which can irritate allergies and asthma. These pollutants include airborne particulate as small as 0.3 microns and includes pollen, dust, pet dander, mold spores and smoke.
Before you purchase an air purifier you may be wondering why do we need air purifiers? …or do we really need air purifiers? I know I thought that before I got one.
This brief summary should help you understand why we really do need air purifiers and more so than ever today.
The indoor air in you average home is often polluted at a much higher level than the outside air. Here are a few facts about indoor air that are more than often not known:
One of the top environmental concerns in the country is indoor air pollution.
Today Americans on average are indoors 90% of the time
The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has estimated indoor pollution levels today could be as much as 2 to 5 times higher than outdoor pollutant levels.
Asthmatic & allergic reactions are often in direct relation to indoor air pollutants like dust, animal dander, mold, pollen and cigarette smoke.
So now you know. An air purifier is a product we should all be thinking about for a healthier way of living not just as a preventative for allergy and asthma sufferers.
ULPA filters otherwise known as Ultra-HEPA filters are the next level of air purification efficiency up from HEPA filters trapping 99.999% of air particles 0.3 microns and less from the passing air including smoke, pollen and dust. As a comparison to ULPA filters a standard HEPA filter will remove 99.97% of air particles 0.3 microns or less.
So what is a micron?..
The airborne particles captured by an air purifier is measured in size by microns. One micron is about 1/25,400 of an inch or roughly 100 times smaller than the width of a human hair. These particles are invisible to the human eye and require special magnifying machinery to be able to see them.
HEPA means: High Efficiency Particulate Air and is a technology that was developed by the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission during the 1940’s for the purpose of an efficient method of filtering radioactive particulate contaminants. HEPA is a very efficient filtration method which takes away microscopic particles from the surrounding air when it passes through the HEPA filter. HEPA filters span a variety of efficiency’s which depends on the size of particles. The top performing HEPA air purifier removes up to 99.97% of particles only allowing particles of a size of 0.3 microns or less through the filter. HEPA air purifiers are unable to remove chemical gasses from the air.
There are various different technologies available but in most cases this is how an air purifier works. First the polluted or ‘dirty’ air is sucked into the air purifier via its air intake. There are air purifiers that have a washable pre-filter right at the start of the process to help remove larger particles but this is not always the case. The air is then passed through a carbon filter which is used to eradicate odors and again take out larger particles from the air. Next the air is passed through a HEPA filter which is made up of tightly woven fibres and is where the smaller particles are removed. You may find some air purifier systems contain electronic ionizers to help remove even more particles. Finally the air is then pushed out back in to the room. Often the effectiveness of an air purifier can be greatly reduced by its inability to move air properly.
This is essentially the quick explanation of how an air purifier works.
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