When you decide that you need to take control of your indoor air quality it can be hard task trying to choose an air purifier that is the right one for your needs as there are so many different types and so many that claim to be the best. On top of that there is heaps of jargon that you need to understand. One of the first things anyone should do before stepping in to a new subject to make a choice that can potentially have a big impact is to educate themselves so they know what to look for.

This page is a collection of answers to common and not so common questions asked in regards to air purifiers. Read through these Question’s & Answer’s to get a better understanding about air purifiers so you can make a more informed choice when you purchase an air purifier for your home or office.

Why do we need air purifiers?

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.
• Americans on average are indoors 90% of the time
• The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has estimated indoor pollution levels 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.

What creates bad indoor air quality?

Homes are usually built today with an aim to be energy efficient which in turn captures the air inside a house not letting it escape and be replaced with fresher air from outside. The purpose of which is to avoid loss of heat in the winter and heat gain during the summer months. Whilst this benefits your energy bills it is not so good for your indoor air quality and thus your health. You need to be able to allow your home to breathe which is being prevented by the way home are normally constructed. To help with this try to open many of your homes windows daily but also remember to lock & shut them if you go out.

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: www.aham.org

What is a CADR?

CADR stands for ‘Clean Air Deliver Rate’ and is a measurement created by AHAM. CADR is a measurement of the quantity of clean air in cubic feet per minute that is delivered to the room’s air. CADR is performed on the ability of air purifiers and other such appliances to take away dust, pollen and smoke from the air over a period of time. The CADR measurement rating can be often be found on the packaging of an air filtration related product on a AHAM seal. If an air purifier does not show this AHAM seal the air purifier has likely not been certified for CADR. Visit www.cadr.org for more information regarding CADR.

How large a room can air purifiers clean?

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.

What do air purifiers filter from our air?

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.

What is a micron? - How small is a micron?

The airborne particles captured by an air purifier are 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.

What’s HEPA?

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 efficiencies 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.

How does an air purifier work?

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.

What does a carbon filter do?

The carbon filter inside an air purifier is there to reduce nasty odors and trap the larger particles from within the air.

What does a washable foam filter do?

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.

What is an ULPA filter?

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.

How does a air ionizer purifier work?

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 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 air ionizer purifiers filter.
If you use a 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 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 air ionizer purifier is used with a dirty filter you may experience larger than normal amounts of dirty particles coming out of your 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 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 air ionizer purifier when recommended to do so by your devices instructions.

How often do I need to replace my air purifier filter?

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.

How do I know when to replace my air purifiers filter?

Most air purifiers have an indicator light which comes on when it is time to change the air purifier’s filter. These indicator lights are often set to a time period rotation so the filter will be reported as requiring changing regardless of how much dirty air has actually pass through it. Often as an extra qualification and to help you decide weather or not a air purifier filters need changing the manufacturers include a color-coded chart to help you get an idea as to how dirty the filter is.

Why is Microban® used in Air Purifiers?

Microban is used in air purifiers because it is an Antimicrobial agent used to treat an air purifiers HEPA filter. The protection provided by the Microban product prevents development of mold, bacteria or mildew growth on the filters surface which can cause bad odors. The life expectancy of your filter is not affected by the Microban.

Can air purifiers remove carbon monoxide or radon from the air?

Your standard indoor air purifier is only able to remove particles and not gases. There are however industrial level air purifier systems that can effectively capture these gases but they are very expensive.

Can air purifier filters be washed or reused?

The majority of air purifiers adopt the use of disposable filters. Some air purifiers, usually top-end models contain pre-filters for catching the larger particles in your air. These pre-filters more often that not can be reused by simply washing them with a hose and then being left to dry before placed back in the air purifier.

Do all air purifiers have ionizers?

Only certain ionizer air purifiers have ionizers built in. Unless the air purifier specifically states that it is has an ionizer it is more likely to use a mechanical filter instead.

How do I know an air purifier is working?

It is hard to know if an air purifier is working and cleaning your air effectively until you go to swap out your air purifiers filter and see how dirty it has gotten. Even at this point you will not be able to truly know how well your air purifier is working because all of the microscopic particles are too small to see. Some indications showing your air purifier is working are: less dust on your house contents such as on furniture, you’ll notice a ‘cleaner’ smell to your room air (particularly noticeable if you have an air purifier with an ionizer) and you’ll see a decrease in allergens around your home.

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