Air Purifiers-7 Answers To Questions About What To Expect From Air Purifiers

As our homes and offices become increasingly more insulated against the heat and cold, they are also becoming more toxic because pollutants become trapped indoors with no way out.

Here are some answers to questions about air purifiers that will literally help you breathe healthier.

1. What kind of filter is best for household dust? Household dust can be sub micron in size and requires a high efficiency particle arresting (or HEPA) filter to get rid of it. By definition this type of filter is able to remove particles as small as .3 microns with 99.97% efficiency.

2. What kind of purifier allows for the most flexible placement in a room? One that has 360 degree air intake will allow you to place it anywhere you want to in your space.

It's important to make sure it only needs six inches of clearance for any service. This save you the disappointment of learning that it has to placed in the middle of the room to be effective.

3. How long should I expect a cleaner to be effective? The longer the manufacturer warrants the unit, the better for you. Not only does this insure that problems will be fixed, but a hefty warranty is also an indication that the manufacturer is confident that the product is well made and will stand the test of time.

A 5 year warranty would mean 1,825 days or 43,800 hours of fresh air. That qualifies as effective.

4. How can you tell if it will be effective against odors? While a HEPA filter is great for filtering particles, a purifier that is effective against odors should use carbon.

The additional additives to the carbon will determine whether it is best at removing smoke, chemicals, or even pet urine odor.

5. Are washable filters a good idea? Washing the filter is time consuming and exposes you to the very pollutants you are spending money to eliminate. And while you are washing the filter and waiting for it to dry, filtration has come to a standstill and the indoor air quality is dropping as pollutants are allowed to accumulate.

Once the filter is running again, it then needs to play catch up. So in a word-no, washable filters are not a good idea.

6. How many hours a day should I expect to run the cleaner? In order to consistently keep your indoor air quality high, the air must be filtered 24 hours a day. Since pollutants don't take a break, neither should the purifier.

Look for one with a split capacitor motor. This type of motor is designed to run safely, efficiently, and constantly.

7. What kind of maintenance should I expect to do? You should expect to do as little as possible. A high quality purifier should take care of you, not the other way around.

Vacuuming the outside of the unit when you vacuum the rest of your space is all that should be necessary to keep it operating effectively.