Hepa Air Filters - Discover How Air Purifying Technology

When you think of air pollution, the last place you expect to see it is in your family's home. However, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, indoor air pollution could very well be two to five times higher - and at times more than 100 times higher - than outdoor levels. That means unacceptable indoor air quality is one of the top 5 risks to our health. Since so many of us spend 90% of our time inside, that could be cause for alarm.

HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Arresting) filters are one possible course of action for better indoor air quality. HEPA technology has been used since the 1950s when the US Atomic Energy Commission considered it important enough to get rid of tiny radioactive particulates from the air.

HEPA filters work along these lines: think about one sheet of HEPA paper (actually it's made of a paper-like fiber or polymer) with very tiny holes that filter out contaminants. In view of the fact that the surface area is restricted, only very limited amounts of air are able to pass through. If the size of the sheet was doubled, it would be possible to get 2 times the airflow and 2 times the filter life.

A larger surface area would result in a more productive filter. So in place of increasing the total measurements of the sheet itself, the surface area is increased by being folded back and forth numerous times. Some filters have as much as 40 sq ft of filter material. HEPA material is actually a rather remarkably thin bond of fibers.

Air is forced to make its way through this complicated network of fibers and in the process, particles hit the fibers and stick. HEPA filters naturally filter out larger particles like dust, however they also work very effectively against bacteria, mold spores and viruses.

Many kinds of air purifiers assert that they clean 99.97% of the air that flows through the HEPA filter - but what they don't communicate is that some air doesn't pass through the filter. If the air doesn't go through the HEPA filter then surely it isn't filtered. That makes the issue of 99.97% efficiency somewhat questionable.

Top quality HEPA filters don't have a problem in this area because their designs include fans that really push air through the filter - the more air that goes through the filters, the cleaner the air becomes.

The size of the room is a significant consideration when determining the size the air purifier should be. Evidently the bigger the room is, the bigger the filter should be. An additional thought is to have two smaller filters. They can divide up the work - and allow double the amount air to make it through the filter.

Note that HEPA filters do not filter out gasses, odors and chemicals. That's because these molecules are much too tiny compared to HEPA's 0.3 micron holes. In order to filter out these damaging molecules, some type of substance is imperative to absorb them - activated carbon is primarily used.

Take time to ask questions before making a decision about which air filter to purchase for your family's health. Good business owners know about their brands and can best suggest which size of filter is necessary to guard your home and ensure it's healthy and clean.