In this article, you will find a simple explanation of what do air purifiers do? That means, how it works and how to choose an air purifier that meets your needs. Also, a selection of some of the most interesting models.
What Is An Air Purifier?
It is an electronic device that purifies the air by removing malicious particles (dust, hair, pollen, bacteria, germs, etc.) that can affect the health of the lungs, lungs, respiratory tract, and allergies, and passes them through an air filter of the type HEPA, although there are also those that work with the ionizer.
Among these particles, we can find such as chemicals, smoke, dust, hair, pollen, bacteria, viruses, odors, and germs. This appliance is shaped like a sophisticated portable fan, works connected to light, and can be purchased for both domestic and industrial use.
They have been circulating in society for approximately 8 years. His first presentations were industrial; extremely large units installed in hospitals operating through ventilation networks to filter the air and purify it of highly contagious germs and bacteria.
How Do Air Purifiers Work
The mission of an air purifier is to eliminate elements present in the air: pollen, mites, dust, tobacco smoke … in general, pollutants. As a consequence, it returns cleaner air and in some cases, with fewer odors, since they trap the particles responsible for it.
To retain these particles, they first capture the ambient air using a fan and, after passing through a filtering system where the impurities are trapped, the air returns to the room.
Although there are several technologies to purify the air such as electrostatic precipitators or the use of ozone, as we have previously advanced, the one used at a commercial level is high efficiency filters .
High-efficiency filters offer an effective and safe solution. Of course, they are not perfect, requiring the replacement of these periodically so that it continues to fulfill its mission. In fact, the starting point when choosing an air purifier will be precisely to know what degree of retention they offer.
Factors To Consider When Choosing An Air Purifier
HEPA filter Material
What do air purifiers do? The retention capacity of the filter that integrates the air purifier is essential because it determines the quality of the air that will come out into the room. In this regard, the recommendation is to look for models that have HEPA filters (from the English High Efficiency Particulate Air ) and not “HEPA type”.
Why this nuance? For a filter to be called HEPA, it must meet certain standards, that is, they must trap all particles equal to or greater than 0.3 microns in diameter with 99.97% effectiveness.
Thus, we can also find models with “HEPA type” filters, generally more affordable but also less efficient, which either do not meet HEPA standards or have not been tested in independent laboratories.
Will A Small Air Purifier Work In A Large Room
The next aspect to assess is to know the cubic meters of the room whose air we are going to purify . And it is that as it happens with air conditioners, it is not the same to operate in a room of 10 square meters than to condition a room of 50 m ^ 3.
To size the room we will simply calculate its volume. This is: its surface multiplied by its height. Air purifiers offer this information or an approximation to the surface to be purified in their specifications.
It is important to know this information to be able to size our purification needs, so that we do not fall short or invest more than necessary in an oversized purifier.
Power
Hand in hand with the purification needs is the necessary power to carry it out in the time specified in the specifications. In general, the more cubic meters we have to cover, the more power we will require. This power is usually given as a function of the purified air flow per unit of time.
In case of not having enough power, the air purifier would be forced to operate for a longer time, something that in the long run would affect both the performance of the device, its useful life and electricity consumption.
Noise
It’s easy to overlook the noise section when we’re choosing an air purifier, a mistake we’ll pay for as soon as we get it out of the box and up and running.
Although it is true that due to its dimensions it is a portable device, it must be taken into account that the air purifier will be operational in our home continuously, in our presence and sometimes, when we are sleeping or doing activities that require silence. .
In this sense, it is worth taking a look at the level of noise generated, always looking for those that are quieter or have a night mode. However, it is not the same to use it in the baby’s room than to put it in an office.
To get an idea of noise levels, a couple of notes: the ideal for sleeping is that it is less than 30 dB and the noise generated by a well-functioning refrigerator ranges between 30 and 50 dB.
Other Factors To Consider, What Do Air Purifiers Do
After reviewing the fundamental factors, there are others that may be interesting to us.
- How they are managed and if they are programmable. While the most basic models are controlled on-site from the device itself, there are programmable and remote-controlled models or even an application to manage it electronically. Although they are not as popular as air conditioners or robot vacuum cleaners, there are already some models that can be integrated into the smart home, so that we can manage them using a voice assistant.
- That include sensors so that they work autonomously , detecting variations in air quality and particles, thus adjusting both their operating time and the power used.
- That they have extra technologies that complement the purification of HEPA filters such as ionization, activated carbon or ultraviolet light. Thus, those with an additional carbon filter are interesting if we seek to neutralize odors, ionizers help neutralize particles and UV help neutralize bacteria accumulated on the filters.
- The frequency of filter replacement . The useful life of a HEPA filter is limited and, although the manufacturer usually provides an approximate period of time to change it, there are models that report the deterioration of this key piece.
Do I Need An Air Purifier
If you are a person who suffers from respiratory problems, generally caused by allergies and asthma, the product that you need to put in your life is called ” Air Purifier “.
If you are wondering what an air purifier is for, tell you that this product, as we will explain throughout this article will help you to be able to control and reduce the effects of your respiratory problems, since it is responsible for improving and, such as indicates its name, purify the air quality of the room where you are.
Today, cleaning the air indoors is essential. We spend more time indoors than outdoors, with jobs that lead us to be between walls. In addition, the houses are becoming more comfortable and most of the time of the people is inside the house or other buildings.
Likewise, the air in the home may be more polluted than in the street. Not surprisingly, the greatest pollution occurs inside the home and not on the street, as is estimated on too many occasions. The use of air conditioning devices, household appliances, chemical products, cooking, cleaning … all this causes pollution at home that, globally, is higher than that produced outdoors.
That is why using an air purifier has many advantages for our health:
- It is ideal for people who suffer from problems with pollen or other types of allergies. It should be remembered that in Spain it is estimated that there are eight million people allergic to pollen.
- Using a purifier can alleviate dry skin, stinging eyes, or even tears and redness.
- It also prevents upper respiratory problems. Congestion and a runny nose, dryness and a sore throat or even sneezing.
- The lungs also benefit, as polluted indoor air can cause chest pressure, a choking sensation, a dry cough or bronchitis.
- By cleaning the air, we can concentrate better. Productivity is higher and so is relaxation. We sleep much better and rest much more.
- The most common illnesses, such as the flu or colds, are easily avoided by breathing quality air.
- Of course, clean air is also odor-free air.
Although a mechanical ventilation system is the best solution to clean the air and enjoy a contamination-free stay – it is also not bulky or takes up space – the air purifier option is recommended for those who do not have advanced systems in House.