True HEPA (high efficiency particulate air) filters meet the DOE U.S.(department of energy standards for HEPA filters. This means that it will filter out 99.97% of bacteria, mold, dust and pollen and particles in the air of the size 0.3 microns
Another distinguishing characteristic of HEPA air purifiers is that the filters have rows of pleats. HEPA filters do not remove smells, chemicals or gases.
Table of Contents
- Activated Carbon
- Not Safe For Home Use Ozone Generators
- Negative Ion Generators
- True HEPA Filters and Mold
- Air Purifiers Room Size
Activated Carbon
Carbon filters help remove odors, like cigarette/tobacco smoke, chemical smells. In contrast to HEPA filters they are not as skillful at removing particles in the air or allergens.
Not Safe For Home Use Ozone Generators
Not all air purifiers are safe for in home use; namely those which emit/release ozone. These purifiers are not safe to operate while you or your pet is home. After the operation is complete, it still could be hours before you safely enter the house again. It is preferable not to use ozone purifiers/generators at all. There are much safer alternatives that will accomplish the same goal. Ozone is dangerous to the lungs and respiratory system. It can cause problems breathing, coughing and chest pain.
Negative Ion Generators
These purifiers create negatively charged particles (negative ions) that are sent from the purifier and become attached to airborne particles like pollen, dust, and pet dander the increase weight causes the particle to fall to the ground thereby removing it from circulation.
True HEPA Filters and Mold
True HEPA filters trap mold spores as they try to pass through the filter. It will not remove mold from surfaces.
Replacing air purifier filters as recommended by the manufacture is essential. If the filter is not replaced at the recommended time the spore populations will make the filter moldy, appearing as spots of black, white, green or yellow.
Mold stinks and can emit a musty, damp, or rotten odor, sometimes smelling like wet socks. If you live in a humid climate mold may be more of a problem and using a dehumidifier along with your air purifier may be helpful. For more serious mold issues contact a home professional for an assessment. Some units contain both an air purifier and dehumidifier combo. Mold in your air purifier can trigger eye irritation, coughing, nose running, skin issues and many symptoms that might resemble allergies.
Air Purifiers Room Size
Now that you’ve decided you need an air purifier. Your next question may be. How does room size effect my choice of air purifier?
The most important number is the CADR (clean air delivery rate). But many makers do not provide it.
If this is an in store visit reading the information on the box usually will tell how many square feet the purifier is equipped to handle. But this is not always the case.
If you are making the purchase online then this information should be in the description or product specifications. Some even have a link to the product manual for download.
One word of note, it is not unusual to find that the same purifier can be listed on different sites with conflicting information like room capacity, CFM (cubic feet per minute), CADR, watts, decibels (noise level).
This may be due to product updates even though the models look the same they’re not. So try to find the year the model was first available or year the device was made. This information can also help you determine if the model is not that current, so you may want to opt for a more updated version.
Not all sites publish this information. Amazon is one of the few places good at providing this info in the product details
Finally it is not unusual to find outright lies in merchant product information to boost sales.
Let’s talk more about the CADR (clean air delivery rate) is how well a purifier can clean the air of dust, smoke and pollen. For smoke and pollen the rating would range from 0-450 and for dust from 0-400.
The higher the CADR rating the better the purifier is at achieving this goal.
CADR info may not always be available on the product box or website. But sometimes it can be found in the product description .
Another helpful indicator is that some manufactures provide ACH also known as air changes per hour for a specific room size. The CDC (center for disease control) recommends at least 5.
Look for product safety certifications like ETL and UL logos in:
- website descriptions
- specification
- product labeling
- User manuals
This information will indicate the device has been tested by a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory.
Check for CARB certification. California requires that all devices sold for cleaning indoor air in the state of California be CARB certified.
What is does CARB stand for: California Air Resources Board.