Air Purifier Information

When looking for an air purifier, it is important to understand what kind of information to look for. Whether it is an air purifier for a home, an air purifier for an office, or even just an air purifier for a small room, there are commonalities between all of them.

Many manufacturers publish detailed information about their air products. In addition, there are consumer testing groups, government agencies, and health organizations that perform independent testing. When making a decision about purchasing an air purifier, it is wise to look for multiple sources of air purifier information.

Key Qualities

Some things to look for are what the air purifier removes, and how much it removes. There are a number of different airborne contaminants, and different air filtering methods remove different types of pollutants. For removing solid particulate matter that includes dust and even bacteria, look to see if a filter is HEPA- or ULPA-compliant. A HEPA filter removes at least 99.97% of particulate matter, and an ULPA filter removes over 99.999% of particulate matter.

In order to remove gaseous pollutants, including volatile organic compounds, an activated carbon or charcoal filter is required. An air purifiers with a carbon filter reduces the number of carcinogens, like benzene, that are in the air.

Cost and Power

Air purifier filters need to be periodically replaced or cleaned. When purchasing an air purifier, look for information about how often the filters need to be serviced. This will be an important factor in the cost of ownership. You shouldn’t skimp on filter replacements, as a dirty filter is much less effective than a clean one at air filtering. If the air filter is integrated in an HVAC system, a dirty filter can become moist from condensation, and can actually support mold or bacterial growth.

Another piece of air purifier information that needs to be considered is the amount of air that can be filtered. An air purifier needs to be large enough for the volume of air it is meant to filter. Placing an air purifier for a small room in a large room will not effectively reduce the number of contaminants in the air. This is because the contaminants such as pet dander, pollen, or soot can be replaced faster than they are removed. When an air purifier that is too small is used in a room, it may not be any better than not having a purifier at all.