Choosing Home Air Purifiers – Information from the California Air Resources Board
Air purifiers can be effective at removing particles or gases from indoor air. There are many different types of air purifiers that are efficient at removing these contaminants and some home air cleaners that are not as efficient. There are large units for large rooms and smaller units that can handle a smaller sized room. There are different technologies used in air cleaners and different benefits and drawbacks for each type of technology. When a consumer is shopping for a air purifier, he or she has many factors to examine before making a choice. Each home situation may have different types of contaminants that need to be removed from the indoor environment. There are certain types of technologies that are used in different home air purifiers that are able to specialize in removing these particles or gases from the air. In order for the air cleaner to be the most effective at removing these contaminants, the consumer should be sure that he or she has chosen the correct air cleaner for the home.
When deciding which size air purifier a consumer should purchase, he or she should be aware of the Clean Air Delivery Rates, or CADR's of the units. The Clean Air Delivery Rate is a number on most air purifier boxes that tells the consumer the amount of airflow that the unit was able to handle multiplied by the efficiency of the particle removal. The CADR's have three different numbers. One of the numbers is for pollen, one for smoke and one for dust. The higher the CADR numbers are on the box, the more efficient the unit is at removing those contaminants from indoor air. The size of a air purifier can also be determined by how tolerant the consumer will be about the noise of the unit. Larger home air purifiers generally make more noise when they are running. Therefore, it is good for a consumer to get the proper size of air purifier for the room that he or she is trying to clean.
An air cleaner should be able to replace the air inside a room at least two to three times per hour. The seal on the air purifier's box should have information such as its airflow rate, the size of room it is able to clean, its particle removal efficiency and the CADR's. Home air purifiers are usually available at most department, home supply or hardware stores. There are also allergy supply stores, medical supply businesses and drug stores that may have different models of home air purifiers available for sale. The Internet is also a great place to not only purchase home air purifiers but also their replacement filters or other parts and accessories. The prices of air purifiers can vary depending on the size, brand and function of the unit.
One type of air purifier that is not effective is the ozone generator. These types of air purifier may be coupled with negative ion technology. They are actually harmful for the indoor air because they emit ozone into the environment, which is dangerous for residents to breathe in. The exposure to ozone can be harmful for people who suffer from respiratory diseases, children and elderly people. Ozone can also cause side effects such as irritated eyes, throat and nose. Not only can ozone be dangerous if breathed in, it is also not proven to be effective at cleaning the indoor air. It is not able to remove odors or particles from the air when it is released.
Although the air purifying industry may seem to be confusing with so many choices, there is a lot of information that consumers can be offered. As long as a consumer is able to educate him or herself on what factors to examine when purchasing an air purifier, he or she should be able to make a good decision. There are many statistics and information to look at when considering which air cleaner would be the right one for a consumer's home. Once a consumer is able to examine all the numbers and ability of a air purifier, he or she can then make the decision if it is the right one for his or her situation.
Choosing Home Air Purifiers –- Information from the California Air Resources Board – As Reported by ClearFlite Air Purifiers writer Kelly K.
