Honeywell Air Purifiers Basics

If you are searching for an air purifier for the first time and are considering the Enviracaire products made by Honeywell, here are some of the basics about air purifiers. Almost everyone gets overwhelmed when they first consider an air purifier for the home or office, or when a doctor recommends one. Essentially, an air purifier is an appliance, much like the many other appliances in your home which solve a problem or provide a service. In this case, the problem solved is the capturing of toxic airborne particles and chemicals, and the service provided is clean air.

Using the Enviracaire as an example, the first thing to consider is the technology that an air purifier uses to clean the air. There are several technologies on the market, but Honeywell has chosen to use HEPA and activated carbon in its air purifiers. HEPA, an acronym for “high energy particulate arresting” (the military created it, thus the fancy acronym) is a technology well proven to capture mold spores, pet dander, dust mite allergens, pollens, and any other particles in the air that are 0.3 microns or larger. It captures the tiny stuff that can slip past the cilia in your nose. Activated carbon will remove some odors and chemicals found in a typical home.

The next consideration is the room size that an air purifier is designed to clean. The Enviracaire model 50250, for example, is specified to clean 375 square feet, which means Honeywell has included a fan which can draw air within that boundary. Typically air purifiers have a CFM rating, which is an airflow measurement that shows the cubic feet of air passing by a stationary point in a minute. They also usually have a CADR rating which is the Clean Air Delivery Rate, a rating created by the American Home Appliance Manufacturers organization with numbers for tobacco smoke, pollen, and dust. The higher the CADR number, the faster the air filtration.

Another important consideration in choosing an air purifier, is whether you need it primarily for particulate - the stuff floating around in the air that makes you feel congested, or to get rid of chemicals like perfumes that make you feel sick, or both. The Honeywell Enviracaire models are primarily made to remove particulate. They do have activated carbon, which will remove limited odors, but must be changed every three months. There are other air purifiers, which are primarily for chemical removal, that have larger amounts of activated carbon which can last for years. These are typically quite a bit more expensive.

The longevity of the filters in an air purifier is also an important consideration. Filter life can vary widely in air purifiers. Usually the more expensive air purifiers have longer-
lasting filters, but that is not always the case. Honeywell has created the Enviracaire line with a HEPA filter that can be vacuumed, which is unusual. Most HEPA filters are disposable and have to be replaced, but the Enviracaire's fiberglass filter can be cleaned. Not everyone will want to vacuum it, however, and for those who don't replacements are available. These are a few of the basic considerations in choosing an air purifier. ClearFlite sales representatives will be happy to further educate you on the finer points of indoor air purification.