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Air Purifier: Air purifiers are best described as appliances designed to remove impurities from the surrounding air. Hygienically treated air has been scientifically proven to be of value to asthmatics and those inclined to allergies. If you are in the market for a good quality air purifier then you should find the following information invaluable in your decision making.

The Benefits of Using Air Purifiers?

Relief for those who are susceptible to air-borne allergens - including dust, pet hair, pollens, mould, dust mites and smoke particles. House cleaning is reduced due the amount of dust it will remove from the air. Low energy use and electromagnetic emissions mean a safer environment. Which Type of Air Purifier is Right for Me?

What Type of Air Purifier do You Recommend?

Different air filters do different jobs so it’s paramount that you understand your personal air purifying needs. Where you need to filter out large particles in the air, then a HEPA filter would be your first choice. These can remove over 99% of 0.01 to 0.3 micro-metre particles. They are, however, unsuitable for particles less than 0.01 micro-metres. Use a pre-filter before the HEPA filter for when you need to eliminate very fine particles.

Air particulates of 0.3 micro-metres or more are best extracted with an HVAC at MERV 13 or larger. If you are wanting to extract powerful chemicals and strong odours then it is suggested you use activated carbon filters and then follow this up with a HEPA filter to remove the smallest particles. Moulds, bacteria and viruses should be removed with photo-catalytic oxidation (PCO) - this is quite often incorporated with HVAC systems.

Ionizer air purifiers operate with charged electrical surfaces to bond to air impurities. These are very effective for large size homes, however, they do emit small amounts of ozone which is environmentally unfriendly so they are much less popular. A further suggestion for larger full size houses are Ozone Generators - these are excellent for removing strong odours that are not easy to remove with other types of air filters. They generate large amounts of ozone gas and are only suitable in unoccupied properties.

What to Look for When Shopping for an Air Purifier?

Check to ensure that the air filter does not emit any hazardous gas by-products, listen to how quietly it operates, check how regularly you need to replace the filters, monitor power consumption and make sure the unit is visually appealing. Most air purifiers generate very low levels of ozone gas and, with excluding Ozone Generator filters, are reliably safe to use. Do not buy an air filter that is described as HEPA-type, HEPA-like or 99% HEPA as these are not the genuine article.

U S Consumer Reports unreservedly recommends air purifiers, air cleaners or air filters for indoor use - especially where there are allergy or asthma sufferers. If you are seeking further information regarding this topic then I recommend The U S Environmental Protection Agency and its Science Advisory Board publication Indoor Air Quality.