How To Choose The Best Air Purifier

February 2nd, 2009

The multifunctional help of domestic appliances lighten our everyday load. It’s amazing how a small device like an air purifier can prevent us from having future health problems.

Air purifiers are meant to filter the inside air. They remove such contaminants as dust, pet dandruff and mold spores and reduce second-hand tobacco smoke. This is mainly beneficial for allergy sufferers, asthmatics, those with poor immune systems and those who care about what they and their kids are inhaling.

Learn about the best air purifiers available and make your final choice among them. There are two main types of air purifiers: arrestors and non-arrestors.

Arrestors can be considered the best air purifiers as they’re harmless, whereas non-arrestors produce byproducts such as ozone that can cause irritations. Non-arrestors are ionic, ozone and ultra-violet purifiers. The latter is especially harmful for the eyes, as destroys the bacteria via ultra-violet light. Therefore, let’s concentrate on arrestor air purifiers.

Arrestors physically absorb pollutants. They are either mechanical or electronic air purifiers. Mechanical purifiers have filters that trap the contaminants when air passes through them. Filters that clean the air up to 99 percent are called High Efficiency Particulate Arresting filters. However, these purifiers don’t filter the air from various gases and odors. They need to be periodically maintained, as once the filter gets full the efficiency of purifying decreases.

Electrostatic or electronic air purifiers consist of pre-filter and post-filter grids. Between the grids there’s an electronically charged collection plate. The primary air filtration starts when passing through the first grid. The main process is done when particles stick to the collection plate. And the final phase is when air passes through the after-filter grid.

However, from time to time, the high performance of electronic air purifiers also decreases and the plates should be taken out for cleaning. Besides, they can produce some amount of ozone gas, which is an irritant.

The clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR) from the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM) measures the speed and productiveness of air purifiers. This grade of performance may help you confirm your choice.

There are additional factors that may interest you. Consider the frequency of filter replacement, noise production and energy consumption of a product. These factors can help you make your final decision when choosing among the best air purifiers.

Of course it’s impossible to eliminate all contaminants, but it is possible to reduce the amount in the air we breathe.

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