As a homeowner, you expect to be able to control almost every aspect of your home. However, air contaminants like dust, pollen, and more can be a problem for any home. You might think air purifiers can clean out anything nasty in your home’s air. However, not all air purifiers are created equal. We find the best results come from using one or more of the 4 common air purifier types on the market today. Air purifiers use a wide variety of technologies to clean certain things out of the air. Therefore, it’s important to learn what air purifier types are best for your home.
Here are 4 common air purifier types you can expect to see:
HEPA filters
HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filters are an old yet reliable technology for filtering particles. Originating in the 1850’s, this technology first was used by coal miners to protect against toxic dust. However, it doesn’t protect against radiation, odors, gases, or chemicals. In order to be considered a ‘true’ HEPA filter, one must be able to catch 99.97% of all particles larger or equal to 0.3 microns when tested in a lab setting. However, one should keep in mind that this percentage is generally less when used in real-world settings. In addition, buyers should know that there’s little, if any, industry regulation on terms like “HEPA-type.” In fact, any product can call itself a HEPA filter if it has the HEPA paper as part of its design, whether or not it meets the testing requirements. Optimally, you’ll want to find one that has little to no system leakage.
Activated carbon
Activated carbon filters are a kind of carbon processed to be extremely porous. By doing this, it has a much larger surface area for absorbing contaminants due to its high absorbent ability and chemical bonding. Activated carbon was first used in the early 20th century for water purification. In addition, it saw frequent usage in gas masks during WWII to protect soldiers. In modern homes, activated carbon filters are best at removing chemicals, gasses, smoke, and odors. Generally, it’s best to use them in conjunction with HEPA filters to cover most of the potential home contaminants.
UV technology
While ultraviolet light does nothing against airborne particles, it’s extremely good at killing germs. Filters using this technology have a UV lamp inside of them that zaps germs as they pass through the filter. Keep in mind, however, that UV light can also be bad for your skin and eyes. In addition, a UV air purifier can convert oxygen and water molecules into ozone, which can cause respiratory damage even at low levels. In general, a good UV filter should minimize or eliminate its ozone generation. Additionally, it should have a HEPA and activated carbon filter before the lamp so germs don’t have any particles that can shield them from the UV rays.
Negative ionizers
Ionizers make use of negatively charged oxygen atoms and chemical injection to clear your home’s air. The charged atoms attract pollen and dust to them and get stuck to the ground or a wall. Unfortunately, this doesn’t actually get rid of the problem. It just masks it. Eventually, the particles can get loose and reenter the air. In addition, sometimes the weighed down particles can get stuck on surfaces inside your airway, causing a variety of problems.
Ozone filters
Out of all the air purifier types, ozone filters are fairly rare. However, they deserve special mention because they’re actually quite dangerous and ineffective. As the name suggests, they use a process called cornea discharge to release ozone particles. The ozone particles cling to particles or gas molecules and blows it up in a process known as oxidation. However, this process is highly inefficient at filtering air. In fact, it can take years to filter out a small room. In addition, it produces much more ozone than a UV filter. Ozone can cause asthma attacks, scar lungs at high levels, and even cause death.
Why is Fetch-A-Tech a local expert on keeping my home’s air clean?
Out here in the Las Vegas desert, we here at Fetch-A-Tech know that indoor air quality is a major concern. That’s why we follow the latest statistics on indoor air quality so we can best help customers like yourself. Our company offers home reports that examine your home’s air and gives you an honest, professional recommendation as to what to do. All without pushing a product on you! Call us today at
702-334-0655 to learn more about how to improve your indoor air quality!
