What is the foremost reason people give for not buying a HEPA filter air purifier? HEPA filter replacements!

So, why are filterless air cleaners preferred while HEPA air cleaners have become persona non grata in so many homes?

Much of it has to do with marketing, especially by Sharper Image, which managed to gain as much as 25% of the air purifier market before going bankrupt. Their infomercials implied noise, mess, a need for tools for filter changes, and expensive HEPA filter replacements as reasons to choose their product.

Most vendors of ionic air purifiers have followed suit in promoting their versions of filterless home air cleaners. Air cleaners that rely on HEPA filter media have taken a black eye as a result.

It’s true that some air cleaner marketers have abused customers by selling a cheap air purifier only to gouge them with regular replacement of high priced filters. Some of these models are presented as being HEPA because they use HEPA filter material. The reality is their poor quality construction means that actual efficiencies are a far cry from true HEPA air cleaners.

Can HEPA filter replacements be easy?

No filters is not only promoted as being more economical but easier to maintain. No tools needed, cries the delighted infomercial actor. The reality is that most HEPA filter replacements can be done without tools and without the “messiness” they also claim you’ll suffer. It usually takes no more than five minutes, including the time to take the filters out of the packaging and the packaging out to the garbage.

Compare that to the time spent cleaning the collection plates on an ionic unit every few days. Since collection efficiency can degrade to as little as 20% in as few as three days, maintenance cleaning should be done often. How much time will you spend cleaning collection plates over the next five years, the projected life of some HEPA filters?

Which brings me to an economical feature of HEPA air purifiers: HEPA filter replacements may only be needed once every five years. This keeps your maintenance requirements low and your air purifier cost low. Both of these goals appear to be foremost on the minds of those who are considering going filterless. HEPA air cleaners that can achieve this while giving you the superior performance of HEPA filtration are surely worth considering, wouldn’t you agree?

The most economical HEPA filter replacements

Which companies offer HEPA quality air purifiers with a long filter life?

There are many excellent products available from companies like IQAir and Blueair, both of whom are often mentioned on this site.

But when it comes to overall economy and performance the top two are Allerair and Austin Air. Both of these companies offer no fancy frills air purification that emphasizes the essentials.

You’ll find high quality construction that maximizes HEPA performance combined with excellent chemical and odor control via activated carbon air purifiers. UV sterilization is also available as well as photocatalytic oxidation to further improve gas, odor and bacteriological control.

Allerair home air purifiers offer both HEPA filters and activated carbon filters with four to forty-eight pounds of activated carbon. Activated carbon air filter life is as long as 3 years. The HEPA filter replacements are recommended at three to five years, even eight years in the case of the AirMedic air purifier.

Typical HEPA filter cost for their most popular model, the 5000 Exec.. That comes to only 20 per year for each year of expected filter life.

All filters are easy to change without tools and can be replaced separately, which offers a cost savings over air cleaners that require you to replace both carbon and HEPA filters as one unit. There is even the option of replacing the carbon in bulk as opposed to a filter cartridge for further cost savings.

All are simple and no nonsense HEPA air cleaners. No filters cost more than and that is for the highly specialized MCS unit. Quoted prices reflect the cost of the HEPA filter only.

Austin Air manufactures good economy priced HEPA air purifiers that also provide VOC, gas and odor removal. Austin Air air purifiers concentrate on the essentials of air cleaning and are not loaded with fancy features.

A small drawback of the Austin Air models is they use a combined HEPA and gas phase filter comprised of activated carbon and zeolite. This means you have to replace both at the same time. However they are expected to last as long as five years and total cost is reasonable.

The typical cost of HEPA filter replacements for their most popular Healthmate model. That equates to only 36 per year for the combined HEPA and activated carbon air filter, which is quite reasonable. There are a number of specialized filters available at extra cost.

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Noise is one of the biggest complaints about air purifiers.

Are quiet HEPA air cleaners just not possible? Should noisy air cleaners be accepted as a necessary evil?

How can you make certain that your air purifier won’t be a source of noise pollution?

The secret to noise free air cleaning is really very simple.

Discover the Key to Quiet HEPA Air Cleaners

Regardless of the air purifier you buy, the real issue is not how loud it is on high but how loud it is on low. Higher settings are best used short-term to remove high levels of pollutants that occur occasionally, such as a kitchen mishap that fills your home with smoke.

Do not buy your air cleaner based on the maximum area it is rated to clean. An air purifier that can clean an 800 sq. ft. area can certainly handle 200 sq. ft. but with one important benefit. The smaller area can be cleaned on low or medium settings. These lower speeds are substantially quieter than an air purifier’s highest setting.

An air purifier on low will measure only about 30 to 35 decibels. This is lower than an average refrigerator and much lower than a soft conversation.

When making your air purifier choice, don’t make the mistake of buying too small a unit that must run on high to cover the area you need. Proper sizing of your HEPA air cleaner can mean almost silent air purification.

Most Recommended Quiet HEPA Air Cleaners

The Blueair air purifiers are a perfect choice for office, bedroom or anywhere truly quiet HEPA air cleaners are needed.

Blueair air purifiers are a top customer favorite due to their virtually silent operation. These quiet HEPA air cleaners are built around the patented HEPASilent filtration system.

Blueair’s HEPASilent filtration captures particles by combining electrostatics with a high efficiency filter. Electrostatic brushes inside the air purifier charge particles so they are attracted to the filter media while producing no ozone. Charged particles cling to the filter media yielding higher filter efficiency.

Air passes easily through the filter media so the fan doesn’t have to work as hard or as loud. Even the housing is made from noise muffling and highly durable galvanized steel.

When you want a small yet powerful air purifier that is ideally designed for clean air delivery and whisper-quiet operation, Blueair HEPA Air Purifiers are an excellent choice. The Blueair Air Purifiers feature outstanding Clean Air Delivery Rates (CADR). The larger 501 Blueair HEPA Air Purifier won Best of Class for CADR, as it delivered more clean air than similar air purifiers in its class.

Blueair’s quiet HEPA air cleaners are best suited for people who are looking for help with:

• Dust and Dust Mite Allergies
• Pet Allergies
• Pollen Allergies
• Mold Allergies
• Seasonal Allergies
• Asthma
• Healthy Home Environment

Benefits of Blueair HEPA Air Purifiers

• HEPASilent Blueair HEPA Air Purifiers achieve virtually silent operation.
• The 3-Stage Filter traps even the smallest particles. No pre-filter is necessary. The filters naturally resist contamination from bacteria, mold or viruses. The Filters are 100% recyclable.
• Easy to change filters: When the filter needs to be replaced (twice yearly), just open the lid, lift out the old filter and slide in the new one.
• Durable steel construction: The external parts are made of galvanized steel for durability. The powder coat finish produces no chemical out gassing
• Blueair HEPA Air Purifiers offer exceptional performance with environmentally friendly products. The Blueair HEPA Air Purifiers are energy efficient.

This home air purifier guide raises questions you may have asked and gives you clear, simple facts.

Please use it to your advantage by avoiding ineffective products and succeed at getting the clean air you really want.

Which Pollutants Do You Really Need To Remove?

Will your air cleaner really protect you?

The first key is realizing allergens, dust and smoke are only the tip of the iceberg.

Medical evidence reveals a greater health threat from ultra fine particles.

Your typical home air purifier does little to remove these pollutants.

Sufferers of respiratory problems like asthma, COPD, hyperreactive airway or MCS especially need to remove ultra fine particles.

Why not learn the real secret to a top home air purifier?

Which type home air purifier cleans the air best?

Reject poor performers

It’s good to have choices, but not if you lack the information to choose confidently.

Knowing the limitations of different types of air cleaners lets you reject poor performers and focus on the best one for your needs.

To help you make a satisfying choice examine how these common air purification systems compare and learn how they perform against the most harmful pollutants.

You’ll be appalled by how many are a waste of money or even dangerous.

Is it true HEPA filters really are the best choice?

HEPA air filters are the gold standard

If your goose laid golden eggs would you complain it was too noisy, wasn’t handsome and was too fat?

Would you trade it for one laying rotten eggs?

Why then do people fault HEPA filter purifiers when only these perform to the exacting standards needed by medical facilities and high tech?

Here is your “golden opportunity” to learn why HEPA filters are the best air purification you can buy.

Do you need to remove odors and chemicals?

Do you need to remove odors & gases?

Many home air cleaners include a trifle amount of activated carbon so they can claim to remove odors.

Others misrepresent ozone, a lung irritant, as an odor destroyer due to its sweet smell and ability to desensitize your nose.

If you need chemical control knowing how actvated carbon, chemisorbers and catalysts really work is vital.

Learn how to remove odors & gases. Coming Soon.

How can you identify quality?

Poor quality isn’t always this obvious

Do you know the factors you should consider when determining the quality of a home air cleaner?

For instance, just because an air cleaner claims to use HEPA filter media doesn’t mean the air cleaner itself will perform at that standard.

Poorly made media, loose housings, poor gaskets and seals, and air bypassing to cool a cheap motor all reduce effectiveness.

Make sure your home purifier really works as you expect. Coming Soon.

How do you choose the size air purifier you need?

What if the Grande comes half empty?

One of the many deceptive tricks is misrepresentation of capacity.

Marketers often rate room size on just one air change per hour, not the recommended six.

They use free flow CFM ratings, that means without filter resistance, to boost apparent output.

Learn how to calculate how much capacity you need and where you can get accurate ratings. Coming.

How do you balance needs and air purifier cost?

Spare your budget an evil fate

The wrong choice is always more expensive than the right one, even if the price is the same.

And speaking of price, most people do not understand that price is no guarantee of quality or performance in a home air cleaner.

Why? Because shady marketers churn out inferior products by the hundreds (over 800, the last reliable numbers I saw) and sell them for “what the market can bear”.

These products can be quite expensive while providing little to no value. Some are even dangerous.

Learn to make savvy comparisons and strike the balance between what your budget can afford and the performance you need. Coming Soon.

How do you choose the best air purifier supplier?

Is this the best way to make a decision?

Price, selection, service, return policies, guarantees, shipping.

Even if you’ve decided upon the best home air cleaner should you place an order at any online store?

Have you ever wondered why activated carbon filters are included in so many air purifiers? How necessary is activated carbon to fulfilling your desire for clean air? How can you judge which air purifiers use it to best advantage?

I’d like to offer you a short series of articles that address the most important things you need to know about activated carbon. Understanding why you need activated carbon and what you should look for in an air purifier that includes it will help you make the best choice for your needs.

Activated carbon is the most effective way to remove volatile organic compounds, gases, tobacco smoke, and odors. This goes a long way toward protecting your health and ensuring a more pleasant home environment.

Activated carbon can be enhanced to be even more effective at controlling chemicals by the addition of special catalysts and chemisorbers.

Learn more about how activated carbon filtration protects your health with our article, Why is activated carbon filtration essential in your air purifier?

How to evaluate air cleaners with activated carbon air filters

Is removing chemical air pollution important to you? An activated carbon air filter is the most effective way to accomplish that task.

An air purifier without an activated carbon air filter is only half an air purifier. What features should you look for in an activated carbon air purifier? How does activated carbon work?

Learn how to choose your air cleaner in our article, Activated carbon air filter performance | Choosing an effective air cleaner.

Why a simple activated carbon pad isn’t good enough

Are air purifier manufacturers that claim an activated carbon filter pad can remove chemicals and odors deceiving you?

Many air purifiers claim to use activated carbon for gas and odor removal, but have simply coated a mat with a few ounces of activated carbon.

Understand the limits of an activated carbon pad and learn why an air purifier needs a deep activated carbon bed to be effective. See our article, The activated carbon filter pad in multistage air purifiers isn’t good enough.

Clean, unpolluted, healthy air should be a simple thing to find. With your reliable air purifier comparisons in hand, all you need to do is pick a superior quality air purifier, right?

But when faced with the diverse array of potential contaminants, whether particulate, gaseous, or biological, how can you choose the best air purifier for your needs. A dizzying variety of air cleaners built around combinations of various air cleaning technologies, each with their claims and counterclaims is nothing short of confusing.

Most air purifier comparisons you find in magazines or on the web review only a limited number of products. They also do not do a good job of clearing the air of confusion surrounding competing technologies.

Should you buy an ionic purifier or a HEPA purifier? Is ozone bad or good? Should you avoid units that produce even the smallest amount of ozone or go completely in the opposite direction and buy an ozone generator to produce as much ozone as possible? Electrostatic precipitators, negative ion generators, electronic air cleaners, electrostatic filters, UV purifiers, activated carbon, and on and on – What can really benefit you?

Further complicating the matter is the way some sellers make extravagant claims for their own products while making acrimonious accusations against competitors, watchdog groups and even against government agencies.

In the US, the battle between Sharper Image’s Ionic Breeze and the Oreck XL plays out during what seems to be every television commercial break. Sharper Image also initiated a lawsuit against Consumers Union, publisher of Consumer Reports Magazine, for reporting negatively on one of its products.

Alpine Air launched a lawsuit against the US Federal Trade Commission to overthrow restrictions placed on it’s advertising because the FTC found its ads misleading.

This outrageous boldness in seeking to throw off criticisms and restraints in advertising claims is the result of a general slackness in regulation of air-cleaning devices that has been termed by Consumer Reports Magazine as “a regulatory black hole”. New Concerns About Ionizing Air Cleaners Consumer Reports May 2005 p. 23.

Regulations in other countries are likewise weak, though in Canada, Health Canada has issued warnings against the use of devices specifically designed to produce ozone and has given the public a list of devices to avoid. Health Canada Warning

With your family’s health at stake who is to be believed?

I believe that air purifiers can be of great benefit to you in promoting a healthy living environment. But it is also obvious that not all methods of cleaning the air are equal. That is why thorough and reliable air purifier comparisons of both products and technologies are needed.

The rest of this article will seek to detail the competing technologies in air cleaners and provide you with links to more information on them. The various types of air cleaners are listed alphabetically with a link to an article discussing their merits and flaws. These air purifier comparisons will give you clear direction as to what constitutes a superior quality air purifier. Those methods that are ineffective and even dangerous are clearly exposed and the reasons why they should be avoided are given.

At the bottom of the page is a link to my home air purifier guide. It provides air purifier comparisons of products commonly found on the market with a short review and whether it is recommended or not.

Discover the Top Ten Cut-to-the-Chase Rules for Buying HEPA Filter Air Purifiers

HEPA filter air purifiers can be expensive. Of course, expense does not always equal value. Obviously, no air purifier has any value unless it does what you want – clean your air.

But there are other considerations that are important to your satisfaction. Allow me to share these top ten rules for buying a HEPA filter air purifier.

• Most HEPA indoor air purifiers are to be used in a single room. Will this satisfy your needs? Air movement from room to room is restricted by walls and furnishings. Even with a large capacity air purifier you are unlikely to affect the air across multiple rooms or throughout the house. It is better to buy multiple air purifiers or a portable air purifier sized to the largest room it will be used in. Easy portability allows you to move it where you need it most.
• Your HEPA filter air purifier must be large enough.
  To save expense, some buy an air purifier that is not adequate for the room they wish to clean. A smaller air purifier will not simply “take a little longer” to purify the air. You must consider the concept of “reintroduction rate”. New pollutants are continually introduced into the air. Your air purifier must provide sufficient air changes per hour to overcome this continuous reintroduction of pollutants.
• Noise is determined by size and fan speed.
  Do not buy an air purifier based on its maximum cleaning capacity. Selecting an air cleaner that can provide sufficient air changes per hour at its lowest fan speed means you will be using it at its quietest setting.
• Make certain it will remove what concerns you most.
  HEPA filter air purifiers are the most effective means for removing particulate allergens and irritants. However, if odors and chemicals greatly concern you then HEPA filters alone will not help. Significant odor removal requires significant amounts of activated carbon, many pounds of it.
• Is it a true HEPA filter or a HEPA type?
  To qualify as true HEPA, a filter must be rated to remove 99.97 percent of all particles at 0.3 microns. HEPA type filters often use similar technology as true HEPA. However, their efficiency may be only 55 percent or less of particles that are 0.3 microns. These filters are often much cheaper than true HEPA filters but are unlikely to provide you with much relief from allergens and irritants.
• Regularity and expense of HEPA filter replacements.
  The cost of replacement HEPA filters may seem high. However, consider that replacement may be once every two, five, even eight years. Since HEPA filtration efficiency does not diminish with loading, the only reason to change one is when air flow becomes too reduced to deliver the clean air you need. For greatest economy, buy a HEPA air purifier with a long duration filter.
• Total system efficiency should be close to the HEPA potential.
  In some HEPA air cleaners as much as 40% to 50% of the air may bypass the filter. Reasons for this range from poor sealing of the housing, cracks in the filter and even intentional design to reduce backpressure on an inferior motor. Most air purifiers provide no documentation on efficiency of the unit as a whole. The most notable exception is IQAir. Their HealthPro series are each tested, certified and sent to you with documentation of total efficiency. Other high quality air purifier manufacturers are Allerair, BlueAir and Austin Air.
• Buy a HEPA purifier with durable, nontoxic construction.
  The best air purifiers have a solidly built housing with high quality gaskets and seals. Look for an air purifier that will not outgas VOCS. Metal housings will not expose you to off-gassing like many plastic cheap air purifiers. Soft plastics are often a problem, both in out gassing VOCS and failing to maintain an airtight seal around the filter. Hard ABS plastic as used in IQAir does maintain a firm seal with the filter and is not prone to giving off VOCS. High quality, sealed bearings and motor windings will eliminate burning smells from the air purifier.
• Additional Features To Look For In A HEPA Filter Air Purifier
  Many air purifiers have special features that can enhance your experience. These features add convenience and give you options that ease the care and maintenance of your air purifier. Some of the features to consider when buying your air cleaner:
  1. Casters for ease of mobility
  2. Remote control
  3. Digital controls
  4. Multiple fan speeds
  5. Handles
  6. Ease of filter change
  7. Filter-change indicator light
  >
  • The air purifier supplier is essential to your satisfaction.
  • Why buy an air purifier from an over-the-top hype monger? Ominous statistics, astonishing quotes from presumed “experts” and “falling over themselves to gush praise” testimonials from “JD in South Dakota” are a sure sign you should move on. Reputable online air purifier sources (my own favorite is Achoo! Allergy) provide abundant educational information that is both expert and comprehensible. Their air purifier comparisons are fair and objective, not one sided. They willingly share potential negatives so you have no unpleasant surprises. They screen their product line and never offer you inferior products that do harm or don’t perform to expectations. Look for easy return policies that allow you a full sixty days to see the benefits of your purchase. Reject suppliers that will charge you exorbitant restocking fees.

How to eliminate 95% from consideration now.

Which air purifiers are best?

It’s good to have choices, but not when you’re unable to choose confidently.

Comparing air purifiers for the home is confusing for many consumers.

The bewildering claims made for each type may make it difficult to focus on the best air cleaner for your needs.

If you’re already familiar with the secret to top performing home air cleaners then you’re ready to use that standard to rate each type of air cleaner.

More importantly, you’re ready to completely reject poor performers.

True HEPA Air Purifiers – The Industry Standard

Unsurpassed filtration efficiency

Only HEPA air filters meet a verifiable performance standard.

HEPA filters remove 99.97% of 0.3 micron particles, slightly smaller than tuberculosis bacteria at 0.4 micron.

One misconception is that HEPA filters perform less well with smaller particles. In reality, HEPA efficiency is higher with smaller particle sizes.

An effect called Brownian diffusion helps trap particles smaller than 0.3 micron in the HEPA filter, enabling it to capture bacteria and viruses.

Because of this incredible efficiency the Hong Kong Hospital Authority chose HEPA air cleaners like the IQAIR HealthPro at right to control the spread of the SARS virus.

HEPA filters may last two to five years. Thus, your actual cost for exceptionally clean air may be quite low in comparison to air cleaners that require filter replacement every few months.

HEPA Type – Poor Imitations Of The Real Thing

Reject cheap air cleaners

A mark of cheap air purifiers, HEPA type filter media may provide no performance indications or specify a standard clearly less than true HEPA.

These air cleaners will not give you significant air quality improvement.

Why? Because total system efficiency is often no greater than 50%.

The Holmes air purifier at left claims a filter efficiency of 99% at 2 micron. This is much larger than the most harmful fine and ultra fine particles.

Filters like these may be completely unable to collect the sub-micron to 2.5 micron particles that most seriously affect your health.

Even larger particles up to 10 microns, like pollen, may not be removed effectively due to filter bypassing common in cheap air cleaners.

Short filter life is also common. The greatest scam on the market is to sell cheap air cleaners and bilk customers later with costly filter replacements.

Electrostatic Precipitators – AKA Ionic Air Purifiers

Reject ionic air cleaners

Ionic air purifiers use electric charges to remove allergens and irritants. They have no effect on gases and odors.

Particle collection efficiency tends to be no greater than 80%.

Studies show efficiency dwindles to as little as 20% in as few as three days as collector plates load with particles.

Regular cleaning is a must for continued performance, yet many owners complain it is difficult cleaning collector plates.

These models are praised for being silent. This is a marketing ploy designed to present as an advantage the fact that they move little air.

Ionic air cleaners also produce ozone which is lung damaging and elevates sensitivity to allergens and irritants. This is the last thing anyone with respiratory problems should be exposed to.

Air Ionizer Purifiers – Wishful Thinking At Best

Reject air ionizer purifiers

Ion generators, or air ionizer purifiers, release charged ions into the air that attach to particles, statically charging them.

There is no method of capturing these charged pollutants.

Instead, they stick to surfaces such as walls and furniture or combine with other particles and settle on room surfaces.

This produces the common problem known as “black wall effect” buyers of these units complain about.

The most significant problem with air ionizers is the health threat posed by the “black wall effect” taking place in your lungs.

Studies have shown electrically charging very fine particles results in their higher deposition rate in the lungs compared to uncharged particles.

So using ion generators may actually increase the dose of particles to the lungs, making your situation worse than if you were using nothing at all.

Ozone Air Purifiers – Hazardous To Your Health

Reject ozone machines

Proponents of ozone generators claim ozone oxidizes pollutants, reducing them to water and carbon dioxide.

In the real world such textbook reactions rarely happen. Instead, numerous by products are created.

These byproducts can be more dangerous than the original pollutants.

Ozone cannot distinguish what is and is not a pollutant. It reacts with almost anything it contacts, degrading materials and creating additional pollutants.

Supporters claim ozone kills bacteria but deny it kills cells in your airway. They reject all scientific evidence and warnings that ozone is harmful.

Sellers of ozone machines are perpetrating a fraud. They get away with it in the US because no federal agency regulates these products. On the state level, at least California has banned their sale.

An ozone generator is ineffective and exposes you to danger.

UV Air Purifiers – Is This Extra Really Necessary?

Is UV light worth the cost?

UV air purifiers create ultraviolet light that may destroy some biological pollutants like viruses and bacteria. Higher doses of UV light may be reqiured than than a home air purifier

UV air cleaners have no effect on gases or particles. UV germicidal irradiation should not be used to replace filtration.

Because HEPA filtration captures most biological pollutants, adding UV light sterilization offers minimal benefit.

Because mold spores can cause allergic reactions whether dead or alive, UV sterilizers or sanitizers by themselves will not help your allergies or asthma.

Photocatalytic Air Purifiers – New, But Is It Better?

PCO is of limited benefit

Photocatalytic air purifiers are promoted to destroy gases and odors.

They have no effect on particulates despite the fact that some marketers would have you believe this.

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is used as a catalyst in the presence of UV light to cause a chemical reaction between volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and water molecules in the air.

Ideally this reaction reduces gases and odors to water vapor and carbon dioxide.

Unfortunately, textbook reactions are not always the result.

Incomplete destruction of VOCs results in creating additional pollutants that may be more irritating and potentially toxic than the original compounds.

Activated Carbon – Chemical And Odor Control

Activated carbon for gases and odors

Gas phase filters remove gases and odors and are often added to HEPA filtration to enhance air cleaning.

The most effective gas filtration is by activated carbon. It removes up to 60% of its own weight in chemicals.

A deep bed of activated carbon is best. That is why the best home air purifiers include many pounds of activated carbon.

Thin activated carbon pads are practically worthless. They neither have sufficient activated carbon to be effective nor do they supply the dwell time needed to remove pollutants.

Rather than a competing technology, gas filtration is complementary to HEPA air purification. Combined with HEPA air filters it creates the most effective air cleaning available.

So, What’s Your Next Move?

Why not learn more before choosing?

Buying air purifiers for the home is a serious matter.

Please carefully consider your needs and research what will meet them.

I cannot overemphasize how important this is.

I face MCS, allergy and asthma daily in my family.

By carefully comparing air purifiers for the home I proved to myself that HEPA filters combined with large capacity activated carbon chemical removal was best for my own needs.

Why not take the time now to consider convincing proof why hepa filters are best?

Do you dread the thought of buying a HEPA air purifier online?

Online air purifier information is often contradictory, blatantly false or even incomprehensible. Almost all of it is nothing more than calls to “buy me, buy me, buy me”.

You deserve a simpler, helpful air purifier guide.

It shouldn’t waste your time.

That is what I hope you find in this guide to buying HEPA air purifiers. Please take a few moments to see if it answers your questions. All you have to lose is hours of pointing and clicking elsewhere.

About HEPA Air Purifiers

Portable HEPA filter air purifiers are designed to remove particles from the air like dust, pollen, pet dander, allergens, bacteria, and viruses.

HEPA filtration is used in hospital operating rooms and intensive care units for just such purposes. HEPA filters are recommended by government agencies as helpful in controlling communicable diseases like tuberculosis, SARS, influenza, bird flu and other infectious agents.

Most incorporate add-on technologies like activated carbon or germicidal UV lights to extend performance beyond what the HEPA filter media can achieve.

When buying a HEPA air purifier you’ll find models designed for specific problems. There are air purifiers available for particle filtration, smoke and odor removal or relief for allergy, asthma and multiple chemical sensitivities.

Understand the Features of HEPA Air Purifiers

HEPA Filters

A true HEPA filter removes 99.97% of particles 0.3 microns in size. Many sites state “and larger” implying this is best-case HEPA filter efficiency. This shows a lack of understanding about HEPA filter material. The efficiency rating is not the best a HEPA filter can do, but the worst.

To understand, picture a child throwing balls at multiple layers of chain link fence. Tennis balls do not pass at all. This represents particles larger than 0.3 micron.

Ping-pong balls represent particles smaller than 0.3 micron. They are smaller than the gaps but lack the mass necessary to bully through the layers. An effect called diffusion causes particles to follow an irregular path. Picture a ping-pong ball corkscrewing through the air. It could never pass through the fence layers.

A golf ball is small enough and has the mass to follow a more direct path to avoid being stopped by the layers of fencing. This represents particles 0.3 micron in size. This is referred to as the Most Penetrating Particle Size.

A HEPA filter’s worst performance is at 0.3 micron. All other particles, whether larger or smaller are stopped with greater efficiency. This makes HEPA filter air purifiers ideal for removing allergens such as pet dander, dust mite residue, and pollen. These air purifiers are beneficial for those who suffer from respiratory conditions like asthma and allergies.

Activated Carbon Filters

Activated carbon filters are often used within HEPA filter air purifiers to remove odors and chemicals from the air.

An activated carbon air filter contains specially treated carbon that has had millions of tiny pores opened up enabling it to trap gases by a process called adsorption. The adsorption occurs when chemicals are attracted to the activated carbon by a force known as the van der Waals force.

An activated carbon filter is able to adsorb a wide range of chemicals up to 60% of its own weight. Once the carbon reaches its full capacity the filter needs to be replaced. How often will depend on the contamination level of the environment and how much carbon you have to begin with. This is why a HEPA filter air purifier that includes many pounds of activated carbon is recommended on this site.

Activated carbon filtration is most often used to adsorb:

• The chemicals in smoke (from cigarettes and fireplaces)
• Formaldehyde and other volatile organic compounds (from furniture, carpet glues, paints, plastics, new building materials, etc.)
• Odors (pet, kitchen, urine, etc.)

Pre-filters

Pre-filters help trap large particles before they reach the HEPA filter. Having this pre-filter is a great benefit. It helps extend the time between filter changes and keeps the unit working more efficiently.

Costs of HEPA Air Purifiers

The price of HEPA filter air purifiers can range from the low 200s to more than 1,000. Deciding whether to choose the low-end or high-end model can be confusing.

There are real differences in models, total capacity, actual system efficiency (not to be confused with the HEPA filter efficiency), and additional features like germicidal UV light or photocatalysis. The quality and quantity of clean air coming out of the unit is the basis of how each air purifier is different from one another.

You don’t have to be an air purifier expert to figure out which unit is best for your needs, you simply need to consider clearly what your needs are. For example, you might ask the following questions to get the process started:

• Why am I getting this unit? Allergies, asthma, chemical sensitivity, odors?
• Is it for a single room? Or am I trying to clean all the air in my house?
• How big is my space (estimated square footage and consider high ceilings)?
• How long do I expect the unit to last?
• What is my budget?
• How much does it cost to maintain/replace filters?
• Do I want special features, like a “change filter” indicator light?

Answering the above questions is a useful method to help you decide what type of unit you need to address your specific indoor air issues.

Maintaining Your HEPA Air Purifier

Maintaining an air purifier is an important part of keeping the unit working effectively, and there is a certain amount of cost and effort involved. Certainly air purifiers work for a time as a “turn it on and forget it” appliance; however, to get the most out of your investment you must keep the filters changed as needed.

The cost of filters varies by unit and by type of filter, so it is important to check the price point on filters and the frequency of filter changes before you decide to purchase. Also, consider the environment in which you want the unit to function.

For example, if you smoke in your home and you want a unit that will help to filter the smoke and the smell of the smoke, you will want a unit with an ample amount of carbon. You should evaluate the cost of replacing carbon filters as they become saturated.

HEPA Air Purifier Size And Efficiency

Air purifiers work best in the room they are placed in, and lose effectiveness the further you move away from that room. Single-room units cannot effectively clean the air in your entire house, as only the air that gets sucked into the unit gets cleaned. However, multiple units, or single-room units in combination with a whole-house unit is the best choice for total home air purification.

When choosing what size unit to buy, you should consider the size of the area you want to clean. Ideally, your air cleaner should be able to provide five to six air exchanges per hour. However, any calculation of air exchanges per hour is only a foundation for helping you consider how a unit will perform in your home. This is because factors like the design of your home, which affects air flow from room to room, ceiling heights, the amount of furniture in your home the air must circulate around, the insulation of your rooms/home, and the amount of indoor air pollutants, such as pets and dust all impact an air purifier’s ability to clean the air.

Air purifiers are rated by the cubic feet per minute (CFM) of clean air they deliver. You can determine how large an air purifier you need by determining the cubic feet of the room you wish to use it in. Multiply the length, width and height of your room. This gives you your room’s cubic feet. Divide that number by five; for the number of air exchanges you need to have. The final number is the CFM necessary to give you those five air exchanges. You should then look for air purifiers rated at that capacity or greater.

Another consideration when it comes to efficiency is the fan in a unit. A general rule of thumb is the larger and stronger the fan, the more air the unit can clean and the faster it can clean it. A unit with multiple fan speeds will allow you to customize your air cleaner to better suit your needs. Choosing a unit with sufficient capacity to clean your air on a low setting will also mean quieter operation for you.

Also, remember an air purifier can improve the quality of your indoor air, but it cannot eliminate pollutants completely. It won’t suck all the dust from your hard surfaces or prevent pollen from entering your house. However, it will help you to breathe easier, lessen your allergies, and give you a piece of mind that indoor air contaminants are minimized.

The Elusive Silent HEPA Air Purifier

You cannot find silent HEPA air purifiers because they must physically force air through the filter using a motorized fan. While HEPA air purifiers are not silent, the amount of sound they produce varies considerably. Many factors contribute to the sound level and whether you will be disturbed by it.

The most common area air purifiers are placed is the bedroom. However, this is the number one area where people find the sound the most intrusive. The ideal way to have a quiet HEPA air cleaner is to choose a unit that can clean the room air at its lowest setting.

Another option is to choose one of the Blueair air purifiers. These are not technically HEPA air purifiers but they achieve HEPA grade performance. They are a hybrid design that uses an ionizer ahead of the filter to boost collection efficiency of the filter. The filter itself offers lesser resistance to airflow than a standard HEPA filter. This lesser resistance means a lesser fan and quieter operation.

Either way, it is important to understand that a sound will come from these units and it’s just a matter of finding the level of sound you are comfortable with.

Many units list the decibel rating of the system at each fan speed. You can compare these ratings to other indoor appliances, such as the level of sound you hear from a normal box fan or the hum of the refrigerator, which can give you a point of reference.

Sound is different to each individual, and even decibel results can sometimes be misleading as many things can affect sound level, such as position of the unit, carpeting, furniture, distance from the unit while it is running, fan speed, etc.

Additional Features In HEPA Air Purifiers

Many air purifiers special features that can greatly enhance your air cleaning experience. These features add convenience to your life and give you the additional options that allow you to optimize your air purifier to best fit your needs. Some of the special features to consider when shopping for your air cleaner:

• Casters for ease of mobility
• Remote control
• Digital controls
• Multiple fan speeds
• Handles
• Ease of filter change
• Filter-change indicator light

If you would like to protect your health from indoor air pollutants then buying a HEPA filter air cleaner is a practical first step.

Of course, that is easier said than done. Widespread concern over indoor air pollution has created a market filled with half measures, to be generous. The odor of cash bearing customers is the one odor most air purifiers are designed to handle best.

Are you concerned about the harm poor indoor air can do to your family? Do you believe you deserve true value for the money you invest in your family’s health? Before you entrust your family’s health to any air purifier shouldn’t you determine if it is really adequate for your needs?

What standards should you use when buying a HEPA filter air cleaner?

Certainly not price. Inferior products are often priced similarly to the best air purifiers simply to be perceived as being of the same caliber.

What is needed is a clear and simple home air purifier guide. The air purifier information you find throughout this site and the following guidelines will help you make an informed decision.

Features to look for when buying a HEPA filter air cleaner

Buy a HEPA filter air cleaner designed for years of minimal intervention and maintenance

Cheap air purifiers can often be much more costly in the long run. Think about it, how do they reduce the cost?

By building around a cheap motor that can’t meet the challenge of a large area HEPA filter. This means reducing the size of the filter and allowing bypassing of air around the filter to reduce backpressure and also to help cool the lesser quality motor.

What does this mean to you? Smaller filters require more often replacement due to loading and thus greater maintenance cost for you.

These cheap motors can be spotted chiefly by short warranty periods. Of course, they’ll fail as soon as the warranty expires!

You should look for air purifier manufacturers that are willing to stand behind they’re product five or even ten years as Allerair does.

Look for assertions that the motor uses closed, sealed motor windings. These give you clean operation without off gassing and burning smell, a problem owners of cheap air purifiers complain about.

Quarterly maintenance should only take a few seconds to replace or clean the prefilter. The life expectancy estimated for the HEPA filter should be three to five years depending on the environment where it is used, such as a smoking home versus a nonsmoking one.

Activated carbon filters likewise should last as long as possible, but this often depends on the total quantity of carbon in the filter and the circumstances of use.

Buy a HEPA filter air cleaner that can remove odors and harmful chemicals

Any HEPA filter air cleaner should also include a large activated carbon bed. No particulate filter, even HEPA, will remove gases and odors. Effective removal of gaseous toxins requires a large bed of activated carbon to ensure sufficient dwell time to trap the gases.

All high quality air cleaners offer many pounds of activated carbon to trap noxious gas and odors. The deep bed of activated carbon has the capacity to adsorb thousands of chemicals, gases and odors that can cause health problems for you and your family.

Most air cleaners have a only a thin layer of carbon sprayed on a mesh. Which is not enough to make any real difference. Its sole purpose is to enable cheap air purifiers to add another bullet point on their feature list. Many retail corporations in typical “me too” fashion have jumped on the air purification bandwagon by contracting with manufacturers to build snazzy looking but poor performing air purifiers.

Why buy an “air purifier” with only a few token ounces of carbon sprayed on a mesh? It’s only going to add to your filter replacement costs while providing no real benefit.

Also, consider a manufacturer that offers a wide variety of specialized blends of carbon and catalysts so you can customize the air purifier to your needs. For instance, a care facility where urine odors are common would require a different carbon blend than a beauty salon or welding shop.

Likewise, someone with MCS may need an air purifier specifically designed for MCS sufferers. Even then, some activated carbons may prove unacceptable due to source or added chemisorbers and catalysts. Allerair offers a test sample kit of carbons for an MCS sufferer to determine beforehand if a particular carbon blend is problematic.

Buy a HEPA filter air cleaner that is durable and safe with nontoxic construction

Would an “air purifier” company have your best interests in mind if their unit were itself a source of pollutants?

The best air purifiers have a solidly built housing with high quality gaskets and seals to ensure no leakage of air around the filter.

These internal components should be sealed with a glueless gasket that protects you from odors and volatile organic compounds that off gas from the glued rubber gaskets found in most other air cleaners. Look for an air purifier that the manufacturer assures you will not outgas VOCS from the sealants used.

A durable all metal housing will never expose you to off-gassing vapors like many cheap air purifiers that are all plastic in their construction. It also maximizes filtration of your air by providing optimal airflow through the filter as opposed to bypassing the filter because of allowing for a tight seal.

However, don’t dismiss the use of plastics entirely. Soft plastics are often a problem, both in out gassing VOCS and failing to maintain an airtight seal around the filter.

Hard ABS plastic such as is used in quality leader IQAir does maintain a firm seal with the filter and is not prone to giving off VOCS. In fact, IQAir is the only manufacturer to certify their purifiers as a whole to be 95% efficient. So plastics, the right kind of plastics, can be put to good use.

Also, as mentioned earlier, the motor can be a source of contaminants as it heats up. High quality, sealed bearings and motor windings, even unvarnished motor windings, will help eliminate burning smells coming from the motor.

One last point, no high quality air purifier attempts to mask its failure to perform with scented fragrance cartridges. The last thing anyone needs in their home is more petroleum based VOCS, no matter how sweet or “natural” they may smell.

Buy a HEPA filter air cleaner that doesn’t cost you a small fortune over the life of the purifier

Would you like to know the “dirty little secret” of the air purifier industry?

Filter replacement costs! A cheap air purifier can cost you a fortune in regular filter replacements. In fact, it is one of the biggest scams going: Sell a cheap air purifier to an unsuspecting consumer, then require filter replacements every three to six months that cost almost as much as the unit itself!

Unlike air cleaners that incorporate filter elements in a single cartridge, high quality air cleaners separate the HEPA and carbon filters to allow for individual replacement. You save the cost of replacing both filters when one is used.

You ultimately save due to the long life of your filters when buying high quality air cleaners. Your HEPA filter should last three to five years under normal home use and the carbon filter two to three years.

Only pre-filters require regular replacement every 3 months. Some of these can be vacuumed and reused.

This approach to filter life and replacement gives you the lowest long-term costs.

Speaking of filters, did you know many air purifiers are not living up to their owners’ expectations?

Why? Even though they are advertised and sold as HEPA filters they do not, as a unit, provide HEPA filtration. The HEPA designation only applies to theoretical efficiency.

In actual practice improper seating, poor construction, and cracks in the media due to cheap construction severely limit actual performance.

The best method used to manufacture HEPA media is what is known as “warm rolled”. This prevents cracks from forming in the HEPA media, cracks that allow pollutants into your air. Also, a HEPA filter air cleaner should use separators between the pleats of the filter to maintain proper spacing and allow for maximum airflow and top performance of the filter.

Buy a HEPA filter air cleaner that doesn’t harbor illness-causing germs

Because a HEPA filter air cleaner can trap microbes in the media they sometimes become a breeding ground for potentially harmful pathogens.

Allerair air purifiers include two anti-microbial wraps, one on either side of the carbon bed. This suppresses any microbe growth and ensures that your air purifier will always protect your health.

Other manufacturers’ products should likewise be evaluated as to whether they include some means of eliminating mold and bacteria growth in the filter media.

If it doesn’t specifically state how or even if microbe growth is prevented then you can be certain no protection is offered at all.