If you worry about the quality of the air in your home, you may decide to buy a household air purifier. These devices use filters, ozone, ultraviolet light and ions to remove particles from the air that could be compromising human health. Comparing the various types of air purifiers allows you to choose the most effective one for your home.
Benefits
The reasoning behind using household air purifiers is that allergy and asthma sufferers should reduce the amount of harmful substances that they are breathing while at home. These substances include dust, pet dander, smoke, bacteria, mold spores, dust mites and pollen. Once an air purifier is installed, allergy symptoms may be reduced and odors eliminated.
Types
According to Consumer Reports, HEPA air filters have the ability to catch ultra fine particles in the air. They remove 99.9 percent of particles from the air and can trap particles as small as 0.3 microns. Ozone air purifiers release ozone into the air to destroy certain types of bacteria and chemicals while also removing odors. An ionizer air purifier releases negative ions into the atmosphere to make particles too large to remain in the air. Ultraviolet air purifiers destroy bacteria, micro-organisms, fungi and viruses that are exposed to the machine's UV bulb.
Drawbacks
All household air purifiers have various benefits and drawbacks. HEPA air purifiers remove allergens but do not get rid of odors. Ionizer air purifiers remove particles from the air but do not collect them. UV light machines kill germs but have no effect on allergens. Ozone generators neutralize odor but do not filter out particles from the air.
Considerations
When comparing air purifiers, you should consider models that contain multiple technologies to purify the air. Ozone, HEPA filters, ultraviolet light and ion technologies can be found in an air purifier to perform different functions. When combined, these technologies remove odors, ionize particles, collect particles and kill illness-causing microorganisms.
Features
The features of the air purifiers will affect your buying selection. The machine's packaging should detail the room size that the air purifier is effective on. For instance, ionizers cover at most 500 square feet. Other considerations when buying an air purifier are electricity consumption, warranty coverage and cost of filter replacements.
