5 Things You Need to Know About Air Purifiers

1. Have Less Health Problems

Air purifiers remove smoke, dust, animal dander and other impurities from the air in your home or office and prevent or lessen many common health problems. Air purifiers help control allergies and asthma caused by mold, smoke, pets or stale, windowless office air and prevent the spread of bacteria from sickrooms to others in the house.

2. Get Portable or Permanent Air Purification

There are many types of air purifiers in all price ranges, using a variety of filtering methods, including HEPA filter, carbon, ionizers and oxidation. You can also select a central air purifying system that attaches to your air conditioning system. Take precautions to keep your home's water supply clean if you choose this method. Portable filters are easier to maintain, and can be transported to where they're most needed at a given moment. Use an electronic or HEPA filter for pet allergies and odors, or a UV (ultraviolet) air purifier, which contains a light source that destroys bacteria and viruses.

3. HEPA Is Popular

Air purifiers come in many different shapes and sizes and manufactured with different methods in mind when ordering one for a home or business. Air purifiers with removable screens remain the most popular models. A HEPA filter sifts bad particles out of the air like a strainer, leaving only clean air to circulate in a room. MERV filter screens remove larger air particles. It has a lower capture rate than the highly touted HEPA filter, which sometimes needs a pre-filter to screen out larger particles and odors. Place an air purifier so that no air avoids the filter.

4. Make Your Air Purifier More Effective

Use an air purifier in conjunction with regular housecleaning. No matter how constantly and vigilantly you use an air purifier, it wont do the job all by itself. Clean and dust regularly, especially of you have a pet or cigarette smoker in the house. Check for dust and smoke residue everywhere, on window sills, light bulbs and computer keyboards. Open windows and let the sun and fresh air in whenever possible.

5. Ozone Raises Concerns

Ozone generating air purifiers combat bacteria that comes in contact with them, but health professionals have raised concerns about their effect on lung lining and allergies. Ozone releasing purifiers should contain no more than 50 ppb (parts per billion) of ozone over a 24-hour period to operate safely.

Last updated on: Nov 18, 2009

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