About Air Purifiers and Air Cleaners

Air purifiers or air cleaners are designed to make living spaces more comfortable. They reduce air pollutants that contribute to poor indoor air quality and many filter common allergens like dust and pollen - a great benefit for people suffering from asthma or allergies. If you're considering a room air purifier, keep these characteristics in mind:

They're portable. Many room air purifiers can go with you. If your den and your bedroom are similar sizes, you can move your air purifier to the room you're in.

They're efficient. Some room air purifiers provide more filtering power than whole home units.

They're versatile. Different air purifier manufacturers offer different features, styles, and filtering technologies to meet different consumer needs.

Air Purifier Filtering Technologies

HEPA FILTERS

HEPA stands for High Efficiency Particulate Air, and like the name says, these filters are designed to remove 99.97% of all airborne pollutants 0.3 microns or larger from the air that passes through the filter (these include tobacco smoke, household dust and pollen).

Here is an idea of the size of particles we are talking about:

ULPA FILTERS

These ultra-HEPA filters are designed to trap 99.999% of all airborne particles 0.3 microns or smaller from the air that passes through the filter (these include tobacco smoke, household dust and pollen).

ELECTROSTATIC FILTERS

Electrostatic units filter the air using static electricity and have a static charge on the filter to allow airborne particles to "stick" to the filter, just like static-charged clothing sticks together.

ELECTROSTATIC PRECIPITATORS

These air purifiers create opposite charges on the metal plates or wires in a filter assembly. They attract the dust, pollen, smoke and other particles to the plate or grid wire that contains an opposite charge. The assembly can be washed of the particles and used again.

IONIZATION

Ionizers may be combined with other technologies, including different types of filters. Ionization units emit a small charge to the airstream which cause particles to adhere to the filter or other surfaces by a magnetic-like attraction.

Courtesy of: The Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM) - A Consumer Advocate Group