Home & Garden

Air Purifiers: Air Purifiers and Clean Air Systems

There is a plethora of air purifiers on the market today. It seems like more and more homes are recognizing the increased standard of living that naturally comes with breathing clean air. Just in case you havent heard, the air inside our homes is generally extremely polluted.

Some reports indicate that the air inside our homes is up to five times as polluted as the air outside. This seems odd at first blush, but there are a couple of good reasons why this is occurring. Newer homes have exceptional insulation, and this does the wonderful job of making sure that very little air escapes our homes. This is great for the heating and cooling bill, but very bad for our lungs.

In a home that has good air circulation, from an outside source, the difference between the outside air and the air within the home is negligible. Trapped air pollution concentrates and becomes stale within a home, which can cause havoc to people with asthma or other respiratory conditions. Air purifiers are a great way to counteract this indoor pollution.

Air Purifiers Reduce Dust and Dust Mites
In addition to general pollution, the air inside your home is likely to be full of dust and dust mites. A great number of people suffer from allergies, and dust and dust mites are contributing factors. Good air purifiers will filter upwards of 90 percent of the airborne particles, including dust and dust mites.

The better air purifiers will also reduce the number of airborne pathogens floating around. These are the harmful bacteria, viruses, and fungi that can cause serious illnesses, especially in those with compromised immune systems. A good carbon-filtered air purifier will eradicate the vast majority of these pathogens, and keep your interior air relatively germ free.

Air purifiers can be generally broken down into a couple of different types. There are those with fans and replaceable filters, and those without fans and permanent filters. People have their favorites on both sides, and truly both types have their advantages and disadvantages. Youve got to find out which one is best suited to your home and family.

Air Purifiers with HEPA Filters Offer the Most Thorough Filtration
The big argument for air purifiers with a fan and a replaceable filter is that they clean more of the air, quicker. When you start looking at air purifiers with a HEPA filter, you can really see the difference in filtration. HEPA filters are the same type of filters that hospitals use to create as germ-free an environment as possible.

The strike against air purifiers with replaceable filters is obvious: you have to replace the filter. Filters, especially HEPA filters, can get pricey, so if you go with an air purifier that uses one, make sure that it also has a washable pre-filter. These can greatly increase the life of the replaceable filter, and save you money in the long run. Some of the better air purifiers have HEPA filters that only have to be replaced every two years or so.