AIR PURIFIER SHOPPER
Common Pollutants
By familiarizing yourself with what may be whirling around in the air inside your home, you can get a lot more inspiration for tracking down a truly effective air purifier. All of the following - and more - can be found in the average home:
• Airborne Particulates - There are all sorts of airborne pollutants that can fill the air in a home. They include pet dander, mold spores, dust mites, fungi, tobacco smoke and pollens; all of these pollutants can exacerbate existing respiratory problems and lessen the health of everyone in the home.
• VOCs - or volatile organic compounds - are introduced into the air in your home through common household items. Chloride, formaldehyde and benzene are just a few of the ingredients that can make their way into the air inside your home via things like disinfectants, paints and glues. VOCs have been shown to cause a number of unpleasant symptoms ranging from headaches to chronic health conditions.
• Odors And Gases - Odors from cooking are just one example of the gases and odors that can permeate the air in your home, making it less clean.
• Microorganisms - The germs that can make you sick include bacteria, antigens and viruses, among other things, and when allowed to run rampant they can make people sick again and again.
Types of Air Filters
Air purifiers come in many shapes, sizes and configurations. The most important component of any air purifier is its filter or filters. Below, we highlight a few of the most common filters that are used in air purifiers today to give you an idea about what you'll be looking at when doing your shopping.
• Ion/Ozone Generators - Any machine that is billed as an "ion" or "ozone" generator should not be considered. These air purifiers are anything but, because they introduce ozone into the air in your home. Ozone causes a laundry list of unpleasant health symptoms, so steer clear of these machines.
• Activated Carbon Filters - The gases and odors mentioned above are best handled by an activated carbon filter. Activated carbon filters use adsorption to trap gases and vapors, removing odors and other unpleasant things from the air in your home.
• Charged Media Filters - Although higher quality charged media filters do not produce ozone, many of these products produce ozone as a byproduct. For best results, it is best to skip these over.
• Pre-Filters - Topnotch air purifiers always include a pre-filter that pulls the largest particles from the air before contending with smaller, finer ones. They are pretty much par for the course in the more top of the line models, and should be considered a prerequisite by anyone who is serious about improving the indoor air quality of their home.
• HEPA Filters - If you're not going to buy an air purifier with a HEPA filter, you might as well not even bother. HEPA air purifiers are the gold standard in air purification; genuine HEPA technology can provide a host of key benefits, including allergy and sinus relief, and others. No matter what your reasons are for wanting to clean the air in your home, the machine you choose must include a HEPA filter.
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