There Are a Few Factors to Consider when Deciding on an Air Purification System
Did you know that Americans spend about 90% of their time indoors? Between work, school and home we are inside most of the time. Modern buildings and homes are made to be energy efficient in order to save on the cost of heating and cooling. The problem is that the building or home then
holds everything inside, including indoor air pollutants.You may ask where all of this
pollution could possibly come from. There are many sources of
pollution that can be found in our own houses. Furniture, paint, carpets, cleaning products, and dry-cleaning are a few. Pets release dander into the air. Our own bodies shed dead skin cells into our breathing space. You could also find lint, mold, mildew and hair in your indoor air. These pollutants are found inside all year long and compounded by pollen in the spring and summer. The dirty indoor air that you are breathing could cause serious health problems such as respiratory infections, heart disease, emphysema, asthma and cancer to name a few.So what can you do to protect yourself and your family from this harmful predator? An air filter or purifier can help remove the bad stuff from the air you breathe in your house. With so many to choose from however, well, which one do you choose? There are common name brands and not so common name brands. There are expensive models and there are not so expensive models. Some take filters, some take bulbs, and some take both.Lets look at the ionic and germicidal technology. An ionic air purifier will work in one of two ways, the first being the electro static precipitator like the "Ionic Breeze" which adds a negative charge to each particle that enters the unit. The now negatively charged particles adhere to a positively charged metal plate or "collection grid". The collection grid can then simply be wiped off to remove the build up of debris. The second type of ionic air purifier is the negative ionizer, which is like the "Airsource 3000". This unit emits negative ions into the air that are attracted to particles in the air with a positive charge such as dust, smoke, allergens and even odors, thus increasing the size and weight of the particles. The particles then settle out of the air and can be easily vacuumed away. These units employ the use of an ultraviolet light to release the negative ions. Units like this have been used in hospitals for years to prevent the spread of diseases and illnesses. In general the ionic and germicidal purifiers emit little to no noise, they are compact in size and best of all no filters to change. The UV light that is used in models like the Air source 3000 has to be replaced once a year at about $40 for the bulb. The Ionic Breeze requires frequent cleaning which amounts to nothing more than wiping off the metal plates inside. These machines are energy efficient, using only 10 watts of electricity to operate but they emit ozone as a byproduct of operation. Ozone is safe in low doses (.05 ppm or less) but ineffective for air purification if the dose is less than .05 ppm. More than .05 ppm of ozone in the air can be hazardous and can cause eye, nose, and throat irritation.Prices for these units vary between models. The Ionic Breeze Quadra will sanitize one room at a time at around $350. The Airsource 3000 costs twice as much but will sanitize 3000 square feet, for some that's their entire house.Now lets look at the HEPA filter, or High-Efficiency Particulate Air filter. The HEPA filter was first developed in the 1940's by the US Atomic Energy Commission to filter radioactive particulate contaminants. This type of purifier is highly effective at removing particles, dander, dust, pollen and other particles. The Department of Homeland Security recommends the HEPA filter as an indoor air filtration device. The HEPA filter is 99.97% effective at removing particles in the air that are .3 microns or larger. A micron is 100 times smaller than a human hair and not visible to the naked eye. The HEPA filter in most units must be changed at least once a year. These units usually sanitize one room at a time. The HEPA filter unit costs between $150 and $700 and the filters range from $40 to $50. One brand of HEPA filter air purifier is the Blueair brand that has many different units to choose from that are energy efficient, quiet and effective for different room sizes.With so many choices which type of air purifier is best? The Centers for
Disease Control recommend the use of both a HEPA filter and UV lamp for the most effective air purification. A UV lamp when placed close enough to a HEPA filter will actually help to sanitize the HEPA filter while killing microbes. An example of the recommended type of air purifier is the Multi-Tech which has a true HEPA filter, a carbon filter (for smoke and gasses), a UV lamp, an ionizer, a pre-filter (to catch larger particles so as not to clog the HEPA) and a programmable sanitizer. The price is right at $299 and discounts when purchasing more than one unit at a time. The HEPA filter for this unit is $32 and is to be replaced every 1-2 years and the UV bulb is $15 and should be replaced every 12-15 months. This unit sanitizes 500 square feet and is quiet.
