Whether you're an allergy or asthma sufferer, or someone who is concerned with providing your family with the best indoor air quality, finding a solution to the airborne contaminants in your home is a very important issue. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) determined that most indoor air is three to five times dirtier than outdoor air. This startling revelation led to a boom in the production of air purifiers, but do they really work? Most air purifiers remove airborne pollutants like mold spores, pollen, dust, bacteria, and pet dander. But determining whether an air purifier is effective is measured by its ability to capture particles and the amount of air it can process in a given time. Translation: If an air purifier can't catch particles of all sizes and process enough air to make a difference, it's probably not worth the cost of shipping. The effectiveness of an air purifier is generally based on the effectiveness of its air filter. The American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) tests and certifies air filters, using a rating system to ensure accuracy.

The first rating, Initial Staining Dirt Efficiency, measures how well the filter removes microscopic staining particles such as tobacco tar, allergens, and grease. The second rating, the Average Arrestance Test, determines the percentage of ordinary dust, hair, lint, and other large particulate matter removed. air cleaner for ultra classicIt's important to know which rating is being used when comparing air purifiers.air conditioner cleaner gold coast Air contaminants like dust and pollen particles are measured by the micron. air purifier reviews 2012The human eye cannot see particles that are smaller than 10 microns, as one micron equals 1/25,400 of an inch. Particles like lint, dust, and pollen can all be seen by the human eye, but smaller contaminants like bacteria and viruses will escape the detection of our eyes and some filters.

Finding a filter that will eliminate air impurities of all sizes is important to ensure the effectiveness of an air purifier. HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filters set the standard for effective air cleaning. HEPA filters have been tested and certified to remove particles that average 0.3 micron in size. Particles of this size are likely to be inhaled and deposited into the lungs and trigger allergic and asthmatic reactions. To qualify as a true HEPA filter, the filter must remove at least 99.97% of airborne contaminants, including mold spores, dust, pollen, smoke, and pet dander. There are many generic HEPA filters on the market today; however, true HEPA filters are marked as such on their packaging and provide the most efficient filtration. Most air purifiers on the market are tested and certified by the Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM), using the Clean Air Delivery Rate, or CADR. The CADR measures how many cubic feet per minute of air is cleared of certain size particles.

Three particle sizes are rated: smoke (small), dust (medium), and pollen (large). Rating air purifiers is simple: the higher the CADR rating, the less time the unit needs to remove a given quantity of certain particles from the specified size room. The room size is indicated on the packaging of the air purifier and all AHAM-certified models are marked with CADR data, as this information acts to distinguish each air purifier from its competitor. You can use the CADR ratings to determine which air purifier works best in your home. As you can see, there are many standards and ratings requirements used for all air purifiers. These requirements are used to ensure that every consumer receives the benefits they've been guaranteed by the manufacturer. Air purifiers can't guarantee the elimination of allergies or asthma. However, HEPA air purifiers can guarantee the elimination of harmful airborne contaminants. So if you're struggling with the decision of whether to buy an air purifier or which air purifier to buy, consider the large variety of HEPA air purifiers on the market.

Find an air purifier that works for you and your family, and breathe easier knowing that you're breathing clean air.Do Air Purifiers Really Work? Does the EPA Advocate the Use of Air Purifiers? To reduce the contaminants that lower air quality in the home, the Environmental Protection Agency first and foremost recommends minimizing or eliminating the sources of the pollution and increasing ventilation in order to replace bad air with good. "[Air purifiers] may help control the levels of airborne particles including those associated with allergens." - United States Environment Protection Agency (August 2009) However, there are limitations to how much of each of these you can effectively do. Some pollution sources can be easily dealt with, but others cannot. Opening windows to increase air circulation is not always a convenient option, and as the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers points out, ventilation is relatively poor in many modern homes, as they were designed to be "energy efficient" by reducing airflow to and from the outdoors as much as possible.

The EPA therefore also recommends the use of air purifiers to supplement these other avenues of cleaning indoor air. Understanding the Limitations of Air Purifiers It is important to understand and accept the limitations of air purifiers in order to comprehend their usefulness. The EPA emphasizes that air cleaners are not meant to be a substitute for the other two methods of cleaning your home's air described above. However, in conjunction with them, the EPA says that air purifiers "may help control the levels of airborne particles including those associated with allergens." Most air cleaners are not effective at removing unwanted gases, being designed instead to target unhealthy particles floating in the air. Among these particles, the relatively larger ones are often missed by the air cleaner because gravity pulls them to the ground more quickly than smaller particles, keeping them out of the purifier's reach. Therefore, no one should ever expect air cleaners alone to have a significant impact on indoor air quality.

Nevertheless, a high-quality air cleaner can be used to improve certain aspects the air you breathe in your home, and can be an important part of your overall air-purifying strategy. The Effectiveness of Air Cleaners The main function of most air cleaners, therefore, is combating smaller contaminating particles. Research has shown that good air purifiers, even those of the smaller, portable variety, are up to 90% effective in reducing these smaller particles, such as those caused by cat dander and dust mites. The EPA has certain recommendations regarding the use of portable air purifiers. In order to achieve maximum effectiveness, the portable air cleaner should be placed somewhere away from walls or other obstructions and positioned in such a way that the clean air is blown into open, occupied areas. If there is some specific source of pollution, the purifier should be placed nearby. Such purifiers work far better when all doors and windows of the room in which they are located are closed.

Do Air Purifiers Work For Mold Removal? Some air purifiers may effectively remove mold particles from the air but are ineffective against killing mold spores.  Spores are typically resistant even to UV light treatment.  However, if spores become trapped in a filter, this does keep them from proliferating in your home.  Careful and proper disposal of used filters is essential.  We recommend changing filters outside your home to prevent unwanted release of trapped particles and spores. Do Air Purifiers Work For Pet Allergies? Some air purifiers can remove pet hair and dander trapped in the air.  However, heavier pet dander particles often fall out of the air column and settle onto surfaces.  Frequent cleaning is recommended.  Also, keep pets out of sleeping areas to avoid contact with pet dander throughout the night and other sleeping times. Do Air Purifiers Help With Hay Fever?- Depends on the source of your hay fever allergy.  According to the Mayo Clinic, hay fever can be caused by various pollens, fungi and mold spores, dust mites or cockroaches, and pet dander. 

Air purifiers range in their effectiveness of cleaning the air of these particles depending on model type.  Air purifiers are most effective at reducing pollen particles in the air column and are recommended by the Mayo Clinic.  Dust mite feces, cockroach body parts and pet dander are typically heavier particles that fall out of the air column and must be cleaned from surfaces.  Use allergen covers on bedding and pillows to protect against the most common exposure to dust mites.  Keep pets out of sleeping areas.  Use HEPA filter equipped vacuums to clean surfaces. In conclusion, air purifiers, while not sufficient to deal with all the hazards of indoor air pollution on their own, are a useful tool which should not be overlooked by anyone interested in keeping his or her home's air as clean as possible. When the air purifier is of good quality and used effectively, it has an important role to play in the fight against the toxins and irritants that infest our inside air. Air purifiers are most effective at removing particles that remain trapped in the air column such as various pollens, dust, and some molds