By now, we’ve all heard about the importance of improving our indoor air quality. We know that breathing fresh air is good. And that even in a big, bustling city, the air inside can be 2 to 5 times more polluted than outside. We’ve been told how the chemicals from household cleaners and room deodorizers can contribute to bad air quality. We know that our shoes can introduce allergens and other contaminants into the house. And we know that we spend 90% of our time indoors during the winter, breathing these pollutants. And we feel the effects. These sneezy, throat scratching, eye drying contaminants can make us uncomfortable for months on end. They can also contribute to our winter colds. But even worse, long-term exposure to these common pollutants can be dangerous and may cause a range of lung-related diseases. The good news is that a high quality air purifier can remove more than 99% of the contaminants from your home or office. This can drastically improve indoor air quality and, ultimately, your health.

There are a few important features to consider when purchasing a new air purifier… and a few that are well-promoted on the box, but that you may want to avoid. Here’s what to look for and which features to skip. are highly effective at capturing very small pollutant particles such as tobacco smoke, dust and pollen from the air, so these are a key feature to seek. Most HEPA filters need to be replaced annually, but some newer models have HEPA filters that can be cleaned. In addition, activated carbon filters absorb certain VOCs and other chemical & gaseous pollutants from the air. These carbon filters can catch some pollutants that HEPA filters can’t. So for the cleanest air, choose a purifier that has both a HEPA filter and an activated carbon filter. Fans are the most efficient way to pull air through the purifier. That’s probably obvious, but some purifiers actually don’t use a fan. These models are quieter, but they usually take longer to filter the air and may not do the job as well.

A Service Indicator lets you when its time to clean or replace the filter. Most light up after a certain number of hours of use, which is good. An even better indicator will tell you when the filter is actually dirty. This earlier warning is important, because you never want to run a dirty filter.camera lens cleaning kit singapore VERY IMPORTANT: Replace carbon filters every 3-6 months. small plug in air purifiersIf they are not replaced regularly, the filters can overflow and begin to release their trapped pollutants back into the air.perfect air purifier review On a very related note, when a paint or other manufacturer says “Use only in a well-ventilated area”, it’s a good idea to heed that warning! CADR (Clean Air Delivery Rate) is a measure of how quickly the purifier can clean 3 types of pollutants from the air: smoke, dust and pollen.

Look for a CADR above 200 for each type of pollutant and skip anything below 100. The CADR is based on square footage, so be sure to choose a model that is appropriate for the room size you need to filter. EnergyStar certified air purifiers are at least 40% more efficient than non-certified units. In addition to lowering your greenhouse gas emissions, certified models also save on electricity over time. Energy Star estimates the average savings to be $25 per year or $215 over the life of the unit. Ozone is great when it’s far away in the upper atmosphere of the earth, because it protects us from ultraviolet rays. But ozone is a known lung irritant that doesn’t belong in our homes. High levels of ozone in our home can worsen asthma symptoms and compromise our ability to fight respiratory infections. Air purifiers that use an electrostatic precipitator or ionizer technology will electronically charge pollutants as they enter the unit and produce a small amount of ozone as a byproduct.

Many of the top rated air filters use one or both of these purification methods (in addition to HEPA and carbon filters), so they are difficult to avoid. But other air purifiers known as dedicated ozone generators produce large amounts of ozone by design. While these purifiers are effective at removing allergens from the air, the levels of ozone they produce may not be worth the risk and we recommend avoiding them entirely. Several independent testers and many consumer ratings seem unimpressed with the odor removal features of most air purifiers. The consensus seems to be that they take a long time to remove odors, if they remove them at all. Most air purifiers market odor removal as a feature, but you may not want to base your final decision on it. (Try these natural ways to reduce odors in your home instead.) Dust and air quality sensors are supposed to increase the speed of the fan automatically when pollutant levels are high, and slow the fan as levels drop. But tests indicate the sensors react too late, meaning they turn on after pollutants reached levels that were too high and turn off before the levels drop sufficiently.

Again, many popular brands offer them, but don’t scratch a purifier from your list if it doesn’t. Avoid Toxins Energy WellnessBuy 2+ and Save $150+ ($1320 each) Same filters used in computer clean rooms & hospital operating rooms. Filters out more particulates. Best Reliability and Quality Air purifier, filters, housing and electronics all made in USA. Latest German engineered motor is quieter and uses up to 90% less energy. Energy savings alone can pay for the air purifier in 5-10 years.see how > Up to 1,700 sq ft. 220V/50 and will also run on 110V/60 with supplied power converter. Gases, Odors, VOC’s, Smoke, and Mold. Designed for MCS sufferers. To effectively remove gases and odors you need a lot of carbon and a large surface area such as our carbon pre-filter and main v-bank filter of carbon. This air purifier has two filters – a 4” deep carbon pre-filter and a 12” deep V-Bank carbon filter. The main filter is the same industrial filter that is trusted by hospitals to effectively remove gases and odors.

The 4" thick carbon pre-filter removes dust and pollen sized particles while also adsorbing gases and odors. The 12" deep v-bank carbon filter has 14 pounds of carbon from high grade virgin coconut shell. Having more filter media means the main filter will last longer (2-3 years) and it creates less air resistance. By not having to work as hard the motor can spin at a slower, quieter rate. These are the same filters used in Hospital Operating Rooms, Clean Rooms, the Nuclear Industry, Containment units, Laboratories, and Pharmaceuticals. Custom sized filters made by the only company in North America that makes its own HEPA media and made in the USA. Erik has the best, latest German engineered EC motor and fan so it provides higher air flow while being quieter and using much less power. The EC motor is a much-improved technology over the traditional AC motor that nearly every other air purifier uses. AC motors use technology that was developed in the 1800’s and use more energy, can have an annoying hum, and are not as reliable.

They are common because they are very inexpensive to produce. EC (Electrically Commutated) motors use electronics to convert the AC voltage to DC to run the motor. EC is the latest technology innovation whereas AC motors use technology from nearly 200 years ago. With an AC motor from China, chances are that the copper was wound by hand and the ball bearings are of low quality making it unreliable. EC motors are DC so they are more efficient and use up to 90% less power and in the long term can provide significant cost savings. Runs cooler so greater reliability. Has a proven track record in the telecomm and computer industry. No motor hum that you get with an AC motor The humming noise comes from the fact that it is an AC motor and all the magnetics are changing intensity at the line frequency. When rotating, these forces are aligned so as to rotate the rotor. When the motor is not rotating or rotating at a speed lower than synchronous speed, they tend to make things vibrate back and forth and that makes the humming sound.

If you have an AC motor that starts slowly, the humming starts louder and decreases as the rotor and field come into sync. This vibration is caused by magnetic flux through the core laminations. Known as magnetostriction, (a property of ferromagnetic materials that causes them to change their shape or dimensions during the process of magnetization,) its effect changes lamination dimensions... twice per cycle of magnetization. This dimensional change, although quite small, produces "sound" characterized as "hum." Circuit Board - USA Room Coverage: Most sized rooms up to 1,700 sq feet Max Air Flow (cfm): 413 CADR Main Filter life: 36 months (continuous operation) Pre-Filter Life: 8-12 months Dimensions: 25.5" x 12.75" x 26" Housing weight: 48 lbs Housing Shipping weight: 59 lbs Pre-filter weight: 1 lb Main filter weight: 14 lbs Total weight: 63 lbs Warranty: 10 years (we will replace the purifier if there are any mechanical or electrical issues during the warranty period)

220V/50 and 120V/60Hz with supplied power converter Neoprene Seal around main filter prevents air leakage Filter Replacement Indicator for Each Filter (alert to check the filters) Air Purifier Comes With All Filters Shown: (Pre-filter, Main Filter) Main Filter Frame - High strength ABS plastic Main Filter Carbon panels: Eight one inch (25 mm) moisture resistant corrugated kraft honeycomb grids filled with granular activated carbon media contained by fine mesh nylon screens on both air entering and leaving sides Main Filter Panel sealant: Non-volatile type applied along the entire periphery of the panel to eliminate air by-pass Main Filter Activated carbon media: Virgin coconut shell base, 4 x 8 US mesh size, minimum 60% CTC activity Operating limits: 150°F (65°C) and 95% RH Simple controls with variable speed knob to dial in the exact air flow. No distracting lights to keep you up at night No complicated user interface Casters make it easy to push around.