This information, is brought to you by Absolute Air Cleaners and Air Purifiers Inc.
My name is Barry Cohen. I have been in the indoor air quality field and air cleaner industry since 1989. This honest and accurate report is to help you choose the proper type of air cleaner or air purifier that will best serve your required indoor air quality needs.
There are many types of air cleaning devices on the market being sold to people to control and remove the many allergens that trigger allergy, asthma and other respiratory and immune system problems. The most common triggers are smoke, dust, pollen, dust mite allergen, cat and dog dander, mold spores and a huge cocktail of chemicals that out-gas from carpeting, furniture, pesticides, paints, cleaning products and household building materials.
The most common portable air cleaning devices offered on the market include: HEPA filtered air cleaners and air purifiers, Non- HEPA filtered types of polyester or washable fiber filtered air cleaners, ionizers, ozone-ionizer air purifiers and electronic air cleaners. I will explain how each of these air cleaner devices actually operates and how they will best benefit your direct needs.
HEPA Air Purifiers & Air Cleaners
Portable HEPA filtered air purifiers and air cleaners are by far the best all around type of room air cleaning system for dust, allergy and asthma control. However there are many levels of quality in the different brands and models that are on the market. I will explain the advantages and differences.
When choosing a quality HEPA air cleaner there are a few very important things to look for.
1. Cleaning Square Footage Area and Air Exchange Rate Per Hour
Look for your HEPA air cleaner to have the highest air exchange rate per hour in any sized room or open area. Remember no air cleaner can clean through walls or clean through narrow hallways or doorways from one room into another. Note: If you place a HEPA air cleaner in a hallway between three bedrooms the air cleaner will do a wonderful job of cleaning the hallway, but it will not be able to clean the air in the adjoining bedrooms.
Each bedroom will need it ‘s own air cleaner if you desire to keep the air in your needed bedrooms clean. A quality HEPA air cleaner can clean and exchange the air through its HEPA filter up to 15 times per hour in an average sized bedroom space of 12 ‘ x 15 ‘ and do a good job of cleaning the air in an open room or areas up to 1000 square feet. If your family room is open to your living room and or kitchen area and the open space is approximately 1000 square feet or smaller a quality HEPA air cleaner will do a good job of keeping that space much cleaner. Most people choose to keep one quality HEPA air cleaner in their needed bedroom{s} and one in their family room area to cover the majority of their living space.
Don ‘t be fooled into thinking that a smaller room should have a small air cleaner! Quality HEPA air cleaners are only approximately 15 inches square by 24 inches high. The height can vary a few inches one way or another. AGAIN, you want to have the highest air exchange rate per hour in any sized room or open area! A small air cleaner will have a low air exchange rate per hour giving you an inadequate cleaning job in most cases. Note that the great majority of the department store and chain store HEPA air cleaners that are on the market are far inferior compared to the much higher quality air cleaners sold by air cleaner specialty businesses and they provide only a very low air exchange rate of approximately 3- 5 air exchanges per hour in a small bedroom. In a larger family room area they are completely inadequate.
Activated Carbon And Zeolite Included In HEPA Filtered Air Purifiers And Air Cleaners
Many HEPA Air Cleaners and HEPA air purifiers include a certain amount of activated carbon to absorb and remove odors and out-gassing chemicals from the indoor air environment. Some of these carbon filters are mixed with a mineral called zeolite, which does a great job of absorbing ammonia and urine odors. The more activated or carbon and zeolite in the HEPA air cleaner, the more odors and out-gassing chemicals can be removed from your indoor air environment. Activated carbon and zeolite can remove a huge cocktail of chemicals that out-gas from carpeting, furniture, pesticides, paints, cleaning products and household building materials. Most quality HEPA air cleaners will include between 3 1/2 and 15 pounds of activated carbon. It is important to replace the carbon as needed. The lesser the carbon the more often it should be replaced. Replacement carbon filters are normally inexpensive and easy to replace. Beware of low quality air cleaners that claim that they have activated carbon in them. Most of the inexpensive low quality air cleaners only use a very, very small amount of carbon dust that is impregnated into a replaceable sponge, foam or fibrous pre-filter. I can assure you that a few ounces of carbon dust will not do a good job of removing out-gassing chemicals and odors. Filters impregnated with carbon dust, is nothing more then a marketing scheme and it is all show and no go!
2. Aftermarket filter replacement costs.
An important concern when purchasing a HEPA air cleaner is to know what the future after market filter replacement costs will be. Quality HEPA air cleaners may cost a bit more money up front, but most quality brands will cost you much less money in future aftermarket pre-filter, carbon filter and HEPA filter replacement costs. Many of the less expensive and lower quality department store and chain store HEPA air cleaners may cost you between $100 and $250.00 when you purchase them. But the yearly filter replacement cost can almost equal the cost of the unit itself. You can spend a $1000.00 feeding filters into inexpensive lower quality HEPA air cleaners in only five years time. Most high quality HEPA air cleaners after market filter replacements will only cost between $180.00 and $400.00 in five years time. See! You just saved $600.00 to $800.00 dollars. gippro