Air Purifiers FAQ
Why do I need an air purifier?
For more than forty years now, American society has been concerned with outdoor pollution and the health risks attached to environmental pollutants. Many legislative measures have been passed to cut down on unhealthy air in our environment. Almost 20 years ago, the US Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA stated that indoor air pollution is one public health risk with a "high priority".
More attention is now being focused on the air we breathe indoors. In fact, the EPA has made estimations stating that indoor air can be 2 to 5 times more polluted than outdoor air. That is surprising. Air purifiers are considered the state-of-the-art technology to help us get the air clean inside our homes, offices, and workshops – and clean air on the inside is more important to us than ever.
To reduce indoor air pollution, the EPA along with the American Lung Association suggest three key points:
1. Control the sources of indoor pollution (such as smoke, dust, pet dander),
2. Ventilate the air space properly,
3. Clean indoor air.
The first two items are not always within our control. But we can definitely control the clean air we breath indoors through the use of a room or whole home air purifier.
What causes indoor air pollution?
Pollution is considered anything that interferes with normal air conditions and could pet dander, pollen from trees and flowers that blows indoors, chemical irritants in perfume, scented air “fresheners” and household cleaning items. More common indoor air pollutants are smoke, dust, and mold.
Add to that whatever contaminants are floating around outside your home. In areas where the pollution is bad outside, you can bet the air your breath on the inside is just as dirty if not more, according to the EPA.
Do I need an air purifier for my whole house or just one room?
The only difference between the two is the amount of square footage the purifier can cover. A room air purifier generally cleans abut 500 square feet or less, while a home air purifier usually covers 800, 1500 or even more square feet. So, the answer to your question really depends on the size of the area you will be cleaning.
What is HEPA?
HEPA is an industry acronym that stands for High Efficiency Particulate Air. HEPA air purifiers are ones that include a special air filter designed to capture dust particles. According to air quality control standards, a HEPA filter must remove at least 99.97% of all particles as small as 0.3 microns.
Since you mentioned it, what the heck is a micron?
Some airborne particles are big enough for us to breathe in, but so small that we can’t see them. These unseen microscopic impurities in the air are very abundant, and their size is measured in microns. A micron is tiny, to say the very least. One micron is equal to one 25,000th of an inch, or .00004 inch. Dust is said to measure about 5 microns, while a single tiny grain of sand is about 850 microns or so. With that in mind, a HEPA filter does some serious filtration.
