Air Purifier GO!

The Pros and Cons of Electronic Air Cleaners

Clean air! What can be wrong with that? So then how can there be both pros and cons to buying and using electronic air cleaners today? And if you are planning on buying one, you're definitely not alone because since 1990 the number of people bringing them into their homes and offices has been on a steady incline.

So the first positive aspect is that for folks who really need them for health reasons, they can be the key to relief. No doubt about that. Especially for people with allergies, asthma, and other breathing disorders. So then what about people who don't need one and buy one anyway? The answer to that, is that for a good percentage, it is an avoidable expense.

Still one more downside is that it's hard to get real usable information on electronic air cleaners. So many numbers, and so many jumbled facts, and so many different combinations of new high tech technologies. Why on earth can't they just make it all more simple to understand, and also how can things like the lifespan of a filter, for instance, apply to all people in all situations?

The answer to that is they can't. Of course the level of the dust and air pollutants coming into your home has a lot to do with the performance of electronic air cleaners and their air scrubbing feature components. So step one for anyone who wants to breath cleaner air in their home, is to seal it up at the doors and windows. Then if you want to allow dander shedding animals into your home, that's your decision to make.

Now for even more plus sides of the argument, and the first one is even if you don't have any health issues that require that the air in your home or place of work be scrubbed, there are still other benefits. Less dust to clean is one, and also you won't find your electrical household appliances and your computer getting gunked up with dust.

Then again a good quality electronic air cleaners of the correct size and power can help to make your home smell more fresh, and clean. Filled with air that's just more pleasant to breathe than it otherwise would be. Then yet one more thing in favor of using electronic air cleaners, is just like so many other consumer electronic products, as the technology has improved, so too have the prices dropped.

In fact it's now possible to bring the exact same level of technology into your home by way of today's electronic air cleaners that hospitals use to scrub their air of germs, and bacteria. A feature that has only recently been made available for homes. Highly advanced technology that uses ultraviolet light waves to kill bacteria, mold, fungus, and disease pathogens on contact.

SUMMARY

• Pro  Proven relief for breathing disorders

• Pro  Less dust to clean and fresher smelling air

• Pro  Less dust gumming up electrical components

• Pro  Hospital grade anti airborne germ and pathogen technology

• Pro  Lower prices on today's better air cleaners

• Con  An added expense you may not even need

• Con  difficult to get information in simple terms

• Con  Lacking effectiveness in an unsealed home

A Good Electronic Air Cleaner to Consider: The Honeywell F50

Type the words “electronic air cleaner” into your computer, and up will pop a veritable smorgasbord of portable units of all types and sizes. Perfect for moving from room to room, and some of the larger models will even service more than one room. But then what about a whole house electronic air cleaner like the Honeywell F50?

There are a few reasons as to why this and other whole house units tend to listed way in the back, after the portable models, and once you read them they may seem familiar to you. They're probably some of the very same reasons why you might tend to skip over them in favor of a portable unit.

Cheaper and Loaded With Catchy Features

Small portables are cheaper than whole house models. They're loaded with lots of features like gauges, and timers etc. Most also remove smaller pollutant particles down to .03 microns, and catch a higher percentage “by volume”. Keeping in mind that is "by volume". Let's face it. No doubt about it. Reading about some of the better, more feature laden portables can be quite impressive.

So then take a "quick look" at a good handful of the reasons why people who chose to go with the internally mounted whole house Honeywell F50 do it, and you may find yourself being equally if not more impressed. A "high volume" electronic air purifier that mounts into your AC duct-work. Completely out of sight.

What About Those Percentage Numbers?

Now don't let the percentage numbers fool you here because even though this unit might catch a lower percentage of suspended dust particles, your AC unit pushes “ far more air” than a smaller portable unit. Do the math and see for yourself that even with lower percentage numbers, the higher volume means that you are getting “more actual air” being cleaned.

What About that Whopping .02 Micron Difference?

It's the same thing with other numbers too. Like the size of dust particles that certain electronic air purifiers will, or will not remove, and the magic number that so many show seems to be .03 microns. Now the Honeywell F50, being a larger, high volume unit, is rated to only go as low as .05 microns. A difference of .02 microns.

The first thing that you have to do here, is not "get lost" in these “microscopic” numbers. Yes there is a difference in .02 microns here, but unless you have a condition that requires as close to sterile air as possible, this infinitesimal number difference should make absolutely no difference to you.

Consider the Higher Air Volume of the Honeywell F50

Also keep in mind that these numbers are rated for machines operating in optimal conditions. Essentially with a new filter. Now once again the high volume of the Honeywell F50 weighs in here because its larger filter will process a much larger amount of air. Smaller units on the other hand require more filter maintenance to operate at optimal conditions.

Finally a Much Cleaner AC System

Then the last thing to take into account, is that because the Honeywell F50 sits at the front end of the air intake of your AC duct system, it filters “all the air” before it goes through it. This in turn means that your heating and cooling coils stay so much cleaner, as well as the actual air ducts that under normal circumstances would function as giant dust, and pollen depository in your home.

The Bottom Line

So while you will pay more for the Honeywell F50, when you consider the performance factors and the actual volume of air being cleaned in "your entire home", it's by far the better deal. Also with this unit, not only do you get all the air in your entire home scrubbed, but your AC unit, and all the duct-work as well is kept clean and dust free.

Other Popular Options in Portable Air Cleaners

Then again there can be more than one good reason why a whole house system may not be for you. For instance maybe your home isn't even equipped with a central air conditioning system, or perhaps you're living in a rental. Then again maybe you're just like so many other folks and you simply want a “moderately priced” unit that will suffice in your main living area during the days, and in your bedroom at night.

The Hamilton Beach 04383

If this is your case then one bit of shopping advice, is rather then doing hours of tedious online research, simply follow the pack and go with a “proven popular” selling model like the Hamilton Beach 04383 HB TrueAir Allergen Reducer Air Purifier. At around $50 US you can't beat the price for a one room unit, and its permanent vacuum clean hepa filter means no ongoing expense for replacement filters.

Another nice thing about this popular selling air cleaner, is that it has “no high tech” extra features to run the price up and be the source of future malfunctions. Just one simple knob on top of its tower design that turns it on, and off with a three speed option. It's rated for 160 square feet which works out to be 13' by 12'. About the size of your average sized bedroom.

Holmes HAP 242-UC

Then there's the "very popular" Holmes HAP 242-UC desk top electronic air purifier that falls within about the same price range as the Hamilton beach 04383. It's also similar in that it's a simple featureless "problem free" design that only has a three level power knob, and an off-on switch. There are however, some very noteworthy differences with this particular make and model.

For instance the Holmes HAP 242-UC advanced “multi-stage” hepa filter system is designed remove odors and trap particles down to .02 microns in size. Highly unusual for an air purifier this size and in this low price range. Still one more difference, is that this model doesn't have a permanent "vacuum clean" filter system, so it does require periodic replacements. It's also rated for fewer square feet. 109, while the Hamilton beach 04383 is rated for 160.

Honeywell air purifiers are one of the most recommended air filtrating systems by both consumers and experts today.  A quick look at various top 10 lists of today’s best purifiers and Honeywell easily bags a spot in the top 5, often ranking 1^st.  The reason is simple, Honeywell air purifiers live up to the major standard being set for air purifiers and that is the Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR).  CADR measures the amount of particulates in the air cleaned or cleared off every minute and this is measured by cubic feet.  Honeywell air purifiers have really good CADRs that adhere to this standard.

How well an air purifier cleans the air is largely dependent on its filters. A typical Honeywell air purifier is lodged with a pre-filter and the main filter (which is a HEPA filter or High Efficiency Particulate Air filter).  The pre-filter extends the life of the main filter by trapping larger particles like pet fur and hair dust.  In the case of Honeywell air purifiers, pre-filters and made of carbon which means that they also trap or adsorb odors that the main filter would not be able to remove.

Honeywell air purifiers’ HEPA filters pass the 99.7% industry requirement of capacity to remove airborne particles.  These filters are able to filter particles having the sizes of at least 0.3 microns and these include: pet allergens (.3 to 100 microns), dust and dust mite allergens (10-40 microns), pollens (10-100 microns), plant spores (10-70 microns), airborne fungi spores (0.5 to 5 microns), airborne mold spores (2-20 microns), and larger particles of tobacco smoke (0.003 to 0.04 microns).

In summary, if you are on the lookout for an effective filtration system for your home, you can’t go wrong with a Honeywell air purifier.  Just be sure to check out all the features of each Honeywell air purifier model.  Each model is made to fit a particular area in your home.  The really silent ones are perfect for your bedroom, for example, and their CADR are perfect for smaller areas.  The rest of the models have higher CADR and are reasonable options to clean bigger areas of your home.

See larger image Honeywell F300A2025 F300 Electronic Air Cleaner 20x25 (Misc.) Used from: $400.00 In Stock

If you are interested in checking out the Honeywell Enviracaire Elite, I have some sad news for you. It's gone. Well sort of because it's name has really just been changed from the F300 Enviracaire Elite, to just the Honeywell F300.

It's No Longer the Honeywell Enviracaire Elite

You see Honeywell now has a complete line of centrally mounted air purifiers that connect up to the return air duct and there is just one F300 in that lineup. Relax though because the F300 is all that that the F300 Enviracaire used to be, only without the “Elite” at the end of its name.

It is an Ionic Air Purifier So there's No Filter

The F300 is an ionic air purifier, so it of course uses no hepa filter. Rather, the set of metal plates that capture the air particles is simply removed and washed by hand in a sink or it can be washed in a dishwasher. There is just one drawback though.

Rated to Capture a Rather Low 98% of Dust Particles

That is that it's only rated to capture some 98% of the ambient dust particles that pass through it. There is another unit in the lineup, the F500 that is rated higher. However; it uses a hepa filter system and it also costs about $200 more than the F300.

UV Air Sterilization On All Units

The F300 does have one distinct advantage though and that is that it comes with UV air sterilization capabilities. UV light in the unit is generated by a mercury vapor lamp that essentially never needs changing. Even so, all mercury vapor lamps lose half their power in five years.

Humidifier Pad Option on the F300

Two more items with making note of are that this unit also comes with a humidifier pad option. This is optional but the pre-filter screen that catches large particles before they can gunk up the plates is not. It's a standard feature that comes with all models. So you see that this is the Honeywell Enviracaire Elite, just with a simple name change.

Simply Plug it into a Standard 120 Volt Wall Socket

Lastly, it runs off a standard 120 volt wall plug, so this means that there is no need for hard wiring. You simply plug the unit in after it has been installed. Also if there is no room in your AC closet, a pre fabricated closet to contain the F300 is available.

See larger image Honeywell Quiet Clean Air Purifier ()

• Washable reusable filter means no filters to buy

• A high volume tower design

• Several models to choose from

The Honeywell QuietClean line of air purifiers come in a good handful off different sizes, with your usual choice of feature options. However; rather than focusing on each specific model, I'll focus on the line as a whole because there are a few things that make these air purifiers unique.

What Makes the Honeywell QuietClean So Different?

The first item worth making note of, is that they are all your classic tower design. It's a vary popular design style because they take up very little floor space and are in fact quite attractive to look at. Even so, almost without exception, all tower air purifiers are ionic air cleaners.

Small & inexpensive compact model

A Non Ionic Tower Air Purifier

That is that they don't use a standard filter. Ionic air cleaners use static electricity to attract air particles to a set of metal plates that then have to be wiped or washed off. So then whats so different about the Honeywell QuietClean filter system?

They Use a Standard Non Hepa Filter

Whats different is that these aren't ionic air purifiers. Instead they use a standard non hepa filter to screen the particles from the air that pass through them. You see ionic air cleaners, particularly the smaller models simply lack the ability to process large volumes of air.

Smaller Size With a Larger Air Volume

So you get the benefits of a smaller inexpensive tower unit, with the secondary benefit of a larger volume of air being processed than an ionic unit of the same size would handle. So then whats the catch? The catch is that these unique tower models don't use hepa filters.

They Capture 99% - Not 99.97%

Instead they use a standard washable filter to capture air particles. Even so they do capture 99% of the dust and pollen that pass through them, compered to 99.99% of the particles that a standard hepa filter will capture. Just the same, you have to be very careful when reading the numbers that are provided for these units.

Be Careful When Reading the Numbers

For instance, the main company website for the Honeywell QuietClean line boasts that these filters will capture all air particles down to 1.0 micron. Does that number sound familiar? Well be very careful because one decimal point can make huge difference.

What a Difference a Little Decimal Point Makes!

Don't confuse 1.0 microns with 0.1 microns, which is the particle size that the best air purifiers on the market capture. You see 0.1 micron is actually one-tenth the size of 1.0 microns. Also the CADR numbers for all these Honeywell towers are extremely low as well.

See larger image Austin Air HealthMate - Sandstone (Kitchen) List Price: $449.99 USD New From: $479.95 In Stock

• What are the best options for allergy sufferers?

• Is your home sealed up properly?

• Find out about whole house allergy air purifiers!

If you suffer from a dust or pollen allergy, air purifiers are definitely an option that you should be taking a close look at. Even so, before you get started comparison shopping, there are a few things that you need to know. Things that can make all the difference in how you feel.

Dirty air duct - Before/After

Here's Something to Consider!

For instance, have you ever considered having your central air conditioning duct-work cleaned? If your home and its system is more than a few years old, the air lines in the attic may be caked with dust and fibers. It's also a relatively inexpensive job to have done.

One More Place to Block Out the Air Pollution

Another thing that you will want to look into is having your exterior doors sealed up. All it involves, is screwing or nailing a door brush on the bottom of each door to close up the open air passageway that may exist there. These two items are very crucial!

Allergy Air Purifiers and Their Numbers

You see as you compare allergy air purifiers, your going to be faced with several numbers. All of these numbers square footage ratings, etc. have to do with how well any unit processes air. The manufacturers basically speak in terms of how large and how many rooms any given unit can handle.

Any Sized Unit May Not Be Enough

What virtually all of them fail to mention though, is that if your home is unsealed or has a dirty AC duct-work, any unit of any size may not be enough. After all, it takes couple of hours at least for the air in a room to be thoroughly processed even in the best of conditions.

What About a Whole House Unit?

So now on to actual allergy air purifiers and what may work best for your particular condition. To begin with, have you considered a whole house unit? One that connects up directly to your AC duct-work and handles the air in your entire home? Honeywell has several to select from and their cheapest model only costs a little over $100.

The Honeywell F500 whole house model

The Honeywell F500 Whole House Model

Their most expensive model the F500 costs upwards of $800 to $900, depending on options but if you do the math, it's still most likely a cheaper option than buying more than one unit for handling more than one room in your home. Also one large allergy air purifier means that you don't have several dirty filter to mess with.

A Big Heavy Duty Workhorse

So then, what if your allergies are extreme and you don't want to go through the hassle of having a whole house unit installed? In this case one model worth looking into is the Austin Air Healthmate. It's not a cheap unit but it is rated to process up to a full 1300 square feet of floor space.

One of the Biggest and Best Portable Allergy Air Purifiers

That's not all because this particular allergy air purifier is a veritable air pollution gathering beast. It features a four stage filter system that weighs some thirty pounds. This monster filter actually contains some 15 pounds of activated charcoal and get this. It only has to be changed once every five years.

Discover all the differences between the...

• F500 A and F500 B Models

• The F300, the F200 and the F100
  

Honeywell air cleaners for the entire home come in five separate models. The F500A, the F500B the F300, the F200 and their F100. The F500 models are their hepa filter models and they are both identical in their size and specifications save for one difference.

The F500A and the F500B

That is that the F500A is built for mounting an air conditioned environment while the F500B is specified for installation outside of air conditioned environments. I'm only guessing but it seems to me that it all has to do with temperature sensitive mechanisms in the units that monitor their performance.

About Square Footage Ratings

In grading smaller single room air purifiers one of the first items on a checklist would be the square footage rating. That is just how many square feet is a model rated for. In the case of these whole house models you won't find one. They do have a fan in them but there are just too many variables involved in an entire home to come up with one precise figure.

No Hard Wiring Required

Another item worth noting, is that all of these whole house units are operated by way of a completely wireless system. (a wall mounted remote) They also require no hard-wiring. That is that they're powered by a standard 120V plug-in cord that's comes connected to each unit. You simply plug it in.

What About UV Air Sterilization?

Another important aspect worth making note of, is that only one of these these Honewell air cleaners has any type of UV air sterilization system. (the F300) However; if this is something that's important to you it may be worth your time to look into some of the recent studies that have determined that germs die shortly after being trapped on ionic collection treys.

About the F200 Model

So then there must be some other significant differences between these various models of Honeywell air cleaners. There is and for instance, while the F500 models are more complex and feature laden the F200 is their stripped down no fan unit that's designed for installation on forced air heaters and cooling systems up to 5 tons.

No Electrical Hook-Up Required

The two main benefits that this very affordable unit offers is low price ($250) and complete ease of installation. (no electrical hook-up). Rather, it uses electrostatic filter technology to capture particles as small as .03 microns. It also has easy filter access for quick changing. This unit comes ready to adapt to 16” X 20” ducting, so some adaptation may be required.

What it Has to Offer

This really is the perfect unit for someone who isn't in the market for a high performance air cleaner, as say a person with severe allergies might need. The person who's simply interested in seeing their air filtered far better than a standard duct filter is capable of, who also has an eye towards low maintenance and affordability.

Back Up to the F500 Models

Jumping back up to the $700 to $800 F500 models. These really are what you would call enlarged versions of your standard feature laden hepa filter systems, without UV purification systems. They use a three stage filter system that consists of an activated carbon filter, pleated pre-filter and a final hepa filter that captures 99.97% of dust particles down to .03 microns.

The Real Difference Between the F500 A & B

The only real difference between the A and the B model is that the B model comes in an insulated steel cabinet, while the A model cabinet is just plain steel. Also both of the F500 models can be mounted directly in line or out of line with separate ducting because they both have fans that push air. They both also have automatic filter sensor to let your remote know it's time for a change.

Their F300 Ionic Air Cleaner

Honeywell air cleaners F300 model would best be described as large version of a full featured ionic air purifier, complete with UV air sterilization. One thing that I like about this unit, is that it uses a pre-filter to screen out the larger gunk so it doesn't muck up the main filter grid. A nice feature to have on a high volume unit.

Minimal Air Duct Flow Resistance

The F300 which is priced in the area of $400, also comes with a humidifier pad option and a ten year clean coil guarantee. Yet one more benefit of this type of ionic in system air purifier is that because the air easily passes through the grids, it has minimal effect on the overall air duct air pressure.

Their F100 Model

The F100 in the Honeywell air cleaners lineup is for all intents and purposes the exact same unit as their F200 model. There are two note worthy differences though and they are price and the fact that the F100 model does not come with an automatic air filter changing sensor. You can find this unit for sale online for as little as $100.

It's The F200 With No Filter Sensor

That really is pretty cheap and the fact is that under normal conditions, filter changes can be so infrequently needed that going without the automatic filter sensor rally is no big deal. Just remember to change it every few months or so. Also keep in mind that just like the F200, this model uses a folded or (pleated) electrostatically charged filter.

See larger image Sharp FP-P40CX Plasmacluster Air Purifier (Kitchen) List Price: $299.99 USD

• What are the best Filter systems?

• What about smoke and odor eradication?

• What about pricing?

• Hepa air cleaners that kill airborne viruses?
  

If ionic air cleaners seem far more advanced to you in a technological sense then hepa air cleaners, they're not. In fact the truth is that ionic technology is around 100 years old, while hepa filters have only been around for about half that time.

Building A-Bombs for a Better World!!

Would you believe that they were developed by the U.S. Government for use during the making of the first atomic bombs during WW2? Well it's the truth! They needed a filter that could trap the fine dust particles of radioactive material.

Now that's Pretty Darned Small!

While there are no official standards to go by, the accepted industry standard is that in order for a filter to be called a hepa filter, it must be able to trap 99.97% of suspended particulate matter of at least .03 microns in diameter. By the way, a micron is one millionth of a meter.

People Just Never Seem to Be Content

So for decades this really seemed good enough for the vast majority of air cleaner buyers, until a couple of decades ago when things began to heat up in the way of competition to increase the efficiency of hepa filter air cleaners. New and better ways to trap particles, smoke, odors and even kill dangerous viruses.

No One Likes a Noisy Hepa Air Cleaner!

You see the challenge with increasing overall efficiency all along, was to find ways to do it without impeding air flow. Simply making an existing filter more dense, meant having to increase the fan size and power to push the air through it. This of course means more noise.

Now Doesn't that Air Smell Nice & Fresh?

So one of the first new developments to come about was a thin carbon fiber pre-filter to help to eliminate smoke and odors. These filters tend to be washable and because they're thin, they also don't impede air flow. Check out Honeywell air purifiers because this company has done a great job in this area.

Superman's Superfilter From the Planet Krypton

Then sometime after that, someone had the bright idea to combine ion and hepa filter technology, to create a super filter of sorts. A filter system that's capable of trapping particles down to a microscopic .01 microns. A way to give particles an ionic charge, so they're better attracted to the hepa filter.

Plasmacluster Technology? - My God! Where Will it all End?!

The Sharp Plasmacluster integrated system is a stellar example of this technology in action. It's everything standard ionic technology is plus a hepa filter. All without the ozone production. On top of it all, you can add air sterilization to the list of benefits that Plasmacluster technology brings to the table. It instantly eradicates viruses.

Quality Always Costs a Little More

Now on the downside, all Sharp hepa air cleaners, which by the way garner consistent 4-5 star Amazon user reviews aren't cheap. Now they aren't exceedingly expensive either, it's just that in their sq. footage and air volume category, they tend to be positioned towards the top in a competitive pricing review.

Even Folks on a Budget Hate Germs

Just because you choose not to pay the extra money for Plasmacluster technology doesn't mean that you have to go without air sterilization though. This is because there is a vast selection of makes and models that use UV radiation to zap viruses, mold and fungus spores.

They Do Just as Good a Job

Don't worry though because hepa air cleaners that use UV radiation are perfectly safe. It's just light radiation that's produced by a mercury vapor lamp inside the machine. They in no way adversely effect the air and UV light waves do a great job of sterilizing the air that they process.

If you're like most newbies, you need an air purifier so you set out to buy. Air purification information hits you like a swirling storm though. So many different types. So many different new technologies and so many sizes and features. How can you decide?

What are Your Actual Air Cleaning Needs?

The first thing that you need to do is calm down and keep things in perspective. Then you must decide what your real needs are. Are you suffering from acute allergies for instance, or are you simply looking to cut down on the dust level in your home? Is there a smoker in your home?

Don't Buy Air Purifier System You Don't Need You

The last thing that you want to do is go at it from the other direction. That is to become bedazzled by the technology, size and features and make an impulse buy. Do this and you may be stuck with a unit that is less or more than what you really needed.

Are You Suffering From Allergies?

Now if your situation is acute. For instance, if you're looking for some serious relief from allergies, smoke and pet odors then you will want to pay close attention to the number that indicates the minimum particle size that an air cleaner will capture.

A Micron is One Millionth of a Meter

Most go as far down as .03 microns, while the more exacting units with more advanced filtration systems go as far down as particles of .01 microns. Now bear in mind that the more advanced the filters and systems, the more there is to be cleaned and maintained.

Is it Your Goal to Just to Eliminate Dust in Your Home?

This is why if your goal is to simply eliminate dust in your home for aesthetic purposes, you might be better served by looking into a machine with a more straight forward filtration system. A .03 micron filter system. Are you now beginning to see why before you buy, air purifier information is so critical?

Then What About Convenience Features?

Well hold on because it gets even worse. Take convenience and air sterilization features, as fine examples. Take a look around online and you can find any number of units that are completely loaded down with every type of feature you can imagine. You can have all of them if you want!

Can You Get Along Without Convenience Feature Options?

Timers, sensors, LED control panel automatic this and automatic that. So there you are left scratching your head and wondering just what you actually need and what you can do without. To make matters worse, you click to a site and there is a top of the line unit that comes with no features at all. Just a straight forward air cleaner!

Some Top Rated Units Have No Features At All

The fact is that when it comes down to it, you really don't need any extra features at all and with the exception of an illness, you don't need air sterilization either. The Blueair 402 is a fine example of a stripped down air purifier that basically comes with just an on off button and five fan settings.

You Don't Need Features to Clean a Lot of Air

It's a 40 pound, steel cased air cleaning beast that garners consistent 4-5 star amazon user reviews. Because it has no snazzy convenience features, it also has a low comparative price (you pay for features) and an unheard of ten year guarantee. Hey! No features equals no problems.

Then Again Some Folks Just Must Have Them

Then again, if you're the type of person who simply must know at any given time the actual pollution level in your home, there are any number of models to accommodate you. Need LED lighting and automatic fan adjustment? That's no problem either. Or what about ultraviolet air sterilization? That's no problem either.

Once Again Before You Buy, Air Purifier Info is Helpful

Now another number that you're going to come across, is the square footage rating. Once again, before you buy, air purifier information is critical because there is no government standard regulation these numbers. Each manufacturer decides them on their own and your own particulars also factor in heavily.

Do You Live on a Dusty Horse Ranch?

For instance if your home is well sealed and there isn't that much pollution to clean, you can get away with using a unit that isn't rated all the way up to your square footage. On the other hand, if you live on a dusty horse ranch and suffer from severe allergies you may want to buy a unit with a higher square footage rating.

See larger image Sunpentown Dehumidifier with UV Light (Electronics) List Price: $249.00 USD

• How do they Kill Germs and Mold Spores?

• Just What is UV Radiation and is it Safe?

• What in the Machine Creates the UV Light?

• What Machines Deliver the Best Air Treatment?

Ultraviolet germicidal irradiation or (UVGI) as it is also commonly referred to, is the term that is used to describe what UV air purifiers do. They basically kill germs as well as mold and fungus spores by zapping them with a brief shot of ultraviolet radiation.

What About Radioactive Air!!??

So then do these air purifiers contain some type of hazardous radioactive material or can the in some way send out radioactive air or gas if they malfunction? The simple answer to both those common questions is no. Absolutely not!

Don't Let the Word “Radiation” Scare You

Don't make the mistake of confusing light radiation, which UV rays are and nuclear radiation, such as the type that's produced by plutonium. You see radiation is just the word that is used to describe anything that moves out and away from something.

How a UV Air Purifier Makes the UV Rays


The light coming from the light bulbs in your home is also in fact radiation, just like the light that's used in these types of air purifiers. You see, unlike a standard light bulb, a mercury vapor lamp is used in these air cleaners to generate UV radiation. It's just a light bulb that's filled with mercury vapor.

Treated Air Carries No Residual Effects

Now once the air in a purifier is zapped in its closed chamber by the mercury vapor lamp, it's done. That is that it leaves the unit just as it came in, other then the fact that it has been sterilized. It in no way carries any residual effects from the UV treatment any more than you can carry residual light when you click off your light switch.

Does the UV Treatment Help to Filter Air?

Understand though that UV air purifiers in no way filter air any better than an air purifier that does not include the UV feature. That is that the UV treatment in no way assists the machine in trapping air pollution particles. So then your next question may be “which machine has the better UV treatment feature”?

Which Machines Do the Best Job of UV Treatment?


The answer is that unlike things like filters that can come in any number of configurations and can be made from any number of materials, UV radiation and the mercury vapor lamps that create it are all alike. It would be like asking which drop of water between three of them is wetter. It's just light.

More Facts You Should Know About Mercury Vapor Bulbs

This type of light bulb is relatively inexpensive, so it really makes no sense for a manufacturer to use anything but a good quality bulb in their UV air purifiers. One thing worth noting though, is that while a mercury vapor lamp can last for decades, they do slowly degrade and will lose about half their power in about five years.

See larger image Honeywell 50250 99.97% Pure HEPA Round Air Purifier (Kitchen) List Price: $210.99 USD New From: $164.89 In Stock Used from: $89.99 In Stock Release date September 15, 2005.

• Just what is a hepa filter anyway?

• How big is a micron?

• Can a hepa filter really last a lifetime?

If you have been checking into air purifiers, hepa filter is two words that you're no doubt familiar with by now. Time and again they're mentioned as pretty much the end of the road when it comes to air filtration technology. All of them have them and each manufacturer also claims that theirs are the best So then what is a hepa filter anyway??

What Makes an Air Filter a Hepa Filter??

The fact is that there is no official government standards that dictate what makes a filter a hepa filter for home air cleaners. However; there is a common accepted industry standard that this type of filter must remove 99.97% of suspended air particles. Also there are exacting “official” standards that the U.S. Department of Energy has for it's respirator hepa filters.

So then How Big is a Micron?

By the way, hepa is an acronym for the phrase (high efficiency particulate air). Today they are for the most part made from fiberglass or plastic fibers that are usually around 5 microns in diameter. Now you've heard the word “micron” also mentioned in air purifier literature. A micron is a measurement that's equal to 1 millionth of a meter.

Non Shedding Life-Time Filters - WOW!!

So the battle is now on amongst air purifier manufacturers to make their latest hepa filter sound like the best choice. New materials that don't shed fibers and even hepa filters with names like “LifeTime”, so they appear to never have to be changed. So then, how can you sort out fact from fiction?

Maybe it's Time for A Little Common Sense?

It's all really quite simple if you apply a little common sense. Take the filters that are promoted as “never shedding fibers” for instance. First of all, who ever said that the filters before them even did shed fibers? The fact is that they most likely didn't, also remember that they catch 99.97% of air particles.

Who Even Said the Last Filters Shed??

This means that some .03% is still passing through! So given that a finite amount of dust is still escaping and that previous hepa filters never even shed fibers in the first place, new non shedding air purifiers hepa filter technology can most likely be chalked up to so much marketing hype. Now on to the lifetime filter.

Will Your Air Purifiers Hepa Filter Die Before You Do??

One more reason to live to be 100

Now it's only a few manufacturers that are making the lifetime filter claim and a couple even do it without even openly saying it. They use trade names like “LifeTime” and then let your own imagination, coaxed along with careful promotional wording, do the rest.

80 Years is an Awful Long Time for Anything to Last!

Now with the average lifespan in western countries now hovering somewhere up around 80 years, it's just hard to imagine a filter that will last that long. Now I know that you're not going to buy the filter on the day that you're born but just the same, you can get what I'm getting at here.

Quality Does Count But Only at a Reasonable Cost

The truth is that longer lasting hepa filters are being made now. However; over time, with enough vacuum cleaning sessions even these so called lifetime filters can get a little worn around the edges. My opinion is that for air purifiers, hepa filters of good quality do count but don't get suckered into paying an exorbitant price for yours.