Do You Know How To Buy An Air Cleaner?

Tips on Buying an Air Cleaner

One of the best ways to improve air quality anywhere is to use a HEPA filter. These filters are used in hospitals and clean rooms. They are so efficient that they will remove 99.97% of all particle sizes down to .3 micron. The problem is that that you really can't use these in your home AC unit.  Its just TOO efficient which means your AC unit may not run correctly or worse yet; damage the equipment!

However, you can still take advantage of these high performance filters by using a high-end air cleaner. There are many different air cleaners on the market. But just because they incorporate a HEPA filter doesn't mean that they will do the job you need. Here are a few things to look for:

 

Room Size and CFM

The way an air cleaner works is to move the air in the room through the HEPA filters as many times as possible in an hour's time. The best rule of thumb is 2-1/2 times an hour. Of course, the more the better. The key to achieve this goal is to have a piece of equipment that has a high CFM (cubic feet of air per minute) rate. The bigger the room, the higher the CFM needed. Be careful when looking at CFM rates. Some well known brands will advertise a very high CFM rate BUT THAT IS WITHOUT A HEPA FILTER. It is very easy to take a 300 CFM machine, put a 99.97% HEPA filter in it and end up with a maximum of only 60 CFM !! You should ask for a written test that shows the ACTUAL CFM that the units are producing.

 

HEPAS Must be Pre-filtered

Never buy a unit that does not use a pre-filtering system to protect the HEPA. The equipment should have a quality pre-filter to trap the particle sizes that are too large for the HEPA filters. This will ensure that the HEPA will last a long time. The Icleen products use a 3-stage filter, which give the HEPA filter a very long life. Units that have a piece of foam wrapped around the HEPA are a waste of money. You will spend a lot of money on replacement filters (which is probably just what they want you to do).

 

HEPA Placement

The HEPA filter MUST be the last thing the air goes through before it goes into the room. The reason is that the fan unit cannot only build up dirt but it can also be a source of dirt. Remember, we are trying to remove .3 micron from the air and we don't need another source to contend with.

 
Air Cleaner Placement

An air cleaner should be used to condition a particular area NOT THE ENTIRE HOUSE. The units will help if they are allowed to run continuously. You should pick a room that you or a family member will use for long stretches of time such as a bedroom or nursery.
 
"Ion"estly Believe They Don't Work, Ionizers, that is!!!

There has been a lot of talk about the use of ionizers to clean the air. There are a couple of companies marketing small to large devices that they claim will clean the air by the use of negative ions.
Not only do I personally believe that these products do not work the courts have agreed that such claims are invalid. However, I'm sure that the companies that market or make these products will not sit on their hands. Somewhere along the line they will find a sympathetic ear to redeem their claims. I will agree, however, these units do one thing though and that is freshen up the air. The only problem is that it is done by the use of ozone and sometimes at high levels. This is not something I would like to breathe nor would I like my friends and family members to breathe. As a personal testimony I can say that in my 20 years in the air filtration and indoor air quality business I have NEVER seen ANY commercial, industrial or hospital that cares about clean air use one of these products. Although I firmly believe that people can choose to believe anything they wish I would strongly advise people look hard and long at these products and people selling them.