5 Things you must consider while buying an Air Purifier

What to know before buying an air purifier?

Air quality has a massive impact on our health. Exposure to contaminated air can lead to serious health issues such as allergies, asthma, and other respiratory problems. An air purifier is considered a smart way to clean air by removing pet dander, mould spores, pollen, and more. Air purifiers help in maintaining a healthy environment. Since some virus needs to be attached to something like a water droplet or dust particle in the environment, the air purifier captures and hold them there. Thus, reducing the risk of transmission. Since a variety of air purifiers are out there, it is perplexing to find out which one can help you.

Air purifiers are designed for specific purposes, for allergic eczema, purifiers come with multiple filters to remove allergens, while for asthma, purifiers have filters that remove allergens. Some purifiers have specific filters for smoke, pets dander, and harmful gases.

Things you should consider before buying an Air Purifier

Purpose of the Product (Air Purifier)

It is recommended that you should be very specific about the purpose while buying a purifier. Some of the air purifiers are designed for specific needs like Allergies, Asthma, Smoke, Pets, & Chemical Sensitivities. Purifiers with HEPA (High-Efficiency Particulate Air) filters are perfect to eliminate microscopic pollutants like pollen, dust, mould, bacteria, and pet dander. When used with activated carbon filters, they help in removing harmful chemicals and gases from the air. Electrostatic precipitators and ionizers release negatively charged particles into the air, which clings to the positively charged pollutants. This heavy particle gets trapped in the filters of the purifier or gets precipitated.

1. Size of Air Purifier

Air purifiers are available for different coverage areas. Picking up the right one is essential to make the best use of air purifiers. If you choose one with a small coverage area and use it in the larger coverage area, it won’t filter the air adequately. Selecting too large consumes too much electricity.

Air Purifier Size Guide

• Small – These are designed for coverage area up to 299 square feet.
• Medium – Perfect for coverage area between 300 – 600 square feet.
• Large – For coverage area between 600 and 1000 square feet.

2. ACH of Air Purifier (Air Change per Hour):

ACH signifies the number of times the purifier can circulate the total volume of air in a room within an hour. In case of allergies or asthma, you should consider an air purifier with a high rate of ACH. Purifiers that facilitate air cleaning at least four times per hour are best for those who have allergies or asthma. However, devices with a rate of more than 4 ACH are effective in removing microscopic allergens.

3. Clean air delivery rate (CADR):

It is a measure of the air purifier’s efficiency. Choose a device with a higher CADR because it purifies the air of a specific room size at a much faster rate.

4. Noise Ratings:

If you require to run your air purifier throughout the day or overnight, noise could be a problem. Consider before buying an air purifier with a noise rating of less than 50dB. It will not disturb your sleep.

5. Ozone Emission:

However, these electronic filters can create ozone and can damage the lungs and can cause chest pain, coughing, shortness of breath, and throat irritation. So, consider only those that have been tested and proven to not produce ozone.

Conclusion

What to know before buying an air purifier – These are some points that can help you find the best air purifiers as per your unique requirements. You can also consider additional factors such as maintenance costs, warranty, manufacturer’s reputation, & service availability.