BlueAir Air Purifiers come in a wide range of models to accommodate different room sizes. Apart from that, its clean air delivery rate has been rated to be second highest this year whilst topping the list set by the AHAM in January 2003′s testing. The Blueair 601 is available at an estimated value of $600 and covers up to 679 sq ft with a 10-year guaranteed warranty as long as filters are changed frequently. The life span of the filters are however shorter than most, creating a need to change filters once every six months. Smaller models like the Blueair 201 at 25 pounds can purify areas as large as 200 sq ft.
Despite using electrostatic filters, BlueAir air cleaners do not release ozone into the air. Air particles are charged before passing through the filter for easier filtering. This works to help retain high levels of HEPA efficiency and prevent ozone release into our breathable air. Furthermore, models are also equipped with carbon filters to help eliminate odors and there is an optional SmokeStop filter which helps purify air of smoke particulates at a clean air delivery rate of 128. All these features make it one of the best smoke air purifiers in the industry. Finally, all units are made from noise muffling steel to reduce noise and to enhance livability of the system.
How An Electrostatic Air Filter Works
Air which passes through the filter produces friction which causes static charges between the hairs of the fibers within the filter. This static charge attracts particles in the air which is passing through and captures it within the metal plates of the electrostatic air filter.
With this, once these filters are cleaned with water through a water hose once in a while, they can then be used again. As they don’t suffer much wear and tear, these electrostatic air filters are also given a lifetime warranty by their producers. Apart from that, the external construction is made from non-corrosive material which will not degrade due to heat from prolonged usage.
Additionally, electrostatic air purifiers are also very cost efficient as they do not require much energy to operate. Therefore, using these electrostatic filters will not hike up your electricity bills. These filters also come in many sizes and shapes, are easy to install and are also environmentally safe as they do not emit ozone into the air for cleaning purposes. Finally, with an electrostatic purifier, you will be sure that your home will be free from any pollutants which may cause allergic reactions to those within your home. Therefore, with an electro static air filter, everyone in your home will be able to breathe easier and feel fresher as well.
Clean air purifiers are designed to filter out 99.97% of particles found in the air, up to 0.3 micron in size. Usually, they use HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate) filters, which have been tested by the Department of Environment for its quality. Additionally, international standards are applied to these filters in order to ensure that consumers get clean air from their purifiers.
Apart from that, other elements also come into place within clean air purifiers. Amongst this is the inclusion of electrostatic charged plates into the clean air purifier to charge the filter and therefore clean the air even more effectively. Also, most air purifiers are also equipped with charcoal filters to get rid of the odors from tobacco smoke and other smells in the air, in order to release fresh-smelling air blown into the indoor environment.
Finally, additional features which are used to kill bacteria and viruses include the use of Ultra Violet rays (UVA and UVB) which are emitted within the clean air purifier unit to kill bacteria which cannot be filtered out by the HEPA filter. Furthermore, most clean air filters run on low energy and therefore can be turned on 24 hours a day without causing an increase in electricity consumption.
Over the years, because of various factors, such as rise in population, increasing number of vehicles on the road, and increase in pollution levels, the outdoor air quality has become practically unbreathable, which is why most homes and offices today are highly insulated to protect against the bad outdoor air, and also to save on energy costs.
This has resulted in an even more dangerous problem – that of bad indoor air quality. As most homes and offices are tightly insulated nowadays, there is not enough circulation of fresh air, which is why the indoor air quality is going from bad to worse. And add to it factors such as pet dander, dust mites, cigarette smoke, and mold spores; add what you get is very unhealthy indoor air.
Bad quality of indoor air leads to many health problems, the least of which are hay fever, runny noses, headaches, breathing difficulties etc. The only way to improve your indoor air quality, and thus your health, is to use clean air machines.
Introducing Clean Air Machines
A clean air machine is an appliance, which helps to clean indoor air and make it fit for breathing. Clean air machines, or air purifiers, remove harmful particulates from the air, such as dust particles, pet hair, dead skin, mold spores etc, and also remove disease causing germs, viruses, bacteria and a host of other micro-organisms from the air. Removing all these dangerous contaminants from the air makes the air cleaner, purer, and safer to breathe for children and adults.
Using a vacuum cleaner and dusting your home regularly, will only remove that has settled on surfaces. Vacuuming does not help to purify the air and also cannot reduce the presence of germs in the air. Only a clean air machine can achieve complete and thorough purification of indoor air.
Benefits Of A Clean Air Machine
A clean air machine will help to purify indoor air and rid the air of all disease causing contaminants. By using an air cleaner for just a couple of weeks in your home, you will see a marked difference in your health and the health of your family members. A clean air machine also provides for better sleep because of purer air, thus making you feel completely rested and energized.
If only we lived in the good old days, where purity of air was taken for granted, we would not need any appliances for cleaning indoor air. But since you don’t, the next best alternative is to get an air cleaning machine.
Although reviews do help, they should be used to short list some air purifiers and not to make the final decision about the best one. Here is no such thing as one best air purifier for everybody. Each person’s requirements, in an air purifier, are different from others, and thus you can only select one that will be best for you. What is the best air purifier for one a particular household may not be the best purifier for another.
Factors For Choosing The Best Air Purifier
- Size of the area: The size of the room, office, or home will determine the best air purifier for that space. If you have a large room, then you cannot use a purifier that is not efficient enough for big spaces. In such a situation, the air purifier best for you will be one that can effectively purify air even in large areas.
- Filtration technologies: There are many different kinds of filtration technologies used in different air purifiers. These include, heap filtration, ionic filtration, ozone generation, UV air purification systems etc. The best air purifiers use more than just one type of technology for air purification. The more the technologies used in a particular air purifier, the better it is likely to be in purification of indoor air.
- Health concerns: The choice will also depend on the type of health problems that you are facing because of bad indoor air quality. Depending on what you are suffering from, you need to decide whether you want an air purifier that attacks air borne particulates, or one that removes germs from the air, or both. An air purifier that helps to minimize your health problems is the only one that can be considered the most suitable air purifier for you.
So, in choosing the right purifier for you, pay attention to your individual home and health requirements, and not to something that you saw on television, or heard somewhere, about some ‘best air purifiers’.
Features To Help With Relieving Allergies
With this, when shopping for an air purifier for allergy relief, it is important to get one that comes with a HEPA air purifier filter. This is as HEPA filters have gone through stringent international testing standards through the Department of Environment’s filter test program, and therefore maintain certain quality standards in filtering out particles. In fact, HEPA air purifier filters can filter out to 99.97% of particles up to 0.3 micron in size. This will definitely get rid of mold, dust, pollen and pet dander which are common causes of allergies.
However, some higher priced air purifiers for allergy relief are equipped with up to five layers of different types of filters to provide ultimate allergy relief. Some of these allergy relief air purifiers include UV lamps that emit UVA and UVB rays in order to kill harmful pathogenic bacteria and viruses. Apart from that, carbon filters also make up part of the air purifier in order to eliminate odors, chemicals as well as tobacco smoke.
Finally, there is a wide range of allergy relief air purifiers available in the market, starting from a few hundred dollars up to the thousands. This is because different locations, such as hospitals and factories, require different levels of allergy relief due to the difference in allergen densities in the air.
Here we have put together some air purifier reviews of some of the top air purifiers available in the markets. This is an unbiased and objective view, which should help you in making the right choice.
- ORECK XL Professional Air PurifierThis air purifier from Oreck is a very nice looking and attractive-to-the-eye system, which is of course the first thing that we noticed about it. On using, it was very silent and also did an efficient job of air purification. It is a nice compact unit and perfect for those who hate bulky looking appliances.On the negative side, the fragrance feature, which is a very nice addition, would have been much better had it actually worked! Also had some price issues with the supplier, even though the unit was ordered from the Oreck website.
- Friedrich C-90A Air Purifier ReviewThe Friedrich uses an electrostatic plate for air purification, which is very effective, but does generate a very small amount of ozone. It has an activated carbon filter that efficiently removes unpleasant odors and fumes. It is a filter-less air purifier, thus your maintenance expenses will be low.The Friedrich can be quite noisy, and could have been a bit better in the looks department. All-in-all, a good buy if you do not have very acute allergy problems.
- IQAir HealthPro Air Purifier ReviewThe price of this air purifier did make us go ‘ouch’ but the cost is definitely worth it. Even though it is one of the more expensive air purifiers in the markets, it is a very good buy because of its super high efficiency in getting rid of particulates and other harmful microorganisms. The filter change indicator is a good addition.The only negative, if you can call it that, would be its price.
- Honeywell HEPA 50250 Air CleanerVery good air purifier, provided the space is not more than 300 sq.ft. It is also very quiet and reasonably priced. It does lack a bit in style, but overall, a good buy for small areas.
Hopefully, our reviewing of major air purifiers will help you.
In the following section, we are provided with a clearer picture as we take a look at the ratings of a few top air purifier brands: IQAir, Holmes, Blueair and Austin Air. The distinct advantage offered from these brands vary between the design of their products, technology, features, noise level, mobility, affordability and functionality.
Top Air Purifiers
- Products by IQAir like the Cleanroom Series and the HealthPro and Plus are developed with many features and functions like increased filter life, increased air delivery with lower noise, ideal for air purification in big spaces, equipped with a LCD panel for better handling and comes with a 5 years warranty. These purifiers are nonetheless expensive as they are high end purifiers. However, they are still a good buy to be used to keep the area safe from allergens and bacteria. Apart from that, they are also able to cover a huge area thanks to its sheer power.
- BlueAir‘s 402, 501 and 601 models are extremely quiet while in operation and all of them comes with a ten year warranty. These models are award-winning Swedish designs and will fit into any household with style. Built for extremely low energy consumption levels, they are also environmental friendly and do not hike your electricity bill up as well. The difference between IQAir and BlueAir is the huge gap in the costs. While IQAir’s products are aimed at the high end and heavy duty target, BlueAir is focused on affordability with style, mobility and the leisure of silence. Both products have their own merits and are aimed at different consumer needs.
Many other models of air purifiers are similar and bear the same if not less amount of features. When looking for air purifiers, the filtration system should be evaluated, in which long term replacement costs can be high as they need to be replaced periodically. Also, certain models do not require any external filters replacements, with only a wash with a hose required from time to time. Long term costs are important to consider as it may rack up a large amount of money in the long run, as opposed to its initial purchase.
That’s where air purifier filters come into the picture. In fact, air purifier filters are economical and effective to help sieve out hazardous particles in the air. Also, many air purifiers in the market use HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate) air purifier filters which have been tested by the Department of Environment. Also, international standards are applied to these filters and test programs and procedures ensure that the quality of the filters are never compromised.
These filters act to remove 99.97% of air particles which contaminate the air, and therefore only clean air will fill your room after filtration. However, the HEPA air purifier filters, although very effective, have to be changed regularly in order to maintain its quality. On the other hand, if the air purifier has an electrostatic clean system with charged plates, the cost of replacing the HEPA air purifier filter can then be reduced.
There are many ways in which an air purifier system works to clean the air. The absorption method removes the larger particles of smoke from tobacco and odors but cannot filter finer particles. However, another method which utilizes a HEPA air purifier filter as a fine screen has the ability to filter out particles as small as 0.3 microns. As the purifier filter does not filter out chemicals, it therefore has to be combined with other types of filtration methods, such a hybrid filter which consists of electric charged plates as well as a HEPA air purifier filter.
“Today, statistics reveal that 1 in 3 American adults and children have severe allergy problems or have asthma”.
“According to research conducted by the American College of Allergies, it is estimated that almost half of all people who have allergies, and a majority of illnesses are made worse because of impure indoor air”.
“The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of the United States has finally announced that the worst environmental health concern in recent years has been that of bad indoor air quality”.
You must surely be wondering as to why we have listed all of the above. It is certainly not to scare or alarm you, but is just to make you aware of the immense health problems, which can be caused due to bad indoor air quality, so as to make you understand the importance of air purification systems, also known as an air purifier.
What Is An Air Purification System?
It is a device that cleans indoor air and makes it free from all kinds of harmful particulates, such as dead skin, pet dander, dust mites; and also removes disease causing germs, viruses, bacteria, and other microorganisms from indoor air.
Why are these so popular today?
In a bid to try and conserve energy and reduce energy costs, most homes and offices have become highly insulated. In the absence of fresh air circulation, the quality of indoor air keeps deteriorating, as there is no natural way to ventilate the area and remove stale and impure air.
The insulation of homes and offices allows harmful pollutants and allergens to remain indoors, thus worsening the quality of the air. As these pollutants can cause many health problems, air purification systems have become the preferred means to improve the quality of indoor air, so as to improve overall health.
Types Of Air Purification Systems
There are various kinds of air purification systems available to choose from. You can either go in for a whole house air purification system, which can help to clean the air in your entire home; or you can opt for a room air purification system, which will help to purify air in individual rooms around your home or office.
More and more people, everyday, are understanding the importance of air purifier systems. Make the smart choice and get one for your home today!