GE HEPA air purifiers work by drawing air from the surrounding area through the front grill and passes the air through a foam pre-filter, a SmartAire charcoal filter and finally a SmartAire HEPA filter. The filtered air will then be released out into the room, free from smoke, dust, mold spores, pet dander and pollen via the top outlet. In fact, the GE air purifier has it stated in the manual that the filter is capable of removing 99.97% of airborne particles down to the size of 0.3 microns.
Apart from that, the design of the HEPA air purifier allows it to be upright or lying on its side. As long as the grilled outlets are not blocked, the air purifier will function smoothly. There is also a filter life monitor which utilizes green, yellow and red to indicate the condition of the filters. Newly installed filters will be monitored as green, accumulated filter pores is represented as yellow whilst if the red light pops up, it is time to change your filters. The HEPA filters need replacing only once every 12 to 18 months whereas the carbon filters need replacements every 3 to 6 months, depending on the usage. The unique design of the filters allow users to just slide the carbon filter onto the surface of the HEPA Filter, merging the two as a single filter. The GE HEPA air purifier has a 5 year limited warranty.
For users who know about the hassles of maintaining air purifiers this feature of the Friedrich C-90A will come as a wonderful surprise: its filter cells are washable and re-usable. This reduces the need and cost to replace HEPA filters annually, making it the only air purifier manufacturers with this smart feature. The pre-filters can be conveniently placed in the dishwasher for a wash or washed by hand with normal washing liquid and water, preferably on a monthly or weekly basis to maintain its high levels of filtration. Only the carbon filters need replacing once every three months to maintain odor eliminating power.
At low speeds it is one of the quietest air purifiers around, although there are regular zapping sounds (due to the arcing phenomenon, much like lightning in thunderstorms) from its electrostatic filters when it is close to cleaning time and this noise maybe found irritable by most. This air purifier is recommended for rooms smaller than 450 sq ft for optimum cleaning although it can clean a room as large as 600 sq ft due to its high CADR as received from independent AHAM laboratory tests. It also scores well in energy efficiency, estimated to cost only about $ 50 – $ 60 a year to run.
Additionally, each EcoQuest air purifier also come with a five-speed fan, an Away mode feature which helps reduce mold, mildew and bacteria in unoccupied spaces, carbon filters to aid odor removal, and an ultraviolet-light ionizer. It makes up for its lack of a HEPA filter (a more popular feature in most air purifiers today) by using a technology known as “Space Certified” Radiant Catalytic Ionization (RCI), the same type of technology used to clean the air inside spacecrafts. This ionizer with ultraviolet light aims to reduce airborne contaminants and to kill most microorganisms found in the air through the process of ionization.
Could Ozone Be A Problem, Though?
Nevertheless, the ionization process does produce ozone as a byproduct. As high levels of ozone has been found by certain researchers to cause detrimental effects to human health, EcoQuest has claimed that the ozone levels emitted is within safety levels. This is as Ozone is necessary to be used in these air purifiers to turn particles in the air into ash. In spite of that, Ecoquest International has shown confidence in the cleaning abilities of their purifiers, especially in eliminating smoke and odor, and also by making more than $6000 worth of donations in air purification systems to the Pentagon following the events of September 11. Currently, this company is focusing on research and development for more advanced water and air purification technologies.
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.
Each series is equipped with different combinations of purification power to cater to different usage requirements. The AirWash/AirRhino Systems combine mechanical filtration and activated carbon to help reduce specific particles and provide odor and chemical control. Buyers can customize their industrial air purifiers to be equipped with either a true HEPA filter or a MAC-B activated carbon filter, or a combination of both. The filters are easy to change and easy to handle. Other options for these industrial air purifiers include a germicidal UV lamp, pressure seal and gel seal.
AllerAir air purifiers’ I-6500 series contain HEPA filters which are 12 inches deep and a MAC-B activated carbon filter that can be customized to neutralise 4000 noxious chemicals in the air. Plus, a pre-filter is attached to prolong the life of the HEPA filter. The model is ideal for areas where dust or odor problems persist.
Additionally, buyers seeking industrial air purifiers can also look into the AllerAir 9000 series. These air purifying machines are equipped with welding fume extractors that trap gases and chemicals from welding fumes through its 4 stage filters. On the other hand, the AllerAir 9650 comes with built-in carbon filters and a special tar-trap pre-filter to filter smoke particles.
In areas where volatile organic compound problems are abound, the Allerair 8000 is built with specifically manufactured carbon filters for this purpose. Even the smallest of the industrial air purifiers, the AllerAir 5000 series, contain special carbon beds useful for chemical, gases and odor particles adsorption.
Also see the official AllerAir site.
Perhaps not known to many, air conditioners act like a refrigerator and only cool down the air in the house. The term conditioner is often mistaken and they really serve no other purpose but to cool the air. On the other hand, whole house air purifiers work to help improve the quality of air within homes. Whole house purifiers are able to filter airborne particles anywhere from germs, bacteria, pet dander, mold spores and also keep the household fresh of odors from tobacco smoke and chemicals.
Apart from that, certain house air purifiers are also able to create and distribute ozone around the house. Ozone emitted by home air purifiers react with the contaminant particles in the air and turn them into ash that can be swept away later.
Apart from that, carbon filters used in these whole house air purifiers help to eliminate the presence of odors. Another problem which most households have is the presence of molds. These air purifiers that are made specifically to generate ozone would be extremely efficient in removing formed mold. Recently, there has been a controversy surrounding the efficiency of utilizing ozone in whole house air purification, as it is doubtful on the safety levels of the ozone generated.
While air conditioners are able to cool the air more efficiently, whole house air cleaners will ensure the air is clean with no harmful bacteria or wastes. Having pure and clean air will ensure that every person that lives in the house be safe from potential diseases which air conditioners cannot deter.
A notable product is the Friedrich C-90 Air Purifier. Amongst its benefits is its high powered air purifying power, energy efficiency, 450+ square feet coverage of effective air filtering and it is compact size. This electronic air purifier is built with electronic precipitation technology which is important to allergic and sensitive people. Being user friendly, it is also economical as it does not require filter renewal maintenance. The only thing is that its carbon filters need to be replaced periodically but they do not cost anywhere as high as the regular purifier filters.
Other electronic purifiers like the Aranizer utilizes purifying technology based on oxygen and lightning to resuscitate the air we breathe. Its electronic field is able to produce rare molecules which in turn form more molecules of oxygen, thus purifying the air from harmful allergens. In short, the Aranizer Air Purifier uses the power of nature to accelerate the speed of which air is purified. Energy consumption is always low, and it is effectively for use in rooms, attics, stores, leisure rooms and decent sized areas for optimum air purifying.
Electronic air purifiers are built towards personal, residential, commercial and industrial needs. They do not present harmful risks of electronic radiation as they, like their other air purifier counterparts, have similar low energy output. This is a fact that unknown to many, and is also the main reason why many prefer not to purchase an electronic air purifier.
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.