Your First Look At Effective Air Purifiers

Ionic, Ultra Violet, and Ozone air purifiers: to choose or not to choose. Literally thousands of articles are written on this subject each year. How does one sort out fact from fiction? First, begin with the obvious. Every manufacturer has the best in his own sight. So look elsewhere.

There are several basic types of air purifier. The first contains HEPA air filters, which are able to effectively remove 99.97% of all particulate matter in the air. This controls dust and removes pollen. HEPA filter technology is probably the best air purifying technologies currently available. On the downside, air purifiers using HEPA filters need to have their filters changed regularly to remain effective.

Another form of air purifier uses electrostatic or electronic systems. These air purifiers don't have air filters that need replacing, but do have charged plates which need to be washed periodically in order to remain effective. Both air purifiers with HEPA air filters and those that use electrostatic systems are able to control dust and other particles effectively, but on their own can't remove odors or other chemicals.

In order to do this, an air purifier must have some form of activated carbon or UV purification system. Air purifiers work by drawing air from the room into the system with a fan, clean the air, and then release the clean air back into the room.

When you consider buying an air purifier, it's important to know how the system works. As described above, if you want an air purifier that both eliminates particulate matter and potentially dangerous chemicals and odors, you will want an air purifier that contains activated carbon or a UV purification system.

You also need to know the power of the machine you are purchasing and its general effectiveness. Air purifiers, whether they contain HEPA filters, or use electrostatic systems, come in a range of prices. Price is often a good indicator of the quality of the product you are buying. Of course, a smaller unit may prove to be a quality product but with a lower price tag. But more often than not, you get what you pay for.

A lot of high end air purifiers utilize a pre-filter as well as the HEPA filter. These air purifiers give extended life to the HEPA filter by removing some of the larger particulate matter before it hits the HEPA filter, thus extending the lifespan of the HEPA filter. To be effective, the pre-filter requires regular cleaning to remove dust build up. Without regular cleaning, the air purifier's performance will be significantly reduced.

Efficiency is important to consider when purchasing an air purifier. Even though a HEPA filter can remove 99.97% of dust from the atmosphere, that does little to help if the actual air purifier is only cleaning only a small portion of the air in the room. To ensure that the air purifier filter you purchase does the job as it should, it is ideal to find an air purifier manufacturer which states exactly how much of the air gets cleaned, and can demonstrate proof that this is the case.

A helpful tool would be a table of air purifier comparisons, where different brands and different models of air purifiers are compared in an independent study. This will help you choose an air purifier that truly works. A search on the internet or through a consumer magazine will probably be your best bet, especially if the source can tell you exactly where the independent air purifier tests were carried out.

It is all too easy to simply follow the yellow-brick infomercial, but Oz is not necessarily the cleanest city in the universe. If one is to seek reality in a highly commercialized market, then the green glasses have to come off. Look to those who are not- at least directly- profiting from a direct sale of their own product.