Air Purifiers

Maintaining indoor air quality goes beyond personal health and comfort, in some cases, safety laws require it in the workplace. By investing in air purifiers to filter the atmosphere in workshops or offices, employers can comply with legal requirements and improve workers' productivity by creating safe, healthy environments.

Airborne Particles Caught by Air Purifiers
The first test of a purifier is how well it does at catching dust and other fine particles. Most filters do this well enough to show a real difference in air quality. Since dust usually comes from relatively large particles, even very basic devices handle these normal amounts with help from regular vacuuming. Mold, plant spores, and animal dander are all in about the same size range, and everyday HEPA filters are adequate to catch most of them.

Finer particles, such as smoke and bacteria, can be small enough to slip through a normal filter. To reliably catch these, it may be necessary to opt for an activated carbon type. Because HEPA filters are superior at catching large amounts of the heaviest contaminants and carbon works well for the ultra-fine particles, some purifiers use both technologies to eliminate allergens and volatile fumes from paint and harsh cleansers.

Running Costs of Air Purifiers
Filter units cost money to operate, and the expense ranges from minor and manageable to a bit on the high side. Filter replacement is the biggest cost. Depending on the types of filters, purifiers might need changing every 3, 6, or 12 months. Filters run from $10 to several hundred, though ionic filters comprise of charged metal plates that only need washing every so often. Electricity costs between $50 and $200 a year if the purifier runs continuously.

Ease of Cleaning Air Purifiers
To operate at maximum efficiency, any air purifier needs a clean filter. HEPA filters and activated charcoal screens are not reusable and must come out before they clog and lose their ability to screen particles. Metal filters can usually go into dishwashers. Follow the manufacturer's guidelines for replacement or cleaning frequency to prevent malfunctions and hazards.

How Do Air Purifiers Work?
Though details vary from one machine to another, most work by drawing air through intake ports on one side, passing it over or through a filtration system that either physically blocks small particles or draws them out of the air with a static charge. It then blows the clean air out with a built-in fan.

Do Air Purifiers Help With Allergies?
Often triggered by irritating particles, many allergies come from dust mites, pollen, or animal dander. By reducing the concentration of these irritants in the air, almost any filter does the job of reducing the likelihood of allergic reactions or asthma attacks. These incidents can still occur, however, and no filter can extract 100 percent of airborne particles.

Do Air Purifiers Emit Harmful Chemicals?
HEPA filters and most ionic purifiers do not release any pollution or fumes. Select purifier models, notably ozone versions, do discharge some gas. Certain ionic filters work by ionizing airborne particles and encouraging them to stick to surfaces, which sometimes means they form a film on walls and windows. Because of these shortcomings, ozone emitters and older ionic models have fallen out of general use, especially for professional spaces.