April 30, 2007

What Are Air Purifiers?

Tip! Ultra violet air purifiers work by altering the DNA of these microorganisms, which results in their death. Don’t worry though � UV air purifiers won’t harm your DNA or that of your children in any way.

As the name indicates, air purifiers are intended to keep the air we breathe as free as possible from allergens, dust and other air-borne pollutants. There are many different types of air purifiers, some being more advanced than others. There is also a distinction between office and home air purifiers.

Air purifiers therefore serve two main purposes, which though seemingly similar, are not. One is to keep the air clean from germs and microbes and the other is to rid the air of allergy-causing agents such as pollens.

It is important to know that no air purifier can do everything; some are better suited for some functions than others. There are three basic technologies employed by air purifiers: electrostatic / electronic, adsorption and mechanical filtering.

Electrostatic technology uses the principle of positive and negative attraction. As such electrostatic air purifiers use charged plates, which attract the pollutants in the air.

Adsorption is the process by which some odors such as cigarette smoke are removed from a room. However, this technology does little in the way of removing tiny particles such as dust and microbes. Mechanical filtering uses a screen to clear the air of pollens; however, it does not work on clearing away unpleasant odors.

There are many different types of air purifiers which use one or the other or even a combination of the technologies mentioned above. The most popular types of air purifiers are ozone air purifiers, HEPA Filters, Ionic air Purifiers and Ultraviolet Light air Purifiers.

HEPA filters generally remove over 99 percent of the particles floating around in the air. The main disadvantage of HEPA filters is its inability to remove odor from the air. Ozone and carbon air purifiers are great for removing odor from the air. One of the most effective air purifiers in clearing the air of microbes is the Ultraviolet light purifier.

The type of air purifier you purchase depends on the purpose for which you want it. If you need it to both clean the air and eliminate mold spores and other pollutants you may need to purchase two purifiers.

Tip! While the technology used in UV air purifiers is highly effective in killing bacteria and viruses, it cannot act as an air cleaning filter, and so by using this technology alone, dust and particles will remain present in the atmosphere in your home. For complete air purification, many manufacturers have combined ultra violet air purifiers with some other type of filter technology, such as HEPA, to ensure that the air you breathe is as safe and clean as possible.

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