What's a current air purifier that works good?
Question:I would rather it under 200 dollars but still be effective. I have read about them but cannot come up with a conclusion. Oh, and I want to purchase it at a local store not the internet. Thanks for any answers.
Answers:
The first thing for you to determine is the square footage of the area that you intend to use the unit in. A larger unit cleans a larger area, smaller units clean a smaller area. The recommended area for each unit should be on the product information tag. Once you determine the proper size, the next question is the filtration system itself. "Stick" type units (Ionic Breeze, for example) negatively charge particulates which then cling to metal plates, which must be cleaned periodically. I tend to accept David Oreck's argument that to clean the air, you have to move the air. There are units available that have clean-able pre-filters, then these same negatively charged plates as described above. These units usually have different fan speeds, from "low" to "turbo". Sears carries a large unit like this, however the price is above your $200 limit (I think it's around $379..I have one and it works great). Finally, you have the lesser-expensive units which rely on a clean-able pre-filter, with a HEPA filter. The trade-off is that the HEPA filter must be replaced periodically, which can get expensive, despite the lower initial cost. I would check out your local Sears and take a look at the larger unit first, many times there are sales etc. and also take a look at Oreck (if you have a local Oreck store). Ionic-Breeze is not inexpensive, and I don't think that it does as effective a job as one that actually discharges "cleaned" air.
Just look for something that says HEPA FILTER ("high efficiency particulate air filter") on it . This type of air filter can theoretically remove at least 99.97% of dust, pollen, mold, bacteria and any airborne particles with a size of 0.3 micrometres at 85 litres per minute . In some cases, they can even remove or reduce viral contamination. The diameter specification of 0.3 responds to the most penetrating particle size . Particles that are smaller or larger are trapped with even higher efficiency. Using the worst case particle size results in the worst case efficiency rating (ie, 99.97% or better for all particle sizes).
HEPA filters are also employed to filter out highly hazardous aerosols such as those that are radioactive, biohazardous and highly toxic (eg. carcinogins).
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