Nowadays, we are all thinking more about the quality of the air that we breathe. While wearing masks and keeping our social distance minimizes the risk of contaminated air in public, the safeguards we take with the air that we breathe in our own living spaces is now getting attention, too.
Due to this, you may have heard about the recent buzz around home purifiers- they have become a hot topic on the news and there has been an increase in sales. With a large number of air purifiers on the market to choose from, it can be quite hard to know which one to buy or whether you should buy one at all or not. Here’s an article about what you need to know about air purifiers.
What is an air purifier?
To begin with, air purifiers are meant to neutralize and deactivate airborne toxins. The airborne contaminants include gases, bacteria, viruses, fungi, and toxic pathogens, as well as pollen, dust, and cigarette smoke. That is a lot for your lungs to contend with.
Before we get deeper into this, it is worth noting the subtle difference between air filtration and air purification. Air filtration helps remove pollutants from the atmosphere, and air purification sanitizes the air- both allowing improvement in the quality of air that we breathe.
All the HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) systems contain air filters. If you have an HVAC system, you already have air filters- they are situated in the unit. However, they vary greatly in price, effectiveness, and durability. And they must be changed regularly. In contrast, the air purifiers are separate units, which you may choose to install or place directly in your home. Obviously, the air purifiers have in-unit filters too- but their technology allows them to both filter and purify the air.
What should you be looking for when buying an air purifier?
When picking a kitchen air purifier, look for a filter that has activated carbon. Activated carbon can be quite helpful in trapping gases and chemical (i.e., smoke and odor). These filters are adept at absorbing smelly molecules, but they do not trap large particles. Activated carbon filtration available for residential use are often easily overpowered, as the filters tend to be small and can quickly become saturated.
So, it is optimal to find a model that makes use of some combination of the three lines of defense: UV light, activated carbon filters, or pleated HEPA filters. As you go to shop around, look for the models that contain pleated filters treated with activated carbon. And again, do not forget: you need to change the filters regularly!
Author’s Bio: The author is an avid blogger. This article is about air purifiers.
