How do air purifiers work to clean air? The basic concept is simple: particles that are less than 0.1 microns are attracted to a filter’s fibers and forced to fall to the bottom of the fibers. This causes the particles to stick to the filter fibers, and they eventually drift into the center. The filtration process captures almost all of the particles, and the air flow is only slightly obstructed.
While most air purifiers are able to capture particles, they don’t catch gases. Although many have absorbents for gases, the Environmental Protection Agency warns that these filters can’t filter out the smallest of allergens. Because these air purifiers are so large, they are not recommended for small rooms. Depending on the size of the room, you may want a larger or smaller unit.
The first thing you should know about air purifiers is that they can’t clean the air around a filter. While these appliances are great at capturing particles in the air, they can’t clean surfaces that are strewn about. This means that they can’t get rid of allergens, bacteria, and odors that are caused by a single source. However, they can filter out most of the odors and particulate matter in a room.
Another major difference between air purifiers and air cleaners is how they trap pollutants. While most purifiers use fine mesh filters to trap large dust particles, some models also have ultraviolet filters, which can kill biological impurities. Activated charcoal, a type of charcoal that removes volatile organic compounds, is also an excellent choice for homes. Most models can reduce odors and create a non-intrusive night environment.
Air purifiers are designed to trap particles that irritate the lungs and cause symptoms such as headaches, itchy eyes, and nose, and even some types of cancer. But how do they work? They have two basic types of filters. One eliminates particles, and the other eliminates gases. Some purifiers claim to remove volatile organic compounds. This makes them effective in removing the particles from the air in the room.
The most common type of air purifiers are called ionizers. Instead of drawing in the fresh air, these devices emit negatively-charged ions. The negative ions bind to the particles in the air and eventually fall to the ground. The electrically charged particles can also be collected in the filter’s collecting plate, and cleaned when necessary. These are two of the most popular types of home air purifiers, but not all of them are the same.