1. Do I really need an air purifier in my home?
It depends on several factors, including your own level of comfort and your home's indoor air quality. There are several factors to take into consideration.
First of all, realize that indoor air quality is often worse than outdoor air quality. In fact, for many people, indoor allergens and irritants, such as dust, smoke and pet dander, may be two to five times as bad in their homes as outdoors.
Second, several indicators will help you decide, if you will benefit from an air purifier in your home. Top reasons to get an air purifier include:
* Allergy symptoms such as itchy, watery eyes and runny nose
* Mold or mildew in your home
* Itchy, dry skin or frequent skin rashes
* Being or living with a smoker
* Asthma or other breathing problems
* Owning indoor pets
2. Do all Air Cleaners Remove the Same Kinds of Contaminants from the Air?
No. Even though every type of air purifier cleans certain particulates from the air, there are differences in what and how they clean. Some purifiers remove dust and particulates, such as pet dander and smoke very effectively, while others will actually eliminate bacteria, viruses and molds and mildew. But very few will do all of these things. In my opinion, the IQ Air HealthPro Series of air purifiers come closest to meeting all these requests from an air purifier.
3. What Size Air Purifier do I Need for My Home?
Most air purifiers are designed for individual room use rather than for the whole home. Unless you have an air purifier or air filtration system that has been installed on your heating or air conditioning unit, you should get separate units for each room or living space.
You need separate units for each room is because effectiveness is affected by air flow, and walls mean no air circulation. Each room will need its own unit.
To determine what size you need, look for the CADR number. This number indicates the Clean Air Delivery Rate, which should always equal at least 2/3 the total square footage of the room you will be using the air purifier in. For example, a 10' X 12' room has 120' square feet, and needs a purifier with a CADR number of at least 80.
4. What Ozone level is Safe for Indoors?
Ozone is a tasteless, colorless gas, found in the upper atmosphere and is naturally produced by thunderstorms during electric discharge.
It is perfectly safe indoors, if kept at acceptable levels (between .02 and .05 parts per million). This is just like many other type of naturally occurring gasses that aren't harmful to us at certain levels. Ozone air purifiers have been developed to produce the correct amount of ozone to purify the air without reaching harmful levels.
5. How frequently do I need to Change or Clean the Filter in my Air Purifier?
Depending on the area of the room and what type and size of air purifier you have, that will tell you how often cleaning and replacement is needed. Some will need to be changed or cleaned monthly, others more often.
It is very important to check your filter regularly and follow the recommended schedule the manufacturer suggests, since the efficiency of the air purifier relies on proper maintenance.
6. What is a Micron?
A micron is a measurement of the size of a particulate in the air. One micron is 1/25,400 inch (roughly 100 times smaller than a single strand of hair). Obviously, a micron is far too small to be seen. For the purpose of choosing an air purifier, most types are considered very efficient if they can filter airborne pollutants to .3 microns.
7. How Much should I Expect to Pay for an Air Purifier?
This is difficult to determine. Price doesn't always guarantee quality. I'm sure you'll be willing to spend enough to get a high-quality product, however, protect your investment, by making sure your air purifier comes with a warranty. When buying an air purifier, also take into account the cost of any replacement filters and the electricity to run the unit.
8. How Much Noise Will the Air Purifier Make?
An air purifier with a fan in it will have some noise. HEPA filters, for instance, have fans to pull the air through the filter itself, although improved casings and quieter fans have been developed for noise abatement.
Ionic and ozone air purifiers don't usually have a fan, because they use an electrostatic charge or ozone, so they are completely silent. If they combine their technology with a filtration system or a fan to boost air circulation over the plates, there will be some noise, but this will be minimal, and these fans may be shut off when you wish. In general, the noise level of even an air purifier with a fan is low enough that it isn't intrusive. You'll be surprised in the fact that you will get used to the "noise", just as I did.
9. Where do I Place the Air Purifier?
The rooms you use the most, or any area where pollutants linger, are the most important rooms for air purifier use. Your living area, such as a family room or den, should have an air cleaner, especially if you have allergies or pets that are in the room daily, or if you have smokers in your family.
Bedrooms are also a good idea, since allergies and irritants can disturb your sleep. Clean, fresh air has been proven to produce more restful sleep and reduce night breathing problems.
Also, consider getting an air purifier in the bathroom, where odors, mold and mildew are prone to linger. An air cleaner in the bathroom can make it fresher and more pleasant, and also reduce the amount of mold and mildew in the air, so that your bathroom will be less of a breeding ground for germs.
10. Where Do I Position the Air Purifier?
It is most important to position it near the most traffic flow or activity in order to get plenty of air circulation around the air filter. This will increase the air exchange rate and make the air cleaning more efficient.
With a HEPA filter, it is best to position it near an open area, to ensure air movement all around. For an ozone air purifier, try to position the air purifier higher, rather than lower, since ozone molecules are heavier than oxygen and will tend to drift downward. The same planning goes for ionic air purifiers, which release charged particles into the air.
If your air purifier unit is easily portable and you have a heavy smoker in the room, move the air purifier a bit closer to him, if possible and acceptable. Occasionally, you may also want to move the air purifier to a specific room, when a particular odor needs to be banished as soon as possible.
Choosing the right air purification system can be challenging. Here are a few suggestions to start you off:
Since they are more affordable and just as effective as larger units, "portable" home air filtration systems...a.k.a. air purifiers, are the most widely sold variety. This type of home filtration system is generally of equal or better quality than a "built-in unit", since it "concentrates" on one area at a time. However, it cannot filter air throughout an entire home, such as a built-in unit. If you plan to use a portable air purification system, you may need more than one unit – such as for one, or a couple of rooms, placing them especially where you may have the most severe indoor air pollutant sources. Portable units are light enough, to move from one place to another, as you move about your home.
Ion air purifiers, when used in conjunction with filters, are also a popular home air filtration system choice. These filters emit negative ions into the air, which neutralize pollutants and allergens. Ion air purifiers may be more costly than traditional filter varieties, although they are generally more effective at destroying microorganisms than other types of air purifiers.
If someone in your family suffers from asthma or another chronic lung condition, you must be aware of how much, if any, ozone your air sterilization system emits. When inhaled, ozone can aggravate the lungs and cause chest pain, coughing, shortness of breath and throat irritation. Ozone may also worsen chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma and compromise the body’s ability to fight respiratory infections. If you need the power of an ion generator, be sure to select one with additional filters when making your purchase.
In order to rid all of the toxic pollutants from your home quickly and safely, you should set the machine you have to work at full power, while you are away from your home. If it has an extra feature, such as a timer, set it for a couple of hours with an automatic shut off. This will allow the air sterilization system to work without interference. Even removing the smallest portion of the toxic organisms and bacteria from your home can benefit your health. Odors will start to dissipate quickly and you will be able to breathe easier. Sterilization is a good way to stay healthy by avoiding illnesses.
Where Should You Place the Air Purifiers?
Every area of your home has different contaminants. Your kitchen, for example, has lingering odors that are not harmful. Meanwhile, in a bathroom, you have aerosols and various offensive odors. You've got a lot of chemical impurities in the garage, while damp basements can harbor mold growth. Carpet is the one contaminant source related with many allergies and other problems,since it harbors irritants.
Notice how open your house is. Obviously, air needs to move throughout your home and exchanged with fresher outdoor air. But remember, opening windows and doors will also bring in outdoor pollutants. Generally, one unit will do the job in a one-level home. However, if you live with a smoker or in a multilevel home, you may need two or three units.
Asthma cases have more than doubled since 1976. One in 9 children have asthma. Death rates due to asthma have tripled, increased five-fold in kids ages 5-9. Doctor visits related to asthma are continuing to increase at an alarming rate.
Horrible...alarming news...despite all the advances in medicine! Even though there have been gigantic advances in asthma medications, you still need to be aware of the various side effects.
You may ask yourself if indoor air allergens and contaminants are the main causes. These health changes (for the worse) in the population's defense to asthma, cannot be a result of genetic or bodily causes. Your genetic composition could never change so quickly.
Therefore, it must be the environment in which you live that must have changed for the worse. There is plenty of evidence that tells us it has. In fact, it is airborne pollutants and elements that generally cause asthma attacks and other respiratory problems.
Most people believe it is the air outdoors that presents us, especially those with allergy or asthma sensitivities with the greatest risk. Yet, it is actually the air inside our homes, schools, and other buildings that is most harmful.
Indoor air is much more harmful than outdoor air and verifiable facts prove it. According to the American College of Allergies, 50% of all illness is aggravated or caused by polluted indoor air. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) themselves declare that indoor air is anywhere from 2 to 10 times more hazardous than outdoor air. The EPA also warns us that the indoor air quality epidemic is the nation's number one environmental health problem.
Today's homes and buildings are built air-tight, with energy-efficiency in mind, as a result of the energy crisis of the 1970s. Their air-tight construction keep airborne pollutants trapped inside, and nature's air-cleansing agents outside. Is it any wonder that statistics for asthma problems began rising sharply around the same time that homes and buildings began to be built this way? In fact, a recent study found that the allergen level in super-insulated homes is 200% higher than it is in ordinary homes. According to Scientific America, a baby crawling on the floor inhales the equivalent of 4 cigarettes a day, as a result of the outgassing of carpets, molds, mildews, fungi, and dust mites.
Most people spend well over 90% of their time inside. Therefore, indoor air is going to impact your health far more than outdoor air.
Still believe you are not affected by the indoor air quality epidemic? Virtually everyone is affected, especially asthmatics and others who are particularly sensitive to allergens and contaminants in the air. No home or building is immune to the indoor air quality epidemic.
According to the EPA, 6 out of 10 homes and buildings are "sick", meaning they are hazardous to your health to occupy as a result of airborne pollutants. Even the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) very own headquarters, constructed a few years ago, was determined to be "sick". Many EPA employees could not work inside the building without becoming sick. If the headquarters of the EPA can fall victim to the indoor air quality epidemic, the very government agency that is charged with finding solutions to this problem, then any home or building can be afflicted. In fact, every home and building is affected by the indoor air quality epidemic to various degrees, regardless of how clean it may seem. Every home is filled with prime sources that contribute to mass quantities of airborne allergens and contaminants.
For example, even though your home looks really clean, you should question yourself how it got to be this way. Did you use toxic aerosols, floor and/or furniture polish, bleach, ammonia, bathroom cleaners, etc.? If so, be advised that these products emit harmful chemical vapors into the air.
The Sick Building Syndrome
Most homes or buildings are carpeted, painted, with chemically-treated furnishings. there is dust, insects, moist or damp stuff, food, and people. People? Yes, humans shed more than just about any other animal, but our skin flakes are small enough to float in the air, and are consequently inhaled by anyone who enters a populated room.
For a graphic example, picture a floating ray of sunshine, coming through your window. About 80% of what you see floating in this ray of sunshine is dead human skin! There are additional sources of airborne pollutants that you may bring indoors, such as cigarette smoke and pet dander. Even if you eliminate or prohibit a certain source of indoor air pollution from your home, such as pets, you may still be affected.
To cite an example... a recent study conducted in Philadelphia tested a random sample of homes for the number one allergy trigger: cat dander. Out of all the homes tested, 100% were found to contain cat dander, despite the fact that many of these homes did not have a cat.
