Different Types of Air Purifiers
Nowadays, air purifiers are very famous as every one of us is concerned over air quality in our homes. We spend most of our time indoors, so it is important to ensure that you breathe clean and pure air.
A lot of particles, including pollen, dirt, dust, and others, can affect the air quality of your home. You are exposed to these indoor particles and pollutants that may lead to several lung and respiratory disorders. But wait! Air purifiers can certainly help you with this. They improve the air quality of your home by trapping and filtering the particles that can pollute it.
However, keep in mind that all air purifiers are created differently. And you may find various types of them in the market. For example, some can trap large particles like dirt, hair, and dander, while others filter out small particles such as mold, germs, viruses, and odors. They may also vary in size, properties, and workability.
In this article, we will discuss different types of air purifiers and their different properties. But first, you may need to understand what air purifiers are and how they work. So let’s start with this basic information.
What are Air Purifiers?
Air purifiers are indoor devices that remove contaminants like particles and gasses from the air. They can also remove dust, dander, smoke, pollen, and dust mites from the air with the help of ionic technology and HEPA filters. They are manufactured as small to stand-alone units or may be large enough to be attached to the HVAC.
How do they work?
Air purifiers can efficiently clean the air by sanitizing pollutants, allergens, and toxins. They are different from filters as they only remove particles, but air purifiers can sanitize them too.
They are also the exact opposite of humidifiers and essential oil diffusers, as they add particles to your indoor air. However, the particles removed by an air purifier may depend on the type you have to choose for your place. Some of them have filters that trap particles as air goes through them. At the same time, some others neutralize the particles in the air without even filtering them.
What are the different types of Air Purifiers?
Now get to our genuine topic; the types of air purifiers. Knowing how each type is different from others and how their technologies work is important. So, you have to choose the right one for your needs.
Here are the seven most common types of air purifiers.
1- HEPA Technology
HEPA is an abbreviation for High-Efficiency Particulate Air. HEPA filters can trap at least 99.97% of all the particles larger than 0.3 microns. Unfortunately, your eye can see only particles larger than 10 microns. Therefore, you may not see the chemicals, viruses, and pollutants this HEPA air cleaner caught.
HEPA purification technology has been used for decades and has become one of the most common household items worldwide. They can also trap mold and bacteria, efficiently creating a sanitary environment for you. Along with it, this air purifier does not generate any harmful byproducts like ozone or others.
2- Adsorbent Purifiers
Adsorbent purifiers are made of activated charcoal and can trap chemicals and odors from your surroundings. These purifiers are widely used in environmental cleanup efforts as they can sponge toxic materials, unlike HEPA technology, instead of relying on a mechanical process.
This material attracts the particles and substances towards their surface via physical or chemical processes. Their purification process does not generate harmful byproducts, so they are safe for you to use at home. Adsorbent purifiers can also remove volatile organic compounds and pesky odors from the air. You can also add them to other purifiers like ionic and HEPA to receive the dual benefits of these cleaners.
3- UV Air Purifier
The UV-technology-based purifier is an Ultraviolet purifier that uses UV light to remove harmful particles from the air. It is one of the purifiers used in conjunction with specific filter systems as it can’t get rid of airborne particles single-handedly. Instead, it has a UV lamp installed in it, and as the particles and microorganisms pass through the UV rays radiated from the lamp, these microorganisms are destroyed as their genetic damage occurs.
An air purifier with UV technology can convert oxygen and water molecules in your air into ozone and hydroxyl. These active molecules may react with air pollutants and destroy them into harmless components such as water and carbon dioxide. However, ozone is not required for air purification and can be a harmful pollutant, but an efficient UV air purifier must minimize or eliminate it. Being a UV technology-based purifier, its efficiency depends on the wattage of light as well as the time of exposure to the light.
4- Activated Carbon Air Purifiers
These carbon-activated air purifiers effectively remove smoke, fumes, odor, and gasses from your home. Activated carbon filters consist of many molecular-sized pores, high chemical bonding, and absorbent ability. These properties make them very demanding for trapping contaminants like tobacco smoke, odors, gasses, and other chemical emissions.
Once filters capture these pollutants, they can’t release back into the atmosphere, eliminating recontamination. Furthermore, air purifiers having activated carbon filters are very helpful for people having MCS (Multiple Chemical Sensitivity). Because they can also absorb formaldehyde which may be found in wood paneling, carpet, and furniture upholstery. It makes the environment more comfortable and breathable for them and people living with asthma, babies, and children.
5- Ionic Air Purifier
Ionic purifiers are very quiet and they can be operated without a motor. They offer you a filterless alternative to HEPA purifiers. They emit negative ions into the atmosphere that bond with positively charged airborne particles such as dust. Due to this, these particles become too heavy to stand in the air and eventually fall out. This technology may seem advanced but it is less effective than many other air purifiers.
In addition, ionic air purifiers cannot trap or absorb harmful chemicals from the air. They just take the airborne particles from the air and transfer them to walls and other surrounding items instead of eliminating them. When they are stuck to walls or any other surface, there is a chance that they will again contaminate the air by falling off from the surface and re-circulate themselves back into the atmosphere. So, ionic purifiers are not that effective in cleaning your atmosphere.
6- Electronic Air Cleaners
Electronic or Electrostatic air cleaners may use a series of electrically charged metal plates to pull contaminated particles out of the air. They come in two different designs: portable units designed to clean the air in one or two rooms or central system units connected to the return ductwork of the HVAC system.
These purifiers generate a little resistance to the airflow but need a separate fan. This fan, along with an electrical charging device, works on electricity. As a result, these cleaners are very efficient at removing small and large particles. But along with this perk, they also come with the requirement of high maintenance. Moreover, they also produce a small quantity of ozone while charging the particles with high voltage.
7- Ozone Air Purifiers
Although many statements make it obvious that ozone air purifiers are safe and effective to be used as air purifiers, they can control indoor air pollution by removing the contaminants. But the fact is that these purifiers intentionally produce the ozone gas. As a result, most health professionals have not approved these devices installed at home as air cleaners.
They produce ozone, and exposure to this gas can be fatal as it ignites asthma symptoms. In addition, its high enough level can also scar your lungs. You may find many brands of ozone air purifiers on the market, and they are all different in the amount of ozone they produce. Some chemicals present in indoor air take months and even years for ozone to react. Ozone may also not remove particles like pollen and dust as most of them may include ionic purifier technology discussed above. Besides, ozone purifiers can inhibit the growth of various biological agents, but it is unlikely to clean the atmosphere fully.
The Bottom Line
That’s all for the types of air purifiers. We hope you get an idea about their types and different properties. However, every type of air purifier comes with its pros and cons. Now it’s up to you which air purifier suits you best according to your needs and requirements. So if you want to improve the air quality of your place, invest now in an advanced technology air purifier that makes your home more clean and healthy.
