If you are in the dark about what air purifiers are and what
they actually do, you are not alone. Many people have at
least thought about the notion of improving their indoor air
quality, but quickly abandon the idea because of the
confusion surrounding the topic of air purifiers. Hopefully,
after reading this article, you will have a working
knowledge of air purifiers and how they work.
First of all, lets define the term air purifier. An air
purifier is a mechanism that is designed to free air from
contaminants. Different techniques are used to render this
task and these include filters, adsorbents, and
electrostatic charges. Asthma sufferers, those that have
allergies, and those with other respitory problems have the
most to gain from an air purifier.
Air purifiers work by drawing these contaminants
(pollutants, particles, and pollen) from within the air that
we are breathing. Harmful air is pulled into the air
purifier by the inlet grill. Some air purifiers have a
pre-filter that helps contain the larger of the airborne
particles. Air will then travel through the carbon filter
which will help reduce unpleasant odors. Then the air will
pass through another filter that is composed of many tightly
woven fibers. Finally, the fan redirects the filtered air
throughout the room.
There are several factors that must be taken into
consideration to determine how much expense will be involved
in the purchase of an air purifier. When considering cost,
you must look into how much the replacement filters will run
as well as how often they will need changed. What may appear
to be a bargain up front on a less expensive model, could
potentially cost you much more later on down the road. Also,
it is important to see if you can order the replacement
filters in bulk at a discounted rate. It is always a good
idea to find out from the manufacturer what the estimated
electrical usage will be and whether or not the air purifier
runs on a cycle or does it have to stay on constantly.
At the end of the day, it is up to you to decide if an air
purifier is right for you and your family, but hopefully the
information contained here has given you a working knowledge
on what exactly air purifiers are and how they work.
About the Author
Reggie Dunn is a long time volunteer environmentalist and the webmaster of
