Breathing clean air is vital to your health as it helps to prevent diseases (and health conditions), while greatly improving your well-being.
However, due to pollution and other human activities, the air you are breathing could contain contaminants. These include allergens, dust particles, gases, odor, smoke, pollen, and several other pollutants. Fortunately, you can still enjoy the clean and fresh air by using a number of devices, with air purifiers being one of these devices.
So, how do you ensure that you have chosen the right air purifier?
Ideally, air purifiers are supposed to remove various contaminants in the air. However, potential buyers often question whether they are effective or not.
So, are air purifiers are a waste of money or a worthy investment?
Do air purifiers work?
Before you buy an air purifier, one of the things you need to ask yourself is whether they really work as advertised or not.
As already mentioned, air purifiers are supposed to work by removing contaminants in the air (inside your house), thus leaving you with clean, breathable air. Two main mechanisms are used for the purification of the air:
1. Using HEPA filters
A HEPA filter is a type of air filter that can trap particle pollutants in the air while allowing the air to pass through. Air purifiers that use this mechanism suck in air from the room, with the filter being used to “suck in” the particles before the purified air is allowed back into the room.
The filters are effective in removing large particles of pollutants, but they are not effective when it comes to removing odor and gas contaminants.
As a result, additional purification mechanisms, for example, activated carbon (charcoal), can be used – in combination with a HEPA filter – to increase the purification of the air – charcoal can absorb odors and gases
2. Using an ionic generator
Another mechanism used in air purifiers is the ionic generator. The generator produces negatively charged ions, which collide with the particle pollutants in the air charging them.
When charged, these particles become attracted to the positively charged plates in the air purifier. The air purifier will then remove them from the air.
They can also be attracted to other charged surfaces (walls, ceilings, furniture) or to nearby grounded (earthed) surfaces. This leaves you with clean, fresh air that is ideal for breathing.
Other air purification mechanisms that you can use include activated carbon, electrostatic filters, ultraviolet rays, thermodynamic sterilization, and others. You can use them in combination with the above methods.
Benefits of air purifiers
An air purifier can offer you several benefits if it is effective in purifying the air. These include:
- Removing allergens and contaminants that can cause health problems such as asthma, lung disease, respiratory problems, etc.
- Remove disease-causing bacteria and viruses
- Remove chemical contaminations that can cause chronic illnesses and health conditions
- Improve air quality leading to better sleep quality
- Increasing air circulation in your home
Conclusion
An air purifier can offer you several benefits. They are ideal if you suffer from respiratory-related illnesses or are prone to health problems. The same is true if you live in a region that experiences a high level of air contamination.
However, before you rush to buy an air purifier, ensure it isn’t a waste of money. Air purifiers that are worth are those that offer a high level of purification.
With a wide range of air purifiers on the market, there is a risk of purchasing purifiers that are not effective.
The trick is to choose the best air purifier from a trusted brand, and which has great customer reviews and a proven track record of offering great air purification results.