Per the EPA, the inside of your home can have five times more pollutants found outdoors. This is alarming given that the average person spends 90% of their day inside. You might think that your new, air-tight home is safer than an older, drafty home. That’s not always the case.
Air-tight homes often have synthetic materials like flooring and furniture and no air escaping through cracks and gaps, which adds to the pollutants inside. The cleaners you use, pet dander, radon, bacteria, viruses, mold/mildew, and combustion from unvented gas appliances also impact interior air quality.
Enter the popular appliance known as an air purifier. Companies make all kinds of promises with air purifiers, but do they do everything that’s promised? Please read our guide to learn more about air purifiers before buying an air purifier.
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A Quick Look at How an Air Purifier Works
An air purifier has an intake fan that draws air from a room. As the air is drawn into the air purifier, it passes through filters that capture the dust, pollen, hairs, fungi, chemicals from cleaners, and other contaminants. Once the air is through the filter, the cleaned air is released back into the room.
That takes care of dust, dirt, hairs, and dander, but what happens to bacteria, smoke, and gasses? Some air purifiers are also equipped with UV lights that mimic the natural sunlight and ionizers that charged particles to draw them to each other.
A UV-C air purifier uses UV lighting to damage bacteria and viruses. Once damaged, they’re no longer able to cause harm. As air flows into the air purifier and through the filter, it enters a chamber where UV-C lighting damages microorganisms like viruses and bacteria. Studies show up to 75% of fungal spores and 97% of bacteria are killed within an hour.
There are also ionizing air purifiers. An ionic air purifier uses an electrical charge to bind particles together. Once the particles are grouped, they stick to a collector plate within the cleaner to prevent them from returning to the air. If the air purifier doesn’t have a collector plate, the grouped particles return to the room and cling to things like carpeting, hard surfaces, curtains, and upholstery where you can vacuum or wipe them away.
Do You Need One?
If your home or apartment has a furnace or air conditioning system, you’re already running air through filters. Air passes through filters on its way to the rooms in your home. Change the filters regularly, and the air within your home is already getting purified.
Take a look at the filters you use. MERV-rated filters are “Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value” filters. The lower the number on that filter, the lower the filtration quality.
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MERV 1 to 4 – Filters particles as small as 10 microns, including carpet fibers, dust mites, pollen, and sanding dust.
MERV 5 to 8 – Filters particles as small as 3 microns, adding cement powder, dust, lint, and mold spores.
MERV 9 to 12 – Filters particles as small as 1 micron, adding coal dust, humidifier dust, lead dust, and legionella bacteria.
MERV 13 to 16 – Filters particles as small as 0.3 microns, adding bacteria, car fumes, pet dander, smoke, and vapor from a sneeze
MERV 17 to 20 – Filters particles smaller than 0.3 microns, adding carbon dust, microscopic allergens, odors, radon, and viruses
As long as you’re changing filters as recommended, an air purifier may not be able to do much more in a home with a furnace or air conditioning system. The exception is a UV air purifier. It can use light to kill other bacteria, viruses, and microorganisms for cleaner interior air. Consider adding room air purifiers in the areas you spend the most time in, such as a bedroom.
What do you shop for if you don’t have a furnace or AC system? Some room air purifiers use carbon filters. They’re great for removing pet and cooking odors, but that’s about their limit.
Instead, look for a HEPA filter system. HEPA filters are what most air purifiers use. HEPA filters trap 99.7% of particles, so they’re effective, but the supreme filter quality impacts airflow rates, which is why they’re not frequently used with HVAC systems in your home. Air purifiers are designed to use them.
Tips for Shopping for an Air Purifier
Some homes have boiler systems or wall-mounted heating and cooling systems that do not use ducts. Those systems do not have filters that clean the air as it travels through the HVAC system. In this case, a standalone air purifier is essential. Before committing to one type over another, consider these must-have features.
1. Air Change Per Hour
The Air Change Per Hour (ACH) rating is important to consider. It’s a key to the unit’s efficiency. The ACH rating is usually given a number like 4x, 5x, 6x, and that means the air purifier cleans the room that many times per hour. If the ACH rating is 5x, the room is cleaned five times per hour. The higher the number, the cleaner the air.
You do have to pay attention to the room size, as an air purifier is designed to handle rooms to a specific extent. If the unit is designed to clean 200 square feet, and you put it in a space that’s 400 square feet, it will not be able to maintain the 5x, 4x, etc. ACH rating.
2. Carbon Footprint
Pay attention to your carbon footprint when purchasing an air purifier. If you choose an air purifier that requires filter replacements every three months, you’re adding those filters to the landfill. An air purifier with lifetime filters that you can wash or wipe down, dry, and reuse is better for the environment.
Also, check how much electricity the unit uses. Many have different fan speeds, so that the electricity usage will depend on your preferred settings. Look for the chart that shows how much electricity is used each day or month, and let that help you decide which unit best matches your budget. An Energy Star-rated unit uses less electricity.
3. Certifications
There are a couple of certifications to look for before buying an air purifier. The most important is the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM) Air Cleaner Certification. The same organization also helps with Energy Star certifications.
4. Cleaning Capacity
Different air purifiers handle different room sizes. The AHAM created the Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR) to help purchasers find air purifiers that meet their needs. If you have a 20 x 20′ room, you’d need an air-purifying unit with a CADR rating of at least 400 feet. If you purchase a smaller unit, the cleaning capacity suffers.
5. Filters/Maintenance
Always look at the maintenance costs. With many air purifiers, you’re going to replace the filters every few months to a year. Some have lifetime filters that get wiped down or washed. You need to keep up with that maintenance.
If you’re purchasing replacement filters, what is the cost? If the filters need replacing every six months and cost $30 each, you’ll spend at least $60 on replacement filters each year. Are you okay with that expense? What if a UV light goes? Can you replace that, or would you have to send the unit in for repairs?
6. Manufacturer Reputation
Pay attention to the manufacturer rating. One way to do this is by reading negative reviews online. Does the manufacturer quickly respond to problems or ignore them? If the manufacturer is quick to respond and takes appropriate corrective actions, it’s a company you can rely on.
7. Noise Rating
How loud is the machine? Look for the decibel rating to find out. A vacuum cleaner tends to be in the 80 dB range. A typical conversation is around 60 dB. Experts recommend limiting regular exposure to sounds over 70 dB to prevent hearing loss.
8. Price
Of course, the cost of the air purifier will be a crucial factor in your decision. You can spend very little and get a quality machine. Higher-priced cleaners may have more features, however. Make sure you consider the maintenance costs when you’re determining your budget.
9. Smart Features
Air purifying units may have smart features. Can you download an app and use your phone or tablet to control the unit’s settings from across the room? Does the unit offer the option of monitoring air quality, days until the filter needs changing, etc.?
10. Warranty
Finally, check the warranty. If it’s a limited warranty that only offers a month or two of protection, it may not be the best choice. You’d want a company that backs their quality with a warranty covering everything.
Three of Our Top-Rated Air Purifiers
Now that you know what to look for, it’s time to shop. As you narrow down your top choices, refer to the AHAM’s directory of certified air purifiers. This handy resource can help you find a room air purifier that does the job and isn’t full of promises the manufacturer doesn’t keep.
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