How A Filterless Air Purifier Works

If you watch television late at night, you are probably familiar with a filterless air purifier called the Ionic Breeze. These systems have benefits and drawbacks. Lately, there has been some controversy over their safety. Some consider them to be unsafe, while others swear by the results.

How a Filterless Air Purifiers Work

A filterless purifier works by giving the incoming air an electrostatic charge. This charge also charges particles in the air. The air is then moved past an oppositely charged collection grid. The impurities in the air are attracted to the grid, like a magnet. The grid must be removed periodically and cleaned of the impurities. This is easily done with a damp cloth. Once the grid is completely dry, replace it and turn the machine back on. These systems can be installed on a forced air heating system to treat the whole house, or can be purchased in portable units.

This process creates ozone in the air. If you have been outside after a thunderstorm, you have smelled natural ozone in the air. These systems clean the air the way nature cleans the outdoor air.

However, some feel the ozone that is created can be a health hazard, particularly if it is highly concentrated. If you are using a portable air cleaner, be sure it isn't too big for the room in which it is being used. The square footage is listed on the box and in the owner's manual. Another option is to run it for a while and then turn it off before using the room.

Benefits of a Filterless Air Purifier

There are no filters to change with this type of purification system. Replacement filters can be expensive and not having one saves money in the long run.

They use a collection grid to collect impurities, rather than a filter. The impurities stick to the grid and are wiped off with a damp cloth. Once the grid is clean and dry, place it back in the machine and turn it on.

The filtration process leaves a fresh smsell in the air that many people find vitalizing. You won't need to use air fresheners with these systems.

They are nearly silent when running. This is great for night time use. Some air purification systems can be very noisy and may need to be turned off at night.

Drawbacks of Filterless Air Purifiers

The safety of these filtration systems was called into question a few years ago when Consumer Reports gave the Ionic Breeze a bad review and called it hazardous. The reason is the ozone that is a by product of the purification process. Ozone is a pollutant and can be irritating to people with asthma or other respiratory disorders. Sharper Image responded by adding a component called "Ozone Guard" which is said to convert most of the ozone into oxygen. On a later review, Consumer Reports still gave the machine low marks, but said the ozone output is now in acceptable levels.

These systems are more expensive than other air purifiers. However, when you add in the cost of replacement filters, this price difference diminishes over time.

The collection grid must be cleaned frequently. If it isn't clean, it won't work. The frequency depends on the number of impurities in the air. Homes with pets, smokers, a lot of dust, etc, will need more frequent cleaning.

About The Author
Ken Morris releases many articles for http://www.air-purifier-and-cleaner-guide.com. Amongst his works he is featuring http://www.air-purifier-and-cleaner-guide.com/filterless-air-purifier.html and air cleaner.

Getting An Air Purifier For The First Time

Even a few years back if someone had asked us if we ever think about what we are breathing in, we would have doubted his sanity. But things have changed rapidly. And the figures which are coming out through several nationally recognized agencies are quite shocking in a way. Here are a few facts:

- The air indoor is 2 to 10 times more polluted than outdoor air
- There are about 15 million Americans suffering from asthma and the number is on the rise
- Almost 50% of all diseases are aggravated due to the polluted air we breathe

All this has certainly led many of us to get an air purifier to be installed in our house. The air purifying industry has also grown by leaps and bounds and there are a whole range of products available these days. As always, more the choices the harder it is to choose.

So before you buy your home air purifier you should actually do some homework. The very first thing you need to do is to assess your needs. Is there someone in your family who suffers from severe respiratory disorders. Then you need to install a HEPA air purifier. However, if you are installing the air purifier just as a precautionary measure and want your family to breathe in decently clean air then an ionic air purifier will serve the purpose.

Another thing you need to decide upon is the capacity of the purifier. The bigger your room is the higher capacity purifier you will require. The capacity also depends on the kind of traffic the room has and whether you keep pets or not. It is always better to have more than required capacity of air purifier installed at your place. This would not only keep the air cleaner, but also for HEPA purifiers the noise level will also be down.

The other thing you need to consider is the availability of filters. If it is not one of the reputed brands, then replacing the filter can be a big issue. You certainly would not like to travel miles just to get one filter for your air purifier. Make sure there are outlets near your home or the filter is available over the internet.

You should also clarify what are the special features of the individual purifiers and which one suits your needs more on that count. You should also make a note of the warranty being offered.

About The Author
Jason Uvios writes about on Getting an Air Purifier for the First Time to visit :- http://www.airpurity-now.info, http://www.air-purity-always.info and http://www.air-purifierstoday.info.

Do You Really Need An Air Purifier?

As people world over are crusading against air pollution outdoors, only a small percentage is yet aware of how serious air pollution indoors is an issue. As amazing as it may seem but pollution levels inside your home are actually higher than what they are outside. And it is not high marginally. They can be anything between 2 and 10 times higher than the outdoor levels. The problem is further compounded by the fact that we spend about 90% of our entire day indoors - either at home or at our workplace, or somewhere else. So we are breathing in polluted throughout the day. And our respiratory tract seldom is being treated the way it should be.

As awareness increases many are investing on air purifiers for their homes. But very few buyers actually know what kind of purifier will solve their problem. In fact, very few are aware as to the kind of problem they have.

Suppose your problem is just allergies, then you can afford to have a basic purifier for milder forms of allergies but have to invest on an advanced purifier if the allergic reactions are serious. People with light allergies can be comfortable with an economic air purifier, but those with serious problems might find the same purifier completely ineffective. The choice of the purifier also depends on the nature of the allergy one has and how sensitive the individual is to the allergens.

However, a person suffering from multiple chemical sensitivities or asthma will require a much more sophisticated air purifier. For a person suffering from asthma, he is directly affected by any gas or odors in the air. So only those purifiers which are able to cleanse the air of gases and odors will be effective for the individual.

People with multiple chemical sensitivities react to almost anything and special care should be taken to choose the air purifier for such individuals. They can react to even the glue on the HEPA filter. Or may be the out gassing from plastic parts. For such conditions extra powerful gas filters need to be used. It is a different thing to control odors from food which can be tackled with basic gas filters. But if someone reacts to cigarette or cigar smoke, then he will need a very powerful gas filter.

You can further increase the effectiveness of the air purifier by ventilating your room properly. With exchange of air between the inside and outside of your house, much of the pollutants in the air inside get transferred outside and also more fresh oxygen makes its way inside. This also helps the air purifier by significantly reducing its load. It can now concentrate on the much finer particulates present.

So before you choose a purifier, make sure you are certain about your needs.

About The Author
Jason Uvios writes about on Do You Really Need an Air Purifier? to visit :- http://www.airpurity-now.info, http://www.airpurifiersusa.info and http://www.airpurifiers-forall.info.

Different Types Of Air Purifiers

As Americans grow more concerned about the air they breathe the demand for air purifiers constantly rise. The air purifying industry has not missed this rising interest and they are now flooding the market with all sorts of air purifying gadgets. Each comes with special features and new promises. However if we go to the basic technology behind all these various models we will notice that air purifiers are actually of three main varieties

- Ionic air purifier
- HEPA air purifier and
- Ozone air purifier

There is also a fourth variation - the UV air purifier but these mostly come in combination with the HEPA air purifier.

Ionic Air Purifier: This variety of air purifier works on a principle which seems to be inspired from how static electricity actually draws particle towards itself. In an ionic air purifier there are charged sheets inside which actually draws the neutrally charged particulates from the air. Although this works with bigger particulates, it tends to miss out on a whole lot of other pollutants present in air. So such purifiers are very basic and improve the quality of the air partially.

HEPA Air Purifier: these purifiers are much more advanced than the ionic air purifier. In fact HEPA air purifiers actually filter the air inside rooms. A HEPA air purifier draws in the air from the room, filters the particles present in the air and then releases the cleansed air. A HEPA filter is good enough to capture particulates as small as 0.3 microns. Such levels of purification is truly remarkable and even hospitals use HEPA air purifiers.

However, there are a number of particulates, especially organisms including a few bacteria, viruses and germs which are less than 0.3 microns. For such organisms the UV air purifier has been introduced. They either come with HEPA air purifiers or they are stand alone machines. The UV air purifier emits UV light which actually alters the DNA and RNA of the microscopic organisms so that hey are sterilized and cannot continue to multiply inside our body.

Ozone Air Purifier: This is perhaps the most controversial of all air purifier as many think that constant exposure to ozone at close proximity cannot be good for the human body. However, there are believers too. This purifier actually releases ozone in the air. The third oxygen atom of the ozone gets detached and combines with the particulates while the remaining two are released as an oxygen molecule in the air. Oxygen works as a cleaning agent.

About The Author
Jason Uvios writes about on Different Types of Air Purifiers to visit :- http://www.airpurifiers-now.info, http://www.airpurifiersonline.info and http://www.airpurifiers-forall.info.

Live Longer – Breathe Better With Air Purifiers!

"Understanding Air Purifier Filters"

DID YOU KNOW? The air in your home could be up to 100 times dirtier than the air outside – with millions of particles, pollutants, allergens, gases and bacteria in the air. Air purifiers can help clean this air to ensure you are breathing in healthy, uncontaminated air.

Just because you can't see anything doesn't mean it is not there.

Many people spend a significant amount of time in their home so it is important to minimize the health risks from indoor air pollutants. These pollutants can be a direct cause of asthma, headaches, congestion, allergic reactions, low energy, nausea, dizziness and irritation of eyes, nose and throat. Unfortunately pollution in today's world is everywhere. The good news is there are things you can do to improve the quality of air in your home and air purifiers are more available and affordable than ever before.

STOP! Before you buy an air purifier, it is important to understand different types of filtration systems that are available. This way you will ensure you are getting an air purifier that addresses your specific concerns. There are a variety of techniques used in indoor air purifiers:

1. HEPA Filters

HEPA Filters stand for High Efficiency Particulate Air Filter. These are the most popular filters used in air purifiers designed to eliminate dust, dust mites, animal dander, skin flakes, pollen and smoke.. In order for HEPA filters to get certified they must pass rigorous testing which confirms the HEPA filter is able to filter our 99.97% of pollutants in the air that are 0.3 micrometers in size.

BEWARE! Air purifiers with filters that claim to be "HEPA type" or "HEPA like" filters may not meet those standards.

Many air purifiers use HEPA filters because they are extremely effective and can trap more pollutants than other filters. HEPA filters tend to be expensive which is why many companies use a pre-filter which is less expensive and helps preserve the life of the HEPA filter. Most pre-filters will remove particles 5-10 microns and larger, such as pet hair and large dust particles. In fact, some pre-filters are proven to remove 90% of all particles in the air!

HEPA filters will not remove gases or odors and for this reason air purifiers often use HEPA filters in conjunction with carbon filters.

2. Carbon Filters

Carbon filters are the most effective odor remover used in air purifiers. In addition to odors, carbon filters also have the ability to remove chlorine and pesticides. Activated carbon is recognized by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to remove many chemicals, some potentially lethal, from the air.

When considering a carbon filter, understand how much activated carbon is in the filter. The more activated carbon a filter has, typically the longer it will last. Activated carbon absorbs to its surface so when there is no longer any surface left – it needs to be replaced. Ideally get an air purifier with Granulated Carbon instead of Carbon Pads because it has more surface area and therefore will last longer.

Carbon filters do not remove airborne allergens or micro-organisms for this you should use an Ultra-Violet (UV) Light Filter.

3. UV Filters

UV Filters are proven effective to sterilize germs, bacteria, fungi, mildew, mold and other micro –organisms. It is important the micro-organisms are exposed to the right amount of light for a specified period of time to be effective. For this reason there is some debate on the effectiveness of UV Filters. UV filters can be successful when combined with HEPA filters because the HEPA filters are used to capture the air long enough to be sterilized by the UV light from the UV filter.

4. Ionic Filters

Air purifiers using Ionic Filters purify the air by sending out ions into the air which have an opposing charge to the particles. These particles such as dust, smoke and pollen, stick to the ions and simply drop out of the air. They are cleaned up when you vacuum, mop and dust. If you buy an ionizer without a fan, ensure it is placed in an area that has good air flow. Also, some ionic air purifiers produce ozone as a byproduct. Ozone can be bad for your health in large amounts so to be safe ensure the unit emits less than 50 parts per billion.

5. Electrostatic Filters

Electrostatic Air Purifiers are a variation on the ionic air purifiers. Electrostatic purifiers pull air through a carbon or HEPA pre-filter which catches larger particles like pet hair and dust. The smaller particles then pass through an electrical field where they stick to ions which have an opposing charge and are collected on magnetic plates inside the filter. Electrostatic filters are effective in cleaning viruses, gases, allergens and bacteria from your home. They tend to get dirty quickly so it is important to clean the filter and plates regularly to maintain its effectiveness.

These are five of the most popular and effective filters on the market. It is important to do your homework and understand which air purifier and filter is best for you! Check online – the internet is a wealth of information and you can find many great air purifiers and filter providers. You spend a lot of time in your home so it's important to ensure you are breathing the cleanest, healthiest air you can!

DISCLAIMER: The information in this article is intended for educational purposes only. The author of this article is not a medically trained physician; therefore, any theories or suggestions put forward are intended to supplement and not replace the advice of medically or legally trained professionals. All matters concerning your health require medical supervision. Please ensure that you consult your doctor prior to adopting any suggestions put forward by e-Smart Living, as well as about any condition that may require medical diagnosis or medical attention. E-Smart Living is not responsible in any manner whatsoever for any injury sustained either directly or indirectly from information put forward in this article.

About The Author
Shelley Moore has spent over 15 years in the health and wellness industry. She is a certified Personal Trainer and Health and Wellness Specialist. Her website http://www.e-smartliving.com provides healthy, safe home products that help people lead a life full of energy and vitality.

How to Find the Best Air Purifier for Your Home

An air purifier can perform wonders for your home. Air purifiers do battle with anything airborne and unwanted, such as odors, bacteria and germs, and leave your home with clean, pure, and healthy air. Once you start living with an air purifier you'll wonder how you ever survived without it. More and more home owners are opting to purchase an air purifier as they become more and more aware and concerned about the quality of the air they breathe day in, day out.

How do the best air purifiers work?

Air purifiers work by replacing the air in your home with clean and filtered air. They remove particles in the air, such as dust, by drawing air through their filters. Unwanted particles get trapped in machine's filter, and what is circulated back into your home is pure, clean air.

How to find the best air purifier?

There are many air purifiers on the market and many different manufactures. Keeping track of new developments in air purification technology is difficult. Before you buy, always do a bit of research about the product and the manufacturer.

If you are buying in-store, prepare questions and make an appointment with the salesperson so that you can be completely informed about product features.

If you are buying online, then try to read reviews of each product before you buy. Online stores such as Amazon.com do provide this review service. Some of the better manufacturers are Honeywell, GE, Whirlpool, Alpine, Living Air and Bionaire, amongst others. Visit the manufacturer's website and download product features and specifications, which you should study before making your final choice.

About The Author
Dylan Miles, journalist, and website builder, lives in Texas. He is the owner and co-editor of http://www.kitchendesigning.info on which you will find a longer, more detailed version of this article.

Will Home Air Purifier Clean The Air?

Pollution is one of the inevitable and harmful elements that are our environment possess. We have been striving hard to combat outdoor air pollution; but much to your surprise, experts claim that indoor pollution is two to five times as much as outdoor air pollution. An indoor pollution may be ten times more toxic than the outdoor air pollution as we spend around 90% of our time indoors. Our indoor environment contains many hazardous contaminants like dint and dust mints, pet hair, mold mild dew, household odors, common household and industrial cleaning agents, pollen and other allergies. These elements keep on floating in the air and become the main cause of a person getting affected by a number of allergies.

The prominent thing in this concern is to eliminate these contaminants and make the air inside pollution free. Many types of air purifying products in the market today facilitate this. One can easily retain the air quality of home and other indoor spaces with the help of air cleaning products. With so many choices available in the market, you may face some turmoil while electing any one of them. The only way to get out of this bedlam is to try one of them and especially one, which comes with a free trial period for assessment. This would make you save your money on useless products and choose the best possible cleaning product with much investment on your part. There are many other factors, which one needs to consider before opting for a particular air-cleaning product. The important one is to understand the type of pollutant you want to flight away. Size of the room where you want an anti-pollutant to act also plays a significant role in opting for an air-cleaning product. You may be required to brook a stipulated range of sound while using an air purifier. Try to consider the level of noise you are willing to live with and also the cost of maintenance. Once you buy an air purifier, you have to maintain it well and pay for it as well.

The market is flooded with many air purifiers and different manufacturers producing them. The wisest thing would be to do a bit of research about the product and its manufacturer to believe the authenticity of the product. If you are buying in- store, prepare questions and make an appointment with the salesperson so that you can be completely informed about product features. This would keep you and your money safe, as any one would not easily dupe you easily. The above-mentioned fact would also help you buy the best facility out of your hard earned money. Another way to buy air purifiers is applying for them online. There are many sites, which offer these pollutions fighters at reasonable rates and customer satisfaction guarantee. But remember to keep in mind certain factors before choosing a product online. Try to read reviews of each product before you buy. Many online stores such as Amazon.com provide this review service. Honey well, GE, whirlpool, alpine, living air and Bionaire are considered to be some of the better manufacturers of air purifiers. Study the product features and specifications by visiting manufacturers website before making the final choice.

About The Author
Copyright 2006 – Ivar Rudi, Ivar suggests you find great market for less by shopping online today. For more air purifier information and resources check out: http://www.air-purifier-guide.biz/