Why you need an air cleaner ASAP!

HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filters are the type of filter found inside home/industrial "air cleaner" products (pic a).These air cleaner devices are one of the tools of the illuminated man to fight the allergens, microscopic dust particles, and other pollutants that surround us in our homes and offices. The air cleaner is one of those products that, from the moment you get one, you wonder how you ever lived without it.

Once you place a unit in an office or room, the change is very noticeable. Some brands of filters combined with active carbon layer on the back side of the media; the active carbon helps eliminate odors and other pollutants in the air such as cigarette smoke. True HEPA filters are regulated by the Institute of Environmental Science and are defined as filters that capture 99.97% of air contaminants at the 0.3 micron size. Not all the medias in the market are true HEPA filters so take extra care when purchasing one.

Advertisement :

HEPA filters were first developed during World War II in order to prevent the discharge of radioactive contaminants into the air. Similar to the first computers, the first HEPA models were very large and cumbersome but, as with computers, today’s HEPA production technology is much more advanced.

This is a pic of my media Hepa filter after only 2.5 weeks of usage !!! :

this is a picture of a brand new HEPA media filter :

this is how the unit itself looks :

 

TAKE THE FILTER TEST!!!

Visit a friend who owns an air cleaner, or visit a store that sells them, and feel the difference for yourself! It’s a difference that is difficult to explain in words. 99% of the air cleaner devices on the market (pic a) come with an ionization unit, which dramatically improves the air quality. Even in the most basic unit, you will have the three basic elements: HEPA filter, carbon filter, and ionization unit. Of course, more expensive units will have more elements (more types of filters and units for air purification) and thus will purify the air better.

By the way, when I say “unit”, I mean the average $150 to $250 unit! The effect of those units on your quality of life is astounding. There is no need to buy the ultra expensive brands for $700 to $1000 unless you really have extra spare cash or you need the unit for a large space. (Most of the lower-priced units are suitable for the average home\office.)

More info about air filters at Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_purifier


More info about air cleaners at Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HEPA

 

 

How often should I replace my air filter?

That depends on your local air quality. 99.9% of the units on the market come with a sensor that alerts you when the filter is full.** I live near the highway and my filter gets stuffed with black stuff (pic b) every month or two. A few months ago, our neighbors did some home renovations, and my filter was full after two weeks! I could have complained about the cost, but on second thought, I much prefer that the unit cleans out the dust and pollutants instead of my dear irreplaceable lungs having to do the job. (Always remember: the less irritation the lungs are exposed to, the less likely one is to develop long-term respiratory problems.)

Don’t even get me started about pregnant women, babies, and small children. If you have kids, the question is not “if” you get a unit, it’s “when”. When you’re young, your body is more sensitive the pollution – if you have children, you MUST get a unit, especially if you live near highways. I highly recommend that you check on your city’s municipal website for annual air analyses. I found mine (for Tel Aviv, Israel) and I was shocked by the document. (The analysis was of lead levels in air and dust.)

** If your unit does not have an alert (by sound or LED), the best way to know when you need to replace the media filter is to just LOOK AT IT. If it’s deep gray, it means you should replace it.

I live in a high pollution area. I already have a HEPA filter-based unit, but I can’t afford the frequent need to replace my filters. What can i do? Is there another method i can use?

YES! There is a different method, the "electrostatic" filter, which is based on an electrostatic precipitator. Basically, with this type of filter, you don’t need to replace the filter media; it’s WASHABLE. So, when the unit alerts you that it’s full, you just wash the filter and that’s it. Zero cost. Sounds like the perfect solution since, in theory, it’s as efficient as HEPA filtration. I’ve heard good and bad reviews and decided that I MUST check this issue for myself. In the upcoming weeks/months, I plan to purchase an electrostatic unit to try it out. From the prices I’ve seen on the Net, electrostatic air purifiers are more or less the same price as HEPA air purifiers. (The smallest model I found was $220 from a Canadian company.) Right now, I replace filters every month (at a cost of approximately $27 per filter) so it’s worth the investment to experiment with an electrostatic unit. Plus, if the technology works as promised, it should be as good as HEPA, or even better.


Wikipedia page about electrostatic precipitator (aka ESP):

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrostatic_precipitator