A Description Of HEPA Air Purifiers And What They Can Do For Your House And Household
HEPA is a term that can be found on all sorts of products lately. A cursory examination of your local department store will reveal HEPA filters for air conditioner units, HEPA vacuum cleaner filters and, of course, HEPA filter air purifiers, among many others. The consumer is left wondering exactly what HEPA means, though. Let’s take a look at HEPA air purifiers to get an understanding of what the term means.
Why HEPA And Not Hepa?
HEPA is capitalized because it’s an acronym. The acronym stands for “high efficiency particulate absorbing”. An alternate definition is “high efficiency particulate arrestance”. In layman’s terms, this means that a HEPA air purifier will either absorb or stop particulate matter, which is basically nothing more than fine particles that are generally invisible to the human eye.
How Do Humans Benefit From HEPA Air Purifiers?
Although HEPA air purifiers do clean pollen and dust out of the air, there are many more particles that are not natural to our environment, and that our human respiratory systems do not deal well with. Sometimes we can detect these other particles in the form of allergens and odors, sometimes we can’t. Unfortunately, there are many pollutants that our bodies simply don’t recognize and don’t defend against, which leaves them to damage our lungs and other inner parts. Having a device that can either stop or absorb these dangerous particulates can definitely have a positive impact on one’s health.
What Can HEPA Air Purifiers Do That Others Cannot?
Not all air purifiers are equal. Most entities that test any type of air purification device compare the results to “HEPA standards”. This is because, for nearly half a century, this type of air filtration has been the absolute king. What makes the HEPA filter air purifiers so great, though, is their ability to stop particles 0.3 micrometers in diameter. This is not a random number or designation. It has been found that, when it comes to the human body, 0.3 micron particles are not only the most dangerous, but also among the hardest to filter.
Is There Really A Difference Between HEPA-Type And HEPA Air Purifiers?
There are certain standards that a true HEPA air purifier must meet. For one, they have to be able to stop or filter 99.7% or more of every 0.3 micron particle passing through them. This is no easy task, and the consumer will pay good money for a purifier with this certification. It’s worth noting that HEPA air purifiers, for the most part, are somewhat pricey. To make money off those who cannot afford a true HEPA purifier, there are HEPA-type air purifiers. These devices are held to no particular standard or measurement of effectiveness. When buying a HEPA-type air purifier, you may get a machine that is anywhere from slightly less effective, but cheaper, to a noisy device that is really nothing more than an expensive, low volume fan. Take any HEPA air purifier reviews with a grain of salt, as well. Most things that we smell do not fall under that 0.3 micron category, so the human nose really isn’t all that good at detecting the best HEPA air purifier.
Still not sure that a HEPA air purifier is for you? Visit HEPA Air Purifiers Info for answers to all of your questions.