Air cleaners are designed to make living spaces more comfortable. They
reduce air pollutants that contribute to poor indoor air quality, and many
filter common allergens like dust and pollen – a great benefit for people
suffering from asthma or allergies. If you're considering a room air cleaner
keep these characteristics in mind:
They’re portable. Many room air cleaners can go with you. If your den
and your bedroom are similar sizes, you can move your air cleaner to the room
you're in.
They’re efficient. Some room air cleaners provide more filtering
power than whole home units.
They’re versatile. Different air cleaner manufacturers offer
different features, styles and filtering technologies to meet different consumer
needs.
Air cleaner filtering technologies:
HEPA FILTERS
HEPA stands for High Efficiency Particulate Air, and like the name says, these
filters are designed to remove 99.97% of all airborne pollutants 0.3 microns or
larger from the air that passes through the filter (these include tobacco smoke,
household dust and pollen).
ULPA FILTERS
These ultra-HEPA filters are designed to trap 99.999% all air-borne particles
0.3 microns or smaller from the air that passes through the filter (these
include tobacco smoke, household dust and pollen).
ELECTROSTATIC FILTERS
Electrostatic units filter the air using static electricity have a static charge
on the filter to allow airborne particles to "stick" to the filter,
just like static-charged clothing sticks together.
ELECTRO-STATIC PRECIPITATORS
These air cleaners create opposite charges on the metal plates or wires in a
"filter" assembly. They attract the dust, pollen, smoke and other
particles to the plate or grid wire that contains an opposite charge. The
assembly can be washed of the particles and used again.
OZONE AIR CLEANERS
These air cleaners introduce small quantities of ozone into the air to reduce
airborne pollutants.
IONIZATION
Ionizers may be combined with other technologies, including different types of
filters. Ionization units emit a small charge to the airstream which cause
particles to adhere to the filter or other surfaces by a magnetic-like
attraction.
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