A Breakdown Of HEPA Air Purifiers And What They Can Do For Your House And Household
Posted by Angela Frazie on January 31st, 2010 filed in allergiesLately is seems like you can’t get away from the term HEPA. You can find HEPA filter air purifiers, as well as HEPA filters for vacuum cleaners and air conditioning units just by going to any local hardware or department store. None of that labeling explains what HEPA actually is, though. We’ll examine HEPA air purifiers to get a grasp of what, exactly, HEPA is and means.
Why HEPA And Not Hepa?
HEPA is written in caps because it’s an acronym, like DARE or MADD. The acronym stands for “high efficiency particulate absorbing”. Or, alternately, it could mean “high efficiency particulate arrestance”, which is basically the same thing. In everyday English, HEPA air purifiers either stop or absorb particles of matter that are way too small for the human eye to detect.
How Do Humans Benefit From HEPA Air Purifiers?
We recognize dust and pollen as things that give our bodies fits, but HEPA air purifiers deal with many, less natural pollutants as well. It is difficult for our bodies to detect these tiny particles unless they come across as odors or allergens. Unfortunately for us, there are many things that can damage our respiratory systems that do not register to our senses, and that our bodies have no natural defenses for. This is why we rely on technological devices to clean these particles that other technological devices have put there, in the form of outgassing carpet and furniture dyes, fumes, or anything else.
How Is a HEPA Air Purifier Different From Other Air Purifiers?
Not every air purifier is the same. The standard for air purification is generally accepted to be the HEPA standard. This comes from HEPA air purifiers being the most effective air filtration available for so many years. HEPA filter air purifiers are so incredibly good at their job because they are capable of stopping 0.3 micron air particles. There is a point to focusing on that particular size of particle. When it comes to our respiratory systems, particles that are 0.3 micrometers in diameter are both dangerous and difficult to stop or filter.
Is a HEPA Air Purifier The Same As A HEPA-Type Air Purifier?
A true HEPA air purifier is held to certain standards. Chief among these standards is the ability to filter at least 99.7% of all 0.3 micron particles that pass through the machine. This is an extremely lofty standard, and you can expect to pay a premium for this ability. Generally speaking, HEPA air purifiers are not cheap. A HEPA-type air purifier, however, is a completely different animal. It’s important to realize that there is absolutely no standard whatsoever that a HEPA-type air purifier must pass. A machine with this designation could be anything from a less effective, less expensive alternative to a completely useless piece of junk. Also, be wary of putting too much trust in HEPA air purifier reviews. The best HEPA air purifier will not only produce clean smelling air, but it will also remove particulates that are not detectable with human senses alone.
Want more information about HEPA air purifiers? Check out HEPA Air Purifiers Info!
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