There are different types of home air purifiers and they all work with different technologies. Though the work of all these varying types is to purify and remove harmful pollutants from your home leading to greater air quality and healthy living in your home.
It’s essential to know that, not all these air purifiers work the same, some are efficient in filtering dander and pollen, and others could work best in filtering pollutants. Some might even be emitting ozone in the process of purifying your home.
Below are the five major types of air purifiers. Also, check out this powerful airbase controller.
HEPA Technology
High-Efficiency Particulate Air is a technology that is mostly used for particle filters. The filters of a HEPA air purifier have a standard of filtering 99.97% of all particles larger than 0.3 microns. This means that HEPA air purifiers are best for filtering dander, mold, dust and pollen, bacteria, germs, and chemicals, this creates a more sanitary environment. HEPA air purifiers are many homeowners’ best choices.
How Does HEPA Technology Work?
HEPA purifiers make use of a fan to draw in polluted air. Then the air passes through the filter inside which is made of fiberglass, these fine meshes of the fiberglass ensure that all airborne pollutants get trapped.
Some of these particles get enmeshed in the fibers (interception), some get absorbed into the filters (impaction) while gas particles get bounced around by other particles (diffusion).
The diffusion process traps smaller particles of less than 0.2 microns, making air purification very efficient.
When the air passes through the filters, pollutants get trapped and the purified air is then pumped into the room. HEPA filters could last between 2 to 4 years and require replacement when the filter is full.
Ultraviolet Air Purifiers
Ultraviolet air purifiers make use of ultraviolet light to remove harmful particles such as viruses, bacteria, and other pathogens from your home. The UV light breaks down and destroys the DNA of the microbes present in the air.
How Ultraviolet Air Purifiers Work
The purification process of the UV air purifiers begins sucking up pollutant air in the home. While the UV lamp in the air purifier which emits ultraviolet light destroys the microbes present in the air. The ultraviolet light breaks down the RNA and DNA of viruses and bacteria which are killed.
UV air purifiers are effective for killing mold, germs, and other bacteria which can significantly reduce the risk of illness. The air purifiers make use of special light bulbs which must be replaced every year depending on how often they run.
Activated Carbon Air Purifiers
Activated carbon or absorbent air purifiers make use of activated carbon technology or charcoal to process air purification. This type of air purifier is quite efficient in trapping chemicals, odors, fumes, and gasses in your home. This helps to freshen up your home and purify the air as well.
How Activated Carbon Air Purifiers Work
This type of air purifier makes use of absorbent membranes which are made of molecules of activated carbon. These adsorbents attract toxic and harmful pollutants from the air. The purification process is in two phases, physical and chemical processes.
The physical absorption process involves the use of electrostatic forces between the molecules and the pollutants while chemical absorption involves the formation of chemical bonds to get all intoxicants attracted to the absorbent. The physical process is reversible while the chemical process is not. When air passes through the air purifier, the pollutants and other toxic substances are absorbed into the porous end of the absorbent. The air purifier can be more efficient when the model has a HEPA filter included in it to filter pollen, dander, and mold.
Ionic Air Purifier
Ionic air purifiers can remove any pollutants apart from odors from the air. These include dust, dander, pathogens, smoke, fumes, allergen bacteria, and viruses.
How Ionic Air Purifier Works
The ionic air purifier comes in two types; ionizers and electrostatic precipitators (ESPs). The ionizers created charged ions which are either positive or negative, but mostly negative. These charged ions attach themselves to floating particles around the purifier. The ionized particles then settle on surfaces such as furniture in the room which you can easily wipe away. Electrostatic precipitators on the other hand though involve the same process, but the ionized particles settle on positively charged plates inside the purifier. The plates are then clean to remove the particles.
Ozone Generated Air Purifiers
Ozone-generated air purifiers are the least recommended air purifier for home-usage. Due to the presence of ozone emission, the purifier is not advisable health-wise even though an ozone-generator air purifier removes most if not all types of airborne pollutants from the air.
How Ozone Generated Air Purifiers Work
When you are reading about types of air purifiers then you should consider to Ozone air purifiers make use of either a corona discharge or ultraviolet light to break down oxygen molecules into two oxygen atoms. These two oxygen atoms then recombine and become three molecules of oxygen atoms called ozone. This is harmful to health and very reactive. The purification process altered the chemical composition of surrounding pollutants.
