Best Air Purifier Tips - Choose the Right Home Air Cleaner by Matching Air Cleaner Filter Type

What Is Meant By 'BEST'

You won't be able to find the best air cleaner for your home unless you know precisely the criteria that define 'the best' for your unique situation.

The First Step

So the first step is to identify and define the indoor air quality problem at home that you're trying to solve. Both the nature of the problem and its solution vary from home to home. Nature of air quality problem in the home can be broadly classified into two categories: health and discomfort:

1. Potential (long term) health hazards associated with prolonged taking in of common airborne home contaminants like dust, pollen, etc.
2. Immediate serious discomfort arising from foul smell or bad odor in the air caused by tobacco smoke, chemicals, and so on, especially affecting family members who are suffering from allergies.

Size Matters

Both problems of health and discomfort are caused by airborne particulate contaminants of different sizes. The amount and ease with which they get removed from the air when passing through an air cleaner filter inside a home air cleaner will determine the resultant indoor air quality.

Tackling Problem By Particulate Size

The size of airborne particles that any air purifier can filter (capture) is measured in microns. Particles that are ten microns or less are not visible to the naked eye. It helps to have a good idea about the size range of various particulate matters:

* human hair (diameter of 100 microns)
* debris (25 microns)
* pollen, spores and heavy dust (10 microns)
* pollen, molds, skin flakes, average dust (5-10 microns)
* dust mite debris, light dust (1-5 microns)
* metallic fumes, tobacco smoke (0.3-1 microns)

Link Particle Size To Filter Type

The best air purifier is one with the most appropriate air cleaner filter type that is best suited for the particulate contaminant you wish to eliminate. To capture particles

* larger than 2 microns, go with HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) air purifier fitted with HEPA-Type filter for up to 99% particle filtration;
* as tiny as 0.3 microns, use HEPA air purifier fitted with true HEPA filter for up to 99.97% particle filtration

Don't Miss The Key

The key to finding the best air purifier is: Matching size of particulate matters to be removed with the right air cleaner filter type. Always keep this in mind when sourcing for your next home air cleaner.