You’ve probably heard of air cleaners, appliances designed to improve the air quality in your home through one method or another. You may have even heard terms like “ionization” thrown around in relation to these air cleaners. How much do you really know about them, though? We’ve assembled a list to help you make an informed decision when it comes time to select the right air cleaner for you.
HEPA Filters
HEPA stands for “High Efficiency Particulate Air,” and applies to air filters with a particularly high rating for filtering out particulates. HEPA filters range in quality, from typical home use to hospitals and even nuclear power plants. A HEPA filter is a great way to improve the quality of the air in your forced air system. Just make sure that your system is designed to work with such a high quality filter.
Ionization Cleaners
Ionization cleaners are another popular option for home air cleaning. An ionization cleaner uses an electrical current to charge a metal plate within itself. As air passes through the cleaner, this plate will pass on a negative charge to particulates like dust and bacteria. The particulates then stick to the filter in the air cleaner, using a principle very similar to static electricity. Ionization cleaners are often used in areas that are extremely sensitive to particulate contaminants, like server rooms.
Ultraviolet Purifiers
Some microscopic living organisms are sterilized when exposed to UV light. This includes viruses, bacteria, and mold. Ultraviolet purifiers take advantage of this by bathing the air in UV light as it passes through them. This prevents harmful organisms from multiplying and causing sickness quite well. However, it doesn’t do much for non-living contaminants like dust. Obviously, this kind of thing is often found in areas that require a sterile environment, like hospitals.
These are just a few of the air filters available on the market. We hope that this list has helped to give you some idea about the way air filters work, and which may serve you best. If you’d like more information, call Downtown Air & Heat. We install air cleaners all over Orlando, FL.
