Blueair Air Purifier 203 Log in to see our price! Blueair Air Purifier 403 Blueair Air Purifier 650E Delonghi AC150 Air Purifier Honeywell Air Purifier HA170 Honeywell Air Purifier HAP18200 Honeywell Air Purifier HAP18250 Honeywell Air Purifier HAP18450 Philips AC4012 Air Purifier Philips AC4014 Air Purifier Sharp FP-E50E Plasmacluster Air Purifier Sharp FP-F40E Plasmacluster Air Purifier Sharp KC-A50E Plasmacluster Air Purifier with Humidifying Functions Sharp KC-D40E Plasmacluster Air Purifier with Humidifying FunctionsSkip to Main Content Area Air Cleaner Buying Guide Air cleaners are terrific devices to remove pollutants and allergens from the air. After you've left an air cleaner on you can feel a difference in the air quality fairly soon. There are many types in the market; each with specific benefits. Check out our guide to buy the right one for you. Types of air cleaner filters. When buying an air cleaner you'll also need to consider these factors:

Area coverage: buy a unit that cleans an area more than you really need. Air Changes per hour: This measures the number of times the air in the room is passed through the air cleaner. If you're an asthma sufferer you should look at one from 4-8. Filter type: Check the filter type. HEPA filter replacements can be more expensive and there is usually a pre-filter, to take out larger particles before it the air enters the HEPA filter, which needs more regular replacing too. Noise: A mechanical fan type air cleaner can be noisier than an electronic one. And of course, the higher the fan speed the more noise you'll get. Test out the noise level to see if you can accept it. AdvertisementsWinner's GalleryRoad Shows & ActivitiesPromotionsExtended Warranty (Safety 5) Disposal ServiceBuy today, Deliver TodayNight DeliveryInstallationPayment SchemeCredit Card FacilitiesBEST-OCBC Platinum CardLike us on FacebookFollow us on TwitterFollow us on InstagramCareer OpportunitiesOur HistoryOur PartnersOur RegionStore LocatorCorporate SalesFeedback & Suggestions

Trending>> Apple iPhone 7 all the facts >> New Sony Playstation 4 Prowhirlpool air purifier styrofoam >> All the Pokémon Go app updates you needhoneywell 250-cadr air purifier Stuff Picks: air purifiers to save your lungs from the hazeair scrubber rental nashville tn Supercharge your iMessages: the 11 best apps for Apple&... Weekend Watch: Rounding up the coolest videos of the week Expecto Patronum: Best tweets about the worst Pottermore Patronus Get the best deals online with these apps and websites 7 tips and tricks for the iPhone 7 and 7 PlusShare this page with others: Because viruses are so small, some less than .03 microns, most air purifiers cannot capture them effectively, although most claim to in their promotional material.

Air purification systems that use a combination of HEPA filters, ultraviolet lights and electrostatic filters may achieve the best results since none alone can guarantee consistent removal and eradication of viruses from the air stream. EPA studies have found that the effectiveness of hybrid units can be limited if airflow is not properly configured which can cause increased air resistance that could allow the air to bypass the cleaning mechanisms. Correct placement of portable residential air cleaners is also considered crucial to capturing airborne viruses. HEPA filters have been used in biomedical applications since the 1940s to prevent the spread of airborne bacteria and viral organisms. Specific requirements for different types of HEPA classifications range from cleanroom quality to true HEPA filters to HEPA-like filters. True HEPA filters are available for the residential market and they are regulated by the United States Department of Energy (DOE) to be 99.997% efficient, allowing no more than 3 particles in 10,000 to penetrate the filter.

Even the best HEPA filter will not kill viruses, however, and can lose its effectiveness at trapping viruses as the particulate matter builds up and causes more resistance to the airflow. Air purifier manufacturer IQ Air has claimed to develop a HyperHEPA (IQ Air's trademarked name for this technology) filter capable of removing particles down to .003 microns in size with 99.5% efficiency.  This is 100 times more effective than sta  IQ Air backs up its claims by measuring each shipped air purifier with a laser particle counter.  Conceivably, these IQ Air models could be the most effective units on the market in filtering viruses.  Even though these purifiers are used in some hospitals and clean rooms, according to the EPA there is no standardized test available to measure the effectiveness of virus filtration. Health care professionals use ultraviolet lights to neutralize airborne microorganisms like germs, bacteria or viruses, although some mold and bacteria spores are resistant to UV radiation.

For residential applications, however, the EPA warns that there is no standard to measure the effectiveness of UV cleaners and portable units and they probably have a limited effectiveness in combating viruses. For UV lights to be most effective they need to be exposed to the air flow longer than most residential units allow. Therefore, the most effective air purifier designs direct the UV lamp onto the HEPA filter so the particles trapped by the filter are treated by the UV lamp for a sufficient period of time to destroy the viruses. This method of air purification uses opposing charges to cause particulates to stick together and fall out of the air and land on a collection plate. Filters capture very fine particulates, including viruses, but it does not kill them. According to EPA studies, efficiency declines rapidly as the collection plates become covered with debris and must be changed often if they are the sole air purification method. When combined with a HEPA filter and UV lamps, however, electrostatic units maintain their effectiveness much longer.