Most of us may have dismissed the idea of buying an air purifier years ago. Our reaction might have been, “Do I need an air purifier to breath fresh air?”. Unfortunately, things worsened. Delhi recently recorded the worst smog in its history. Air quality around the world has turned unhealthy to breath. Along with the capital, metros such as Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Chennai have also recorded terrible air quality.
While air pollution has serious effects on our health, most of us ignore it. Some of us might already be experiencing the short-term ill-effects such as discomfort and irritation in our nose, throat and skin. While these short-term effects are no less serious, long term effects on heart, lungs and respiratory diseases can cause serious damage to our health.
The indoors are aren’t spared. While there is little to escape air pollution outdoors, a lot can done about the air quality indoors. Dust, pollen, smoke and more circulate around our homes. An air purifier is the obvious solution everyone thinks of, but how well does it work? It can you give sense of security with its good advertising, but how far is it true? What are the factors to consider when selecting the best air purification solution? We studied how air purifiers works and here’s what we think.
How do air purifiers work?
Air purifiers pull in air using in-built fans, cleaning the air as it passes through filters. Pollutants and dust particles are captured, and the clean air is circulated back into the living space. This process continues until the air purifier is turned off. Some premium models also offer air quality detection sensors, that can automatically turn on and off the air purifier.
Most air purifiers filters are made of foam, paper, fiberglass or mesh material that requires periodic maintenance and replacement to be efficient. This means, in addition to the cost of buying an air purifier, you also must also consider the cost of maintaining it. How often you need to change the filters depends on various factors. Typically, an air filter lasts a year under moderate usage. However, if you live in a dusty part of town or have construction sites around you, your air purifier might require frequent filter replacements.
How can air purifiers make things better?
Air purifiers are designed to capture dust, smoke, and other air impurities improve the air quality in your room. However, there are air impurities such as combustion particles, organic compounds, bacteria and allergens that not every air purifier can clean.
The efficiency of air purification of an air purifier depends largely on the type of filters. Many air purifiers come with PM 10 specification filters, where the PM stands for particulate matter and 10 for the particle’s size. Such filters are mostly used in budget air purifiers and are effective at capturing dust, pollens and larger air impurities. However, any air impurity under 10 microns, which includes bacteria and allergens can easily escape such filters.
Many manufactures have started using PM 2.5 filters (also known as HEPA – High Efficiency Particulate Air) filters that are capable of capturing all kinds of particles within its multi-layer filters. They come with dense sheets of fibres that captures ultrafine particles such as dust, dander, mold, bacteria and other allergens at home. Many HEPA certified air purifiers also come with an additional carbon-activated air filter designed to remove odour from the air.
HEPA certified air purifiers have proven 99.97 per cent efficiency in removing air impurities. The results may be under controlled lab conditions, but it indicates that such air purifiers can significantly improve the air quality.
Factors while choosing an air purifier
CADR
CADR (Clean Air Delivery Rate) is the measure at what speed an air purifier removes air impurities from a living space. These rating are derived from number of fans, filters and size of the air purifier. An air purifier with higher CADR ratings merely speeds up the process of cleaning the air and has little to do with the size of the room.
Size guidelines
Air purifiers come in different shapes and sizes but for effective air purification, you need to choose a capacity that suites your room size. Most air purifiers along with their CADR ratings also specifies the area they cover. If you room measures 150 to 200 sq. ft, choosing an air purifier with slightly higher capacity can give you better results.
Design and features
Though the basic function of any air purifiers is to clean the air, models come with unique designs and smart features. Many of them sport compact designs and colourful LED layouts giving them a futuristic look. Some models also sport bladeless designs which can add an elegant look to your room. You can also find air purifiers with smart app support giving the flexibility to operate them from mobile devices. Some premium models also display real-time air quality stats and notify you about bad air quality on your smartphone.
An air purifier isn’t a magic solution and it’s certainly not the only way to ensure clean air, but it helps enough for you to consider one. It removes most air borne bacteria, allergens and odours, making your home a comfortable, liveable space. A visit to your closest Reliance Digital store can give you a realistic look at the kind of purifiers available. If you’re already sure what you’re looking for, we have a variety of models available online at RelianceDigital.in.
