Better Air Purifier

Do you know the air in your home has ten times more pollutants and allergens than the air outside? The reason is because the air in your home is not circulating. As a result, people with sensitive noses and those with respiratory problems may feel uncomfortable.

A good air purifier can solve the problem. It helps to circulate the air in your home and filter the pollutants, dust and allergens leaving the air clean and healthy to breathe. A good air purifier can also get rid of bad odors in the house.

However, there are many brands of air purifiers available on the market. The prices can also vary from less than $100 to more than $3000. So how do you pick an air purifier that is suitable for your needs?

There are a few points to take note when buying an air purifier.

You might want to check the MERV rating of the air purifier. The MERV rating is a standard that is used to measure the efficiency of an air purifier. A rating of 6 to 12 is considered good. This rating should be stated on the box of the air purifier.

Another indicator of a good air purifier is the CADR rating. It is a rating that can tell you the rate at which clean air is delivered. Generally, the higher the number, the better. It is also more expensive. On most air purifier boxes, it is usually measured against three contaminants namely, smoke, pollen and dust.

Another important factor is the air filter. You may need to factor in the cost of replacing the air filter since it is a consumable item. Some air filters for certain brands can be expensive too.

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Air purifiers convert dirty air into fresh and clean air, and also free the air from pollutants and contaminants. They are very beneficial for people suffering from allergies and can help alleviate asthma. Allergy inducing particles within the air may come as dust, pollen, pet dander or mold spores.

There are numerous air purifier brands and manufacturers worldwide. It becomes too tough for a customer to pick the air purifier of one’s choice from the huge range available.

The best idea is to do some research online. Thanks to the online reviewers, there are some good air purifier comparisons and reviews on the Internet.

A decent air purifier review will honestly depict the pros and cons of a specific air purifier. Therefore, going through numerous air purifier reviews will help you make a good decision before buying an air purifier.

There are a large number of air purifiers including Oreck Super Air 8, Sharper Image Ionic Breeze GP, Friedrich C-90A, Sharper Image Ionic Breeze Quadra, Blueair 601, Bionaire BAP1300 Quietech HEPA, Honeywell HEPA 50250, Hunter Quietflo 30400, Vornado AQ535, Hunter HEPAtech 30375 etc.

Oreck Super Air 8 is a good quiet machine, quite effective at clearing the air of a number of pollutants, allergens, and irritants. It’s efficient, covers a large area and quite inexpensive having a strong warranty.

Sharper Image Ionic Breeze GP is a good home air purifier having a germicidal UV lamp. Ultraviolet radiation is capable of combating many pathogens such as viruses and bacteria. It’s quiet and quite effective in air purification, with a 5-year warranty. The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America awarded it with a Consumer Product seal as its “proven to reduce airborne allergens and irritants including dust mite allergen, pet dander and cigarette smoke”.

Friedrich C-90A is good, efficient but a little noisy and bit costly also. Sharper Image Ionic Breeze Quadra is also good at removing pollutants and the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America also awarded it with a Consumer Product seal.

Blueair 601 using activated carbon technology is particularly effective in removing odors and gases. It’s considerably cheap with 10 Year Overall Warranty.

Bionaire BAP1300 Quietech HEPA is a powerful air purifier, a bit noisy and requires a regular filter change. It has a 5-year warranty.

Honeywell HEPA 50250 is good and effective in small rooms. Its price line is good with a 5-year warranty. Hunter HEPAtech 30375 is a good device having an ionizer that can be controlled independently.

Recently, there has been a controversy that ionizing air purifiers produce ozone (O3 poisonous allotrope of oxygen) that can worsen asthma and decrease lung function. Some critics feel that air purifiers are over hyped devices that can’t completely clean the air and protect against secondhand smoke.

Article Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?An-Air-Purifier-May-Keep-the-Allergies-Away&id=150507

I felt quite excited about my new Honeywell HFD-120-Q Tower HEPAQuiet air started talking about it with my friends. Coincidently, one of them is using the very same model as mine. His name is Sean. This is what he shared with me about his experience.

About one year ago, Sean moved into his new apartment with his wife.  He said that the air in his apartment was terrible when he moved in. Everyday, he would walk into his apartment and started sneezing and his nose will start running.  Whatever it was in the air was driving him crazy. His wife had a constant nasal drip/allergy problem after moving into this apartment. She was unwilling to see a doctor and the air had kept her and I up for many nights.

After 1 month, Sean finally started to research some air filters and settled on this not too expensive and large enough for their living room. He bought another one for his bedroom too.  The change wasn’t instantaneous but he as patient enough and gave it about to weeks. The machines operate very quietly and before he realized, he wasn’t sneezing like made anymore! He and his wife woke up feeling fresh every morning ever since.

One disadvantage that Sean highlighted about this air purifier was the distinct odor.  But that was not a major issue as it does not cause any harm to the air quality. Neither him nor his wife has allergy on that odor. Besides, the odor became a lot less after 6 months. He even bought another one for the kitchen. This makes a total of 3 units in his apartment.

Now that he has been introduced to the world of purifiers, he will always love Honeywell brands.

I stumbled upon an article about some guides when choosing your air purifier. I hope this will be useful for those of you who are buying air purifiers for the first time.

Where do all the air pollutants and allergens in my home come from?

Air pollution, in general, is a top environmental concern in the world today. Indoor air pollution is part of that concern. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, indoor air pollution levels can be up to five times higher than pollution levels outside. Most Americans only spend about 10% of their time outside.

Indoor air pollution commonly consists of the following allergens and pollutants:

• Second-hand tobacco smoke is one of the smallest allergen particles and is linked to many health problems including asthma.
• Animal dander is created from dander flakes shed by pets. It can cause asthmatic and allergic reactions in people who are allergic to cats and dogs. Sometimes removing the pet from the home isn’t enough. Dander usually remains in the home long after the pet has left.
• Pollen is created by trees, flowers and grass. Each time a door or window is opened, millions of pollen particles enter the home. Most allergy sufferers are allergic to one or more types of pollen.
• Mold and mildew can be found where there is a supply of water or where it is warm and humid. The shower, kitchen and basement are perfect places for these plant spores to grow.

What type of air purifier do I need?

The most important thing to look for when you buy an air purifier is the correct size for your room. Air purifiers are portable and can be moved from one room to another, provided the rooms are similar in size.

What size do I need?

The first thing you need to know when purchasing an air purifier is what CADR means. The Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR) seal program was developed by the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM) to help consumers choose air purifiers. CADR is based on the cubic feet of air a purifier can filter per minute. The higher the CADR number the faster the unit cleans the room’s air. Purifiers with the CADR seal remove tobacco smoke particles, animal dander, mold, mildew, dust and pollen particles. Use the following formula to decide which CADR is correct for your room:

Square footage x .75=CADR

Example: If your room is 16′x17′, which equals 272 sq. ft., you’ll need an air purifier that has a CADR of at least 204.

272 x .75=204

If an air purifier isn’t available with the exact CADR you calculate, round up. For instance, if your room size requires a CADR of 204, purchase one with a CADR of 220.

If you have a room with ceilings higher than 8′, move up to the next level CADR for a larger room. If you have an open floor plan, purchase two small units. The units can be moved to different areas in the room, cleaning the air more efficiently than one unit.

What else should I look for?

Different brands of air purifiers have different features. Here are some additional features to look for:

• Air purifiers today commonly use the High Efficiency Particulate Arresting (HEPA) filter. HEPA filters remove 99.97% of air pollutants .3 microns or larger from the air. HEPA filters also remove tobacco smoke, household dust, mold spores, animal dander and pollen.
• Frequency of filtering cycle (average every 10 minutes) can vary between models.
• Check filter control is available on some models.
• Speed controls for times when filtering needs vary.
• Some air purifiers offer 360° air flow based on the shape of the model (cylindrical or rectangular).

Article Source: http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=howTo&p=BuyGuide/AirPurifierBG.html

Hi, my name is David Barry and I live in a rented room for couple of years now. The size of my room is about 160 square feet. Due to the confined space and a window so small that could hardly provide any good air circulation, the air inside my room is always stuffy and stale.

I suffered frequent sinus and running nose (few times a month) and my life was a mess. Sometimes, I even can’t sleep well or concentrate on my work. I was always out in the shopping malls during weekends and holidays due to the fact that my room was a very unhealthy place to live. I’ve even tried some cheap air purifiers made from China that cost not more than $70 each. NONE of them worked. I have tried essential oils. Well, that helped a little bit. But I wanted a long-term effective solution. Some of my friends recommended me Honeywell air purifiers. I was really skeptical because of the high-price and it’s obviously out of my budget. There’re many other choices with that kind of price.

Since I didn’t know what to else to trust, I did some research online for user reviews. The reviews were not bad and I began to give it a long thought.  I have already spent quite a sum of money on the useless purifiers. At last, I decided to give a last try and went beyond my budget to buy a Honeywell air purifier. Due to the limited space I have in my room, I opted for this model called “HFD-120-Q Tower HEPAQuiet” due to its compactness and feature-packed advantages. Amazon was giving 10% discount on this thing, so I just placed an order with my credit card. There goes my debts.

The air purifier took almost 2 days to arrive. The first thing that amazed me when I plugged in this Honeywell air purifier was the quietness of this unit. It’s even quieter than most table fans and some air-conditioner units. I left it on for about 2 hours while I went out to a nearby store to grab some snacks. When I came back, I didn’t expect my room’s air to be so fresh. I can hardly smell any stale air.  Plus, I slept really well that night and woke up in the morning feeling rejuvenated. Obviously, I went to the office light-heartedly. My friends at work were surprised by my good mood that day. Well, I must thank them for their recommendation to this Honeywell air purifier.

By the way, the air filters are permanent and washable. I never find any maintenance issue on this product. Do checkout the model I’m personally using below:

You might also want to checkout the following Honeywell air purifiers to suit your different needs.