Air purifier reviews
Air purifier reviews
Please Note: EPA neither certifies nor recommends particular brands of home air cleaning devices. While some home air cleaning devices may be useful in some circumstances, EPA makes no broad endorsement of their use, nor specific endorsement of any brand or model. This document describes performance
characteristics associated with several types of air cleaners sold to consumers for home use. It does not discuss the effectiveness of air cleaners installed in the HVAC systems of large buildings, such as apartments, offices, schools, or public buildings.
Under Federal pesticide law, manufacturers of ozone generators must list an EPA establishment
number on the packaging. This number merely identifies the facility that manufactured the
product. Display of this number implies neither EPA endorsement nor that EPA has found the
product to be safe or effective.
Some portable air cleaners sold in the consumer market are ENERGY STAR® qualified. Please note
the following disclaimer on their packaging: “This product earned the ENERGY STAR by meeting
strict energy efficiency guidelines set by EPA. EPA does not endorse any manufacturer claims of
healthier indoor air from the use of this product.
Understanding the Types of Air Cleaning Devices
Before deciding whether to use an air cleaning device, several questions should be considered:
- What types of pollutants can an air cleaner remove?
- How is the performance of an air cleaner measured?
- Will air cleaning reduce adverse health effects?
- What other factors should I consider?
These questions will be addressed in the next few pages.
How is the Performance of an Air Cleaner Measured?
There are different ways to measure how well air cleaning devices work, which depend on the type of device and the basic configuration. Air cleaning devices are configured either in the ductwork of HVAC systems (i.e., in-duct) or as portable air cleaners.
In-duct Particle Removal
Most mechanical air filters are good at capturing larger airborne particles, such as dust, pollen, dust mite and cockroach allergens, some molds, and animal dander. However, because these particles settle rather quickly, air filters are not very good at removing them completely from indoor areas. Although human activities such as walking and vacuuming can stir up particles, most of the larger particles will resettle before an air filter can remove them.
Consumers can select a particle removal air filter by looking at its efficiency in removing airborne particles from the air stream that passes through it. This efficiency is measured by the minimum efficiency reporting value (MERV) for air filters installed in the ductwork of HVAC systems. The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) developed this measurement method. MERV ratings (ranging from a low of 1 to a high of 20) also allow comparison of air filters made by different companies.
X Flat or panel air filters with a MERV of 1 to 4 are commonly used in residential furnaces and air conditioners.
For the most part, such filters are used to protect the HVAC equipment from the buildup of unwanted materials on the surfaces such as fan motors and heating or cooling coils, and not for direct indoor air quality reasons. They have low efficiency on smaller airborne particles and medium efficiency on larger particles, as long as they remain airborne and pass through the filter. Some smaller particles found within a house include viruses, bacteria, some mold spores, a significant fraction of cat and dog allergens, and a small portion of dust mite allergens.
Higher efficiency filters with a MERV of 14 to 16, sometimes misidentified as HEPA filters, are similar in
appearance to true HEPA filters, which have MERV values of 17 to 20. True HEPA filters are normally not installed in residential HVAC systems; installation of a HEPA filter in an existing HVAC system would
probably require professional modification of the system. A typical residential air handling unit and
the associated ductwork would not be able to accommodate such filters because of their physical
dimensions and increase in airflow resistance.
Some residential HVAC systems may not have enough fan or motor capacity to accommodate
higher efficiency filters. Therefore, the HVAC manufacturer’s information should be checked
prior to upgrading filters to determine whether it is feasible to use more efficient filters. Specially
built high performance homes may occasionally be equipped with true HEPA filters installed in a
properly designed HVAC system.
There is no standard measurement for the effectiveness of electronic air cleaners. While they may
remove small particles, they may be ineffective in removing large particles. Electronic air cleaners can
produce ozone—a lung irritant. The amount of ozone produced varies among models. Electronic air
cleaners may also produce ultrafine particles resulting from reaction of ozone with indoor chemicals
such as those coming from household cleaning products, air fresheners, certain paints, wood flooring, or
carpets. Ultrafine particles may be linked with adverse health effects in some sensitive populations
Conclusion
Indoor air pollution is among the top five environmental health risks. The best way to address this risk is to control or eliminate the sources of pollutants, and to ventilate a home with clean outdoor air. The ventilation method may, however, be limited by weather conditions or undesirable levels of contaminants in outdoor air. If these measures are insufficient, an air cleaning device may be useful. While air cleaning devices may help to control the levels of airborne allergens, particles, or, in some cases, gaseous pollutants in a home, they may not decrease adverse health effects from indoor air pollutants
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