It is common to hear that an air purifier is only for allergy sufferers. Meanwhile, in fact, a device of this type is also very helpful in the fight against smog and air pollution.
A good air purifier is an essential purchase for people prone to allergies. But not only allergy sufferers should reach for such equipment. Due to the ever-increasing threat of smog, an effective device for filtering pollutants from the air will also be useful for the proverbial Kowalski, who has not complained about health problems so far. The reason is obvious: prevention is always better than cure.
Why an air purifier at home?
Smog is outside, but the air inside the house is clean - this popular view unfortunately has little to do with reality. Dust, harmful chemicals, various types of bacteria, mites ... This is not the end of the long list of things that can make you feel worse at home as well.
What is important, even by cleaning and ensuring proper ventilation of rooms, you are not able to fully eliminate the threat. However, you can accidentally worsen your situation - for example, by intensively ventilating rooms when the concentration of dangerous dust in the air exceeds the permissible standards.
The solution to this problem is to buy an air purifier. It's just that not all equipment is actually as good as advertised by sellers. So what should you remember when shopping?
How does an air purifier work?
Without going into technical details, the air purification process itself is relatively simple. You need a good filter that will catch impurities and a fan that will ensure effective air flow. Just enough. Other features are only complementary to this duo and should be treated as secondary.
Based on these assumptions, it is not difficult to conclude that the most important parameters of each air purifier are the effectiveness of the installed filters and filtration efficiency, i.e. the amount of air ejected by the device per hour. Armed with this knowledge, we can slowly start shopping.
What must a good air purifier have?
HEPA filter, reputed to be the most effective tool in the fight against allergens and dust. There is no shortage of other solutions on the market (such as electrostatic, water or photocatalytic filters), but according to agdManiaKa, it is a decent HEPA filter that guarantees you the optimal level of safety. Comparable to the effectiveness of HEPA is only the multiple filtration system used in advanced Daikin purifiers.
An effective air exchange system is the basis of an efficient purifier. In the end, even the best HEPA filter will be of no use to you if you can't pass enough polluted air through it. Filtration capacity is often expressed in terms of cubic meters per hour.
Adjusting the air flow - the key thing to adjust the performance of the device to the conditions in the house or apartment. This is important because the purifier operating at maximum speed is usually noisy, so it is worth turning it on when the level of pollution in the air is low or at night.
The three points above are the foundation of any good air purifier. However, three other features are also worth noting.
Noise level expressed in dB - the lower the better. Take values of 25 dB (nearly inaudible in a home environment), 35 dB (noise of a working laptop) and 55 dB (a silent washing machine) as a reference. If you assume that the purifier is to work at night, be sure to choose equipment that is quiet (maximum 30 dB) or offers a night mode (this concept means a reduction in purification efficiency while reducing the noise level).
Sensors – the more, the better. In more expensive devices, you will find sensors that measure the level of pollution in the air, automatically adjusting the purifier's operating mode, as well as filter status sensors that will inform you when the cartridge needs to be replaced.
Availability of spare parts - the operation of the purifier costs money, so it's worth finding out in advance whether you can count on good service for the device you buy (especially if you import the product from China).
How to evaluate the efficiency of the purifier?
Looking at the product card, look for the value expressed in cubic meters per hour (m3/h) - this parameter determines the maximum efficiency of the purifier, i.e. the amount of air that the device is able to effectively clean within one hour, working at maximum speed.
How to determine which value will be optimal for you? It's simple - you just need to know the size of your room or office. Note: when measuring the area, do not confuse square meters with cubic meters - a 15-meter room with a high ceiling will require a different purification system than the same premises with a low ceiling or slants.
Example: we take a 20 m2 living room with a standard height of 2.5 m. We multiply one value by the other and we get 50 m3 (20 x 2.5)
A good purifier should replace the air at least 5 times in one hour. This means that the airflow efficiency must be at least 5 times the volume of the room in m3. So when looking for equipment for the above example living room, you will need a purifier with a minimum capacity of 250 m3 / h (50 x 5).
Beware of...
Every purifier is good for a sick person - mistake. If you suffer from allergies or asthma, look only for products whose effectiveness is confirmed by appropriate certificates. Not all equipment is equally effective in eliminating pathogens.
You buy the purifier once and you're done with it - a mistake. Like many other products on the market, this type of equipment requires regular vacuuming, cleaning and - above all - filter replacement. A dirty purifier with an old, inoperative filter will certainly not help and may even harm.
A good purifier must have an ionizer, an ozonator and an air humidifier - a mistake. 2-in-1, 3-in-1 or 4-in-1 devices look cool on paper, which doesn't mean you actually need additional options. What's more, if you decide to buy such a harvester, be sure to choose a device that allows you to turn off each of the extra modes. Remember that an improperly used harvester can negatively affect the level of humidity in the apartment, it can also lead to a deterioration in the well-being of household members. Don't be fooled by marketing promises and only buy equipment that meets your needs.
And finally, the last, very popular myth: no matter what the layout of the apartment is, the purifier will cope. Mistake. The purifier has its limitations - the most important is dependence on the natural (unforced) air flow in the rooms. Therefore, the same device can be very effective in a 2-room layout, where all rooms are close to each other, and at the same time lose the dust fight in the case of two rooms separated by a narrow and winding corridor. Therefore, always use common sense - sometimes it is better to invest in two cheaper air purifiers with less capacity (one per room) than one more expensive and efficient.
Which purifier to buy? TOP-10 recommended models in 2021
Xiaomi Mi Air Purifier 3H
from: PLN 539 »more information »Samsung AX60R5080WD/EU
from: 1.448 PLN »more information »Philips Dual Scan AC3858/50
from: 2.599 PLN< /b> »more information »Webber AP 9700W
from: 1.299 PLN »more information »Toshiba CAF-X116XPL
from: 999 PLN »more information »Sharp FPJ30EUB
from: 698 PLN < b>»more information »Panasonic F-VXR90G-K
from: 2.514 PLN »more information »Electrolux PURE A9 (PA91-604GY)
from: 1.699 PLN »more information »Samsung Cube AX47R9080SS
from: 1.899 PLN< /b> »more information »Amica APM3011
from: 599 PLN »more information »This is also worth reading!
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