Things that You Should Consider When Looking for an Air Purifier Articles | Environment

By: Guy Starbuck

Indoor pollution is on the increase. Studies have shown that the air that is inside our own homes is at least five times worse than the air which is found outside. This fact makes it all the more necessary for people to think of getting quality air purifiers in order to clean the air that we breathe in on a daily basis.

If you make a visit to one of your local home improvement stores, you’re bound to be overwhelmed by what is on offer. There are so many different brands of air purifiers and options available which makes it more difficult to know the options which you should choose for your home.

The most important thing to think of when you want to buy an air purifier for home use is its CADR, otherwise known as the clean air deliver rate. This rating is an industry rating which has been specially designed by the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturer’s in order to assist customers in knowing the level of efficiency of an air purifier. By using the CADR as an estimate, you understand how quick an air purifier is in filtering the air in your home and in cleaning the air that you inhale. Air purifiers that have the CADR seal of approval have the capability to filter and remove the most common types of pollution allergens from you house. These common pollutants include: tobacco smoke; animal dander; mold; mildew; dust and pollen.

There is a basic rule of thumb which should be followed whenever a CADR rating is being selected. The higher the rating of an air purifier, the faster the period it will take to clean out the air. Despite this fact, not all of the living spaces in your home need the biggest CADR that is available. The best way to find out the needed CADR for an area in your home is to calculate the square footage of the room that you need to purify, after this you should multiply this number by .75 to get the right CADR rating for that particular space.

For example, if you need to filter the air in a room that measures about the 272 square feet, you have to multiply that figure by .75 in order to get a CADR rating of 204. If you can’t seem to get a CADR rating that matches this figure, you should go for the next available higher model. If you also have a very open living space or if you have a ceiling space that is much higher than 8 feet, you also need to increase the level. If you have rooms which are extra large you may want to buy two smaller units which may be easily moved about for better cleaning results.

Other than the CADR rating, there are many other available choices for people who want to buy air purifiers. Certain other factors should be considered when purchasing an air purifier and they include:

• HEPA filter.
• The frequency of the filtering cycle -the optimal frequency is about every ten minutes.
• Filter controls.
• Speed controls.
• 360-degree air flow – which is based on the shape of the units.