Air filters are a necessary item for any household. They can be a lifesaver in the event of an emergency, and they promote cleanliness and health in your everyday routine. Air filters also help remove contaminants from the air that you breathe every day.
Air filters come in many shapes, sizes, materials, and styles to suit different needs. To find which one is best for your family, it’s important to understand how each type works- what it does and where it should go. The following blog will explore some of the most common types of air filter systems available on today’s market: box style air cleaners; portable units; electronic air cleaners; HEPA (high-efficiency particulate arresting) units; UV sterilizers; and many more.
How Do Air Filters Work?
Many systems work by using a fan to push air through the filter. This is popular and made in the USA because it helps remove microscopic contaminants and particles that can cause allergies and trigger asthma, bronchitis, and eczema.
Air passes through the filter and is then forced out into the room, often by a vent or duct. Air filters remove contaminants from your indoor environment that can be harmful to your health, including pollen, dander from pets, dust mite fecal matter, mold spores, and bacteria.
Many types of air filters work effectively at removing these contaminants. However, some systems can use several different methods to filter out these particles. Here’s a guide to a few different systems and how they work:
Box-Style Air Cleaners
These air filters work best in larger areas, like living rooms or basements where you spend a lot of time. They also come in handy if you live with pets, suffer from allergies, or smoke indoors because they can remove odors and pollutants from the air. Most box-style air cleaners include a filter that removes dust, pollen, and pet dander from your family’s air supply.
They can also include a carbon pre-filter that removes odors from the room. Box style air cleaners are designed to help you breathe easier when it is turned on, but they tend to be bulky and unattractive so they don’t work well in bedrooms or smaller living spaces.
Portable Units
These small devices are designed to remove allergens and odors from the air, making them a good choice for basements, bathrooms, and kitchenettes. Portable units work best in areas where you spend a lot of time cooking, bathing, or doing laundry- basically near any place that smells like gas, chemical cleaners, or dampness.
Portable air filters are great for smaller, quick jobs like clearing the smell of an ashtray out of your living room or keeping your pet’s stench from invading the entire house. Some portable units also act as humidifiers and dehumidifiers in small spaces like bedrooms, where it is difficult to fit a full-sized unit.
Electronic Air Cleaners
These products are designed to clean the air in much larger rooms, like living rooms or family rooms that have high ceilings and open floor plans. Electronic air cleaners can remove odors, dust, pollen, and other contaminants from your entire living space- even if you spend most of your time in a small kitchen.
These units come in different styles, but most have a built-in fan and a specialized filter that removes dust from the air while circulating it throughout the room. Electronic air cleaners are also relatively inexpensive and easy to move from place to place.
HEPA Air Filters
These filters are designed to remove allergens from your home, including dust mites and pet dander. In fact, if you have allergies or asthma, a HEPA air filter may be the only way to breathe easy in your home without having to stay with family or friends when allergy season hits. These filters also remove mold spores, mildew, and other contaminants from the air.
HEPA air filters are generally better than box-style air cleaners because they can capture more particles from the air. But if you live alone and don’t suffer from allergies, a low-maintenance HEPA unit is probably overkill- especially if it is going to be used in a small space.
Because of their powerful filtering capabilities, most people use HEPA units in their bedrooms to help them breathe better at night. If you do get one of these units, be sure that the air cleaner is properly vented otherwise, it will take fewer contaminants out of the air than it is supposed to.
Air filters are an important part of your home, and they can keep you healthy. They also work to remove allergens from the air so you won’t have to suffer from allergies or asthma symptoms.
Featured image: Xiaomi.
