HEPA Purifiers
The highest of high efficiency
To get an A+ in most universities or colleges in the United States, you need to get 90 percent or higher. You can be wrong 10 percent of the time and still get the highest mark possible. The world of air purification is far more demanding. To qualify as a high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter, a filter has to have an efficiency of 99.97 percent or higher.
HEPA filters are made of tiny glass fibers. A HEPA purifier must have a powerful blower that forces air through the dense material of the filter (usually by sucking or pulling, like a vacuum). This level of filtering makes the HEPA a top-of-the-line filter—high in quality and, as a result, quite expensive.
The HEPA's ability to remove particles as small as 0.3 microns in diameter means that it can filter mold spores, smoke particles and other tiny particles out of the air you are breathing. The downside of the HEPA filter, of course, is that it is very costly.
There are still other factors affecting the effectiveness of a HEPA filter. The horsepower of the fan is one such factor. Air displacement – the total amount of air moved by the purifier – is another. This is measured in cubic feet per minute (CFM). A high air displacement value will give you the most efficient removal of harmful particles such as smoke, paint fumes and asbestos fibers. A portable HEPA filter may have an air displacement value as low as 50 CFM. Some of the largest industrial HEPA filters can have air displacement values as high as 100,000 CFM.
The ultimate HEPA
The most expensive, highest quality HEPA purifiers are called ultra particulate air (ULPA) purifiers. These can remove 99.999 percent of particulates in your air. You can find small room-sized ULPA purifiers for as low as $40, and the best deals can be found online. A peripheral expense is the power you will require in order to run your HEPA or ULPA air purification unit. They may increase your energy bills, but you will probably find it's worth it once you breathe that clean, particulate-free air.
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