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Contents
Choose the Best Air Filtration System for Your Home Office
Air purifiers remove indoor air pollution which can be made up of small particles in the air. But how do you know how to choose the best air filtration system for your home office? Do you know which air purifier to buy?
It can really improve your life by reducing allergens such as pollen and dust particles and protecting us from germs and viruses in the air. Indoor air quality is important since we are staying most of our time inside the house due to our situation now.
Outside or in?
It is easy to say that the pollution is really an outside problem, but that same air containing traces of vehicle exhaust, airborne dust and pollen, smoke, and other pollutants comes into our homes without even notice. Some sources of pollution are already inside the home, like household dust, cigarette smoke, smoke from the kitchen, and pet hair. In any case, we can address most of this problem by regular vacuum and mopping. Air purifiers are really essential appliances nowadays.
They are very useful in many ways.
- To help with asthma and allergies, particularly to dust and pollen
- To help keep the air clear of bacteria and viruses if you have sick people at home
- If you smoke inside your home
- If your neighborhood has particular pollution problems, such as being near a major road or in an area affected by bushfires
Air Filters or Air purifiers are also important to limit the spread of Covid-19. But choosing an air purifier suited to our home is a bit complicated. We have to consider lots of things to get the best one for our home. Remember that this is not only for you, but your family is also inside the house. In this article, we discuss which air purifier to buy and the best air purifier to choose for our home.
Considerations for the best air filtration system
1. Measurement.
We have to consider the size of the room or the office. Because it is important to know how big or how much air needed to be cleaned. Start measuring the office or room floor. Next, measure the height, then multiply it to get the volume. In this way, we can get the best air filters and purifiers fit in our room. Most models will have a recommended room size. It may be worth getting a model that’s rated for a larger room than you plan to use it in. That can mean the purifier will clear the room’s air faster on its highest setting, but still comfortably keep the air clear at its lowest and quietest speed.
2. Know the CADR needed to clean the room.
First, what is CADR? CADR stands for Clean Air Deliver Rate it is the amount of air an air purifier can clean in a given period of time. That’s why we need to calculate the volume of the room because it’s important to know what the CADR of the room is. To do this, all we have to do is to multiply the volume of the room by 2. The bigger the number, the better. While CADR is a useful way to compare performance between models, it’s not necessarily a good indicator of how an air purifier will perform in your own home. You’re more likely to have the air purifier down one end of the room or in a corner, and you won’t always be using the highest speed settings. Also, the CADR test doesn’t measure the removal of other pollutants such as VOCs and very fine particles.
3. Find HEPA Air Purifier.
HEPA stands for high-efficiency particulate air. It’s a very effective type of filter which traps very small particles, invisible to the naked eye. Generally, HEPA filters can trap at least 99.95% of dust, smoke, mold, and other particles in the air, down to a tiny 0.3 microns in size. The test found that HEPA filtration is the most important feature of an air purifier. HEPA filters are highly effective at filtering out some particles the same size as Covid-19. When choosing an air purifier for the office, avoid extra additives such as UV lights or ionizers. Those will increase the price of the purifier and may add health risks to our family.
Other Aspects of the Best Air Filtration System
An air purifier may have multiple filters, including HEPA, and these will need regular cleaning or replacement. It is more reasonable if we are able to wash and reuse a filter rather than buy a replacement each time, especially if you will be using the air filter frequently. Most pre-filters and carbon filters can be washed and replaced; HEPA filters are not usually washable and you’ll need to factor in buying replacements for these.
Some models have a separate filter which means you can replace it separately as needed. Others have built-in filter cartridges which are more convenient but may mean you’re replacing the whole lot when only one of the filter types actually needs replacing.
Check for Warning Indicators
A good air purifier will have a warning indicator to let us know when is the best time to clean or replace the filters. The instructions might simply say to replace the filter after a certain period of time. It can be every six months but check how the replacement time is calculated. You have to consider if the purifier runs all day every day or if it is being used less often. So you should not need to replace the filters frequently.
4. Consider the Cost and Life Span.
It is also on top to consider the cost and life span of the purifier we will buy. Filter-replacement costs vary from machine to machine: Some have very expensive filters that last for years, while others use cheap filters that have to be changed frequently. Plus, while some of the filters are washable, the HEPA filters themselves are disposable and must be entirely replaced. Make sure the cost is considerable and we can use it in the long run. We can’t afford to buy a purifier each and every month. Before you buy an air purifier, calculate the cost per year to maintain it, and compare that cost to those of any other air-purifier device you might be considering.
5. Maintenance Cost.
The up-front cost of your air purifier matters if you are on a budget. Do not settle your mind once you set it up on your home. There are things to check once you install it like the time to replace the filters and when to clean it.
6. Energy Efficiency.
Air purifiers are most effective when they’re running almost constantly, so you’ll also want to factor in electricity costs. Small air purifiers generally use less energy than larger ones, but they clean much smaller spaces. On the other hand, air purifiers that are rated for large rooms and that have higher fan speeds, tend to draw more energy.
Eco Models that are Some of the Best Air filtration system units
A few air purifiers have “eco” modes that power down the devices and place them on standby when their sensors no longer detect airborne pollutants.
We can usually find your air purifier’s estimated energy usage in the product specs. There are devices that supposedly draw as low as 1.5 watts on low settings and 200 watts on high settings. We cannot notice that in our electric bill, but the latter could add up.
7. How portable are your air purifiers?
Is it the best purifier for home use? Some air purifiers are lighter and more mobile than others. The larger and heavier air purifiers are best kept stationary, though some come with casters for portability. If you want to use your air purifier in your home office during the day, in your living room during the evening, and in your bedroom while sleeping, then look for a smaller one that you can bring anywhere you want.
As we mentioned above, the size of the filter is correlated to the size of the room it can effectively clean. So it is the best option to pick a purifier that will match those locations.
8. Consider the Noise Level.
Some purifiers make loud noises on higher settings. This is very important that our purifier is not disturbing our work and our productivity. Most have internal fans that pull air through a series of filters. Some of these fans are practically silent, especially on low settings. Others make a humming sound as you turn them up. You can find how loud the purifier by checking its noise level. You’ll find noise-level ranges measured in decibels in your device’s specs. Make sure to check and consider this when buying an air purifier.
The bottom line is there’s no single air purifier that’s right for everyone. When you are shopping for the right one, always check and consider the CADR ratings and the filter types to get an idea of how effective the air purifiers will be for your specific needs.
The moment you identify the best air purifier that provides you the best filtration for common pollutants in your home and it is the perfect size for your space, then evaluate secondary features like noise levels and portability. Also, don’t forget to consider the energy cost and the maintenance cost is within your budget.
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