Are you thinking of buying an air purifier, but you are not sure where to start? No worries! This guide is the solution!
This ultimate guide introduces you to the world of air purifiers and clean, healthy indoor air in a simple way.
1. Unlike manufacturers of air purifiers, we do not present you with high-tech sales pitches to convince you to buy one particular air purifier.
We at AdviceU know for a fact that "the best air purifier" doesn't actually exist.
Why not? The reason for this is that every situation is unique with many different variables including polluted air sources, health concerns, room size, pets, allergies, etc.
In other words, no appliance can ever claim to be 'the best air purifier' that can magically solve every possible problem in every scenario.
2. There are so many people in the world who would like to buy an air purifier to solve a particular problem. Naturally, when you have a problem, you want to solve it as soon as possible. right? After a quick search on the internet, you quickly realize that there are many air purifiers for sale online at widely varying prices.
Despite this, we do not recommend that you buy the first air purifier from an electrical store or from a website.
These are most of the terms your find on search engines when you search for an air purifier:
- the most popular air purifier,
- the air purifier with the best reviews,
- the best-selling air purifier,
- the cheapest air purifier, etc.
These terms may sound interesting, but the question you really want to ask is: "Which air purifier to buy for my personal situation?"
You would not be the first to complain afterward that the air purifier turns out not to be the ideal solution for your specific problem.
This could be due to one or more of the following properties:
- An inadequate air-purifying effect,
- Not necessarily suitable for the area in which it will be employed,
- It does not take into account any allergies that family members suffer from (including pets),
- Often a lousy price-quality ratio, etc.
For the above reasons, it is better to first immerse yourself in the world of air purifiers so that you can buy an air purifier well-informed.
This guide not only informs you about the different types, technologies, and properties of air purifiers but also gives you some tips to consider before purchasing an air purifier
Health Benefits From An Air Purifier
Buying an air purifier can significantly improve your quality of life in several ways:
- Improved indoor air quality
- Increase in your energy level
- Avoid any health issues such as asthma or high fever
- Fight against allergies in humans as well as pets
- Combating all kinds of dirty air particles such as fine dust, mold spores, dust mites, pet allergens, and unwanted odors
Why Buy An Air Purifier
Constantly poor indoor air quality is no fun. Ideally, you simply want to remedy this unwanted situation as quickly as possible and breathe clean air again.
Opening the windows to refresh the indoor air will help to remedy the effects of the problem temporarily, but it will not remove the root cause of the problem.
Buying an air purifier can provide a solution as it can also effectively combat the root cause of the problem.
Rational For Air Cleaner/ Air Purifier
An air purifier cleans the air, which makes sense. But why would you have your air cleaned by such a device? Is the air not clean enough?
There are several reasons why people buy an air purifier, but they all have to do with health.
More and more air purifiers are recognized as indispensable tools in our daily life to protect and improve our health.
They are not only used in the personal living environment (homes) but also in public sectors such as schools, hospitals, restaurants, offices, hotels, and laboratories.
Air purifiers can not only filter unwanted odors and visible dust particles from the air, they can also remove the invisibly small - and very harmful - dust particles from the indoor air.
From musty odors from pets, tobacco smoke, wood smoke, mold in the house ...
To invisible small allergens that float in the air so that the symptoms of, for example, allergies and asthma can be alleviated.
How Do Air Purifiers Work?
Air purifiers can filter dirty air particles from your indoor air. Think not only of the visible dust particles that you sometimes see whirling around but also of microscopic dirty air particles.
You can buy air purifiers in all shapes, sizes, colors, and weights. You can also choose from different filter techniques and modern technologies.
We can describe the operation of an air purifier in a simplified manner in 3 phases:
- The appliance sucks in the polluted indoor air
- This polluted air is purified by the device
- After which the purified air is returned to the room
The efficiency of air purifiers is tested based on their ability to clean 3 types of airborne particles, namely:
- pollen,
- cigarette smoke, and
- dust.
Depending on the efficiency of the air purifier, it is possible to remove the smallest dirty air particles from your indoor air such as allergens, tobacco smoke, wood smoke, bacteria, and other invisible particles that are harmful to health.
However, it soon becomes impossible to see the forest for the trees with such a wide range of air purifiers on the market of different types and different efficiency.
Which one do you need in your specific situation? How efficient does it need to be to successfully tackle the root of your problem? What should you pay attention to?
It is not a forest but a jungle in which you have to orient yourself and it is not easy to make the right choice. This is exactly where Air Purifier Advice can help you with free advice for your problem.
Different Types Of Air Purifiers
Air purifiers are available in all shapes and sizes, but to start with, we can divide them into two types:
- As part of a central ventilation system: When building or renovating a home, it is ensured that adequate ventilation is possible. This can be achieved by providing a central ventilation system in the house, installed by professional craftsmen. This ventilation system can therefore have an air-cleaning function so that the system not only supplies the rooms with fresh air but also clean air.
- Purchase air purifier as a standalone unit: Not all homes have a central ventilation system (with a decent air-cleaning function). You can therefore simply buy an air purifier as a stand-alone unit. This can then get a permanent place in the house and then become part of the interior. Or it could be an easily movable model on wheels or even a portable model. The air purifier can then be easily moved from one room to another, depending on where it is needed.
Pros And Cons
Both types each come with advantages and disadvantages in terms of cost, capacity, and efficiency:
Cost Price
It will not surprise you that a central ventilation system in the house is the most expensive option and also requires quite a few architectural adjustments. The advantage is that with a central system a total solution can be obtained for air treatment in the house: heating, cooling, ventilation, and air purification can be combined. A standalone air purifier is cheaper than a central system because no adjustments are required to your home and because the unit does not need to be as large and not as powerful. The range of stand-alone air purifiers is also much wider and more varied so that you can easily find a flexible solution for your specific situation.
Capacity
Central systems are designed to suit your home and are therefore by definition always powerful enough to provide the entire house with the required amount of fresh air. Stand-alone air purifiers, on the other hand, always have a limited capacity. This means that one appliance can only efficiently clean a certain amount of air - or a limited volume. If the appliance were to be used in a room whose volume is greater than the capacity of the appliance, the appliance will not be able to clean the air optimally. Finally, we come to efficiency: how thoroughly can the air be cleaned?
Efficiency
The level of filtering of central systems often leaves much to be desired. This is not really surprising because such systems are mainly installed for other functions such as heating, cooling, and ventilation. Air purification is considered less important than these other functions and as a result, the efficiency of these systems cannot match that of stand-alone air purifiers. Stand-alone air purifiers are designed with only one goal in mind: to clean the air in the most efficient way possible. These devices are therefore much more effective in filtering the tiniest of dirty air particles such as allergens and other microscopic particles.
Cost Of Air Purifiers
If you want to buy an air purifier, you may also compare prices. However, the purchase cost of an air purifier is not the only thing you can pay attention to. For example, you may be confronted with maintenance costs because you have to replace the filters periodically to ensure that the appliance continues to function optimally.
This cost is unavoidable unless the filters of the unit are washable and you can reuse them. The price and lifespan (eg good for 6 or 12 months) of new filters depend on the brand and type of the appliance. You should inquire about this information so that you can make an informed decision. Also, consider the energy costs associated with the purchase of an air purifier.
Product brochures and accompanying sales pitches can be full of praise for the technical specifications of the device. However, be aware that these specifications are often based on results of tests in laboratories where the devices are in continuous operation to enable the desired efficiency. Also because of your personal situation, it may be necessary for the air purifier to be used continuously to clean sufficiently.
Continuous use, around the clock, will of course consume more energy in contrast to periodic use of, for example, only a few hours a day. So you not only want to buy an air purifier that falls within your budget in terms of the purchase price, but that is also preferably energy-efficient.
Buy An Air Purifier Tailored To Your Home
Do not forget to check how much space is needed to place the air purifier in your home. Although there are air purifiers of different sizes, this is not an indication of the efficiency of the unit. A larger device is therefore not necessarily better at cleaning the air than a smaller device.
Conversely, a smaller unit is not necessarily less good at purifying your indoor air, compared to a larger model. If you are going to buy an air purifier, make your choice first on the basis of efficiency and capacity, before comparing the dimensions of models with similar efficiency.
Also, don't forget to check the owner's manual for recommendations on where to place the unit. Most appliances require a certain distance from walls and windows to ensure optimal operation. Finally, you can also take into account the appearance of the appliance and how it will integrate into your interior.
Also, be aware that using an air purifier alone is not enough to remove all of the pollutants typically found in indoor air. However, if you combine an air purifier with regular cleaning and ventilation, an air purifier is an effective means of noticeably increasing the quality of your indoor air.