Air Purifier With HEPA Filter For Allergy Sufferers

Sneezing from pet dander floating around, or perhaps smoke, dust, mold spores, pollen, allergens are adding to your breathing woes?

One of the ways to remove common contaminants from indoor air is by installing air purifiers or air cleaners.

An air purifier with HEPA filter offers effective filtering as it can remove 99.97% of airborne pollutants, pet dander and allergens as small as 0.3 microns.

Those that come with carbon filter will remove household odors from cooking, pet odor, tobacco smoke etc.

If you are allergic to dust mites, pets etc, then installing an air purifier in your home can effectively improve your symptoms.

If you stay in a dusty polluted area, then getting clean indoor air can be a challenge. The air purifier becomes a necessity.

Clean indoor air is related to health and comfort.

Basically, the air purifier sucks in air, pass it through cleaning mechanisms/filters and an electric fan then blows out the clean air.

It has 3 basic accessories – a pre filter, Hepa filter and an activated carbon layer.

However, as with all things in life, the air purifier comes with pros and cons.

Home Air Purifiers – Pros And Cons

Pros

• Portable
• Clean indoor air – Able to remove allergens, odors etc
• Minimize discomfort for allergy sufferers
• Great for pet owners – noticeably remove pet dander and pet odor
• Very useful if staying in dusty area

Cons

• Noisy fan
• Expensive HEPA filter replacement
• Needs regular maintenance – cleaning out the pre filter

Air Purifiers – What Features To Look Out For

Types Of Air Purifiers

Austin Air HealthMate Plus HEPA Air Purifiers

An air purifier makes use of a fan and filters to clean your indoor air. Certain models come with odor and chemical filtration as well.

Each individual model comes with certain features that work best for certain types of allergies.

So are you in the market for an air purifier for allergy relief, an asthma air purifier, air purifier for smoke relief, or perhaps you are looking for one that brings relief for Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) individuals.

For example, the Austin Air HealthMate Plus comes with a high level of chemical filtration and can remove formaldehyde.

Size

How big is the area you wish to put the purifier. Air purifiers are rated according to coverage area.

They come with suggested room size for best results.

Certain models are rated according to air change per hour (ACH). ACH refers to the number of times the appliance can treat the volume of air in that particular space in one hour.

Say for example, “Room Size for 4 ACH” refers to the recommended room size for 4 air changes in an hour. These type of air purifiers are best for allergy and asthma sufferers.

Then you have the whole house purifiers that connect to your home’s existing HVAC system. These will ensure clean air in every room in your home.

Filters

• Pre filter – Does it come with one?
• The pre filter will extend the life of the more expensive HEPA filter. It will filter out the larger particulates eg pet dander. Regular washing is recommended for the pre filter. Replacement is inexpensive.
• Activated carbon filter – It removes odors and gaseous contaminants
• HEPA filter – The High Energy Particulate Air filter can remove 99.97% of airborne pollutants.
• How frequent do you need to change it. HEPA filters are expensive to replace.
• The HEPA filters for Honeywell HPA300 True HEPA Air Purifier need to be replaced annually whereas the HyperHEPA filter of the high end IQAir HealthPro Plus Air Purifier can last up to 4 years. The HperHEPA filter can fiter allergens up to 0.003 microns at a rate of 99.5%.

Additional Optional Features That Add Convenience

• Air Quality Indicator/Sensors – Displaying real time air quality
• Temperature Humidity Sensors – If you have dry indoor air issues, then you’ll need an air purifier with humidifier such as the Boneco H680 Hybrid Humidifier – Purifier
• Filter change indicator – Changing filter at the recommended time maintains the high standard of your purifier. An indicator light makes it easy to know when it’s time to replace the filter.
• Wheels and Handles – Caster wheels and handles allow for easy transportation from 1 room to another
• Controls – Remote and digital controls
• Programmable Timer – Set it to turn on or off at certain times
• Fans – Air Purifiers with multiple fan speed give you more choices for purification speed and noise level depending on your needs. You’ll want it to be super quiet in the bedroom

Features To Avoid

Ozone Emitting Air Cleaners – Ozone is a lung irritant and can cause adverse health effects. You can read about it here.

Does The Air Purifier Help Allergy Sufferers?

When you check the filter, then you’ll realize how much cleaner your air is minus the dust particles, pet dander stuck on the filter. These are the very things that give you a runny nose, puffy eyes, itchy skin and bouts of sneezing.

Yes, the air purifier does help allergy sufferers but they need to use those with HEPA filters.

Cleaner space and cleaner air – air purifiers do their job.

For it to work effectively, make sure the doors and windows are closed. There must be enough empty space all around it. Leaning it against the wall is not advisable.

Added side bonus – less cleaning and dusting chores as there will be less dust build up on your furniture.

Investing in an air purifier is one way to reduce the level of indoor air pollution at home.

Do the higher end ones provide a more significant improvement in air quality compared to a cheaper model?

Check out the air purifiers comparison table below for a quick answer.

Air Purifiers Comparison Table

So, have you chosen the best air purifier for your home?

Video On IQAir HealthPro Plus Air Purifier | Sylvane