Latest Air Purifier News
Mount Augustine's ash belches last week triggered a run on air filters from Wasilla to Homer, auto part sellers in Anchorage said. Most stores are out of filters for popular newer models but have plenty for older vehicles.
Incorporating TelAire® 7001 CO2/temperature monitor, CO2 and Temperature Recorder System provides real-time viewing of data when performing indoor air quality studies and balancing HVAC systems. With QuadVolt 4-channel data logger, system offers software that permits customizable engineering units, overlaid graphics, and export to MS Excel®. System provides ±0.10% FSR
Designed to equalize airflow in paint booths, Diffusion MAX protects painted product from defects caused by air turbulence or particulate contamination. High-purity filter technology uses progressively structured, resin-bonded synthetic fleece media. Each individual fiber is coated with non-migratory tackifier for maximum retention of contaminants. Available in 3 grades, self-extinguishing filter
ProTeam, Inc. is partnering with Florida's Department of Environmental Protection to provide indoor air quality technology to hotels in the Florida Green Lodging Program.
When sunlight streams in through a window, do you see a galaxy of dust particles in the air? Believe it or not, even on the sunniest day, most dust isn't visible. In fact, every cubic foot of air in the average home is loaded with about 3 million dust particles.
"Dust" is a catchall term that describes the minute residue sloughed off by a house and its occupants. It comes from fireplace, cigarette and cooking smoke; skin and pet dander; molds, mildew and fungi; pollen and plant spores; and a variety of other sources. Of course, dust is most visible where it settles and collects... on furniture or--worse--the hidden crannies and top shelves visited by a dust cloth only once each spring.
But dust isn't just an embarrassment waiting to be discovered by your mother-in-law. It can be a serious pollutant, particularly for allergy sufferers, asthmatics, people with bronchial problems and those who are hyper-sensitive to airborne particulates. For everyone, breathing air laden with bacteria and other contaminants is less than ideal. Dust is, after all, pollution, and the Environmental Protection Agency estimates that indoor air is two to five times as polluted as outdoor air.
Though noxious odors and gasses are often best eliminated by ventilation, dust, dander, spores, smoke and other particulates are most effectively removed with an air cleaner. Air cleaners are made as self-contained, tabletop or room-size appliances that serve small areas or single rooms. Whole-house filters attach onto a forced-air furnace and clean the air that's cycled through the system by the furnace's blower.
Air cleaner buying considerations
Whether to choose a whole-house or self-contained model depends on the type of heating system in your home. If you have a forced-air system, you should buy a unit that attaches to it since the effectiveness of a portable model will quickly be defeated by the system's circulation of unfiltered air throughout the house.
When you shop, be sure you're comparing apples to apples. With a tabletop or room air cleaner, pay attention to how many CFM (cubic feet per minute) of air move through the unit. For each 250 square feet of space, figure you'll need about 100 CFM. Room models can handle up to about 400 CFM and tabletop models top out at about 175 CFM.
Also be sure the model you choose isn't too noisy or drafty in its output and consider one that has intake and output on opposite sides of the unit for best efficiency. Check replacement filter prices, life and availability and be sure filters are easy to access.
Prices for room models run from about $180 to $1,000, depending on the quality of the mechanics and filtration; tabletop units cost from $60 to $180.
Whole-house units work silently, efficiently and clean a great deal of air--about 1000 CFM (cubic feet per minute). On the downside, they're relatively expensive, require installation by a contractor, and unless you leave the fan on, they only move air when the furnace or air conditioner kicks on.
Whichever type you purchase, if you choose a quality product and maintain it properly, you're sure to see a marked improvement in the quality of your home's air.
