Types of Air Purifiers for Your Home

Are you struggling with indoor air pollution? One of the best ways of dealing with indoor air pollution is by investing in some of the best air purifiers. Luckily, there are different types of air purifiers for your home on the market that you can choose from.

We all love spending some quality time indoors with our families especially after a busy working schedule. However, irrespective of how clean your home is, airborne pollutants will find their way in and interfere with the indoor air quality if there is no sound air purification system in place. 

Elements such as dust, pollen, pet dander, mold spores, and other irritants are the most common forms of household air pollutants.

Indoor air pollution poses a greater health risk if it’s not addressed in time. Research has shown that long-term exposure to unclean indoor air can cause heart and respiratory diseases. 

Most of the commercial-grade air purifiers are designed as either small stand-alone units or larger units that are then fixed on Air Handle Unit (AHU) or to an HVAC unit for larger rooms or industries.

Air purifiers can be grouped into two main categories depending on how they sanitize the indoor air. There are;

1. Active air purifiers– They release particles to the air to neutralize or destroy air contaminants.
2. Passive air purifiers- They draw or suck air within themselves and absorb, trap or destroy any air contaminants.

The different types of air purifiers can also be grouped as either filter air purifiers or filter-less air purifiers. Indoor air purification technology is gaining popularity not only in the US but also globally. 

More individuals are now appreciating the need to improve the indoor air quality in their homes. The global market for residential air purifiers has grown exponentially and it’s expected to hit $13.6 B by the year 2025.

When buying the best air purifier, you might find yourself struggling to pick the most ideal model for your home if you don’t have an in-depth understanding of the different types of air purifiers on the market and how they work. 

It’s for this reason that we have prepared this ultimate guide to break down for you the most common types of air purifiers on the market today.

1. HEPA Air Purifiers

HEPA air purifiers are the most common and popular types of air purifiers that you are likely to find in most homes. The word HEPA stands for High-Efficiency Particulate Air. 

HEPA air purification technology has been around for decades and the standard filtration is designed to filter out 99.97% of air contaminants which are as small as 0.2-0.3 microns in size. True HEPA filters are efficient in filtering out pollutants such as; pollen, mold, and dust mites.

Other than True HEPA filters, there are HEPA-type or HEPA-grade filter models which guarantee up to 99% efficiency levels when removing air contaminants of 1-2 microns in size or even larger ones.

How do HEPA Air Purifiers Work?

HEPA air purifiers work by sucking the indoor air within themselves through the filters (fiber-like materials) and then it blows the sucked air out through an outlet. The filters are very tiny holes that sieve and hold back air contaminants that are bigger than those tiny holes through interception and impaction methods.

Once the air pollutants are trapped, the air will come out of the HEPA air purifier device cleaner than it entered. As the cleaner air is pumped out, the air purifier device simultaneously draws in more polluted air to purify. 

The more the air enters the device, your indoor air quality improves drastically as most air pollutants are trapped inside the air cleaner device.

Advantages of using HEPA Filter Air Purifiers

• HEPA air purifiers are highly effective in controlling airborne pollutants with a guaranteed level of 99.7% without using any harmful chemicals.
• The filtration technology that is used in HEPA air purifiers can easily be integrated with UV pre-filters which helps in killing microbes.

Cons of HEPA Filter Air purifiers

• HEPA filter air purifiers are not specifically designed to eliminate smoke, odors, or microbes.
• The HEPA filters require regular replacement after every 1-4 months depending on the model which can be expensive to maintain especially if you are living in a highly polluted neighborhood.

Read Also; Does an air purifier get rid of black mold?

2. Ionic Air Purifiers

Ionic air purifiers are filter-less and they clean the indoor air by releasing negative ions. So, how do ionic air purifiers work? 

Ionic air purifiers work by using an electrical charge that produces negative ions which are released in the air to react with the positively charged air contaminants to make them neutral. The neutralized air pollutants become heavy and it becomes impossible for them to stay suspended in the air once neutralized.

There are two types of Ionic air purifiers namely; electrostatic precipitators (ESPs) and ionizers. For ionizers, they work by creating negatively charged particles through the corona discharge process. 

The negative ions then attach themselves to pollutant particles floating around the air purifier. All the ionized particles will then settle on the surfaces around your home where they can easily be wiped out or vacuum cleaned.

Electrostatic precipitators also use the same concept but instead of the air pollutants landing on the outside surfaces in your home, they are sucked in to settle on the positively charged metal plates within the air purifier device. 

This technology of trapping pollutants on the positively charged plates makes ESPs more preferred over ionizers.

Ionic air purifiers are very quiet and are designed to trap or react with air contaminant particles of 10 microns in size. They are good in removing pollen, dust mite, volatile organic compounds, and germs.

Cons of Ionic Air Purifiers

• They are not efficient when removing smoke, odors, and other gases.
• Over time, the positively charged metal plates that attract contaminants become clogged by dirt and this lowers their efficiency levels. However, through technological advancement, there are modern self-cleaning ionic air purifier models in the market today.
• The neutralized particles released by ionizers can easily build up in your home surfaces such as ceiling and walls they are not cleaned in time.
• Ionizers are known to produce a small amount of ozone when in use. Research has shown that even small exposure to ozone gas irritants can affect your immune system or cause respiratory diseases to your family members. It’s for this reason that some states in the US like California have decided to ban the sale of ionic air purifiers.

3. Ozone Air Purifiers

Ozone air purifiers are also known as Ozone Generators or Ozone Air Cleaners. They have received mixed reviews because they release “Ozone” which is known to be harmful. However, they are most ideal for use in industrial applications as opposed to home indoor use. 

So, how do Ozone air cleaners work? Ozone generators work by use of corona discharge or UV light technology to break oxygen molecules into three oxygen atoms.

The three oxygen atoms create the highly reactive Ozone. Once the three oxygen atoms are formed, one of them has the potential of detaching and then reattaching itself to air contaminants to alter their chemical composition, thus making them harmless.

Pros of Ozone Generators

• Ozone generators are effective in disinfecting the air and killing microbes in industrial, non-occupant setups.

Cons of Ozone Generators

• Ozone air purifiers are not approved for use in an indoor home setting where there inhabitants.
• Ozone generators take a longer time to react and they can end up leaving other byproducts in the air.
• They are not very efficient in removing air contaminant particles such as pollen, mold, and dust mites in the air unless you buy a model that includes an Ionic or HEPA air filter.

4. Adsorbent Air Purifiers

Adsorbent air purifiers are made of materials that easily absorb air contaminants, moisture, and odors in your indoor spaces. Adsorbent air purifiers are mostly made of activated carbon filters or volcanic rock minerals. They are very effective in absorbing gases and odors which hang around your home.

Adsorbent air cleaners with activated carbon are often combined with HEPA or electrostatic air cleaners to improve their efficiency in eliminating both the harmful toxic gases and odors from the air. Adsorbent air purifiers work quietly and they use a material called adsorbent which absorbs air pollutants, moisture, and odors.

As the home air passes through the adsorbent, the toxic gases and odors are absorbed into the porous sections of the adsorbent material. Adsorbent air purifiers are mostly used as pre-filters in HEPA purifiers as they help remove odors and other toxic gases that are difficult to remove when using other air purification models. 

Therefore, when adsorbent air purifiers are used together with other models like Ionic or HEPA air purifiers, you will remove both air pollutants particulate as well as smelly odors.

5. UV Air Purifiers

UV air purifiers just as the name suggests uses Ultraviolet light radiation to kill air contaminants microbes. UV air purifier devices suck indoor air into the device and then expose it to a UV lamp which generates UV-C light that kills any air bacteria, fungi, viruses, and germs.

UV air cleaners work through a process called Ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI).  Under the UVGI, the UV light can break down the chemical bonds that exist between DNA molecules, thus rendering the microorganism in the air harmless and inactive.

UV air purifiers only destroy airborne micro-organisms and they are widely used in medical environments as disinfectants to remove bacteria and viruses. There are HEPA air purifier models that combine UV technology to kill any microbes that are trapped by HEPA filters.

Cons of UV Air Purifiers

The use of Ultraviolet germicidal irradiation to clean the air has the potential of creating Ozone gas as a byproduct which can be harmful even in small quantities.

However, Ozone is generated only at certain UV light wavelengths and UV air purifiers can work just fine if a safe UV light wavelength limit is maintained at all times.

Always remember to keep a close eye on the lamplight or bulbs and replace them in time as per the manufacturer’s instructions to avoid any precarious usage.

6. Whole House Air Purifiers

Whole-house air purifiers are also known as central air purifiers. They are designed to work together with your HVAC system so that it can run concurrently and purify the air in every part of your home. 

Central air purifiers are more effective, long-lasting and they require less maintenance or filter replacement. There are three different types of whole-house air purifiers and they vary depending on how they are installed in your HVAC system. They include; 

• Duct-based units- These are central air purifiers that are installed directly into the air duct path. They can either be installed before or after the air handler in your HVAC system.
• Filter-based units- These are whole-house air purifiers that are installed into your HVAC furnace systems and air intake points.
• Stand-alone units- They are installed in closets or in the attics where an additional air intake and exhaust are also installed.

Whole-house air purifiers also use filters such as mechanical and electronic air filters to remove indoor air contaminants on such a large scale. 

There are other models that are fitted with UV light technology and Photocatalytic oxidation to aid them in removing biological airborne pollutants such as viruses, bacteria, mold, fungi, and smelly odors around your home.

Cons of Whole-house Air Purifiers

Since they are long-lasting and require less maintenance, whole-house air purifiers are more expensive compared to other smaller air cleaners.

It’s also advisable to hire a certified HVAC technician to install it for you for optimal results.

7. Portable Personal Air Purifiers

Personal air purifiers are portable air purifier models that you can move with them anywhere in your room or other enclosed spaces. They can also be referred to as room air purifiers.

Personal portable air purifiers are of different models and they use different air purification technologies to keep your living room clean and free from airborne particles.

Portable personal air purifiers are very cost-effective and they come in different sizes. A portable personal air purifier model that comes fitted with a HEPA air filter can go a long way in helping remove up to 99.7% of most indoor air pollutants.

8. Air-to-Air Exchangers

Air-to-air exchangers help in removing the moisture and other pollutants in the air while retaining warm or cooled air within your home. Air-to-air heat exchangers are large devices that are installed in your home to ensure there is improved indoor air quality within acceptable temperatures.

Air-to-air exchangers work by transferring the thermal energy of your home indoor air to the inbound fresh air. This technique makes it possible for moisture and airborne contaminants to be flushed out of your home while retaining the room temperature. 

Air-to-air exchangers are also effective in pushing out excess humidity and smelly odors.

These types of air purifiers work in your home perfectly if you have air ducts or HVAC systems. If your house is fitted with air-to-air exchangers, it will suck the heat from the air before releasing it outdoors during the winter season.

The heat retained is used in warming the clean air entering your house so that you achieve a balanced heat temperature. During the summer season, air-to-air exchangers work in the opposite direction by cooling and dehumidifying the clean air first before it’s sucked indoors.

Conclusion

If you have been looking for the best ways to improve your indoor air quality, air purifiers are the best option. An air purifier is a must-have in your home especially if you have respiratory problems such as asthma, and allergic reactions. 

But how do you know which type of air purifier is best for your home use? It’s important to clearly review the pros and cons of different types of air purifiers so that you can pick the one that meets your indoor air improvement expectations and budget.

There are different types of air purifiers for your home on the market that you can choose from as we have discussed above. When you eliminate air pollutants and irritants from your indoor air, you will have peace of mind knowing that you are breathing fresh air.

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