Which air cleaner to choose | Construction portal

Everyone knows that cleanliness is the key to health. Everything should be clean: our house, water that we drink, the food that we eat, and especially the air we breathe. Unfortunately, we cannot influence the cleanliness of the air outside the window. And many people who live in large busy megacities or in cities in which there are industrial plants or factories that produce various waste into the atmosphere, have to breathe dust, smog, various gases, including carbon monoxide, and other harmful substances. In addition, in the air on the street there are a lot of bacteria, viruses, animal wool, dust, cigarette smoke and just unpleasant odors.

How to be? Although, as already mentioned, we are not able to change the composition of oxygen outside the window, we can still do something. In this, air purifiers for an apartment or at home will help us. With their help, you can create a good microclimate in the rooms of your housing or place of work. This is especially true for people with allergies or bronchial asthma and having young children. The air purifier retains dust, small particles, such as spores of fungi and bacteria, larger particles, such as animal wool and undercoat, and is also capable of (certain species) moisturize air and saturate it with ozone. In this article, we’ll talk about how air purifiers work, what varieties of them are, how to make the right choice, and also learn about the rating and prices of air purifiers.

The principle of operation of air purifiers

How does the air cleaner work? What is the secret of magic? You may be surprised, but everything is quite simple. The air cleaner works similarly to the vacuum cleaner - with the help of powerful fans, it pulls the air flow inside itself and cleans it. The air passes through various filters, all superfluous settles on them, and out it comes out already cleaned, fresh and even possible moistened or ionized. This is the general mechanism of operation of these useful devices. Between themselves, they differ precisely on the basis of the filters that are installed in them - their type and quantity. Different filters perform different action, and, accordingly, the result is different. Now we will consider various types of air purifiers and talk more about each of them.

Varieties of air purifiers

The following is a table that indicates the main types of air cleaners, their features, and in addition, advantages and disadvantages.

A variety of filter	pros	Minuses
Mechanical filter (preliminary cleaning filter) The simplest type of filter, which is in most cases a grid with small holes. This grid delays large dust and wool. If you change the membrane in time, then the device will practically not wear out.	The filters are cheap, cheaper than others, and it is very simple and easy to care for them: for this you just need to walk through them with a vacuum cleaner or rinse them in soapy water with a sponge. If there is also a non-filter or coal filter in the combination, then not only your lungs, but also the device itself will be protected from the harmful effects of dust.	Particles remaining in a mechanical filter are large enough - the size of five or ten microns. Smaller particles of the filter are not able to neutralize. Another drawback - if there is a non -filter, then the replacement will be expensive.
Electrostatic filters (they are ionizers) Such a filter has an electric field. It cleanses the air using physics laws, by which bodies with opposite electric charges are attracted to each other. When polluted air enters the device, in a special ionization chamber of the particle that needs to be removed, become positively charged and subsequently attracted to membranes having a negative charge.	The filters of the ionizer are, as well as mechanical, are easy to care for: they are also easy to clean with water with soap. They do a great job with the task and perfectly remove from the air even the smallest compounds that pollute it. Also, electrostatic filters are operated for a long time and can be connected to coal and non-filters.	Electrostatic filters are quite expensive, and they need to be changed quite often (the replacement frequency depends on the manufacturer and how the air is contaminated).
Water filters (used most often in the so -called air sinks). In these filters, the flow of contaminated air is also first ionized. Then it enters wet discs, which have the opposite polarity, and all particles of dirt settled on them. After that, all the extra enters the pallet, where you have the opportunity to observe with your own eyes how much your air was contaminated.	Such filters do not need replacement. Also, unwanted spending during operation will not be required. Often water filters are combined with non-membranes. In addition to the usual cleaning, the air cleaner also acts as a humidifier of the air and knows how to eliminate unpleasant and extra smells in the dwelling.	Again, the disadvantage is a considerable price .. Besides, cleaners with water filters most often occupy a lot of space and need constant care: it is necessary to monitor whether the pallet has been filled and whether it is necessary to wash it.
Coal filters Coal filters can save the air not only from dust or dirt, but even from gases, absorbing their molecules, and from various volatile organic compounds having a large molecular mass. The coal filter consists of a micropor, and it directly depends on their quantity how many odors it can absorb. When it is filled, it must be replaced. If, in addition, the coal filter is supplemented by mechanical, then its effectiveness increases a lot. Also, the effectiveness and speed of the operation of such a filter is directly related to the size of the surfaces of its membranes: the larger they, the greater the air flow it absorbs and, accordingly, the faster it works.	Cleaners with coal filters are relatively inexpensive, they do not need expensive maintenance and are easy to use. Most often they have small dimensions. They have a long period of operation, if you replace the membranes in time.	If the room is wet, then the coal filter will not be particularly effective. It also does not give a result with light gases, such as formaldehyde, sulfuric anhydride or nitrogen dioxide.
Neo-filters These are most often used by medical institutions in ventilation systems, but they are also used in home and industrial cleaners. Such a filter is the best choice for allergy sufferers and those who have small children. It can neutralize particles of more than 0.1 μm in size, there is no animal wool, disputes, dust and allergic substances.	It does not make noise during work, which makes it ideal for purifying air at night. Reaches the result in just a few minutes of work. In addition, the Neo-Filter copes with dry air, moisturizing it, and destroys undesirable smells. The life of such filters is at least five years.	Cleaners with a non-filter are quite expensive and need expensive maintenance.
Photocational filters The principle of operation of these filters is based on a photo cabiner, which oxidizes molecules on its surface. Then it is necessary to split harmful substances to the state where they cease to threaten, using ultraviolet radiation. Photocatalytic filter is an excellent choice if you want to deal with viruses and bacteria, as well as various gases.	Such cleaners work silently. They have excellent performance - the air is cleared by 99.9%. They also deodorize the air and gently moisturize it according to the Air Comfort system.	Producer firms represent a small assortment of such air cleaners, and they are quite expensive.

What to choose air cleaner for the apartment: what to take into account

So, how to make a reasonable choice among such a considerable variety? To do this, it is necessary to take into account several factors. First of all, you need to decide on the purpose - why specifically you need an air cleaner, what problems of the room you need to cope with. Now we will talk in more detail about these problems and what filters you can solve them.

1. A large amount of dust.

In some urban areas, people have to deal with a lot of dust compared to people living in other areas. This may be due to the presence of a carriageway with a lively movement, soil features or other factors. Be that as it may, as a result, a huge amount of dust flies into open windows, penetrates through the front door, and is also brought into the house with outerwear and shoes. They will help to cope with this problem:

Air purifiers with non-filters. They are strong enough fighting dust, both fine and large, and also destroy bacteria and substances that cause allergies. These devices do not need difficult care: filters must be cleaned monthly with a vacuum cleaner, as well as replace them once every six months or annually this is due to how much the air is polluted.
Cleaners with electrostatic (or plasma) filters. The device with such a filter also does not require complicated care, and it rarely needs to be changed. However, if there is too much dust in the room, then the cleaner will not cope with it. In general, it destroys up to 90% of the dust, and for people suffering from allergies and asthma or young children this is not enough. The following options are provided for them:
Ionizers. Devices with remote ionization are a good option. Ions, which are released by the apparatus in sufficient quantities, neutralize almost all allergic substances from the atmosphere of the room, including those that have already settled on various surfaces.

The fact that allergies may not provoke dust as such, but the dust mites that live in it, different fungi or mold can provoke. They need to get rid of them, since they are the main reason for the ailments. This can help air purifiers with combined filters, for example, an ozonator or a photocatalizer in combination with a mechanical or non-filter for dust removal. It must be mentioned that ozonators are undesirable to use in the presence of a person, it is safer to leave the room for the duration of his work.

2. If they smoke in the house: the fight against cigarette smoke.

Photocatalizers will help here. They are able to neutralize toxins, and in combination with an ionizer that will help get rid of smoke, resins and make the air fresh, you can achieve the optimal result. It should be noted that in such a situation it is better not to use non -films - they will quickly become unusable, and their replacement is an expensive thing.

3. Battle with undesirable smells.

Again we recommend photocatalizers. They perfectly cope with any smells, besides, they can be used without fear without leaving the room.
The ionizers well known to us. Here they will drive you out of the room, but they will also work excellently - thanks to their ability to oxidize both organic compounds and inorganic ones, they can easily overcome any unpleasant aroma.
Cleaners with charcoal filters are also able to destroy unnecessary odors, but it will be much longer than photocatalytic.

4. War with viruses and bacteria.

This problem is especially relevant in the winter period of time, when the number of infections and their varieties sharply increases and it is simply necessary to disinfect the air in the house. They will help you with this:

First of all, ozonators. Many know that ozone destroys bacteria and viruses. In addition, he does it very quickly, namely, three times faster than ultraviolet radiation.
Photocatalizers are just armed with ultraviolet. It is deadly for most viruses, however, as already mentioned, it acts more slowly.

5. If you need not only a cleaner, but also a humidifier for air: fight with dry air.

Many people know that dry air does not strengthen health at all. How to solve this problem? There are two options:

Air purifiers with an additional moisture function. Such a device cleanses the air, passing it through a water suspension, which at the same time moisturizes it, and also applies other filters for cleaning.
Air washes. The principle of their work is the same: cleansing plus moisturizing.

In addition to the problems of the room, you also need to take into account the financial side of the issue: do you scare additional service costs? If you do not want to spend money on the device during its operation, then stop on something from the category of ionizers, photo catalysts or air sinks. If additional costs are not terrible, then let yourself be a model with a filter system that will have to be changed periodically.

Also think about how often you want to care for the cleaner. Air sinks require attention every three days, plasma models - weekly, but photocatalizers, ionizers and devices with non -filters are monthly.

And the last nuance: how often do you plan to use the device. If you want to constantly breathe clean air, that is, the cleaner will work constantly, then think about how much electricity it will consume. Find a more economical model. And in the event that you are going to turn it on only occasionally, then keep in mind that models with water filters will need complete drying, otherwise the water will acidify.

Leading manufacturers of air purifiers, prices and rating

And finally, the last point of this article. Here is a list of companies that have good market recommendations:

Ballu. These air purifiers have four types of filter, and thanks to this they give an excellent result. Their cost ranges between $ 35-335. In the 2018 ranking, this company took fifth place (9.4/10).
Timberk. This Swedish company produces devices recommended for use in large cities and helping to create their own special microclimate in the room and take care of it. The price category is from 70 to $ 140.
Jet. These Swiss air cleaners are designed specifically for large premises - industrial or large offices. The prices for them are in the interval between $ 355-535.
Panasonic. This famous company makes durable cleaners and moisturizers, their advantages are silent work and a large area of \u200b\u200baction. In the 2018 ranking, they took first place - 9.9/10. However, they are one of the most expensive: they cost $ 495-820.

These are all recommendations, make the optimal solution, given all the above, and make your choice.

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Which air cleaner to choose for an apartment

Table of contents:

The principle of operation of air purifiers

Varieties of air purifiers

What to choose air cleaner for the apartment: what to take into account

Leading manufacturers of air purifiers, prices and rating

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