How Do Air Purifiers Work?

How Do Air Purifiers Work? Related Information:

An explanation of how air purifiers work depends on the type of air purifier that you have. Electrostatic, ionizing and ozone air purifiers are all intended for the purpose of cleaning the air, but the process used in each one of them is different.

An electronic air filter works on the premise of attracting positively charged pollutants in the air to the negatively charged air filter. The filters are composed of electrostatic surfaces with charges applied to plastic fibers. With the friction produced when the air passes over the filters, the fibers generate and hold a static charge. This attracts the impurities in the air, most of which are captured by the filter. The filter is loosely woven to allow more air flow while still trapping the particles in the air.

The theory of negative and positive ions may be difficult to understand, but they are one of nature’s methods of cleansing the air. They are electrically-charged particles in the air that remove airborne contaminatesfrom the air and have a rejuvenating effect when interacting with the human body, especially the respiratory system. Homes and offices lack the ingredients of pure air because they have to be airtight and therefore the air becomes stale, especially when cooking odors and steam combine with carbon dioxide from breathing and body odors.

Negatively charged ions attach themselves to contaminants and allergens, which are positively charged . The newly formed larger particles are then able to fall to the ground, and out of the air we breathe. These purifiers are quiet and do not have any filters that you have to change or clean. The disadvantage is that the impurities are not actually removed from the room. They are neutralized in the air and fall to rest on all surfaces in the room – walls and furniture. You have to be constantly cleaning and dusting.

Some air purifiers use ozone to purify the air. Ozone is converted from oxygen through electricity. One oxygen atom splits to oxidize the pollutants and remove them from the air. Although many people shy away from this type of air purifier, ozone is only harmful at high concentration levels. The amount of ozone emitted from sir filtration products is nowhere near a harmful level.

HEPA filters remove any particles larger than 0.3 microns from the air when the air passes over the filter. This filter exchanges the air in room by using a fan to draw the air through the purifier and the impurities remain on the filter leaving pure air to continue on through the machine and re-enter the room. They cannot however remove the gases and odors in the air. Some air purifiers use UV light to attract and remove the particles from the air.

In fact some air purifiers will use this technology in conjunction with the HEPA filter to keep the filter bathed in light to make it more effective. All air purifiers that use ultra-violet light are not the same quality. The dosage of the light needs to be strong enough and the rays need to expose the microrganisms to the light long enough to change the DNA and the RNA of the particles. Even if the UV rays are not very strong, they will still filter the particles out of the air and make it better for your breathing.

The type of air purifier you have depends on what you need it for. There are simple machines and large powerful ones. Each one works to clean the air in your home.