Portable Air Cleaner Makes Breathing Easier

By Jill Faulkner


Individuals who have difficulty due to pollutants in the atmosphere, even in their home, may benefit from a portable air cleaner. Not all are equally effective. Some only provide mechanical filters to trap particles while others are made to prevent bacteria, odors and gases. Before making a purchase, be sure to know the features needed or wanted.

The first variable to decide is the seriousness of the problem to be addressed. If one requires the cleanest atmosphere, he or she will need to choose a better unit to get the job done. Those who have problems with chemicals or asthma may require a different type device than those who have pollen allergy problems. Chemical allergies can be caused by any number of different compounds and some users have found the glue from a HEPA filter might cause reactions.

The size of the area to be treated is also significant in selecting a device. In order to clean the atmosphere in the room, it must be exchanged several times every hour. The best of filters cannot do an effective job if the unit has too small a volume. At a very minimum, the device should offer 2 air exchanges every hour.

The type of room where the unit is to be used is also important. Since some create much more noise than others they might not be appropriate in a bedroom. It is sometimes better to select a smaller unit that meets the minimum requirements to reduce noise. In family rooms where traffic is higher, a larger exchange rate may be advantageous.

When faced with the decision of a unit that is rated at the minimal exchange rate or one with a larger rate, the later is to be favored. With a unit that pushes the limits, the unit must be operated at top speed most of the time for effectiveness. With a larger device, effective cleaning can occur at a low or medium speed. Operating at the lower speed will help to decrease the noise output.

Some devices have built in sensors to monitor the particulate matter flowing into the intake. These units begin on high but switch to lower speeds as the number of particles decrease. Unfortunately, the current devices with this feature do not measure a large enough area to provide an effective operation of the system.

Critical measurements of the effectiveness of a unit include the actual number of exchanges offered each hour and the percentage of particulates removed during each exchange. The second number is called efficiency. Higher efficiency machines remove more particles each time the exchange takes place. The efficiency of the device is a better measure than efficiency of a filter. The HEPA filter removes all bout 0.03% of particles greater than 0.3 microns, however it can be installed on a machine that allows 50% of each exchange bypass the filter, reducing machine efficiency, causing a poor performance overall and not solving the problem

If breathing in one's own home becomes a problem, installing a portable air cleaner might help. Such devices can effectively remove pollutants. By selecting the correct device the occupant can improve the atmosphere in the home and may find it easier to breathe.




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