Thursday, March 21, 2013

Portable Air Cleaner Makes Breathing Easier

By Jill Faulkner


When it is difficult to breathe, even in one's own home, the problem may be due to pollutants in the atmosphere that could be removed using a portable air cleaner. Some of these devices are better than others. While mechanical filters can trap pollen and dust, high end models can reduce bacteria, gases and odors. Knowing the needed features can help decide the purchase to make.

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.

Keep the location the unit will be used in mind as well. Some are notoriously louder than others. In the bedroom where noise is sometimes a factor, units that can exchange the minimum amount of air may be quieter to operate. However, in family rooms with higher traffic, there may be a need for a larger exchange rate.

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 units provide built in sensors that monitor particulate matter coming into the machine and adjusting the fan speed as appropriate. These devices start on high but run lower much of the time. Unfortunately, most consumers find the currently available devices are not as efficient at making this measurement as they would hope.

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 an individual has difficulty breathing at home a portable air cleaner can be helpful. These devices are designed for effective removal of certain pollutants. Selecting the correct device can help to improve one's home atmosphere making breathing easier.




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