4 Air Filter Types That Most Modern Air Purifiers Use

If you do notice, modern air purifier uses more than one type of air filter.

This is mainly because each type of air filter is used to combat different types of air pollutants.

Today, a very high-end air purifier can consist of more than one air filter which makes it an ‘X’ in 1 air purifier.

Understanding the functionality of each type of air filter will aid you in choosing your next air purifier.

Here are the types of air filter that commonly used by modern air purifiers these days.

 

#1 – HEPA Filter

HEPA is a short form for High Efficient Particulate Air and it is capable of trapping particles bigger than 0.3 microns.

It is by far one of the most popular and common air filter technology that air purifier buyers will look for.

The key advantage of HEPA is that the true HEPA certified filter can trap up to 99.97% of air pollutant surrounding the air purifier.

This makes the air filter extremely useful for people have asthma and allergy.

However, it is not useful in getting rid of odors and chemical where the HEPA filter unable to trap those substances.

Finally, HEPA filter usually is not washable which can be very costly to maintain.

As soon as the filter is dirty enough, you will just need to replace a brand new filter where a brand new HEPA filter should last at least 2 years unless the air in your surrounding is very contaminated.

The HEPA filter is good for people who have allergy and asthma as it traps air pollutants that can trigger such symptoms.

It is not effective to fight against chemical and odors and you should not look for the filter if you are planning to buy an air purifier to get rid of odors.

 

#2 – Activated Carbon Filter

If you would like your air purifier to remove odors as well, look for the “Activated Carbon Filter” keyword when shopping for your air purifier.

It is not in everyone’s favor to remove air particles from the surrounding. Some people are more particular about the smell of the surrounding.

If you are one of those, the activated carbon filter is what you will need in your air purifier.

This air filter is capable of removing chemicals and smells that is not removable by HEPA filters such as Volatile Organic Compound (VOC), odor, cooking smells, tobacco smoke and etc.

The activated carbon filter is the perfect choice when it comes to removing odors or anything that has to do with smell.

 

#3 – Ultraviolet (UV)

There are air purifiers that eliminate germs and bacteria.

Such air purifier uses the UV technology to scan through the air that passes through the beam and kill off any bacteria from there.

Modern air purifier deploys UV as the final stage of filtration just as how I illustrated the way air purifier works.

In a situation where a certain virus is widely spread in your area, the UV becomes an effective tool to combat these viruses. Even without such scenario, the UV generally is a good method in killing bacteria and viruses in your home.

 

#4 – Ionizer

Besides all these air filters, there is an existence of another method to clean the surrounding air.

This method uses the Ionizer technology where what it does is that it will release negative ions into the air where these negative ions will charge with air pollutants until it gets heavy and drop onto the ground.

It may sound like the air pollutant is being got rid off but a study shows that attacked pollutant may still have a chance of getting back into the air after a period of time.

This means that Ionizer is like a type of temporary air purifier in my opinion and I rarely will recommend an Ionizer type of air purifier.

You can find out more information on the differences between HEPA and Ionizer here.

As technology advances, the Ionizer is no longer a common way to purify the air.  To add insult to the injury, the Ionizer produces ozone which can cause irritation to our lungs.

 

Final Verdict

The common question air purifier buyer will ask is that whether is there an air purifier that supports all these filters?

The answer to that question is ‘Yes’.

There are many air purifiers in the market that are capable of doing all these.

One of the few notable examples are the GermGuardian 3-in-1 Air Purifier, Pure Enrichment PureZone 3-in-1 and SilverOnyx Air Purifier that have a HEPA filter, Activated Carbon and UV in one air purifier unit below.

If you find this post helpful in helping your knowledge in choosing your next air purifier, share it to your friends via social media.

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