Types of Air Purifiers

Types of air purifiers need to be concerned before going with instincts in the selection process of air purifiers.

These purifiers have been divided into a large number of distinct categories, the majority of which are based on the requirements of the user, the configuration of the filters, the size of the room, etc.

However, the technology that underpins the vast majority of these is an important consideration that you have to make in conjunction with your needs.

As part of today’s Know Your Facts feature, let’s talk about the most common types of air purifiers that are now on the market, all of which could be quite helpful before you make your decision. Enjoy your reading!

Here are the most common five air purifiers in the market now.

1. HEPA Filter Air purifiers

2. UV Light Air Purifiers

3. Ionic Air Purifiers

4. Activated Carbon Air Filter Air Purifiers

5. Ozone Air Purifiers

Let’s break down each type of air purifier into its own topic and discuss the benefits and drawbacks of each in order to gain a deeper comprehension of how they operate.

1. HEPA Filter Air purifiers

It is impossible to keep the HEPA name a secret from someone who is knowledgeable about air purifiers. That much HEPA has contributed to the category’s notoriety in the market. High-Efficiency Particulate Air is the abbreviation for HEPA.

According to the available documentation, the incredible technology that is included in HEPA filters has a long and illustrious history of development.

HEPA Filter Air purifiers – Types of Air Purifiers

These filters are effective in removing 99.97% of all airborne particles with a size of 0.3 microns or less. In particular, they have achieved an efficiency of 95% with respect to particles that are 0.1 microns.

In the midst of the coronavirus season, HEPA purifiers have gained quite a bit of popularity for the reasons stated above. These filters were developed specifically to remove allergens such as dust, pollen, mold spores, dust mites, and so on.

There are also some viruses and bacteria that are included on this list. Despite the fact that they are effective, they are unable to filter out odors, fumes, smoke from cigarettes, and certain viruses.

Additionally, every bacterium that is trapped by a HEPA filter is capable of easily growing in its environment. As a result, there are drawbacks as well.

Pros	Cons
High productivity and effectiveness	Expensive
Better filtering in fine Particulate matter	No 100% filtration
Compatible with medical-grade filtering	Fine filtration results in simple blockage
	Additional energy costs
	Can’t remove odors/microbes

Pros and Cons of HEPA Filter Air purifiers – Types of Air Purifiers

2. UV light Air Purifiers

If you have studied ultraviolet light in school, you undoubtedly already know that it can eliminate microorganisms.

Air purifiers that employ ultraviolet light focus primarily on removing living air contaminants like bacteria and viruses from the environment.

The vast majority of medical-grade establishments, such as hospitals, operating theaters, and research laboratory facilities, employ ultraviolet (UV) air purifiers to safeguard the health of their personnel and maintain a more consistent level of high-quality indoor air.

In a nutshell, if you are looking for a purifier to keep your home free of germs, they are an excellent choice. However, the problem is that the UV filter does not trap allergies, dust, or particles as effectively as you would like.

In addition, it is not compatible with the filtering of smoke and other contaminating gases. Another problem is that certain UV purifiers produce ozone rather than ultraviolet light, which is necessary to destroy bacteria.

Which poses significant dangers to your health. Because of this, you should always verify first before deciding on a UV purifier. Regardless of whether or not it is a genuine UV purifier.

With technology, most modern UV air purifiers operate with the least release of ozone to the outside.

Pros	Cons
Remove microorganisms	Release Ozone as a derivative
Superior for medicinal purposes	No particulate matter filtering
Usage in conjunction with other air filters	High energy consumption
	Possibility of eye and skin damage

Pros and Cons of UV Air Purifiers – Types of Air Purifiers

3. Ionic Air Purifiers

Ionic air purifiers are identical to UV air purifiers in some ways. Purification using cutting-edge technology is required. Ionic purifiers, as opposed to HEPA purifiers, are capable of neutralizing the pollutant particle while it is still outside of the purifier.

Ions with a negative charge are produced by this process, and airborne particles with a positive charge are drawn to these ions. This bond does not help them to continue floating in the air.

Because of this, the most significant drawback is that particles cannot be removed from space. They simply lessen the amount of action.

This means that it is not completely acceptable. Because of this, ionic purifiers are far less expensive than their competitors. In the same vein as ultraviolet (UV) purifiers, certain ionic purifiers also produce ozone as a by-product of their operation.

This is dangerous to one’s health. Therefore, despite the fact that they are more affordable, you should always prioritize functionality.

Pros	Cons
No replacement filter cost	Less effective (Compare with HEPA)
Highly efficient (disinfecting the air)	Release Ozone as a byproduct
Quiet performance

Pros and Cons of Ionic Air Purifiers – Types of Air Purifiers

4. Activated Carbon Filter Air Purifiers

In almost all of these different areas, active carbon is a well-known purifying chemical. In this instance, active carbon has been included in a filtration system to remove airborne pollutants.

Because active carbon is porous, even a tiny amount of it has the ability to quickly absorb a significant amount of dust, mold spores, pet hair, smoke, volatile organic compounds, and common home pollutants.

Even for large particles, active carbon has some capacity for absorption. When it comes to filtering smoke and various chemical vapors, active carbons are by far the superior choice.

They are not particularly effective at filtering out dust particles or microscopic creatures.

Pros	Cons
Capture smokes and VOC	No allergen entrapment
Refreshes the air	No microorganisms filtration
Quiet performance	No particulate matter filtration

Pros and Cons of Activated Carbon Filter Air Purifiers – Types of Air Purifiers

5. Ozone Air Purifiers / Generators

As you may have heard, ozone acts as the most effective shield against the sun’s ultraviolet rays in the atmosphere. In this instance, the purifier is releasing ozone into the atmosphere in order to oxidize substances. In point of fact, contrary to what was stated earlier, ozone is not a very healthful gas.

It is possible for it to have direct effects on humans and to cause significant problems with your health. Ozone was used in the development of many different types of air purifiers, including ultraviolet (UV) and ionic.

Because of this, the filters can potentially cause health problems. When shopping for an air purifier, you should always be sure to check the requirements you have with the features offered by each purifier.

If not, you run the risk of being more expensive for no good reason.