If you’ve been considering buying your very own air purifier, you might have a key question on your mind: how do air purifiers work?
Air purifiers seem like magic to many of us, as simply running them in for fifteen minutes will make your home cleaner, safer, and better smelling.
This article will dive into the science behind air purifiers, explaining why air purifiers are useful and answering the question ‘how do air purifiers work?’.
Let’s dive in.
How Do Air Purifiers Work?
Air purifiers make your home cleaner by trapping airborne allergens, dust, and germs. In short, air purifiers pull in dirty air, filter it, clean it up and push it back into your home as clean air.
The specifics of this process rely on the model of air purifier you choose, as every model uses slightly different technology. In general, though, there are two types of air purifiers: filterless air purifiers and filtered air purifiers.
Let’s discuss how each works in more detail.
How Filter Air Purifiers Work
Most filtered air purifiers on the market use High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters. A true HEPA filter can trap around 99.97% of airborne particles, including particles as small as 0.3 microns (just for the record, one micron is one-millionth of a meter).
Once the dirty air is sieved through the filter, the fan pushes the clean air out into your home.
While true HEPA filters are the most popular choice, some purifiers use HEPA-type filters. HEPA-type filters can only trap around 99% of larger particulates.
This means they are generally less effective than true HEPA air purifiers – though they will still reduce dust, odor, and allergens in your home.
Carbon-based Filters
If you’ve been considering buying your very own air purifier, you might have a key question on your mind: how do air purifiers work?
Air purifiers seem like magic to many of us, as simply running them in for fifteen minutes will make your home cleaner, safer, and better smelling.
This article will dive into the science behind air purifiers, explaining why air purifiers are useful and answering the question ‘how do air purifiers work?’.
Let’s dive in.
If you are a pet owner, are regularly exposed to cigarette smoke, are concerned about mold, or you’re just enthusiastic about cooking stinky fish, a purifier with an activated carbon filter will keep your home smelling fresh no matter what.
Occasionally, the order of the HEPA and carbon filters is reversed. In this case, dirty air is filtered through the carbon filter before the HEPA filter.
This works very well, as the carbon filter acts as a pre-filter that prolongs the HEPA filter’s lifespan. One such purifier that uses this arrangement is the GermGuardian 3-in-1 air purifier.
UV Sanitizer
Some air purifiers go the extra mile and are equipped with a UV sanitizer. A UV sanitizer uses Ultra Violet (UV) rays to destroy bacteria and viruses.
This is especially useful during flu season. ‘How effective is UV light in handling bacteria?’ you ask. We’ll let this video do the talking:
How Filterless Air Purifiers Work
Filterless air purifiers usually employ negative ion generators, which uses a high voltage that ionizes air particles. Specifically, when the negative ion from the air purifier latches itself to dust, it weighs the dust down and stops it from remaining airborne. Purifiers of this type often have positively charged collecting plates to gather your dust.
Some brands, like Airfree, use the hot ceramic core to obliterate dust, pollen, bacteria, viruses, and practically any other airborne particles.
The hot ceramic core on Airfree products goes up to 400o Fahrenheit. As it takes 167o Fahrenheit to kill the influenza virus, this is very effective at preventing colds.
Common Air Purifier Features
While every model of air purifier on the market is different, many filters use similar types of technology to enhance their filtration abilities. This section will briefly outline some of the key features and their pros and cons.
Ti02 Nanotechnology
Ti02 Nanotechnology magnifies the effect of the UV light frequency, killing viruses and bacteria.
Pros
- Increases UV light.
- Helps your immune system.
- It kills both viruses and bacteria.
Cons
- It does not clean the air.
- It relies on UV lights – which can be a pain in homes with pets and small children.
Electrostatic
Electrostatic technology uses both positive and negative charges across a set of metal plates.
Pros
- Cheap way to boost the efficiency of your air purifier.
- Easy to wash and clean.
- Increases filter absorption of smoke, odor, and pollution.
Cons
- Emits a quiet electrical noise.
- Cannot clean dust or pollen.
Carbon And Zeolite
Carbon and Zeolite are both minerals that have millions of little “pores” in them, and because of that, they can trap gases, fumes, and odors.
Pros
- Great at catching fumes and odors.
- Inexpensive add-on.
Cons
- Carbon and zeolite must be replaced every few months, as their pores become filled with gases.
- Replacement filters are sometimes difficult to find.
Pre-filters
Pre-filters are placed in front of the other filters, where they collect hair and dust.
Pros
- Can be washed and reused.
- Extends the life of your HEPA filter.
Cons
- One extra thing to clean.
Ozone Air Purifiers
Ozone air purifiers release plasma into the air, killing mold and odor particles.
Pros
- Decreases mold in your home.
Cons
- Does not capture dust or pollen.
- May harm human lungs in large exposure sessions.
Water-based Air Purifiers
Water-based air purifiers have an added section for water – similar to a diffuser.
Pros
- An inexpensive way to increase the lifespan of your HEPA filter.
- Captures dust and dirt.
Cons
- Water must be changed every week.
- May increase the humidity in your home.
Conclusion
Hopefully, this article has answered the question on the top of your mind: ‘how do air purifiers work?’
Most of the purifiers you see in the market follow the setups outlined in this article. While many air purifiers only use one cleaning method, many brands are embracing a multi-filter setup – though this comes at an added cost.
When choosing an air purifier for your home, always look for the type of filter that will meet your needs. It’s easy to get swept up in the latest gadgets, but keep in mind that any air purifier will clear the air.
If you’d like to compare the models of air purifiers available on the market today, please check out our buyer’s guides here.
Karie is a science-obsessed writer with a sensitive nose. She has been using air purifiers for many years, and uses them obsessively to keep her home dust-free. She is passionate about helping people find the right air purifier for them.