HEPA Air Purifiers: Everything You Should Know
Estimated reading time: 7 minutes
Did you know that, on average, Canadians spend 90% of their time indoors? If you're spending most of your time indoors, you want to ensure the air you're breathing is clean.
Indoor air pollutants are a real issue, particularly for sensitive individuals. These pollutants may cause irritation, headaches, fatigue, and more. Certain allergens, such as dust mites and molds, are also asthma triggers.
A HEPA air purifier can significantly improve the air quality inside your home, office, classroom, or health care facility. Find out more about the HEPA difference, and discover what to look for when buying a HEPA air purifier.
What Is a HEPA Air Purifier?
Although HEPA is a household name, not everyone knows the details of what makes this air purifier the best option on the market.
HEPA stands for High-Efficiency Particulate Air. It was originally created by the US Department of Energy. HEPA filters are designed to remove at least 99.97% of dust, pollen, bacteria, mold, and airborne particles with a size of 0.3 microns.
However, HEPA filters can capture particles that are even smaller! Air filter ratings refer to the worst case and the most penetrating particle size (MPPS).
In short, 99.97% is a HEPA filter's worst-case efficiency rating. That means that HEPA filters will capture closer to 100% of smaller or larger particles.
How Do HEPA Filters Work?
HEPA filters are made of a small mesh of fibers with an electrostatic charge. Much like a magnet, HEPA filters attract and capture tiny airborne particles.
Airborne particles are invisible to our eyes, and they can stay suspended in the air since they have such a low mass.
Airborne particulate matter includes:
Dust
Soot
Smoke
Dirt
Liquid droplets
Air Purifier Size and Capacity
The size and capacity you'll need will vary depending on the location of the purifier. For instance, an air purifier for an office may not be the best option as an air purifier for hospitals.
Here's what you need to consider when buying an air purifier for your home or commercial location.
Coverage Area
What's the size of the room or building you need the purifier for?
There are whole-building (whole-house) air purifiers, large air purifiers, and medium or small air purifiers. Measure the square footage of an area to determine the size and type of air purifier you'll need.
Do you need a filter for a single room, a house, an office, or a larger area? The size of your air purifier will dictate how well it works in a space. You'll need to choose a purifier rated for the size of the area for maximum efficiency. It also reflects how many air changes per hour (ACH) you will receive in a given size area.
You can also contact us at Platinum Air Care for advice and to learn more about your options.
CADR Ratings
When choosing an air purifier for commercial locations, you should also check the Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR). CADR is a metric that measures the performance of an air purifier and will tell you how quickly and effectively the purifier can remove contaminants.
Higher CADR ratings will work better than lower ratings when it comes to pure air delivery. For example, our MedicAir® medical-grade air purifier features an above-average 605m³ CADR.
Sound and Energy Efficiency
Many people worry that medical-grade air purification systems will be too loud. This is often a concern in classrooms, hospitals, and offices.
Purifiers clean the room by moving large volumes of air, and the moving fans make noise. However, the best air purifiers on the market are whisper quiet, producing as little noise as possible as they circulate the air.
For instance, our MedicAir® medical-grade air purifier only produces 28dB, around the level of a soft whisper and less noisy than a quiet library.
You should also consider energy efficiency. Air pollution doesn't stop, meaning your air purifier will work best if you leave it running all day. You want to look for models that offer low power consumption.
What Are Medical-Grade HEPA Filters?
You may have heard the term medical-grade HEPA filters before. H13 or H14 HEPA filters are often considered "hospital grade." Medical-grade air purifiers are used more often in commercial locations, such as hospitals, care homes, dental offices, etc.
So, if you're looking for an air purifier for care homes or another healthcare facility, you should look for medical-grade options, that also feature multi-stage filtration.
Caring for a HEPA Filter
Many people want to know whether they can clean a HEPA filter. Your HEPA filter should have a label that indicates whether it's safe to wash or not. Many are designed to be used for a set period of time and then replaced.
High-quality air purifiers often have a filter indicator that lets you know when the filter is dirty and when it's time to change it. Filters can last anywhere from a few weeks to several months or longer, depending on the environment and power of the filter.
Platinum Air Care's MedicAir®
Our MedicAir® air purifier is the leading HEPA air purifier in the UK and is trusted by the National Health Service. It's used by hospitals, medical professionals, and by both residential and commercial customers.
What makes MedicAir® different?
It has an anti-microbial coated HEPA 13 filter, and it can clear 99.97% of bacteria and viruses as tiny as 0.3 microns.
The activated carbon filter can capture pollutants such as odors, gas pollutants, and VOCs.
Our MedicAir® system also features an astounding 24W Ultra-Violet Type-C Light inside of a photocatalytic chamber (PCO). It damages the DNA and RNA of pathogens, eliminating viruses and bacteria.
It has a 605m³/h CADR and features 360 degrees of suction. Plus, it automatically adjusts and changes fan speeds when it senses high levels of pollution. You can sit back and relax knowing MedicAir® will keep your air quality clean.
Anyone can see the current air quality of the room, thanks to the monitoring and easy-to-understand LED screen control. It also has a filter replacement indicator, so you'll always know when it's time to maintain your system.
Another useful and optional feature? You can control the MedicAir® purifier using a smartphone app. You can also view quality readings, including charts and data sets.
The more you learn about the air quality, the more you can improve ventilation and the IAQ.
Buying a HEPA Air Purifier
Now that you know more about the HEPA difference, you can confidently buy the right HEPA air purifier for your needs.
At Platinum Air Care, we want to help you improve your indoor air quality. We provide the best solutions for both residential and commercial air purification needs. Get a quote today to learn more about our options and how we can help you improve ventilation and breathe easily.
