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HEPA Filters
What
They Are & How They Work
.
There are many different air
purifier technologies out there. Some air purifiers use technologies in
conjunction with each other while others employ only one technology. A HEPA
filter is a High Efficiency Particulate Air filter. What sets HEPA filters
apart from the rest is their claims are more than just claims. Because in order
to be called a true HEPA filter it has to be first be tested and approved, you
know exactly what to expect - a HEPA filter must trap 99.97% of particulates
0.3 microns or larger. With HEPA technology, you know exactly what to expect
and there’s no guesswork involved.
Sarah
If you’re
shopping for an air purifier, you’ve probably run across the term HEPA used in
regard to filtration.
You may be
wondering what a HEPA filter is, or if you’ve heard of it, you may be wondering
how it works.
HEPA filtration
is an important and popular form of air
purification technology that must be understood in order to
make an informed air purifier buying decision.
What is a HEPA filter?
HEPA is an
acronym that stands for High Efficiency Particulate Air, so a HEPA filter is a
High Efficiency Particulate Air filter. Filters, whether for an air purifier or
other implementation, come with many benefits and claims.
What sets HEPA
filters apart from the rest is their claims are more than just claims.
Because in
order to be called a true HEPA filter it has to be first be tested and
approved, you know exactly what to expect.
The Institute
of Environmental Sciences and Technology dictates that a HEPA filter must trap
99.97% of particulates 0.3 microns or larger.
This does not
mean that the filter cannot trap particles smaller than 0.3 microns, because
many HEPA filters can; it is simply the threshold that must be reached in order
to carry the HEPA name.
What is a micron?
Particles range
from ultra-microscopic to entirely detectable to the human eye.
Microns, which
are one-millionth of a meter, are how particles are measured.
To give you a
better idea of the size of a micron, or less than a micron, consider that we
cannot visually see anything less than 10 microns.
Bacteria can be
anywhere from 0.3 to 60 microns, and 1 inch equals 25,400 microns.
Micron Comparison Chart:
o Spores: 3 – 40
microns
o Mold: 3 – 12
microns
o Bacteria: 0.3 –
60 microns
o Car emissions: 1
– 150 microns
o Pure oxygen:
0.0005 microns
How do HEPA filters work?
To put it
simply, HEPA filters trap air contaminants in a complex web of fibers.
Depending on
the size of the particle, this can happen in four different ways: Inertial
Impaction, Diffusion, Interception, or Sieving.
Larger
contaminants are trapped via inertial impaction and sieving. The particles
either collide with the fibers and become trapped or are trapped while
attempting to travel through the fibers.
Medium sized
particles, as they move through the filter, are grabbed by the fibers via
interception.
Smaller
particles are dissipated as they travel through the filter and eventually collide
with a fiber and are trapped.
Are all HEPA filters the same?
Contrary to
popular belief, not all HEPA filters are the same.
There are
significant differences in composition and utilization. For example, Blueair
uses what they call HEPASilent™ particle filtration technology.
The air first
passes through an ionizer, which charges incoming particles with a negative
electrostatic charge.
The air then
reaches the HEPA filter, which uses gradient composition of synthetic fibers to
capture the charged particles.
RabbitAir uses
what they call a BioGS HEPA Filter.
Rather than
just trapping contaminants and having them build up over time, RabbitAir
asserts that their filters also reduce contaminants.
This, in turn,
works to prevent allergen buildup and the further growth of bacteria and
viruses on the filter, improving the overall efficiency.
IQAir’s
HyperHEPA filtration uses what they call nanofibers to stop particles as small
as 0.003 microns.
There are many
different air purifier technologies out there – activated carbon, ionizing, ozone, UV
technology, and HEPA just to name a few.
Some air
purifiers use technologies in conjunction with each other while others employ
only one technology. Whichever you decide to go with, knowing what to expect is
important.
With HEPA technology,
you know exactly what to expect and there’s no guesswork involved.
Whether it’s an enhanced HEPA filter or one without any bells and whistles, you can be sure that contaminants will be removed on a microscopic level, so go ahead, take a deep breath.
Sarah is a savvy urbanite
with small town roots. As a foodie, wine lover & adventurer, she loves the
bustling city and the great outdoors equally. Her motto is that you don’t have
to sacrifice comfort, convenience, or fresh air for small-scale urban living.
https://learn.allergyandair.com/hepa-filters/
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