Air pollution: Need to buy air purifier? Here's how to pick the right one

Here are the factors that you should consider before zeroing in on an air purifier to buy

Deteriorating air quality has led to a rise in popularity of air purifiers in recent years. These electronic devices remove particulate matters, odour, smoke, and other invisible but harmful substances and gases that pollute the air, making it clean and breathable. The air purifiers seem efficient electronic devices to combat air pollution, at least in closed spaces like offices, homes, cafeterias, etc. However, not all air purifiers are equally effective, so you need to be careful while choosing which one to go for. Here are some important factors you must consider before deciding on an air purifier:

Area

This is one of the most crucial factors that one should be careful about before buying an air purifier. From portable to large, air purifiers come in different forms for different room sizes. A large one for a small room would clean up the air faster, but will cost more and consume more electricity. Similarly, a small one for a big room would be ineffective as it would take long time to clean up the room air. Therefore, one must know the exact room size and should pick a model that meets the area requirement.

Air change rate (ACR) and clean air delivery rate (CADR)

ACR is the number of times the purifier cleans the room air in an hour. Therefore, higher the ACR, faster it works to clean the entire room. For example, an air purifier with 6 ACR cleans the room every 10 minutes – that is six times in an hour.

Besides ACR, one should also look at CADR. Measured in cubic feet per minute, CADR is the amount of clean air that the air purifier pumps out. An air purifier with higher CADR and ACR is faster and more efficient in purification process.

HEPA and Activated Carbon filters

High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter removes larger particles from the air, including dust, pollen, particulate matter 10 (PM10) and particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5). A caveat, there are filters that are labelled as HEPA-like and HEPA-type that promise meeting HEPA requirements. However, it is suggested to choose HEPA instead of its like and type for better results. 

While an air purifier with HEPA filter is enough to clean the air from pollutants, the carbon filter cleans air from odour, smoke, and other gases. This filter uses activated carbon to absorb odour-causing molecules and gases from the air. Though many air purifiers include both an activated carbon and a HEPA filter, it is always better to check the air filters detail on the packaging before finalising.

Noise levels

Air purifier needs to operate quietly, otherwise it would cause unnecessary distraction and maybe cause annoyance, considering the fact that it would be running continuously for an effective air cleaning process. Therefore, select a machine with lower decibels noise rating. 

After sales service

This is another crucial factor that one should be careful of before making a purchase. Make sure you buy a purifier from a brand with expertise in air purification products such as Dyson, Sharp, Honeywell, Samsung, etc. Importantly, check the replacement filters cost as some manufacturers’ air purifiers cost less but their filters cost expensive that in-turn makes them expensive in a long run.