Last Updated on February 26, 2024
There were times when air purifiers for homes were thought of as a luxury. This thinking has now become as important as the food we eat, the water we drink and the air we breathe.
We think that the air inside our homes is fresh, clean and pollutant-free. But the sad news is, it is not. The air outside mixes with allergens and pollutants such as residues, paint fumes, fungal spores, varnishes, pet dander, and indoor smoke are now becoming the reason for Sick Building Syndrome.
Even if you dust your house daily and are very sure that the house is perfectly clean, then you might be wrong, and there are chances that there is still a very high amount of pollutants.
You can always shop for an air purifier online to save time. You only have to know how you are going to pick the perfect air purifier for your home. So, if you are going to buy one, here are some points that you should consider before buying the purifier.
Size and space
The size of the air purifier should be right according to the room. Before buying the purifier, you should keep the size of your room in mind and match it with the coverage area of the purifier which is mentioned in square feet.
You cannot buy one that is too small for your room as it would not be as effective as it could be in a smaller room. You can always be a little cautious and get a purifier that has little high capacity because it will be more effective.
Power
You will find many companies in the market that will claim high clean air delivery rates, but you must know that there is no industry standard. All the purifiers in the market come with a general rating.
This includes what is their coverage area according to room size. It can help you gain a better perspective of what will look better and fit better in your home.
The main rule when buying an air purifier is that “the more is better”.
Placement
The place of an air purifier in your home is very important. Most of the air purifiers available in the market today take the air from the back or the sides of the purifier.
Therefore, you need to leave some space on the sides and the back of the air purifier for it to efficiently take the contaminated air in and filter the air. You cannot just keep the purifier just in front of the wall or with huge furniture around because it will hinder the cleaning process.
There are some air purifiers that have clean air vents on the side. The side vent will be okay if you have enough room around the purifier for the purification of unclean air and the clean air to spread through the room.
Filters
Air purifiers come with HEPA filters that are responsible for cleaning your air. HEPA filters have a fine mesh that trap airborne particles and pollutants.
There are many purifiers that have other additional filters also, which include activated carbon filters that capture allergens. The pre-filter intakes larger dust particles. Always keep in mind; if a purifier has lots of filter layers, it is always better than the rest.
How well your air purifier will work is decided by its filters. It is very difficult to tell how efficient the air purifier is till you bring it home and actually use it, but there are still some ways with which you can find that out:
Brand
The life of your HEPA filter also depends on the brand, so always choose an air purifier from a renowned brand. The replacement HEPA filters cost a little high if you go for a good brand, but it is totally worth it because if you use the purifier for around 12 hours a day, then it can last between 6-12 months.
But it is not just the brands of the filters; the life of your filter also depends upon how polluted and dusty the air is around your home because this will also have a huge impact on the overall performance and life of the filter.
Know the number
Many air purifiers today have a digital display of the air quality, which is updated in real-time. But there are some purifiers that do not have such an option, and they have colours to indicate the quality of your air.
Green colour indicates acceptable, red/orange colours indicating hazardous and blue, indicating healthy air. The data that is displayed on the monitor or shown through lights is based on a series of readings from that is attained by the work of various integrated sensors. So, the purifier is not trying to fool you. The numbers are real.
As During winter, the quality of the air outside the house becomes worse because of the pollution in the air, which gets trapped in the atmosphere because of the difference in moisture, air pressure and, wind speeds.
When that polluted stream of air enters our house and remains trapped, then we know we have to find a solution to deal with the growing pollution and contamination inside our homes.
The best solution at hand is an air purifier. There are many air purifiers in India that you can find at reasonable rates.