Introduction
Why do you need a HEPA filter for home? Well, when you consider that, on average most people will breathe with a frequency of 22,000 times each day, it is easy to see how small changes can make a big impact. Even with a small proportion of impurities, when you multiply them with the above figure, it should be obvious that it is in your interest to ensure the air you breathe is as pure as possible.
The best way to ensure this is with a HEPA filter, but how do HEPA filters work? Well, we are about to tell you as we discuss the benefits and how each stage in the filtration process will make the air in your home as pure as it can be.
Why Do You Need a HEPA Filter for Home Use?
There are many reasons why you really need an air purifier with a HEPA filter in your home. HEPA filters remove the vast majority of impurities and pollutants from the air around you. They are capable of removing:
- Bad odors
- Pollutants
- Carbon from burning
- Cigarette smoke
- Virus and bacteria particles
- Dust
- Allergens
- Pet dander
- And much more
Why is removing the above so important? Instead of telling you the bad (which you are undoubtedly already aware of), let us instead highlight the good of having pure air in your home. With an air purifier, you can expect the following beneficial results:
- Improved alertness and mood
- Better sleep quality
- Overall better health
- A reduction in colds and viruses
- Fewer allergic reactions
- Better lung capacity
- Better performance in physical exercises
What Does HEPA Mean?
You'll hear the term 'HEPA' often used when discussing air purifiers. It stands for "High-Efficiency Particulate Air". This has become somewhat of a mark of quality. To be classified as a HEPA filter, an air purifier must remove around 99.97% of impurities found within the air you breathe.
The usual measure of these impurities is given in microns. If you aren't familiar with a micron, it is around 1/26,000 of an inch! That's pretty small.
However.
It is actually possible to find air purifiers that are capable of removing particles that are even smaller than this!
An example of such technology is the Clair Air K2 purifier.
Want to know how it does this?
Read on.
How Does the Filter in the Clair Air Purifier Work?
Smaller than 3 microns sounds like a big ask. Yet the technology exists that can remove practically all the impurities from the air. Before we continue, let's discuss how air purifiers work in general.
HEPA Air Purifiers: The General Idea
Imagine taking a large bucket of water from a natural source. Inside, you'd possibly find stones, rocks, smaller creatures, bits of plants, and possibly sediment from the bottom. If you imagine this water is the air around you, and the bits strewn throughout are impurities, then this is what you could be breathing right now.
An air purifier acts as a sort of filtration system. Imagine tipping this same bucket of water through a chain-link fence. It might catch the odd piece of detritus but isn't too effective.
Envisage tipping the water through a finer chain link fence, then some wire mesh, then a sieve, then some filter paper…
How do you think the water looks now?
It will probably be quite clear, and this, in essence, is how a HEPA air purifier works. Air is forced through many layers, and at each stage, an impurity is removed. Generally, the more stages, the purer the air.
Here's how Clair's 4 stage system works.
Stage 1 – Pre-Filter
Very small holes, such as those in HEPA filters, are blocked easily by big pieces. So, before the air is fully filtered, it passes through a pre-filter. This is designed to remove big particles, many of which you will be able to see with the naked eye. These are things like:
- Dust
- Lint
- Pet hair
- Bugs
- Other materials
Stage 2 - Embossed HEPA Filter
The HEPA filter is what sets purifiers apart. This can capture much smaller particles that aren't really that visible.
On a microscopic level, Embossed HEPA filters have an uneven lattice of fibers. These fibers slow and disrupt the airflow. The contaminants and impurities' stick' to the filter as it slows. Leaving pure air to flow through.
It can remove:
- Fine dust
- Microscopic fibers
- Pet dander
- Large smoke particles
- Allergens like pollen
Stage 3 - Activated Carbon Filter
Activated carbon filters are essential for removing extremely small particles. They are so small that you could pretty much consider them 'fumes'. The catalytic converter in your car actually works similarly to remove the bulk of the harmful fumes from the engine.
Activated carbon reacts chemically with the air, removing things like smoke and bad smells.
Stage- 4 UV Sterilizer
This is a stage lacking in most air purifiers (even those claiming they are 'HEPA'. UV light can kill any small virus particles that may have escaped the filters so far. Light is shone onto the air before it is output. This ensures that the air you are breathing is as free from impurities as it will get.
Keep a good lookout for this feature while choosing.
Conclusion
Clair Air purifiers are capable of removing more impurities. Because the HEPA filter is embossed, it has an increased efficiency level, offering up to a 13% increase in performance.
Clair Air purifiers can fully filter the air in a 238 square foot room in as little as 20 minutes, and are so powerful that a 714 square foot room can have all of the air purifier in an hour. This makes it the perfect choice as a HEPA air purifier for your home.