5 Tips to Buy Right Air Purifier

Confused which air purifier to buy – Here’s what to look for

Now that you are fairly warned about the air pollution in Indian cities, thanks to recent media news and reports by WHO casting an abysmal picture of the alarming situation, it is time to take things in your own hand.

Since the onus of taking care of your family rests on your shoulders, you need to do everything possible to keep yourself and your family healthy and protected from pollution in the city.

While dealing with outside pollution maybe out of your hands, as an individual, you can certainly safeguard your family from indoor air pollution. But first, are you even aware of how deadly the air inside your homes is? The air we breathe in our homes, cars, and offices can be equally and sometimes even more harmful that outdoor pollutants leading to health hazards.

Furnishings, cleaning agents, cooking, pets, and accumulated dust in enclosed spaces of our homes are just some of the forms of indoor air pollution to which you and your family is exposed to extensively throughout the day.

There exists a range of products and cutting-edge technology meant for India’s specific needs including indoor and outdoor air monitoring and purification devices, and pollution masks promising Indians better access to cleaner air. It is high time you invest in these for your home and cars.

Unlike smartphones or televisions, where it is easy to see what you are getting, shopping for an air purifier is not easy. Considering, the general lack of know-how when it comes to air purifiers, there are several factors to be kept in mind before making an informed purchase decision.

Look for these, when making the buying decision –

1. Room size –The room size will determine as to what kind of air purifier you need (ranging from compact to bigger ones). Keep in mind that one size does not fit all. Also, consider the height of the room. For example, it will be effective to buy an air purifier which can cater to a 450-500 sq feet room if the size of the room is 300 sq feet with an average room height of 9ft.

2 Performance

a.Delivery Rate – Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR) will show you how much clean air is coming out of the purifier and how quickly the product functions. Higher the CADR, better is the air filtration capacity of the air purifier. It is advisable to go for the highest CADR rating, depending on the room size.

b.Air Changes Per Hour (ACH): ACH determines how quickly and often the air purifier can clean the room in an hour. Given the level of pollution we have in cities like Delhi, opt for a product which offers four ACH as the air purifier needs to constantly clean the air every 15 minutes (4 times in an hour). Don’t fall for a trap of larger cleaning area, as many brands claim of cleaning a larger room size by reducing ACH count to one time in an hour.

3. Filters: A filter forms the essential component of an air purifier. The type and quality of the filter determines the effectiveness of the product. The filter must be equipped to remove pollutants like pollen, dust, smoke, odour and other harmful substances from the air. The air purifier should have a pre-filter that can remove large particles from the air at the initial filtration stage. High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters are most effective as they are tested and certified.

Always remember that the cost of replacing the filter is huge so the air purifier should have optimum number of filters that lasts for a considerable amount of time before needing a replacement. Having said that, one should change the filters regularly to increase the life span of the purifier which also makes a “Filter replacement” indicator a necessity in an air purifier.

4. Portability: Portability of the air purifier and weight plays an important role. A small air purifier can also have the ability to clean a big room effectively. Don’t go by the size and weight as a big air purifier will be costlier and can take up a lot of room.

5. Energy Savings: Considering electricity costs, go for an air purifier with energy saving options/ratings

Authored by: Sudhir Pillai

General Manager, Homes, Honeywell Home and Building Technologies, India