Air Purifiers - Frequently Asked Questions

In what size room can an air purifier be used in?
This will vary depending on the air purifier; our range is suitable from 16mē to 60mē.

What does HEPA stand for and what does it do?
HEPA stands for High Efficiency Particulate Air. A HEPA filter will remove 99.97% of any airborne particles, such as dirt, dust, pollen, pet dander, up to 0.03 microns (for comparison a hair has a width of 70-100 micrometres).

What impurities do air purifiers remove?
Majority of air purifiers will use a HEPA filter. A HEPA filter will remove 99.97% of small air borne particles such as dust, dirt, pollen, pet dander etc.

If an air purifier uses an active carbon filter this will remove odours and it can help at removing or eliminating second hand smoke.

More advanced air purifiers will either use an ultra violet light or a plasma generator which will destroy any remaining bacteria in the air reducing germs and viruses.

I suffer badly from hay fever, how will an air purifier benefit me?
Air purifiers will clean the air removing airborne particles such as pollen using either a HEPA filter or in the case of the Airfree air purifiers an incineration chamber.

Do all air purifiers use filters?
The majority of air purifiers will use filters such as the HEPA filter and the active carbon filter. There are a few air purifiers which are filterless such as the Airfree units and the Boneco 2055D combination unit. The Airfree air purifiers use a 250°C ceramic heating core which incinerates pollutants. The Boneco 2055D uses plastic discs which washes the air trapping the dirt inside.

How often do the filters need to be changed?
HEPA filters will need to be changed once every year and the active carbon filter will need to be changed every 6 months.

If the air purifier uses a combination filter then this filter will need to be changed every 6 months.

What are the running costs of an air purifier?
This can vary on the air purifier but most air purifiers have very low power consumptions anything from 35W upwards.

As a rough guide, based on a unit of electricity costing 15p per hour an air purifier with a power consumption of 35W, the running cost per hour would be less than 1p.

Can I leave an air purifier unattended?
Air purifiers can be left unattended; they are designed to be on 24 hours a day so that the room air is being constantly cleaned.

My child suffers from asthma, would you recommend an air purifier if so which one?
An air purifier can help with asthma; it would remove airborne irritants such as pet dander, dirt and dust which can trigger asthma. The most effective air purifier for removing these airborne particles would be an air purifier with a HEPA filter within it.

What are the differences between the Airfree units, which one would you recommend?
The only difference between the Airfree air purifiers is the room size that they can purify.  Our recommendation would be to select the model closest to your room size.

I want an air purifier that has very little maintenance which would be best?
The Airfree air purifiers are the no maintenance option. As they use a ceramic element to incinerate airborne particles there are no filters required. 

Can essential oils be used with air purifiers?
A few air purifiers come with a fragrance cartridge to add an aroma to your room.  If you prefer to use essential oils then place a few drops of your favourite oil onto a wad of tissues or cotton wool and place this in the cartridge holder.

Can air purifiers remove germs and bacteria?
An air purifier with either an ultra violet bulb or a plasma generator will help eliminate bacteria and germs. A UV bulb will break down micro-organisms such as germs, bacteria and viruses. A plasma generator will generator negatively charged oxygen which remove contaminates such as fungi, mould spores and dust mites.

I would like a quiet want to use an air purifier to use in my bedroom, which unit would you recommend?
Majority of air purifiers are barely audible on their lowest fan settings.  If you wish to have a completely silent unit this would be the Airfree air purifier - which has no moving parts, such as fan.

I want an air purifier which will remove exhaust fumes and other gases which unit should I be looking at?
The best air purifier to remove exhaust fumes would be the plasma air purifier. The ultra violet light within this air purifier breaks down the exhaust fumes into a harmless subtance.

I want an air purifier which will remove smoke from a room, which is best for this?
Any air purifiers which use an active carbon filter will help remove smoke from a room but the best unit would be the HM685 Five Stage Plasma Air Purifier due to the many stages the air goes through to be cleaned.

Will an air purifier remove odours?
An air purifier with an active carbon filter will help remove odours from a room. It is recommended that the carbon filter is replaced every 6 months to maintain the effectiveness of the machine.

What is an ioniser and what does it do?
Majority of air purifiers will include a built in ioniser. An ioniser will replace negative ions that have been destroyed by pollution and electronic equipment, when the air is depleted of negative ions it can feel stale and stuffy. Generating negative ions will make the air noticeably clean and fresh.

Do I need more than one air purifier?
As air purifiers are recommended to be on 24 hours a day to constantly clean the rooms air it would not be advisable to move an air purifier from room to room. We recommend starting off with one air purifier in the room that you would use the most (such as the bedroom). If this is found to be of benefit then a second unit would be advisable to be used in the next most commonly used room.

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