A healthier home is an outcome of using energy-efficient air purifiers, which lower allergens and dangerous pollutants. You also stay out of paying hefty electricity costs. Picking the one that will make your house healthier and save you the most money over time might be challenging with so many options.
You can find thorough details about energy-efficient air purifiers in this article, together with all their advantages. Also, you will learn how to select the one that suits you the most.
What Is Energy Efficiency in Air Purifiers
The degree to which a device can do its job with the least power use is called its energy economy. Efficient air filters are designed to clean the air while using less power. This lowers your electricity bill while also benefiting the environment.
Modern features in these home air purifiers include smart monitors, efficient filters, and low-power fans that operate at their finest with the least amount of electricity. Depending on the filter type, an air purifier's energy efficiency can vary. Some filters use less energy than others.
Also, checking for an Energy Star rating is a good first step in finding a power-efficient air purifier. A regular air purifier uses more electricity than a Star-rated one. Additionally, be sure to take note of the filter type that they employ. While some utilize carbon filters, the majority employ HEPA filters.
Selecting an Energy-Efficient Air Purifier
Selecting the best air filter for your house might be challenging. You should consider your concerns regarding air quality, room size, maintenance costs, and features.
1. Know Your Air Quality Concerns
Identifying the air quality problems that worry you is the first step in selecting the ideal air filter for your house. These questions might serve as your guide to determine this:
- Which things in your home are most likely to pollute the air inside?
- What makes you allergic or sensitive?
- Which pollutants do you want your home's air to be less of or eliminate?
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reports that interior pollution levels might be two to five times higher than outside ones. If you wish to avoid allergies and asthma, you should give airflow and the quality of your house a top priority.
Common Indoor Air Pollutants
The following typical indoor air pollution sources might worry you:
- Asbestos in floor tiles, insulation, filling agents, cement, and heating equipment
- Gas burners, heaters, and other appliances that burn fuel release carbon monoxide into the air
- Particleboard, upholstery, window coverings, and rugs all contain formaldehyde
- Fumes from household cleaners and chemicals
- Live sources like dust mites, mildew, and mold
- Nitrogen dioxide from natural gas and kerosene combustion
- Particulates like dust and pollen
- Pesticides from foggers, sprays, and strips
- Radon gas comes from the rocks and dirt below
- Sulfur dioxide from burning kerosene or space heaters
- VOCs from plug-in air fresheners
2. Pick the Ideal Air Purifier Filter Type
Targeting different kinds of impurities is possible with various air purifier models. Dust and pollen can be captured by HEPA filters found in some air purifiers. However, alternative air purifiers can include gas and odor-adsorbing activated carbon filters.
Common Air Purifier Types and Technologies
Here are the common air purifier filters and technologies used and which contaminants they work best at:
HEPA Filter
Dust and other airborne particles can be collected by a mechanical folding filter called a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA).
- Best for: Eliminates Up to 99.7% of germs, viruses, pet hair, mold spores, dust, and pollen.
- Not suitable for: Gases, smells, VOCs, smoke, and other chemicals.
Activated Carbon Filter
Most of the time, VOCs are one of the air pollutants that people in homes and businesses put into the air. Some types of air purifiers use activated carbon screens to get rid of harmful particles.
- Best for: Airborne pollutants like smoke, volatile organic compounds, bad smells, and others can be removed by buildings with a lot of porous surfaces.
- Not suitable for: Airborne particles less than 0.3 microns in size are drawn in together with germs and viruses.
Electrostatic Filter
This air purifier's filter charges airborne particles using static electricity. As such, charged particles are pulled to the borders of the interior filtering system and subsequently removed from your indoor air.
- Best for: Any size of particle, including certain germs and viruses, dust, pollen, pet hair, and mold spores.
- Not suitable for: Chemicals, smoke, VOCs, smells, and gases.
Ionizer
The small particles and the negative ions from tobacco smoke can be bonded to one another in an ionizer. On flat surfaces, such as walls and ceilings, particles tend to gather together when an electrical charge accumulates.
- Best for: Size-variant particles, such as dust, pollen, germs, and smoke
- Not suitable for: Gases, smells, volatile chemical compounds, and other such substances
PCO Device
Under UV light and a catalyst, such as titanium dioxide, PCO devices transform chemicals into innocuous byproducts like water and carbon dioxide.
- Best for: Microbes, viruses, odors, and various organic contaminants
- Not suitable for: Inorganic compounds like metals or minerals
UV Lamp
By damaging their DNA or RNA, lamps' UV-C light can kill or disable these living things.
- Best for: Germs, viruses, molds, and fungus.
- Not suitable for: Gases, vapors, smells, VOCs, smoke, and other substances.
3. Measure the Room Size
Before you buy the air filter, it’s best to measure the space you plan to use it in. Choose an air purifier carefully considering the size of your space. While bigger rooms would need more units, which would raise the initial outlay and ongoing maintenance costs, traditional air purifiers function well in small settings.
On the other side, compared to buying several smaller units, a single strong air purifier will be more economical and energy-efficient.
If you're not sure how to figure out either your room's size or the Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR), start by obtaining the following:
- The room's length and width are measured in meters
- Height of the ceiling
- Required minimum air changes per hour (ACH)
Also, take note that air purifiers come in four sizes. Each of the four sizes is designed to work effectively with a certain number of square feet of space.
- Small: Works well for apartments and single-family homes up to 200 sq. ft.
- Medium: Suitable for spaces ranging from two hundred to four hundred square feet.
- Large: Intended for spaces ranging from 400 to 1,500 square feet.
- Whole-house: Effective in cleaning all indoor air.
4. Calculate Maintenance Costs
Maintenance costs are crucial as they impact the overall performance and longevity of your air purifier. The air purifier's filter or technology type and longevity are the primary factors determining the cost of maintenance. While certain technologies and filters last a long time and don't need any maintenance, others might need to be cleaned or replaced more frequently.
You might have to give up on energy efficiency to get an inexpensive air filter. However, if energy efficiency is vital to you, paying more on a model with higher efficiency is preferable to spending less on a model with lower efficiency.
5. Examine Features
Think carefully about how the characteristics of an air purifier will impact your device's usability, comfort, and ease of use. The following are examples of characteristics that air purifiers often have:
Design
The air purifier's brand, model, and intended user determine its design. This characteristic describes the aesthetics of an air purifier, including its form, size, color, and material.
For reasons of taste or convenience, some people may choose an air purifier that is more streamlined or fashionable. On the other hand, some people could be fine with a basic air purifier if it serves a practical purpose.
Energy Consumption
When turned on, this function shows the air purifier's power consumption. Watts (W) are the unit of measurement for electrical power, and they can vary from 1 W or less than an LED bulb to 200 W like in a laptop. The power requirements of air purifiers are proportional to fan and filter size, speed, and design.
For financial or ecological concerns, some individuals may choose an air purifier that uses less electricity. Some people might be fine with an air purifier that uses a lot of electricity, particularly if it improves performance or quality.
Indicators
Here, you may find information on the air purifier's status, including its power, speed, mode, filter life, and error code. The signs of an air purifier vary from one model, brand, and style to another.
A more informational or indicator-rich air purifier may be more appealing to some users, particularly those seeking more precise instructions. Because of personal choice or lack of visibility, some people might not mind an air purifier with few indicators.
Modes
Within the configuration of this air purifier are settings for sleep, auto, turbo, night, and kid lock modes. The make, model, and technology of an air purifier determine how it operates.
Regarding comfort and usefulness, some people could choose an air purifier with more settings or versatility. Some people could be fine with a basic air purifier, particularly if it's for convenience or reliability's sake.
Noise Level
The decibel level of an air cleaner is mostly determined by size, speed, filter design, and fan design. When it comes to bedrooms or offices, some people may choose a purifier that is quieter. Some people could be fine with a moderate to loud air purifier, particularly in public spaces like kitchens and living rooms.
Remote Control
This feature demonstrates operating an air purifier using a touchscreen, knob, voice command, and remote control. The brand, model, and technology of the air purifier dictate its remote control.
Some folks might choose an air purifier that can be controlled remotely for accessibility or convenience reasons. If dependability and simplicity of use are your key concerns, you can get away with a basic air purifier.
Sensors
This function means that the indoor air purifier can identify and show the amounts of pollutants, humidity, temperature, and other factors. Brand, model, and technology determine which air purifier sensors are used. A smart air purifier with sensors may be more appealing to some people, particularly those who value precision and feedback.
If you are looking for an affordable or trustworthy air purifier, you might not mind one without sensors or with fewer features.
Smart Functions
With this function, you can see how an air purifier may be managed and kept tabs on from any computer, tablet, smartphone, or voice assistant. The brand, model, and technology of an air purifier determine its smart functions. A smart or linked air purifier may be more appealing to some consumers, particularly those seeking greater mobility or ease of use.
You might be okay with an older, manually driven air purifier for reasons of dependability or simplicity of usage.
Timers
This function allows you to program an air purifier to turn on or off automatically after a predefined period. The timers on the air purifier are brand-, model-, and technology-specific.
For practical or time-saving reasons, you might want an air purifier with a timer or more customization options. However, some people might be fine with a manual or timer-less air purifier, particularly if it gives them more control or flexibility.
Benefits of Energy Efficient Air Purifiers
Though it immediately impacts your quality of life, you might not give air quality much thought. This is why you should give building an energy-efficient house high priority:
Environmentally-friendly
Because energy-efficient air purifiers leave a smaller carbon footprint than traditional ones, they are a more environmentally friendly option.
Improved Air Quality
By use of advanced filters and sensors, energy-efficient air purifiers remove airborne particles like dust, allergens, and pollutants, thereby enhancing the quality of the air.
Longer Lifespan
Air purifiers that are energy efficient are meant to last longer than conventional air purifiers, which results in cheaper maintenance expenditures throughout their lifetime.
Lower Energy Consumption
The best air filters for homes use less energy than traditional air purifiers, which lowers the amount of money paid on electricity bills.
Embrace Energy Efficiency for a Healthier Home
Two of the many advantages of energy-efficient air purifiers are cost and environmental protection. A less energy-consuming model will let you reduce your carbon footprint and energy consumption while nevertheless enjoying cleaner air inside your house.
Shop for an energy-efficient air purifier today and make your home healthier. Take control of the air quality while maintaining your energy consumption.
