What are Air Cleaners?

Air cleaners are used to remove potentially harmful indoor air pollutants. They are especially useful during winter months when it's not possible to ventilate a home by simply opening up the windows and doors. Having an efficient air cleaner is one of the best ways to help cut down on the number of particles that might otherwise pose a health risk to the homes occupants. However it is almost impossible to eliminate these airborne pollutants completely. Certain types of air cleaners are designed to be fitted to the ductwork of a home’s heating and cooling system, and will effectively clean the air throughout the whole house. Others are made to be portable units that can be placed in specific rooms or areas of the home where they are really needed. These portable units aren't capable of cleaning the air in the whole house. Portable air cleaners usually have a fan that can circulate the air and are a good choice if a home doesn't have a central HVAC
system or doesn't use a forced air heating system.

Pollutants That Can Be Removed by an Air Cleaner

There are quite a few different pollutants that can be removed by an efficient and well-maintained air cleaner. These include particles of dust and pollen, smoke generated by cigarettes or other tobacco products, animal dander, and particles generated through using appliances such as wood burning stoves and other cooking appliances. A good quality air cleaner can also remove a number of tiny particles such as bacteria, viruses, molds and dust mites. They can also be useful for removing pollutants produced by cleaning products and pesticides, and by household paints and adhesives. The exact type of pollutants that can be removed by an air cleaner does depend on the type of device used.

Different Types of Air Cleaners

Air cleaners can use mechanical air filters or can clean the air electronically. Air cleaners that use mechanical air filters are very effective at capturing larger particles, but are not that effective at removing them completely as these larger particles tend to settle more quickly. The most efficient type of air cleaner will remove these pollutants electronically. These use a system called electrostatic attraction to extract particles. The polluted air is drawn through a section where the particles are ionized so they have an electrical charge, and this enables them to be collected on flat plates that have the opposite charge. There is another type of air cleaner that is designed to remove gaseous pollutants from the air, but these tend to be specific for a particular type of pollutant and are not designed to remove all of the pollutants from the air.

Air Cleaners That Destroy the Pollutants

Some air cleaners incorporate the use of ultraviolet light technology to destroy the pollutants. These can be very effective at destroying pollutants such as bacteria, viruses and molds. Some models use UV light to produce ozone, but as ozone is a known lung irritant it cannot be used at very high concentrations. This means this type of air cleaner isn't always that effective at controlling the types of pollutants that can affect indoor air quality.