How hard it is for people who are allergic to certain irritants in everyday life. And if an allergy manifests itself to food or drugs, it is quite easy to restrict the patient from contact, but if the irritant moves through the air, it is quite difficult to get rid of it. In order to provide a comfortable environment in the house, people with allergies have to purchase additional devices for air purification. A household air purifier for allergy sufferers is one of the most effective options for protecting against airborne irritants.
Choosing a cleaner for allergy sufferers
But how do you choose the best equipment that will maximize your environment? You can base your choice on the nature and type of allergen:
- animal hair. This is an allergen that a person can even see, so no purifiers with a complex filtration system are required to eliminate it. The device must have high air exchange or power rates, as well as a large processing area. In any equipment, pre-filters will retain animal hair, so it is necessary to provide for the possibility of their removal and cleaning. A humidifier with a washing function will provide the treated room with two positive effects at once: cleaning and humidification. Air passes through the device, wool and other particles remain on the drum, after which they are washed with water. Sinks can also be provided with an ionization function, which increases the quality of cleaning;
- pollen has a particle size smaller, but still quite large 3-10 microns. Despite the fact that people are allergic to this irritant only in the warm season, this is enough to think about an air purifier for the home. The best equipment for eliminating pollen from the air are purifiers with a HEPA filter and an electrostatic filter, as well as air washers;
- dust and dust mites. Allergens, which have the smallest size - up to 3 microns. Equipment to deal with this type of irritant should not contain particles or mites, but destroy them. There are several options to choose from: HEPA filters, photocatalytic filters, ozonizers and UV recirculators.
The principle of operation of certain purifiers and humidifiers differs not only from the filtration method. Therefore, it is worth considering in more detail the capabilities of household appliances, as well as the possibility of combining functions.
Types of cleaners
We should also pay special attention to humidifiers with air washing function. This is a combined climate system that not only removes dust and wool from the air, but also humidifies it.
As a cleaner, it does not work well with particles less than 2.5 microns in size. In addition, the destruction of dust mites using this device is almost impossible. But in addition to the allergen, infectious agents will also be eliminated. If such a device contains not only a water filter, but also an ionizer, the processing quality increases to almost 99%.
Ionization is a fairly new trend in air purification, and there are opinions about its danger to human health.It's all about the principle of processing - the saturation of the air with negatively charged ions, it scares people who are not aware, but in vain. It is not for nothing that doctors advise patients with respiratory system disorders to go to the mountains or to the sea, because there nature itself took care of the ionization of the surrounding air.
Studies of this equipment, which is widely used in medical institutions, have revealed a beneficial effect not only on the respiratory system, but also on a number of other human organs.
The name "pre-filters" indicates its direct purpose. It is installed as close as possible to the body of the equipment and serves as protection not only for humans, but also for the internal structure of the purifiers. Every purifier or humidifier should have this function. If hair or wool or other large particles enter the interior of the appliance, it may be damaged.
HEPA filters are one of the most popular and practically the most effective filters. Its air purification rates are 99.975%. The first developments of such equipment were aimed at trapping radioactive particles, and then moved on to the household level. Now such filtration systems can be found on vacuum cleaners, purifiers, as well as in healthcare facilities.
Such filters are made from non-woven material. The thickness of the fibers in its composition determines the quality of air purification. The HEPA filter must be replaced 1-3 times a year, which is affected by the strength of the pollution.
Electrostatic Filter Purifiers - Provides two sequential methods for trapping dust particles and allergens. This is essentially an ionizer. First, the dirt that gets on the filter is charged, after which it settles on the plates. The filter does not need to be replaced as it gets dirty. It is enough to remove it and rinse it well.
Photocatalytic filters are devices that work in conjunction with UV lamps. Although, to eliminate some types of allergens, a simple UV lamp is enough. Modern equipment is so improved that it allows a person to be in close proximity to a working device that has a UV lamp in its device. The air purified in this way becomes sterile after processing. All bacteria, allergens and other particles in the air break down into simple substances that are not harmful to human health.
Most often, manufacturers install UV lamps in the device in combination with other cleaning systems. Lamps have to be replaced quite often.
Ozonizers are another type of fairly young air purification systems. Many people are afraid to acquire it because of the adverse effect of large amounts of ozone in the air on the human body. There is absolutely nothing to be afraid of here. The ozone level during cleaning is hundreds of times less than its dangerous concentration in the air. Cleaning is carried out not only from dust particles, but also from fungus and diseases.
It is necessary to process the premises in the absence of people in the room, within 15-20 minutes.
When choosing an air purifier for allergy sufferers, you need to remember that the availability of additional functions is not as important as the quality of air purification. There are several other filters that were not mentioned above, but which will be a useful addition to the main air purification systems if they are selected.
It is also worth considering the nature of the room in which the equipment will be installed. Humidifiers in homes with high levels of humidity can cause mold growth.
