HEPA is a term that can be found on all sorts of products lately. A cursory examination of your local department store will reveal HEPA filters for air conditioner units, HEPA vacuum cleaner filters and, of course, HEPA filter air purifiers, among many others. The consumer is left wondering exactly what HEPA means, though. Let’s take a look at HEPA air purifiers to get an understanding of what the term means.

Why Is HEPA Screaming At Me?

HEPA is capitalized because it’s an acronym. The acronym stands for “high efficiency particulate absorbing”. An alternate definition is “high efficiency particulate arrestance”. In layman’s terms, this means that a HEPA air purifier will either absorb or stop particulate matter, which is basically nothing more than fine particles that are generally invisible to the human eye.

How Do Humans Benefit From HEPA Air Purifiers?

Although HEPA air purifiers do clean pollen and dust out of the air, there are many more particles that are not natural to our environment, and that our human respiratory systems do not deal well with. Sometimes we can detect these other particles in the form of allergens and odors, sometimes we can’t. Unfortunately, there are many pollutants that our bodies simply don’t recognize and don’t defend against, which leaves them to damage our lungs and other inner parts. Having a device that can either stop or absorb these dangerous particulates can definitely have a positive impact on one’s health.

How Is a HEPA Air Purifier Different From Other Air Purifiers?

Some air purifiers are not as effective as others. Most anyone who rates air purifiers go by what is called the HEPA standard. This is because HEPA air purifiers are widely known to be the best at filtering air, and have been for a while now. HEPA filter air purifiers are so vaunted because they stop air particles that are 0.3 micrometers in diameter. There is a purpose behind the focus on that specific particle size. The human body’s respiratory system have a hard time stopping that particular size, and they are the most dangerous to us, moreso than particles both larger and smaller.

Is a HEPA Air Purifier The Same As A HEPA-Type Air Purifier?

HEPA standards ensure that every true HEPA air purifier is up to par. To pass, they must be capable of stopping 99.7% of all 0.3 micron particles. There is a lot of science behind this, and the buyer can expect a price tag that reflects this. HEPA air purifiers are generally not cheap. You can also purchase HEPA-type air purifiers, generally right along side the true ones. These cheaper purifiers are not held to any standards at all. If you purchase a HEPA-type air purifier, you could easily get nothing but a highly ineffective fan. Don’t put too much stock in HEPA air purifier reviews, either. The vast majority of things that we can smell are not 0.3 micron particles, which means our noses have no way to know which is the best HEPA air purifier.

Still not sure that a HEPA air purifier is for you? Visit HEPA Air Purifiers Info for answers to all of your questions.

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