Posts Tagged ‘air’

The Ionic Pro Compact Air Purifier

February 6th, 2010

You’ve probably already seen or heard of the Ionic Pro air purifier if you’ve done any research at all on ionic air purifiers. Even if you are not actually looking to buy one, it’s hard to miss the Ionic Pro Ionic Air Purifier if you watch any late night TV. When it comes to ionic air purifiers, it looks like they’ve been crowned the new infomercial kings, succeeding The Sharper Image. In fact, you’re probably wondering if this Ionic Pro addresses any of the commonly lambasted issues that took the Ionic Breeze air purifiers off the market.

Who Manufactures The Pro Air Purifier?

Ionic Pro, LLC makes and distributes the Ionic Pro Air Purifier. There is no other company involved. The Ionic Pro air purifier was, until quite recently, one of those products that could only be had by calling that 1-800 number and talking to those operators who are standing by. However, they’ve now made it to the shelves of various department stores, including the vaunted Wal-Mart. Now, you can see the fact that this is a company based solely on making ionic air purifiers in one of two ways. Being dedicated to only one product, the Ionic Pro Air Purifier in various sizes, it seems logical that quality control would be simple. However, having a company so small, and so centered on one product, seems like a recipe for disappearing into the night, taking warranties and spare parts with them.

Compared Against The Ionic Breeze Air Purifier

Ionic Pro air purifiers share all of their advantages with the very similar Ionic Breeze Air Purifier. The most obvious, the main, and many times only difference between them, is the design and shape of actual machine. The Ionic Pro Compact Air Purifier is similar in size to a smaller model of the Ionic Breeze. The Ionic Pro usually is available for less, though. As ionic air purifiers are fairly simple, you can probably safely buy the cheapest that is available to you.

Compared To HEPA Air Purifiers

The comparison between HEPA air purifiers and ionic air purifiers is not as simple as you might think. Ionic air purifiers do roughly the same job as a true HEPA air purifier, just not quite as efficiently. They make up for this by silently running 24 hours a day while using very little power. In addition, there are no filters to change, only a bar to wipe off every week or so. HEPA air purifiers are limited by their filter element. They stop what cannot physically pass through that filter. With a true HEPA air purifier, that’s 99.7% of the most dangerous particles. With a HEPA-type air purifier, there’s no standard at all. Ionic air purifiers all work the same, and are limited only by how much air they can move. Since they electronically attract particles, they will eventually clean the air of just about everything, while a HEPA-type air purifier will never catch whatever passes through the holes. Keep that in mind when comparing. The ionic air purifier is limited to particles that are 1 micron or bigger, though. True HEPA air purifiers stop particles that are 0.3 microns in size, which are proven to be some of the worst on the human respiratory system.

The Ionic Pro Compact Air Purifier Compared To Other Ionic Pro Air Purifiers

Ionic Pro makes things fairly simple by including most of the features in all of their ionic air purifiers. The differences between the full-size and the compact are really only related to capacity. The Ionic Pro Compact Air Purifier is intended for use in a small room or office. It also has one less fan speed than the standard sized device, using only High and Lo. Since the Ionic Pro Compact Air Purifier is about half the price of the standard size, it may actually be worth getting two compacts instead of one standard.

Want to learn more about the ionic air purifier? Visit Ionic Air Purifier Info.

True HEPA Air Purifers Are Superior

January 6th, 2010

When shopping for a HEPA air purifier, you’ll often see products labeled as a “True” HEPA air purifier. This can be confusing because, if there’s a true, then there must be a false, right? There are a few different things that True HEPA air purifiers are comparing to, but none of them will be labeled as false or sub-standard, of course. It’s up to you, the consumer, to know the difference, and know if it affects you. Let’s take a look at the True HEPA Air Purifier, and see what they are comparing to.

Differences! True HEPA Air Purifiers Have Them

Even though they are HEPA air purifiers, if they do not say “True” or possible “Absolute” HEPA air purifier, they are not the same thing. When HEPA air purifiers are advertising effectiveness as stated by such government agencies as the EPA and OSHA, they are generally the true type even if not specifically stated on the packaging. Regardless of the other air purifiers on the market, institutions such as hospitals and laboratories are such sensitive areas that they only use true HEPA air purifiers.

True HEPA Air Purifiers Stop Particles Of DOOM

Of the different specifications that True HEPA air purifiers have to meet, the most important is probably the 97% of all 0.3 micron particles. This stat is incredibly important, and not as technical as it may sound. Of all the different pollutants floating around out there, it’s been found that 0.3 micron particles generally are the hardest to filter, even including those that are smaller. They also are the most likely to cause problems in the human body, and have no problem scooting right past our natural defenses. See, 0.3 micron particles are more scary than nerdy, aren’t they? If you want an idea of the size we’re talking about, compare 0.3 microns to the human hair. Human hair is generally anywhere between 70 and 100 microns thick.

Do True HEPA Air Purifiers Become Less Effective When Dirty?

This is one of the main differences between True HEPA air purifiers and others. This is also where the terms “True” and “Absolute” become interchangeable. An absolute type filtration media is designed to be more effective when dirty than when clean. The addition of the trapped particles actually increases the filtration power of a true HEPA air purifier. The reason for this is actually quite simple. As the dirt builds up, the spaces through which the air can pass become smaller.

How Do I Know If It’s A True HEPA Air Purifier?

The easiest way to tell is if the product is advertising that it is a true HEPA air purifier. There are also HEPA-type air purifiers which really have no exact standards to which they are held in regards to how tightly they filter the air. If the packaging says neither “true HEPA” or “HEPA-type”, then look for the efficiency ratings. If it doesn’t filter at least 97% of the all important 0.3 micron particles, then it’s not a true 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.