Home Air Purifier

Discover the Basic Types and Costs of Indoor Air Purifiers

There are several basic types of home air purifiers. Here is a quick run-down of each just to get you acquainted with what's available.

HEPA Air Cleaners

If you have serious allergies and money is not a problem, your best bet is an indoor air purifier that uses a HEPA filter. HEPA is short for high efficiency particle air cleaner. The IQAir HealthPro air purifier starts at about USD $700. Another home air purifier shown to be effective against allergens is the Friedrich C-90A at about USD $500. If you're on a shoestring budget, try one of the portable air purifiers that use an old-fashioned air filter at about USD $70. These are smaller and will clean one room; so multiple machines will most likely be needed. 

Discover the pro's and con's of HEPA air cleaners.


Ultraviolet Air Purifier

The most intricate air purifier systems are based on ultra-violet light (UV) technology. Viruses are too small to be filtered by HEPA or traditional purifiers. These air purifier systems are typically installed in heating and cooling ducts and currently begin at around USD $300, not including installation. Ultraviolet air purifiers often combine HEPA and carbon filters to cleanse the air of multiple toxins. Hospitals and government offices often use a combination of UV/HEPA systems.

Learn more about the ultraviolet air purifier.


Air Purifiers with Non-HEPA Filters

For those in dusty locations, or if you're trying to lessen dirt in your house, try a home air purifier that uses an air filter like the 3M Filtrete air purifier. Research shows that air purifiers eliminate dust, pet dander, and common allergens. Smoke and many odors, however, still get through. Filter air cleaners typically cost about USD $70 and filters need replacing four times a year. These are best for small spaces, so you may need more than one.

Ionizing Air Purifiers

Ionizing air purifiers are generally used for smoky rooms or odor troubles. Consumer Reports, however, did find that ionizing air purifiers are not very efficient when it comes to removing those nasty particles out of the air. 

One example of an ionizing air purifier system is the Ionic Breeze air purifier, which runs about USD $300. This home air purifier takes an unusual slant when it comes to air purification. First, the system emits negatively charged ions into the air. These negative ions draw the smoke and odor particles, which are positively charged. When the positive and negative ions join, they form a new particle. This particle is too heavy to float in the air, so it theoretically drops into the collection plate of the air purifier. 

Read this unbiased Ionic Breeze Review.

Ozone Air Cleaner

The low-ozone air cleaners are a bit different from ionizing purifiers. They oxidize the pollutants in the air. As a result, your home is left with nothing but clean, breathable oxygen. You will have to be careful with low ozone systems, though, because they can be harmful to your health if they are turned up too high. In addition, these air purifiers can cause a metallic smell. It can be irritating if you have a sensitive nose. Ozone air purifiers are usually combined with ionizing systems and cost about USD $500.

Read more about the ozone air cleaner.

Living Air Purifier – The Low Tech Alternative

You can also choose to use a low-tech air purifier or HEPA filter on your heating and air conditioning units. These have been proven to work well in all home and office environments. They are also easy to maintain because all you need to do is change the air filters every month. This simple course of action will reduce dust, dander, and allergens by as much as 50%. In addition to being quiet, low-tech air purifiers are cost effective, costing only around USD $20 every three months.

Living plants can also serve as a living air purifier. These natural purifiers do away with carbon monoxide, benzene and formaldehyde. Gasoline, oils, paints, and rubber all contain benzene – which you certainly don't want to breathe in every day! Some great plants you can use to help clean your air are English Ivy, Gerbera Daisy, and Mums. Most can be found at home improvement stores and nurseries for about USD $10. Not surprisingly, the more of these plants in a room, the better they are able to filter the air.

Humidifier

If the air in your home is very dry, in order to make it as comfortable as possible, you need to add moisture to the air. Doing so reduces dry throat and skin, static shocks, keeps furniture and your home from drying out and increases energy efficiency. Humidifiers can help cut down on dust and airborne particles in the air. It’s well known that a home with moisture feels warmer than a dry home, even at lower temperature settings. But choosing one involves tradeoffs between efficiency, cost, noise, and convenience. Lower end table top models start at around USD $40.

Dehumidifier

You can also run a dehumidifier to enhance the quality of the air in your home or office. These convenient machines are ideal for cool, damp basements or crawl spaces. By removing moisture in the air, they can help reduce molds and mildew. Depending on the capacity, dehumidifiers begin around USD $100.