| > | | | | good car unit. You can also spend an arm and a |
| Air purifiers have been around in various forms | | | | leg on junk if you’re not careful. One thing |
| since the 1940s, when the first HEPA filter was | | | | to keep in mind when buying an air purifier is |
| designed to protect workers from airborne | | | | unit-to-filter value. If your unit uses a HEPA filter, |
| nuclear material. Since then, air purifiers have been | | | | find out how much it costs to replace the filter. |
| used in hospitals, work sites, and homes to | | | | You may end up spending thousands on the filter |
| protect against viruses, mold, bacteria, pollen, pet | | | | alone. The question is, what kind of a machine do |
| dander, tobacco smoke, dust mites, and a great | | | | you want? |
| number of industrial and household chemicals. | | | | Home air purifiers use a number of technological |
| The people who stand the most to gain from air | | | | approaches to cleaning your air so you can |
| purifiers are those with allergies, asthma, and | | | | breathe more easily. They use HEPA (High |
| other respiratory ailments. | | | | Efficiency Particulate Air) filters; electrostatic |
| But everybody can benefit from having cleaner | | | | filters, ion generators, ozone generators, |
| air in the home. The Environmental Protection | | | | ultraviolet light, and other methods to get rid of |
| Agency lists indoor air pollution among the top five | | | | both large and miniscule particles. Some operate |
| environmental risks to public health. In fact, the | | | | by drawing in air via a fan, cleaning the air, and |
| inside of your home could well contain two to one | | | | re-releasing it. Others work by actually sending |
| hundred times more air pollutants than an outdoor | | | | out purifying agents throughout the room. |
| urban environment. | | | | Today you have two basic choices for home air |
| Air purifier value varies widely. You can spend | | | | purifiers: room air purifiers, and whole house |
| upwards of $1600 for the best air purifiers known | | | | purifiers. Generally speaking, room purifiers are |
| to man, or you can spend as little as $70 for a | | | | better for air-cleaning efficiency and cost. |