An air purifier can free the air from airborne gases and hazardous smoke particles that find their way indoor.

List of possible dangerous particles floating in your home:

• Particulates: dust, dust mites, allergens, particles in smoke, pet dander, pollen
• Microbes: mold spores, viruses, bacteria, and germs
• Gases and Chemical Fumes: cigarette smoke, formaldehyde, benzene, nail treatment products
• Odors: cooking, litter boxes, body, cigarette smoke, and pets

Different types of air purifiers get rid of these pollutants differently.

Ultraviolet air purifiers use UV lights to sterilize any mold, bacteria, viruses and germs that contacted it such that they are unable to grow and reproduce.

They are good against microbes, but are not effective against odors, allergens and chemicals and smoke.

Ozone air purifiers

Ozone is a reactive oxidant that destroys chemicals and bacteria. When ozones react with particles, the particles are broken down into other materials.

Ozone air purifiers are most effective against odors, but not effective against allergens and chemicals.

Ionic air purifiers

Ionic air purifiers works by ionizing the air and causing the air particles to gain positive and negative charge. The particles can then be attracted to each other, end up sticking together and falling out of the air.

Other than counting on them to stick together, ionic air purifiers also comes with collection plates that are charged to capture particles of the opposite charge.

Ionic purifier is know to be able to remove fine particles as far as several feet away in a room. However, they are not effective against odors.

HEPA filter air purifiers

HEPA filter uses cloth-type filter that trap close to 100% of particles 0.3 microns or larger. At the same time, it contains a fan to move air through the machine. Filters are replaceable, and can last several years depending on your air quality.

HEPA filter is great for trapping allergens, but can’t get gases, cigarette smoke, chemical fumes, or odors.

Carbon air purifiers

Carbon air purifiers contain high absorbent pores that react to particles that pass through them. They bond with particles and odors and effectively eliminate them.

Most carbon air purifier also incorporate HEPA filter such that it combines advantage of both technologies.

This is most effective against smoke, gases, chemicals and odors, while does not work for allergens and microbes.

If you’ve been a user air purifiers before, you probably appreciate the benefits of adopting filterless solution.

If you haven’t, you probably want to know that replacing filters in air purifier can be surprisingly costly and troublesome. You are subjected to the availability of the replacement filters and possibly nailed down to filters ONLY from the manufacturer and nobody else. Much like what we get we with printer cartridges. Knowing that filters last for several years, the manufacturer could already be out of business by the time you need it changed.

The best way to go filterless is by electronic purifier, otherwise known as ionic air purifier (see Types of air purifier).

How filterless work?

Ionizer generates negative ions that change the polarity of airborne particles. Negative ions collide with large raft for hundreds of diseases organisms and toxic chemical. These new negative molecules are then attracted to the positive molecules around them.

What that means for you is the particles becomes too large to be airborne and fall out of air without you breathing it.

Fact is, almost everything in a room is positively charged. Research found that negatively charged ions have positive effects on living organisms. Plants grow faster and healthier, and humans respond with increased alertness and relaxation. Research since 1950’s show that negative ions improve mood, calm anxiety, increase cognitive ability and energy, reduce depression, improve sleep and air quality.

Ionic air purifiers are capable to getting rid of particles as small as 0.01 microns and able to circulate across the entire room from where the purifier is. They are effective against chemical fumes, cigarette smoke, viruses and bacteria.

Because of how it is built, filterless air purifier is also exceptionally quiet.