Are hepa filters really necessary?

HEPA filters, in particular, are excellent for effectively reducing particles such as dust mites, pet dander, pollen and mold spores. If you're concerned about these types of particles in your home, upgrading your air filters will help protect your family. HEPA filters trap particles better than standard filters and capture much more. However, in the case of concrete dust in general, it may not matter.

The downside is that their performance may be affected. If your dust collector gets stuck faster and you're going through it hard, you may be breathing in more particles than you think. Using a HEPA filter in your home can remove most airborne particles that could worsen allergies. However, airborne particles aren't the only ones in your home. There's so much more in your carpets, bedding and curtains, and in the countertops and tables.

That's why it's important to keep these areas clean. It is also important, when possible, to eliminate the source of allergens and irritants. For example, the only effective way to keep tobacco smoke out of the house is to not smoke. Most likely, the answer is yes.

Practically anyone can benefit from using a HEPA filter. However, smokers, people with allergies and anyone with advanced respiratory tract disease, such as asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), benefit the most, as they are especially sensitive to air pollutants. Dr. A HEPA filter only has to be part of the solution to improve indoor air quality.

It is important to say that frequent replacement of filters is essential, as allergens and other toxic materials accumulate in the filter. When researchers monitored air quality for 12 weeks in the homes of people with breathing difficulties, they found that HEPA filters reduced the amount of fine particles inside by 55 percent and reduced the amount of outdoor particles entering the interior by 23 percent. You'll find HEPA filters in many personal air purifiers, which clean indoor air by passing air through the filter, Dr. While most allergenic particles are large enough to be trapped in a HEPA filter, very small fragments can penetrate the filter and remain in the air. A HEPA filter is a type of mechanical air filter; it works by forcing air through a fine mesh that traps harmful particles such as pollen, pet dander, dust mites and tobacco smoke.

All the models included in the Good Housekeeping Institute's rigorously tested guide to the best air purifiers you can buy have a true HEPA filter. It may seem strange that the Department of Energy created an air filtration standard, but HEPA filters were first developed in the 1940s for use in facilities contaminated with radioactive dust. If you're most concerned about larger particles and you want to buy a HEPA filter, be sure to pay attention to the details when buying a purifier; just because it has the term HEPA on it doesn't mean that complies with the standard. As you can see above, HEPA filters are most effective when combined with additional filtration technologies, especially when they remove minute particles, such as allergen fragments, and chemicals such as VOCs.

Now, almost all HEPA filters are combined with additional filtration technologies, such as activated carbon. In fact, EPA agents warn that the functionality of air purifiers is limited in terms of gas filtration and that, in order for them to work optimally, filters need to be replaced frequently, usually every three months. If the filter clogs or dust starts to come out around the saw or grinder, you may inhale more dust than if you had a better suction with a normal filter in place. For those who are concerned about larger particles, such as dust, pollen and animal dander, an air filter with a HEPA component will help reduce them in the air.

The first HEPA filter was developed in the 1940s as part of a classified government project, according to the National Filtration Association of Air.