Yes, by using HEPA filters in both vacuums and air purifiers, the user can reduce the amount of allergens and airborne contaminants in the home. Few things are as important as the air we breathe. One of the most popular products available in the ongoing search for cleaner air, especially for allergy sufferers, is the high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter found in several air cleaning products. If you're thinking about buying an appliance with a built-in HEPA filter, keep reading to understand what these filters can (and can't) do to help improve air quality in your home, as well as what you should consider when buying a HEPA air purifier. The Department of Energy (DOE) specifies that HEPA filters used by DOE contractors must be able to remove 99.7 percent of airborne particles of 0.3 microns or larger, but there are no federal or national regulations for the consumer industry.
Manufacturers of high-quality HEPA filters voluntarily test and certify their filters to meet DOE standards, labeling them “absolute HEPA” or “true HEPA.” Manufacturers whose filters do not meet DOE specifications are often labeled as “HEPA-type”, HEPA-type, or “HEPA-type”. While they may be good filters, they have not been tested or certified to meet DOE standards for HEPA filters. In order to control COVID-19 and reduce airborne transmission rates, air purifiers equipped with HEPA filters can play a role when used in homes and public environments, such as waiting rooms. Users should not assume that an air purifier equipped with a HEPA filter will fully protect them against infection. However, along with other precautions, such as wearing masks, washing hands frequently and maintaining social distancing, air purifiers equipped with HEPA can help reduce the risk of infection.
Not all air purifiers clean the air equally. Some, such as those with HEPA filters, are more efficient than others, some are designed for large or small rooms, and others can be hazardous to health. Clean air is a goal for many, but airborne contaminants are practically everywhere. Those looking to reduce allergens, dust and other airborne contaminants in the home should expect some questions.
HEPA filters were designed in the 1940s to protect workers at nuclear facilities from inhaling radiated particles in the air. If you or someone else in your household has allergies or asthma, a HEPA filter will help reduce allergens. As noted above, HEPA filters are more effective when combined with additional filtration technologies, especially when it comes to removing tiny particles, such as allergen fragments, and chemicals such as VOCs. If you use a HEPA filter in your home, but you're still concerned about certain contaminants, you can compensate.
In fact, EPA agents warn that the functionality of air purifiers is limited in terms of filtering gases and that, for them to work optimally, filters need to be replaced frequently, usually every three months. You're likely to come across microns when you're learning about HEPA filters or researching devices such as air purifiers. Therefore, a HEPA filter must be able to remove up to 99.97 percent of contaminants with a size of 0.3 microns. Despite this, many manufacturers have previously announced that HEPA filters would eliminate viruses and protect you from them.
MERV-13 air filters are generally the best filter upgrade for residential use for typical HVAC systems. To understand how HEPA filters work, consider them as a dense forest of entangled fibers pressed into a sheet. Now, almost all HEPA filters are combined with additional filtration technologies, such as activated carbon. Interception occurs when particles penetrate the fibers of a HEPA filter and remain attached to the fibers.
The three most common appliances that use HEPA filters are whole-house filtration systems designed to treat complete air conditioning systems, portable air purifiers and vacuums. Residential and home HVAC systems will most likely need to be modernized with new ductwork and equipment, perhaps even with an updated HVAC system that is powerful enough to work with and pass through a dense HEPA air filter. If you're 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. Because allergens enter the home through open doors and windows, a single drafty window can let in millions of airborne particles.
HEPA filters do not guarantee the elimination of all allergens.