Air Cleaner Icons Across the Pond
The United States is not the only country that has been hard at work designing air filtration systems to provide a cleaner indoor environment. Klaus and Manfred Hammes of Germany designed and patented an air filtration system in1963. Attaching small magnets to a fiberglass pad and attaching to the air outlet of an oil home oven, soot was filtered and stopped from floating in the air.
1971 brought a great victory for the Hammes brothers when they began manufacturing residential air purifiers and in 1990, models of cabin air filters and Mercedes-Benz automobiles put their company Incen AG, on the international map.
Today, Klaus's son Frank, heads IQAir one of the most prestigious names in the air purification industry. Incorporating H13 class certified HEPA filters, capturing up to 100 times more particles than the conventional HEPA filter, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and other gaseous chemicals are included in the removal of air borne contaminants.
All development, testing and manufacturing continues to be conducted at IQAir production facilities in Switzerland. IQAir North America, Inc. services the states and is proud to be a contributing partner with the American Lung Association. Approached by designers of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition to create ultra-high performance air cleaning systems for families with HIV, cancer and other life-threatening conditions, IQAir was able to expand their research and work to provide answers to respiratory problems of today.
Look for their expanded line of commercial products for office buildings and public structures where filtered air is definitely needed.
The Quietest Air Cleaner Available
3M just couldn't let HEPA be number one in the air cleaner arena so they created the Filtrete Ultra Clean Air Purifier that not only gives HEPA a run for its money but also provides the quietest unit on the market.
The 3M Filtrete Ultra Clean Air Purifier is designed for single room use with a three-speed fan that is known to capture 90% of large airborne allergens. Microscopic pollutants are also trapped in the disposable filter and there is an indicator light that lets you know when the filter needs replaced.
First tested in 1993, 3M added the Filtrete filter to its extensive line of products and continue to develop even better technology to their air cleaners today. The 3M Filtrete Ultra Clean Air Purifier is designed for rooms where daily activity is frequent. There are also filters available for furnaces for whole house filtration but room purifiers can further add protection for those who have serious allergies and respiratory problems.
Tested and proven to capture pollen, mold spores, dust mites, dust bacteria smoke, smog, and particles that carry viruses and odors, the 3M Filtrete filters are becoming very popular among those who spend much time indoors. The quiet nature of this unit could possibly make it the best on the market for work at home individuals.
Why Air Filters are so important
Have you ever noticed that allergies are more prominent today than they were fifty years ago? You may say that we just didn't have the technology back then to treat illnesses but that isn't the case. People had allergic reactions to rag weed, allergies to certain foods and a very small percentage had allergies to pet dander.
It wasn't until the 60s that government regulations were put into place to insulate homes as tightly as possible to prevent heat loss. This was a great idea for keeping your heat bill as low as possible but at the same time, new products for the home were emerging that contained petroleum based materials.
People spend 80% of their lives inside, trapped with recycled air that picks up dirt, dust, mold, mildew, chemicals, and pet dander. These same pollutants enter our respiratory systems and weaken our lung capacity. It is no wonder that over 50% of the American population suffers regularly from some type of recurring respiratory problem.
The good news is that a HEPA air filter can remove up to 99.7% of all pollutants in our enclosed air with a three-element system that pulls air into its unit and traps dust, pollen, pet dander, smoke and other unhealthy, unseen particles from our breathing space. HEPA units have improved to include several selections of portable, room size, and whole house air cleaners for your protection. Prices have also gotten more inexpensive over the past twenty years and they are easy to find.
Don't wonder why allergies are getting the best of you but treat them instead with a HEPA filter.
Soothing a Severe Allergy
The HEPA air cleaner is still the number one recommended mechanical device for allergies according to users. First designed in the 1940s, the HEPA filter has continued to seek out better ways to improve its product but still has its initial design.
High-Efficiency Particle Arresting (HEPA) filters go have a three-mechanism system designed to trap and hold on to particles without releasing back into the atmosphere.
The Interception layer first collects the stream of air coming into the machine. Secondly, the Impaction stops larger particles with fibers. The third mechanism, Diffusion, causes gas molecules to collide with tiny particles and embeds them into specially made fibers.
The United States Department of Energy (DOE) is very strict with their requirements for HEPA as this filter serves many high technology agencies, such as aerospace and nuclear facilities to combat the spread of pollutants and particles. Copycats try to seize upon the name by using ‘HEPA-type', ‘99% HEPA' or something similar to mislead you into purchasing their products.
Models range from whole-house units to smaller portable air cleaners. But wherever you use a HEPA air cleaner, you know that 99.7% of pollutants in the air that pass through its filters will stay there. Just because your home is clean doesn't mean that there aren't pollutants. Over 99% of the particles in the air are not seen by the naked eye because they are so small.
An air cleaner that has the HEPA filtration system is more expensive than many other units but you are guaranteed relief from pet dander, viruses, pollen, dust mites, mold spores, odors, and bacteria. For the severe allergy sufferer, this is music to their ears.