What Are HEPA Air Filters?
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by: Chase Tompkins
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Word Count: 470
Date: Sun, 8 Nov 2009 Time: 3:23 AM
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Just about anyone expects HEPA air filters when they are looking through store shelves. They have been on the market for almost 60 years and are the highest residential and commercial grade air filtration systems on the market. Because the name HEPA goes far in the eyes of consumers, several brands have created knock offs branded to be 99% HEPA, or HEPA type. These are not legitimate claims and they do not meet the standard requirements of real HEPA products. Be wary of look-alikes: they do not provide the same protection.
Ones that are real HEPA air filters use three different methods to catch airborne particles in the air: diffusion, impaction, and interception. This is done via a sheet made of tiny fiberglass strings, arranged completely and effectively random. The fibers are dense and numerous enough to stop just about anything that comes into them, which is far more than knock-offs can say.
The first method, interception, is actually where the airborne particles actually stick to the strings and can not get loose. The impact method is mostly utilized when particles weave through the strings and eventually collide with and embed into the strings. The diffusion method forces large particles to ram into other, smaller particles that have slowed down within the filter. This causes them to eventually stop within the filter.
The above are called "methods" but in all reality they are only results of the random arrangement of the fiberglass strings inside the filters. They are meant to remove at least 99.97% of all airborne particles which are 0.3 micrometers in diameter, but they also stop particles in a variety of ranges below and above 0.3 micrometers.
The string density is what makes HEPA air filters high grade, and is also what separates them from look-alikes. The more strings in density that a filter has, the higher quality it is. That is because the more dense the strings are, the less likely particles are to get through the filter.
It's essential to ensure that a filter is legitimate HEPA-grade if you are looking for real clean air. Though filters that are of low quality can remove a portion of the common harmful particles in the air, most can only remove those within specific size groups (0.2 micrometers or 0.3 micrometers, for example). Those with allergies should also be especially sure an air filter is HEPA quality because allergens can come in all sizes. A low-grade filter will not protect from all allergens, and even one type can vary in size.
Ensure that you are getting a real HEPA air filter. If you are truly worried about polluted air affecting you or your loved ones, price should not be a factor. Don't take a chance with airborne particles. Get them before they get you.
Article Source :: Simply Articles
About the Author
If you are looking to get the cleanest air you can from your HVAC unit or air purifier, you are going to need to get HEPA air filters. But knowing what is real and what is not is something you need to know before purchase.
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