Lots of air purifier companies talk about cleaning the air, but how many actually do it? Simply pulling air through a filter may move airborne contaminants around the room, but if they are not captured then all you have is a fancy fan. To truly know how well an air purifier works it is important to verify it is actually removing the bad things in the air. When it comes to testing the number of particles coming out of an air purifier, a reading of zero on a particle counter is the goal.
What is in your air?
The air around you is full of harmful airborne particulates like dust, dander, microplastics, mold spores and other tiny things. They come from the outside air every time you open a door or window, or from the bottom of your shoes when you walk inside, even from your pets. These tiny particles easily float through the air until they end up in your lungs. Typically, airborne particles are measured in the micrometer diameter range of PM10 and PM2.5. For PM10, that means particles that are 10 micrometers in size, such as dust, soot, smoke or aerosolized liquids. For PM2.5, that means fine particles that are 2.5 micrometers in size, that are even smaller, that are also found in smoke, car exhaust, industrial emissions and more.
What is a particle counter?
A laser particle counter is a tool that uses laser light to count airborne particles too small to be seen by the naked eye. Most particle counters are designed to measure tiny particles in the PM2.5 and PM10 range. The particle counter uses a pump to bring in air from the room through an inlet either on the unit or through a sampling tube. The air then passes through a chamber with a laser emitter. Any particles in the air are hit by the laser light, scattering the light. Next a photodetector reads the scattered light and sends a signal to the onboard microprocessor. The microprocessor converts the signal data and interprets it into the particle count reading.
Why does zero matter?
When the reading on a particle counter is zero, the air coming out is measurably clean. The average person breathes in 388 cubic feet of air per day. That means during the day potentially hundreds of thousands of tiny particles can end up in your lungs. The smaller the particle, the further down into the lungs they go. Some particles are so tiny they can cross over from the lungs and into the bloodstream. Even if you can’t control the air quality outside, it is well within your power to do something about your home’s indoor air quality by using a quality air purifier.
What does it take to reach zero?
To truly clean the air of these harmful tiny particles, you need an air purifier that is designed for maximum efficiency. Intellipure’s portable Compact and Ultrafine 468 air purifiers use our proprietary DFS (Disinfecting Filtration System) technology, electronically enhanced filters to pull the tiniest particles out of the air. Not just a physical filter that strains the air, DFS attracts particles like a magnet, pulling them out of the air and capturing them in the filter. But having the best filter system doesn’t matter if air can just go around it. That’s why Intellipure designed these units with a sealed filter chamber, preventing any possible air bypass. Air that goes in the air purifier passes through the filter; otherwise, it wouldn’t be possible to reach a zero reading.
Watch this video comparison between the Intellipure Compact and several leading competitors:
At Intellipure, we care as much about your family’s safety and health as you do. That’s why we believe in the importance of “zero” when it comes to the air your loved ones breathe.
