Are All Commercial Air Purifiers Created Equal? What to Know to Start

Not all air filters are equal, and each facility may require different unique features. Air purifiers come in various sizes, efficiency levels, and maintenance requirements. Deciding which purification system is best for your facility can be difficult with so many options. We want to help you search for the best commercial air purifier for your facility by sharing valuable information that may impact your purchasing decision. Before you finalize your investment, make sure you fully understand everything you need to know about air purifiers.

How Air Purifiers Can Help You

Having a cleaning routine is a crucial component of maintaining your facility, but often can be insufficient on its own. Indoor air quality can be just as poor, or even worse, as outdoor air quality. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) states that indoor air pollutants can be two to five times higher than outdoors. These include dust, debris, and harmful particulate matter. One of the best ways you, as a facility manager, can combat this is by investing in a commercial air purifier for dust. 

When particles are 10 micrometers or smaller, they can cause serious health concerns from traveling into the lungs. Asthma attacks, bronchitis, impaired lung function, and even heart attacks can result from breathing in harmful particulate matter. To keep those in your facility healthy, you must eliminate indoor air pollutants and replace them with clean air. An air purifier for dust is one of the best tactics to eradicate these airborne particles.

What Kind of Pattern Volume and Force Does the Air Purifier Produce

We have covered why a commercial air purifier can greatly benefit your facility, but let’s look at how purifiers work to clean the air. Air throw refers to how a unit replaces contaminated air with new, pure air. Every air purifier circulates the air within an area to produce clean, breathable air. However, how they force the air to circulate and how much air they can control simultaneously differs from system to system. 

Smaller units can cause turbulence which mixes the clean and contaminated air. When this happens, it can adversely affect those in your facility. Plus, small units do not have the power to circulate all the air in a large room. It can only handle a small capacity. Space a few feet away from the unit is likely not being purified. The air throw of a small unit does not have as much power as large units; therefore, it cannot perform as well. 

Large commercial air purifiers have much more force and has a higher level of efficiency. As a result, it provides a safer environment for those within your facility. With a high-powered fan, the air purification unit draws in the contaminated air and releases clean air in its place. Most units are set to re-circle, allowing them to remove harmful particles from the air continuously. If you have a large facility and must ensure every room has clean air, investing in a large air purifier for dust is one of the best decisions you can make.  

Know the Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR)

Air purifiers use air filters to trap harmful particles in the air. Each air filter has a rating system that can help you understand its efficiency. The clean air delivery rate (CADR) is a way to measure the volume of air that a purification system replaces each hour. A higher rating means the filter is more effective and can quickly replace all the air in a specific area. While an air filter may be effective, ensuring it is also efficient is important. An air purifier must quickly produce large volumes of clean air for large facilities. When it falls short, those within the facility will be exposed to poor indoor air quality. While looking for commercial air filters for your facility, choose an option that can circulate the most air in the shortest time possible. This will ensure that your facility has the best indoor air quality available. Determining the CADR rates for different air filters can help you choose the best commercial air purifier for your facility. 

Maintenance and Energy Usage 

Shopping for a commercial air purifier for your facility can be overwhelming, but one of the most important elements you will need to look at is the size of the filter. Why? Because it impacts not only the purifier’s efficiency but also its maintenance requirements and energy put off. The smaller the unit, the more maintenance it will require. A small air purifier for dust can get clogged easily, meaning the filter must be replaced more frequently. The smallest filters must be replaced almost every few weeks, while larger filters can last up to a year. Some large filters are self-cleaning, which reduces the amount of maintenance you will need to perform on the unit. While larger air purifiers may have higher upfront costs, they will save you time and money on maintenance. 

Another factor you must consider when buying a commercial air purifier is its energy put-off. As the purification system runs, it will use energy and increase your electricity bill. Since most air purifiers must be plugged in, they continuously use energy until the machine is cut off. Finding an air purifier with low energy levels can be a lifesaver for your bank account. Plus, it is more environmentally friendly to have a low-energy system. 

Infection Control Starts Here

Every facility is unique, so getting the right-sized air purification solutions can help keep your facility's infection control under control. You will know what works best for your environment, from different CADRs to how much air is put out. With germs and illnesses commonly threatening facilities, air purifiers help remove airborne bacteria and harmful pollutants. Since infection control is one of your top priorities, investing in commercial air purifiers is one of the best ways to combat disease.