<img src="https://secure.insightful-cloud-365.com/264240.png" style="display:none;">
The HEPACART Blog

How Much Does HEPA Filter Testing Cost?

The term HEPA filter has become commonplace when describing a wide range of products, from high-end vacuum cleaners to airline air recirculation technology. For many, it is a term that inspires confidence for good reason. To be a savvy consumer, whether shopping for dust containment units or home air purifiers, it is important to understand what this term actually means and what goes into creating, labeling, and certifying a true HEPA filter.

What Does HEPA stand for?

HEPA is an acronym that stands for High-Efficiency Particulate Arrestance. At a minimum, to be certified as a HEPA filter, the filter must remove 99.97% of all air particles that are larger than 0.3 micrometers. HEPA filters are made of a series of randomly arranged fibers that interrupt the flow of these particles using a combination of interception, impaction, and diffusion.

HEPA Testing Procedures

While there is no specific company that manufactures all HEPA filters, in order to carry the HEPA label, the filter must be tested by both the manufacturer and an independent professional. The Institute of Environmental Sciences and Technology (IEST) has developed the HEPA testing Recommended Practice (RP) with input from Underwriters Laboratories (UL). Testing a HEPA filter involves visual inspection, coupled with attempting to pass particles of a specific size through the filter. The rate of passage is recorded for each filter tested. This process is conducted in a laboratory located within a HEPA filter manufacturer's campus. However, once the HEPA filter passes this test, it still needs to be shipped and installed into whatever device will use it, such as a home air filter or negative air machine. Upon installation, the filter must be tested again to ensure transportation and installation have maintained the filter's efficiency.

The True Cost of HEPA Certification

Any company with a U.S. Department of Energy contract can schedule HEPA filter testing at a number of facilities at no additional cost, as per the DOE Technical Standards. However, the majority of HEPA filters are not manufactured under these conditions. Commercial HEPA filters for a non-governmental project must still be tested - both prior to shipping and again in-situ - in order to qualify as HEPA certified filters. This testing requires specialty equipment, materials, and personnel. The cost of such testing can be as much as $300 per filter. When you purchase a HEPA filter that has already obtained this strict certification that is required in HEPA filters for hospital maintenance and other sensitive settings, the purchaser is therefore saving on that testing.

HEPA vs. HEPA-like

There are filters that have the same basic construction as HEPA filters, and indeed may even come from the same manufacturers, but have not undergone the certification process. These filters are often marketed using the term "HEPA-like." Consumers should know that while it may be a tempting cost savings to purchase a HEPA-like filter, there are no guarantees that they have the same efficacy as those that have undergone the rigors of HEPA testing.

Portable HEPA dust containment systems are an essential piece of maintenance equipment for many different environments. For more information on choosing one, be sure to download our free guide.
Download the Dual Access HEPACART Data Sheet
Download our pricing guide