How HEPA Cleans Your Air?

One of the features of an air purifier is the HEPA filter or high-efficiency particulate air. It is a type of mechanical air filter that works through forcing air through a media fiber that will trap unwanted and harmful air particles that cause illness. These air particles include pollens, pet dander, tobacco smoke, dust mites, and other types of it. HEPA filters are found in many air purifiers but you can also buy a HEPA filter but you have to find out first how much particles it can capture.

HEPA filters started to be in the market since 1940’s. It was originally developed for the Manhattan Project and aimed to protect the scientists from the harmful radioactive particles. It was a fact then that exposure to radiation was lethal and the scientists must be protected from it. It was designed to capture the air contaminants that pose a big threat to our health.

The technology became widely available in the 1950s. The multi-layered approach in terms of filtering the contaminants became attractive to people who want to keep their environment clean. HEPA filter emerged as a mark of excellence. Also, HEPA ratings must meet the standards set by the US Department of Energy.

How HEPA filters work?

HEPA filters are designed and made with a state of the art technology. It has an innovative design that makes it effective in filtering the air we breathe. It is composed of mats that are made of borosilicate fibers. It is arranged in folds that resembles like an accordion. The folds allow the filter to have a wide surface area to trap air contaminants effectively. These filters can capture 99.7% of particles 0.3 microns and above.

There are mechanisms to trap the air particles. These are (1) interception where particles being carried in the flow stream will be captured by the filter, (2) impaction where larger particles are trapped by the filter, and (3) diffusion where in the particles are too small to be captured by interception or impaction. In diffusion, the microscopic movement of the particles described as the Brownian motion shall be observed and that small particles will be diffused following the zigzag motion. Then, it will be captured by the borosilicate fibers.

Because of this HEPA is considered to be one of the most effective ways to capture or trapped the air contaminants.

Maintenance for HEPA Filters

The HEPA filter will collect air particles as the cabinet operates. Under laboratory conditions you can expect a longer filter life however, misuse or a heavy particulate load within the cabinet will shorter the life of the filter. If it has any signs of damage, fix or replace it immediately.

Researches proved that indoor air is dirtier and more contaminated than outdoor air. There are a lot of contaminants trapped in your house. Unless, you can see the air, you can avoid it. However, when you have allergic reactions from contaminated air, the best solution is to find an air purifier with true HEPA filters.