It's Time to Clean House With an Air Purifier

According to the American Lung Association's 2005 State of the Air report, more than 152 million Americans, or 52 percent of the population, breathe dirty air.
Did you know that the Environmental Protection Agency ranks poor indoor air quality as a top five environmental risk to public well-being? Less than 20 percent of Americans believe that indoor air can be as polluted as outdoor air. Yet a home's indoor air quality can be five times worse.
With energy-efficiency savings in mind, today's buildings and houses are designed to seal air inside. As a result, bacteria, dirt, mold and other allergens are trapped, contributing to symptoms such as sneezing, coughing, watery eyes and headaches. On average, Americans now spend about 90 percent of their time indoors.
The EPA lists air purifiers among the ways to improve indoor air quality. Using an air purifier will help remove airborne irritants and allergens such as dust, pet dander, germs, bacteria, mold, mildew, fungi, cigarette smoke and pollen.
Air purifiers with HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filters effectively remove 99.97 percent of particulates such as dust and pollen. Better results are achieved by systems that combine HEPA air filtration with pre-filters for greater odor control and particulate-capture efficiency.
For example, Hunter Fan Co.'s QuietFlo True HEPA system incorporates an activated carbon pre-filter to reduce odors and remove larger particles such as lint and pet hair, reserving the HEPA filter for smaller, more invasive airborne irritants.
Clean Air Delivery Rate is the industry's standard rating system set by the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers. This rate certifies performance and effectiveness by measuring the amount of clean air a unit delivers into a room.
"CADR is the single most important piece of information needed to make a comparison of air purifiers," says Gary Feder, vice president of home comfort at Hunter Fan Co. "It gauges real-world performance, taking into account filter efficiency, airflow and room size."