Feb
There are many kinds of room air purifiers available in the market. What kind of room air purifier should you choose for protecting yourself against the harmful effects of haze? Let’s find out in this article.
HEPA vs HEPA + Activated Carbon Filters
Most standard room air purifiers in the market come with a set of HEPA filters, while some may provide the option of adding Activated Carbon filters on top of them.
HEPA filters are capable of removing many different types of harmful pollutants in the air, including the harmful PM2.5 particles from smoke and haze. However, they are not capable of removing odors or smells, so even if the harmful particles are removed, you may still smell the haze smell indoors.
That is where Activated Carbon filters come to play. When using both HEPA and Activated Carbon filters together, the activated carbon absorbs the smell from the haze particles, so you can’t smell the haze in your room. Also, it can remove the VOCs (volatile organic compounds) that come with haze, something which a HEPA filter alone can’t do.
In addition, due to the density of PM2.5 haze particles, the HEPA + Activated Carbon filter combination is much more effective at filtering haze particles. What this means is if a HEPA filter was to be used alone during a strong haze season, it could get dirtier much faster than the HEPA + Activated Carbon filter combination, as the PM2.5 clogs up the filter without going through an additional Activated Carbon filter first.
Other important points to keep in mind
Due to the density and amount of haze particles, regardless of whether you’re using HEPA or HEPA + Activated Carbon filters, the filters may have to be replaced more frequently. You should visually inspect the filters to see if they need to be replaced. Dirty filters are less efficient than clean ones and could negatively impact the CADR (clean air delivery rate) of the room air purifier.
It is also recommended to leave the air purifier running all the time at the highest setting most comfortable to your ears, so it can continuously capture and remove harmful pollutants in the air.
You should also keep a few spare HEPA + Activated Carbon filters in storage if you are using HEPA filters when there’s no haze.
Also, keep in mind that Activated Carbon filters cannot be used alone – they must be used together with a HEPA filter as the Activated Carbon filter alone cannot capture and filter all harmful pollutants in the air.
Conclusion
All kinds of room air purifiers are suitable for haze, however choosing one that has HEPA + Activated Carbon filters is the best option as it is more effective at filtering haze, is able to remove its smoky smell, and capture VOCs that are harmful to health.
The AirFanta 3Pro is a room air purifier that offers the best cost performance in Singapore. It packs an immense 702 m³/h Clean Air Delivery Rate for just S$195, which is three times more cost effective than other brands. Learn more about AirFanta 3Pro here.
Room Air Purifier
