Tag Archives: hepa air purifier

New Research on Trees and Air Quality

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New TreeResearchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill are shedding some light on an air quality mystery that has had scientists stumped for some time.  While we know that plants have a positive effect on air quality by helping to remove carbon dioxide from the air and providing us with oxygen, scientists had long suspected that isoprene, a molecule emitted by trees as a means of protecting their leaves from harm, played a part in creating particulate air pollution; they just were not sure how.   Surprisingly, the study found that when the isoprene molecule was heated by the sun, it reacted with nitrogen oxides in the atmosphere to create tiny particulate matter that became suspended in the air, which has the possibility to cause or exacerbate respiratory ailments, such as asthma.

But wait! Don’t blame the trees for these dangerous particulates – it is the abundance of nitrogen oxide that is the real problem. These polluting chemicals are man-made by-products of cars, factories, and other coal burning sources.  The more that scientists investigate the ways that particulate pollution occurs, the more effective our efforts at improving our air will be.  Over the past decade many major cities in the United States have been able to improve their air quality, but smog and ozone remain in much higher concentrations than what is healthy.  We can help to continue reducing these levels by being mindful about our daily choices – for example, making efforts to carpool or switching from plastic bags to reusable canvas ones. As we work on decreasing the amount of pollutants emitted into the atmosphere, we can protect ourselves from particulate matter by monitoring city air pollution levels before leaving the house, and by filtering particulates out of our indoor air by using an air purifier with a true HEPA filter like our MinusA2.

How to Choose the Right Air Purifier

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We know that shopping for an air purifier is tiresome, especially with so many options out there. You may spend hours on end, trying to find the best air purifier for your situation. In fact, you may be reading this at 2:00am because those pesky allergies won’t let you sleep.

Thankfully, our Rabbit Air Team has put together some helpful tips to aide you in your air purifier shopping experience.

Technology
How are you going to clean my air?

HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filtration air purifiers are definitely the way to go. They are the most recognized and reliable air filtration technology with an efficiency of trapping particulates down to 0.3 microns in size, 99.97% of the time. They are also highly recommended by allergists due to their effectiveness.

There are also other technologies that are beneficial at cleaning the air. One of them is activated carbon. Known for its high absorption capability, activated carbon can effectively trap toxins such as VOC’s, smoke and odors. Another recommendation is to select an activated carbon filter that is charcoal-based. Individual charcoal pellets are highly porous and are able to trap all types of gases in its large internal surface area.

Air purifiers to avoid? We do not recommend any type of “filter-less” air purifiers. These include ozone generators and electrostatic precipitators, also known as “ionic” type purifiers. Electrostatic precipitators are not as effective as HEPA-filtration air purifiers and both air purifiers are culprits for emitting ozone, which is a respiratory irritant for allergy and asthma sufferers.

 

Room Coverage
Does room coverage matter?

Room coverage is very important, especially when you suffer from asthma or allergies. When shopping for an air purifier, look past the room size an air purifier covers and look at how many air changes per hour that particular air purifier has.

What is an air change per hour? An air change per hour translates to how many times an air purifier can clean a room in one hour. For example, 2 air changes per hour shows that an air purifier can clean a room once every 30 minutes. An allergy and asthma sufferer needs at least 4 air changes per hour, which means an air purifier can clean a room at least once every 15 minutes.

 

Noise
How loud is too loud?

Noise is measured in decibels. Although sensitivity to sound varies from person to person, there is some agreement over what is comfortable to the ear. Since we recommend that our customers operate the air purifier 24 hours a day, we advise choosing an air purifier that does not go over 55 decibels.

Be sure to check the decibel level of each speed before making a purchase, especially if you are a light sleeper. Once the noise decibel level goes over 60, it is considered to be “loud” according to American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.

 

Maintenance and Cost
Do I have the time and the money?

Not only do you need to consider the initial costs of the air purifier, you also have to look into how costly it is to operate.

One big cost is replacement filters. Look into how often you have to replace and how expensive the filters are. Also, choose an air purifier that requires less cleaning maintenance.

Do you think the costs stop there? Definitely look into purchasing products that are Energy Star Certified or at least one that consumes less energy since you will most likely be operating your air purifier 24 hours a day. To put power consumption into perspective, it will cost over $120.00 a year to operate a 100 watt air purifier 24/7 in the state of California.

 

Customer Service
Add great value to your purchase.

Vote for a company that has your best interests in mind. Besides, what’s more enjoyable than dealing with a company that makes everything seems so easy?

We suggest that you choose an air purifier company that offers great customer service, and is easily accessible. Many companies frequently discontinue models, so make sure you are able to find replacement filters when the time comes.

You also want to choose a company that provides a great warranty and return guarantee.  Aim for a company that offers a warranty longer than one year and one that does not charge a restocking fee to return a product.

Last, but not least, consider the reputation of the company. Check consumer reviews online to see if you are dealing with an honest company. It’s not uncommon for a company to go out of business or disappear after a short time, which will leave you out of luck when trying to buy replacement filters or receive customer support.

UC San Deigo Researching Portable Air Quality Monitor

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City SmogIn December 2012, the University of California at San Diego discussed an exciting new advance in Air Quality monitoring. Researchers there had created a small portable device that measured air quality in real time, letting users know in the moment whether they were breathing clean air or if they had wandered into a spot of highly concentrated pollutants. This advanced technology allowed for those concerned with air quality to have more precise information about the environment around them, allowing them to make informed decisions about the air they breathed. Runners and bikers, for example, would be able to avoid areas with higher pollution, protecting their lungs as they exercised. The device could even be useful in indoor areas, as one study participant found when he realized that the air quality in his office was quite poor, prompting his company to take steps to improve the air for its employees.

We hope to see more research into this area, and look forward to the day when personal air quality monitoring is available to all. Until then, there are still steps one can take to be proactive about air quality and protected from pollutants. City-wide daily pollen and pollution counts are easily accessed on websites such as Pollen.com and AirNow.gov. These sites are great tools for learning about air pollution in your city, and can help to plan your outings during times when pollutant levels are low. When you’re in your home, you can be smart about air pollutants as well by using a HEPA air purifier such as our MinusA2 to filter out harmful pollutants and keep the air clean and fresh.

The Benefits of an Air Purifier for Your Vacation Home

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Summer is just around the corner, and many families are getting ready to start going to their vacation homes. While many have fun accessories at their vacation homes, like a pool, barbecue grill or an outdoor deck for entertaining, most have forgotten one of the most important accessories for their vacation homes: an air purifier. Let’s talk about the benefits of adding a HEPA air purifier to your vacation home.

An air purifier can add a little fresh air to a stale house. You’ve probably noticed when you first go to “air out” your vacation house that it smells a little stale. This is because it has been sealed or boarded up all winter long. If you’re like most, you haven’t been there in months! Running an air purifier while you are there will help make the air fresher, smell better, and even make it better for you to breathe. While we’re not advising you to stop opening your windows to freshen the air in your homes, turning on your purifier will help keep your vacation home fresher and allow you to breathe high quality air for you and your family.

CHARLES WELEK, REALTOR, POSES IN FRONT OF A $7...

Charles Welek, Realtor, poses in front of a vacation home in Lake Ozark. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Having a home by the beach can have its challenges when it comes to air. Many beach vacation homes have the tendency to attract mold. If you have someone in the family with a mold allergy, be careful of mold spores as they can trigger allergic reactions. While you need to remove and/or clean the mold from the home – an air purifier in addition to this process will remove the tiny mold spores that still stay in the air after you’ve cleaned or gotten rid of the mold.

A Great Way To Welcome Guests

There’s nothing like a deep, relaxing night of sleep in a vacation home. There’s also nothing more memorable than tossing and turning, and not being able to sleep in someone’s vacation home. We’ve probably had both experiences, and we all know which one we’d rather have again! Putting an air purifier in your guest room will purify the air and let your guests breathe deeper and sleep more sounder. Any guest staying with you will certainly appreciate this thoughtful touch.

The Perfect Addition To Your Baby Or Child’s Room

Today, many air purifiers are “whisper quiet” so there’s usually no worry about an air purifier keeping your child up at night. If you’ve used one at home, you’ll especially want to use a purifier in your vacation home. Not only will your child sleep deeper and more comfortably, you’ll have the peace of  mind knowing that they’re sleeping with healthy, clean air.

Air purifiers are easy to maintain in your vacation home. While some things need a lot of maintenance, your air purifier doesn’t have to be one of them. When you arrive at your vacation home, you’ll want to bring extra filters for your air purifiers so that you can be sure to start your vacation on a clean slate. Check that your air purifier turns on and that all the functions work, just as you would with any appliance you haven’t used in awhile. That’s it!

Remove Mold Successfully with Your Air Purifier

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Did you know that you can remove mold successfully with your air purifier? Surprisingly, not everyone knows this important fact. Removing mold is critical, especially for those with asthma and allergies. But even if those living in your home do not have allergies or asthma you’ll still want to remove mold from the air with your air purifier. Mold can be quite troublesome, and in some cases, cause mild to more severe health problems.

Most of us know that mold grows under damp conditions. You can often see and smell mold as it grows, and it sure isn’t pretty! But there can also be mold spores in the air sometimes before it has appeared in your home, or even after you think you have removed it. These tiny spores can get into your lungs and cause irritations. For some, this means feeling like you have a cold or a sinus problem. If you have asthma it can aggravate your symptoms. For those with mold allergies it can cause mild to severe reactions, depending on the type of allergy you have. Even those without allergies or asthma often feel the effects of mold. They may sniff and sneeze, or feel like they are coming down with a cold. It is irritating and uncomfortable.  No one wants their family and friends to feel this way, especially if it can be avoided. But what is the most important thing about mold? It loves to grow! So if you do not take care of the problem, it probably will continue to grow and spread, lingering in your home until it is removed.

Your air filter can help to purify the air, removing tiny mold spores. This can be a tremendous help, and soon you’ll start to feel more comfortable. Note that not every air purifier can remove and purify mold; you should check to make sure that your air purifier can do the job. Rabbit Air’s MinusA2 Ultra Quiet HEPA Air Purifier has an optional Customized Filter called the Germ Defense that will effectively trap and reduce airborne mold spores and particles that can carry viruses.

Help your air purifier do the best job it can, and tackle your mold problem hands on. Once you’ve targeted the areas that have mold, place the air purifier next to the locations to stop the spread of mold spores. If you don’t see mold right away, take your time and search through each room patiently. Try especially to check rooms that have the potential to be damp and wet, like the laundry room and bathrooms. If you really can’t find the source of the mold, you may need to call a mold specialist to help solve the problem.

Your air purifier can clean the air and remove the tiny particles of mold from the air, but remember that if you do not remove the source of the mold, it will continue to grow and you will continue to have a mold problem. Worst of all, your symptoms may increase as time goes on if the source is not removed. No one wants their family and friends to suffer, so it is important to act quickly!

Mold most often is a problem that can be solved. With the help of your air purifier, your family and friends will be quite comfortable in no time!