Air Purifiers, Cleaners & Ionizers
Reviews, Comparisons & Buying Guide

Electrostatic Air Filters
(Electrostatic Precipitator Air Cleaners)

What is an Electostatic Air Cleaner?

Electrostatic precipitators are commonly used to remove particles from airstreams having large steady flow rates. Typical applications include coal-burning plants and cement kilns. A typical two-stage electrostatic precipitator has a stage of corona wires and a stage of collecting plates. The corona wires are maintained at several thousand volts which produces a corona that releases electrons into the airstream. These electrons attach to dust particles and give them a net negative charge.

The collecting plates are grounded and attract the charged dust particles. The collecting plates are periodically rapped by mechanical rappers to dislodge the collected dust, which then drop into hoppers below. The air velocity between the plates needs to be sufficiently low to allow the dust to fall and not to be re-entrained into the airstream. It takes between 0.01 and 0.1 second for dust particles to acquire a charge in the corona region. Industrial systems are normally designed with more than 1 second residence time in the first stage to assure the charging of dust particles. Industrial systems are capable of removing particles in the size range 0.01 -- 10 microns and can achieve efficiencies in the neighborhood of 95%.

Small electrostatic precipitators designed for home or other non-industrial applications are known as electronic air cleaners. These do not have rappers, but must be taken apart and cleaned periodically. Also, these devices are often inserted into airstreams without regard to residence time or air velocities, and hence efficiencies can be much lower than those used in industrial applications.

A well-designed electronic air cleaner for home or office building applications would not only be relatively large and have a high energy demand, but it would also generate ozone at potentially hazardous levels. Even a well-sized, efficiently operating air cleaner cannot achieve the efficiency necessary to guarantee complete interception of airborne bacteria, let alone viruses. However, as a means of simply improving air quality and decreasing dust and airborne microbes, electronic air cleaners do indeed have some value in home and office building environments.

Source of the above information: Aerobiological Engineering, Pennsylvania State University

Furnace Problems

Electrostatic air filters are too dense for most furnaces. As a result, they can interfere with the airflow of the furnace, causing the air conditioner to freeze up in the summer. Electrostatic air filters can also cause the furnace to overheat in the winter.

Maintenance

Electrostatic air filters require frequent cleaning, usually more than once a month. They cannot just be installed and forgotten about. Unfortunately, they are usually neglected because most people simply do not remember to get inside the furnace at least once a month to clean the filter and re-install it. Even if you did, this routine is still a pain because electrostatic air filters usually have several layers you have to remove and clean individually.

Effectiveness

The problem with electrostatic and all other air filters is that they can only remove the larger airborne particulates. What they fail to mention is that most airborne pollutants are smaller than the 0.3 microns that they are capable of removing. Allergens, particulates and toxins from cigarette smoke, etc. still manage to slip through these screens and back into the air we breathe.

Black Wall Effect

Electrostatic air filters work by electrically charging particles so they are attracted to the metal plates in the machine. However, these charged particles are also attracted to all surfaces, resulting in black markings on walls, etc.

A Better Choice

A better alternative is the Air Oasis Probe Induct Air Purifier for HVAC installation. It eliminates all the negatives of an electrostatic filter, has no yearly maintenance, and is superior in its ability to purifier the air of a much broader range of air pollution, and does so throughout the entire house or building.

Air Oasis Breakthrough UV Air Sanitizer Technology!

No air purifier on the market can compete in effectiveness when compared to the Air Oasis patent-pending Nano Nickel HCT photocatalytic oxidation technology. Other oxidation brands use only titanium dioxide (TiO2) as a catalyst, the cheapest, most available, catalyst metal on the market. Air Oasis contains five rare catalyst metals and nano size metals to increase the kinetic rate of reaction. Plus, Air Oasis UV lamps utilize a proprietary long life 3-year coating, allowing them to outlast any UV lamp on the market.

Air Oasis technology is proven effective against MRSA and may be an answer for many more of today's "Super Bugs", such as Swine Flu. Studies conducted by West Texas A&M University at BSA Hospital confirm that Air Oasis not only purifies your air, but sanitizes surfaces. The study measured reductions in methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) on surfaces. The study also measured a 75% reduction in other microbes and fungus in only 8 hours of use. Other studies show an almost complete eradication over longer periods of exposure to the Air Oasis oxidation technology. Current ongoing studies are aimed at proving reductions in VOC and odors. more info

Find the Right Air Purifier for
Your Unique Problem or Application

It's no mystery that the air inside our homes, offices and nearly every building we enter is contaminated with toxic air pollution problems. But wading through the plethora of air purification technologies and models to make our living and working space free of pollution can be a daunting task, especially with the misinformation presented by so many salespeople and web sites. There are many different air purification technologies and air filters on the market, but no one air purifier technology can solve every air pollution problem, which is why we carry different brands. For help determining which air purifier is right for you, click on one of the below links or call us toll free at 866-875-4386 (US and Canada).

Air Purifiers: by Problem - by Technology - by Brand - Air Purifier Buying Guide 

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