What HEPA manufacturers don’t want you to know, and here’s why?
Filter based air purifiers, (HEPA), basically works by using fans to draw your indoor air through various types of filter.
To be classed as True HEPA, as defined by the United States department of energy, a HEPA air purifier must remove at least 99.97% of airborne particles down to PM0.3 in diameter.
The bad news is that HEPA air purifiers only capture particles down to between PM0.3 – PM0.1, leaving over 90% of the smallest and most dangerous particles in your indoor air.
Viruses, (including covid 19), traffic pollution, smog, mold & combustion from coal power plants are all much finer than PM0.1. And these ultra-fine and nanoparticles tend to cause the most severe health problems.
In Thailand there is a growing public awareness and knowledge about poor indoor air quality and its alarming health effects, more and more people are suffering from asthma, allergies, and heart and vascular disease as a direct cause of polluted air.
There are also less urgent health problems related to indoor air quality like fatigue, insomnia, headache, and concentration difficulties that millions of people struggle with every day.
So why is the market filled with HEPA type air purifiers?
Before, and more since the covid 19 pandemic, it appears the large home appliance manufacturers have been bumping up their advertising campaigns and increasing their “miracle” claims about their products. Unfortunately, this makes it hard to see the wood for the trees when you want to purchase a good purifier.
Our advice DO YOUR RESEARCH!
Finding this page is a good start…
Identify the bad guy’s, fine and ultrafine particles
Fine and ultrafine particles are the reason air pollution is the leading environmental threat to human health. But what are fine particles?
Many people have heard of PM2.5, but what does it mean?
PM is an abbreviation of particle matter which is a mixture of solid particles and liquid droplets found in the air.
The 2.5 refers to the diameter of the particle in microns, (a micron is 1 millionth of a meter).
Particles smaller than PM2.5, or, Particles with a diameter of 2.5 microns or less are referred to as fine particles.
Although fine particles are not visible to the human eye, (unless they are accumulated), most of the particles that deposit deep in our lungs and then enter our bloodstream are even smaller than PM2.5.
These extremely small particles, PM0.1 and below are called ultrafine particles, (or nanoparticles).
Research has shown that these particles represent over 90% of all particles indoors making it crucial for your air purifier to catch these particles if they are to have any significant effect in cleaning the air in your room and keeping you healthy.
So, the best HEPA air purifiers can only catch particles down to PM0.1, (approximately 10% of the dangerous particles in your indoor air). What about these smaller particles?
Find the answer below:
IonFlow from LightAir captures particles down to PM0.007
Yes, there’s a new kid on the block. LightAir IonFlow, the only air purifier proven to remove particles down to PM0.007.
LightAir IonFlow air purifiers were developed from the onset to remove the finest and most harmful particles.
According to third-party government tests LightAir IonFlow can remove particles from PM10.0 all the way down to PM0.007 meaning that we can keep your indoor air virtually free from all the harmful particles that you want to avoid.
A different approach
LightAir IonFlow air purifiers use negative Ions, not filters, to effectively remove particles all the way down to 0.007 microns.
How does an IonFlow air purifier work?
It works by purifying the air throughout the room. Without using filters
The ion generator produces billions of electrons that instantly become negative ions. These ions spread out in the air through the natural air movements that exist in every indoor space. They attach to particles in the air, of which many are positively charged, thereby negatively charging these particles.
The negatively charged particles are then attracted to the positively charged collector on the IonFlow unit, where they attach.
Larger particles become so heavy once the negative ions attach to them leading them to drop to the floor. The result is a cleaner and healthier air.
LightAir IonFlow air purifier has a positive side-effect, it rejuvenates the air with negative ions.
Negative ions are in abundance in nature. They are especially found in large amounts where air molecules break apart. This partly explains why the air feels fresh and crisp by waterfalls and after a thunderstorm when lightning has passed.
In environments such as offices and homes, the amounts of negative ions are very low. The air quality is further exacerbated by the production of the unhealthy positive ions that are produced by electrical appliances such as printers, TVs, computers, and etc.
In summary, it can be said that IonFlow cleans the air by harnessing the forces of nature through the production of negative ions. It’s natural cleaning at its best.
The "ONLY" Ionizing air purifier that does not produce ozone
LightAir IonFlow air purifier is based on traditional ionization technique, but it has been further developed and optimized, which means that the major previous disadvantage like generation of ozone has been successfully eliminated. The basic idea to clean the air with negative ions and trap them with a collector is still the same, but the technology used to attain this objective is entirely different.
LightAir has worked many years to solve the problem of ozone generation, and as far as we know, LightAir patented technology produce the only Ionizing air purifiers that have successfully dealt with this issue.
The IonFlow product’s ozone emission has been tested and approved by the Air Resources Board in California and Finnish VTT Technical Research Center of Finland. The levels of ozone that our products produce are below the detection limit of the measurement instrument (0,002ppm). Hence, the ozone generation is negligible and harmless.
You can find our Ozone Test report here.
Below you will find the Benefits of IonFlow compared to HEPA Air purifiers
Particle comparison
IonFlow air purifiers
- 99.94% Ultra-fine particle reduction down to PM0.007.
- Prevents virus infection, neutralizing over 97% of virus in the air and on surfaces.
- IonFlow works throughout the room, not just a localized area.
- Truly silent, less than 21db – quieter than a human breath.
- Filter free, no expensive parts to replace.
- Energy efficient, 5w energy consumption IonFlow costs about 150 thb per year
- Lifetime warranty, because with no moving parts, nothing wears out
- Smaller and more efficient.
- Low maintainance and easy to use.
HEPA air purifiers
- 99.97% particle reduction down to PM0.1, (is that all)
- Can’t prevent virus infection, viruses are to small.
- Tends to work better in a localize area, loses efficiency over time.
- Not truly silent, often up to 89db – that can keep you awake at night.
- Expensive filters to replace, many moving parts to replace.
- Not energy efficient, fans require higher power the more powerful they are.
- Short warranty, because they make big money on replacement parts.
- Often come with bells and whistles, remote controls, LED indicators, alarms etc
Frequently asked questions
The ion generator produces billions of electrons that instantly become negative ions.
These ions spread out in the air through the natural air movements that exist in every indoor space. They attach to particles in the air, of which many are positively charged, thereby negatively charging these particles.
The negatively charged particles are then attracted to the positively charged collector, where they attach.
Larger particles become so heavy once the negative ions attach to them leading them to drop to the floor. The result is a cleaner and healthier air.
The IonFlow has a positive side-effect where it rejuvenates the air with negative ions.
Negative ions are in abundance in nature. They are especially found in large amounts where air molecules break apart.
This partly explains why the air feels fresh and crisp by waterfalls and after a thunderstorm with lightning has passed.
In environments such as offices and homes, the amounts of negative ions are very low.
The air quality is further exacerbated by the production of the unhealthy positive ions that are produced by electrical appliances such as printers, TVs, computers, and mobile phones etc.
In summary, it can be said that IonFlow cleans the air by harnessing the forces of nature through the production of negative ions.
It’s natural cleaning at its best.
LightAir recommends that you use IonFlow in rooms up to 50 m2 or 540 sq ft in a normal home environment.
It is however important to understand that depending on the sources of pollution the air purifiers capacity alters. For example, if you smoke, have a dog, work at home, frequently use printers and/or live in a busy city environment you might need two units to cover the same area. This logic goes for all air purifiers on the market
Yes, the IonFlow products remove all types of particles. Dust, pollen, tobacco, and etc. all cause allergic and harmful reactions in many people. By removing these particles from the air, the products are able to alleviate allergic reactions.
Yes, smell in essence are particles. LightAir products remove particles, hence they remove the smell caused by these particles.
Gases are not particles, but molecules. IonFlow, like HEPA filters, does not remove gases from the air.
No, once the particles have attached to the collector they stay there even if the unit is turned off. It is also important to know that already at the moment a negative ion attaches itself to a particle, that particle becomes neutralized. Hence, losing its harmful effects as a virus, bacteria, allergen, etc. on humans.
Yes, since the IonFlow products don’t produce any noise and are completely silent as well as extremely energy efficient we recommend to have the product on at all times. Thanks to a built-in sensor that senses the air quality, the ion generator will adjust its production of electrons and the strength of the collector accordingly. Hence, if the air is dirty more ions will be generated.
All our products have been tested by third-party institutes and organizations in order to ensure that we meet all current regulations and legislation around the world.
Ozone
Our product’s ozone emission has been tested and approved by the Air Resources Board in California and Finnish VTT Technical Research Center of Finland. The levels of ozone that our products produce are below the detection limit of the measurement instrument (0,002ppm). Hence, the ozone generation is negligible and harmless.
Electric discharge
The electric discharge that can be felt when you touch the collector is extremely small. According to tests that Intertek performed in order to meet regulations and legislation, the electric discharge was over 2000 times below levels that would be considered dangerous. Even babies and animals can touch the collector without being harmed.
Electromagnetic field
The electromagnetic field has been tested and approved by Intertek in order to meet regulations and legislation.
Yes, our products have been used in extremely humid climates like in Thailand to drier climates like in Sweden without any decrease in efficiency or quality.
Hot and wet climate facilitates the growth of mites and mold. Buildings with poor ventilation also don’t allow humidity to disperse.
Links to Science reports
Nature.com
SP TECHNICAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF SWEDEN
sp particle reduction test report on lightair ionflow 50 candle combustion
Reduction Test of LightAir ionizing air cleaner
SP Benchmark particle reduction test report
Ultra Trace Industrial Safety Hygiene
sp particle reduction test report on lightair ionflow 50_ smoke
vertrouwelijk report on printers
sp test dust coverage
TEST REPORTS SUPPORTING PRODUCT BENEFITS, SOUND LEVEL, ENERGY CONSUMPTION, OZONE GENERATION
In conclusion
Thank you for making it this far down the page. Our intention with this article was to enlighten you as to what real air purification is and can be. For more information on LightAir products just visit our website at; www.lightairthailand.com to view our products please click below.
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I will make sure to bookmark it and come back to read more of your useful information. Thanks for the post.
I will definitely return.