Don’t buy a HEPA air purifier in Thailand before you read this!

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  • Post last modified:December 20, 2020

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

Pollution and particle size

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.

the best air purifier on the market - lightair

A different approach

LightAir IonFlow air purifiers use negative Ions, not filters, to effectively remove particles all the way down to 0.007 microns.

Hepa IronFlow comparisons

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.

Press Release

15/12/2020 – LightAir to test their air purification technology against Corona Virus

12/11/2020 – LightAir wins 2020 IMFA Nordic Innovation awards for it’s HEALTH+ innovation.

Below you will find the Benefits of IonFlow compared to HEPA Air purifiers

Particle comparison

Lightair compatison to competitor

IonFlow air purifiers

  • 99.94% Ultra-fine particle reduction down to PM0.007.
  • Prevents virus infection, neutralizing over 97% of virus in the air.
  • 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 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.
We recommend that you place your IonFlow air purifier at least 3 feet (1 meter) away from all walls and furniture and that you hang the 500C model 1.5 feet (0.5 meter) down from the ceiling. If these recommendations are not followed, nearby walls and/or furniture may become somewhat dirty. We also recommend that you place the air purifier at least 3 feet (1 meter) from all metallic objects because of their potential risk to become static and act as collectors. The small electric charge the metallic objects might attain is harmless.
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. The result is a very efficient air purifier that is completely ozone free. Please find the ozone test report Here.

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.

Yes, according to a study by Karolinska Institutet (one of the largest and most renowned hospitals and medical institutes in the world as well as the awarder of the Nobel Prize in Medicine) that was published in Nature Scientific Reports (one of the most prestigious scientific journals in the world) our air purifiers eliminate virus in the air. The test was performed on live guinea pigs. When the air purifiers was on 3 out of 4 guinea pigs were infected by an airborne influenza virus, but none were infected when the LightAir air purifier was on. No other air purifier has had their air purifier researched and tested by a similar renowned medical and research institute. No other purifier has also had their tests published in a similarly renowned scientific journal. Furthermore, as far as we know only LightAir air purifiers have been tested on animals and in conditions that mimic authentic real-life conditions.Contact us if you would like copies

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.

No, contrary to HEPA filters which quickly loses efficiency once they get dirty (could be as quickly as a few weeks in dirty environments) the IonFlow product does not lose efficiency over time. Even if the collector get extremely dirty it still maintains its capability to attract negatively charged particles. As mentioned above, it is important to note that it’s not the collector that neutralizes dangerous particles such as viruses, bacteria or allergens, but these particles are already neutralized in the air at the moment negative ions attached to them. Furthermore, even in the absence of a collector the ions would attach to particles causing them to eventually drop to the ground due to their increased weight or stick to walls and furniture, thereby making the air cleaner.

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.

The IonFlow products only consume 5W/h, which translates into only USD 5/year in the US, far less compared to our competitors’ products. The low consumption of energy makes the products extremely energy efficient and environmentally friendly. Air purifiers can cost you anything from $20-$1000 depending on coverage area, quality, and features. When you purchase and installe your air purifier the cost of ownership for filter replacement and energy consumption varies greatly and should therefore really be something to take into account BEFORE the purchase. The largest cost is definitely filters. To correctly maintain your air purifier and keep up efficient particle reduction the filters need to be changed every 3-4 months. A filter can cost between $10-$100, where most is well into the hundred. For some air purifiers there is more than one filter to replace as they have both a HEPA filter and a carbon filter. The second largest post will be energy consumption, which can ad up to $30-$300 annually. In total the cost of ownership for an air purifier can be anything from $70-$800 annually! A very hefty amount of money to say the least! LiteAir IonFlow air purifier has a reusable collector instead of a filter meaning no expensive filter cost and it runs on only 5W/h meaning only $7 per year!! Suddenly the purchase price of $350-$600 for LiteAir IonFlow doesn’t seem expensive at all. Considering the operational cost and what you get in terms of air purification efficiency and style LiteAir IonFlow is the best choice on the market.
IonFlow air purifier absolute noise level is at only 5dB. The relative noise level including background noise according to standard is 21dB. The threshold for hearing is usually set at 10dB. Our competitors’ air purifiers typically give off a noise between 30 and 70dB, which is potentially harmful to the human health when exposed for a longer period of time. At LifeAir, we don’t believe in replacing one hazardous pollutant, i.e. air pollution, with another hazardous pollutant: Noise. That is why are our purifiers are silent. Our IonFlow air purifiers are virtually completely silent, with a noise level of only 21dB and work 24/7 at maximum efficiency. WHO and EPA recommend 35-40dB as the maximum sound level when sleeping without putting your health at risk.

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.

As with other health-related appliances, there is a multitude of claims made by companies regarding their products’ efficiency. Air purifiers may be rated on: CADR; efficient area coverage; air changes per hour; the clean air delivery rate, which determines how well air has been purified; energy usage; and the cost of the replacement filters. Two other important factors to consider are the length that the filters are expected to last (measured in months or years) and the noise produced (measured in decibels) by the various settings that the purifier runs on. As stated above noise is often an ignored problem with air purifiers. The health consequences of a loud air purifier can be serious. All these figures and facts make it very difficult for regular consumers to properly evaluate an air purifier. Furthermore, it is important that the tests that many companies base their statements on are properly evaluated if a fair and correct comparison between different products are to be made. Certainly if the tests are done by lesser known institutes. HEPA filter The majority of air purifiers today are sold with HEPA filters, because the technology has been around for some time and it’s a relatively simple solution to clean the air. However, there are many drawbacks with using HEPA filters that IonFlow are able to solve. Some of them are the following: *Rapid decrease in efficiency. Noisy *Expensive, frequent and inconvenient filter replacement. *Focus is on cleaning the air from particles that are larger than 0.3 microns. Ionizers Many of the ionizers in the marketplace have very little or no reliable data regarding the number of ions they produce, which make it very difficult to evaluate them properly. Many ionizers that claim to produce large amounts of ions also produce ozone at levels that are above safety levels. Other technologies that are being marketed are plasmacluster and various combinations of different technologies such as HEPA together with ionization and carbon filters.

Links to Science reports

Nature.com
NATURE.COM
SP TECHNICAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF SWEDEN
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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