The ultimate checklist for buying an air purifier for your home | Amway
How clean is the air you breathe in your home or office? Are you being exposed to pollutants that could be harmful to your health and your family’s health?
CSIRO estimates that poor indoor air quality is costing Australia $12 billion or more per year. Indoor air pollution is listed as one of the top five environmental risks to public health in the USA.
The quality of the air in your home is determined by the amount of pollutants present. Common pollutants present indoors include:
- gas from cookers
- unflued gas heaters (gas heaters not connected to chimneys or vents)
- chemicals from cleaning products
- fungi
- germs
- mould
- bacteria
- dust mites and
- toxic smoke particles
With Australians spending 90 per cent or more of their time indoors either at home or work, you need to ensure that the air you’re breathing indoors is not making you sick.
Statistics show that one in five adults suffer from hay fever in Australia. This means that you or a family member is likely to suffer from allergies or you know someone who does.
Having an air purification system in your home can help manage hay fever and its symptoms.
How indoor air quality affects your health
Pollutants can cause eye, throat and nose irritation, headaches, dizziness, and tiredness. Poor outdoor air quality caused due to dust storms or fires can also affect you in your home, especially if you suffer from allergies or asthma.
An ABC News report found that most Australian homes didn’t protect their occupants from outside smoke during the bushfires. The quality of air in homes was found to be 10 to 20 per cent poorer than outside air quality - a worrying fact for people who had to stay inside during this time.
How can you ensure that the air in your home is free from pollutants?
Improving your home’s indoor air quality
Improving ventilation helps in removing stale air. However, if the outside air quality is poor, then ventilation is not an option.
An effective way to combat poor air quality in your home is to use an air purifier in the most used areas.
What is an air purifier and how is it different from a humidifier?
An air purifier does exactly what its name suggests - it cleans the air of dust and pathogens.
An air purifier has a filter (or filters) and a fan system that sucks in dirty air, removes all types of pathogens from it and then circulates it in the room. The filters catch dust and other airborne particles and remove toxins from the air, leaving the air cleaner and fresher.
A humidifier stops the air from becoming too dry (fantastic in a dry climate like Australia) by changing water into water vapour to moisturise the air you breathe.
What to look for when choosing an air purifier
There are many models of air purifiers in the market. Ultimately, the air purifier you choose has to suit your needs, room size and budget.
Here are some things you should think about before buying an air purifier:
The size of the room
Measure the square footage of the room in which you want to use the air purifier. The bigger the room, the more powerful the air purifier needs to be. Or you may need more than one air purifier in a big room. Smaller air purifiers won’t work well in a bigger room.
What’s the purpose of the air purifier?
Here are some reasons for buying an air purifier:
- Freshen and clean the air for wellness purposes
- Help to manage allergies or asthma symptoms
- Remove smoke, soot or other types of fumes from the air
- Remove pet dander, smells and hair
- Remove chemicals and odours from the air
Clear Air Delivery Rate [CADR]
For the tech specs lovers, Clear Air Delivery Rate (CADR) is one measure you can refer to when choosing your air purifier. It’s the measure used to determine the volume of air that’s cleaned per minute.
The higher the CADR the more efficient the model is at cleaning the air in the room.
How much does an air purifier cost?
Air purifiers come in a range of prices, from the top-end models priced at over AUD $1500 and the lowest around AUD $99.
The best way to know if you’re getting value for money is to check its features and extra functionalities, energy consumption and how easy it is to maintain - can the filters be washed and reused or will they need frequent replacing (the cost can add up)?
Smart features of an air purifier
In today’s busy world, you need machines that work seamlessly for longer, cost little in maintenance and are energy efficient.
Smart air purifiers come with:
- an easy to use control panel
- different modes for different air conditions
- timers to conserve electricity and energy usage, and
- remote control through Wi-Fi and apps to switch on and off as needed
The higher the ‘set and forget’ functionalities in the air purifier, the more time you’ll save in maintaining it. For example, most air purifiers will have a filter change indicator to show that it’s time to change filters, saving you the hassle of trying to remember!
Most importantly, they should have a child lock to stop curious little hands from trying to experiment with it.
Types of filters in an air purifier
Most air purifiers come with different types of filters, the most important being the HEPA filter, a high- performance filter that traps particles not visible to the human eye, like mould spores or pollen.
Other types of filters include a pre-filter, that removes the bigger particle; and carbon or charcoal filters, which remove the odours, toxins etc. Most filters will need to be washed or replaced. Some air purifiers may also have a UV-C light which can destroy germs and mould.
Ideally, your air purifier should contain both HEPA and Carbon filters and a UV-C light in order to do a good job of cleaning the air.
Are air purifiers a waste of money?
In today’s environment, the short answer is no.
It’s worth buying an air purifier especially as people will continue to spend the majority of their time in their homes and offices. Get peace of mind that the air inside your home is clean, fresh and free from any harmful contaminants.
An air purifier can lead to better health and wellness for you and your family and protect against certain diseases in the long term.
Your family’s health is worth it.
About
Amway’s AMBREEZE Air Purification System is a smart model for today’s modern homes. A powerful four-stage air purifier for spaces up to 50m 2 , it captures both bigger particles and those invisible to the human eye with three different filters plus an UV-C light. Register as a customer to get 10% off your first order when you register and buy within 30 days.
