What is IQAir's Pre-Filter Technology?
Air Purifier Technology: The Importance of Using Pre-Filters
Indoor air is full of particles, most of them large particles like dust. Skipping on a pre-filter may mean you wear out your main filter more quickly.
Did you know that indoor air is full of particles and in fact, most of the mass in the particles is in the larger particles, not the tiny pollens? The majority of the larger particles (dust, pet dander, etc) will be captured by an air purifier, and unless you use an air purifier technology called a pre-filter, the high-efficiency, more expensive HEPA filters will clog up with big particles too quickly. Even though HEPA filters have a large number of pleats which gives them lots of surface area, they can fill up more quickly if the larger particles are not pre-filtered out. In a typical family, with kids, dogs or cats, and a lifestyle that is highly active, an air purifier has to deal with a lot of large particles!
Pets are not the only ones with dander! Our first time air purifier owners are typically surprised at how much human hair and skin cells are caught in the pre-filter & main air purifier. Between humans and pets, especially cats, just the hair and fur can load up the pre-filter. That's one of the main reasons that the pre-filter on your air purifier should be changed, or at least checked according to a prescribed schedule. In some cases, as with the Austin Air HealthMate models, the outside of the air purifier can be vacuumed occasionally and that will remove some of the larger pieces like the hair and dander. The aim is to keep the air purifier optimally pulling in the more toxic pollutants in the home or office. In both locations air purifiers with pre-filter technology can really help.
Does changing your pre-filter according to the prescribed schedule mean you'll never have to dust again? This is one of the most hopeful questions we get from our new air purifier customers. Unfortunately, an air purifier doesn't take the place of cleaning and dusting a home, but it definitely helps reduce the amount of dust in your home. While you vacuum and dust your home it is important to turn your air purifier on the highest speed, so kicked up particles that go airborne are captured in the air purifier and filtered out of your air. We have specific air purifiers that go above and beyond for dust control, if that is your main concern.
An air purifier is key to running a healthy home, so you might as well use it most efficiently and effectively by changing the pre-filter as prescribed by the manufacturer. It is a very good idea to put the date that you should check the pre-filter either on your calendar or on a piece of paper taped to the air purifier.
