Indoor air purifiers – are they really worth the hype? Not even sure what they are? We can explain.
Does Your Office Need an Air Purifier?
Air pollution isn’t limited to just outdoor air. The air we breathe in indoor spaces like our homes and offices can also be contaminated. In fact, the Environmental Protection Agency estimates that the concentration of pollutants indoors can be 2 to 5 times higher than outdoors. Shocking, isn’t it?
The good thing about indoor air compared to outdoor air is that it can be filtered and cleaned. Every building, including residential and commercial, is expected to have an HVAC system that moves air around. HVAC stands for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning. This system regulates the temperature as well as filters and improves indoor air quality. However, it is not enough.
Most HVAC systems have air filters that can only trap and scrub large particulate matter. They are not designed to filter small particle contaminants, as this would mean that they would have to run optimally only for filtering and, ultimately, unable to perform their heating and air conditioning functions. Therefore, relying on a building’s HVAC system cannot make your indoor air perfectly clean.
This is where air purifiers come in. Simply put, they are devices that use filters to remove contaminants from indoor air and make it clean and safe to breathe. To further describe their effects, they boost productivity, improve wellness, and create a happier state of mind.
Now that we are caught up and agree that we all need an indoor air purifier, it’s time to figure out whether a residential air purifier will do the trick or if you need to invest in a commercial-grade purifier.
Residential Air Purifiers
Residential air purifiers are typically suitable for use in the home or smaller spaces where there isn’t a lot of foot traffic. They are often portable and easy to move around the house. This type of air purifier has different levels of filtration, and they are usually on the MERV scale. Medium Efficiency Reporting Value (MERV) is a rating that measures the filter’s ability to capture particles from the air. MERV ratings run from 1 to 20, and the scale is based on how the filter captures particles sized 0.3-10 micrometres.
A residential air purifier with MERV 11- 13 rating does the best job cleaning the air in a small space. MERV-13 captures 75% of particles as small as 0.3 microns and thus reduces allergens in the air and protects the home.
Commercial Air Purifiers
Commercial air purifiers are larger and more powerful, often found in offices, hospitals, gyms, and hotels. Compared to residential air purifiers, they provide an increased level of air purification and are appropriate for spaces with higher foot traffic.
The best commercial air purifiers have HEPA filters. High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters are incredibly effective and efficient, and they can capture at least 99.97% of air pollutants with a size as small as 0.3 microns. Although HEPA filters are not officially MERV-rated, they are known to have a rating of MERV 17 and higher, the highest rating an air purifier can achieve.
Comparison Between Residential and Commercial Air Purifiers
Enjoy a Breath of Clean Air
With diseases like covid-19, it has become essential that the air we breathe indoors, whether in the office or at home, is purified of bacteria, viruses, and fungi. It may be tempting to use air purifiers with HEPA filters in the house, but they can be too powerful and, as a result, restrict airflow. Thus, residential purifiers with MERV 11-13 rating are perfect for the home, and commercial-grade purifiers with HEPA filters are ideal for commercial buildings.
Regardless of what indoor air purifier you purchase, their filters must be cleaned and changed when necessary to perform well and clean the air. An air purifier with a dirty filter puts you at risk as it can release pollutants into the air.
The Jade™ 2.0
At Office Interiors, we offer one of the most advanced, standalone, premium commercial-grade air purifiers- the JADE™ 2.0. This air purifier has a HEPA-RX filter that captures ultra-fine particulate and a chamber that revitalizes clean air with negative ions before it is circulated back into the room. Contact our team to discuss your indoor air filtration solutions.
Fola Adedeji
Marketing Coordinator
Office Interiors
