Air filters help to filter solid or gaseous particles from the air in order to improve air quality. Examples of two of the most common types of air filters are HEPA filters and activated carbon (or charcoal) filters. HEPA filters capture particulate pollution, and carbon filters capture gases. Learn more about the different type of air filters, their uses, and how to select the best here.
One of the biggest questions when I started doing the DIY was HEPA lifespan–how long do the HEPAs last? Rather than just give people a nice-sounding answer, I wanted to see what the data says, so Gus has been dutifully turning on his Original DIY every day in his 12.3m2 Beijing …
News media like The New York Times and Today have been talking about using HEPA filters as a material to make DIY face masks. There are even YouTube videos showing how to DIY a mask out of a HEPA filter. But just how well can HEPA filters capture …
HEPA filters have caused controversy over concerns that they might shed tiny fibers and be harmful to health. But the latest scientific studies have shown HEPA filters are safe and found no evidence of harm. Possible shedding fibers have made some people afraid of HEPA filters and question “are HEPA …
After launching the world’s most cost-effective purifier (the Sqair), we started testing the HEPA lifespan. I’ve long been skeptical of the lifespan numbers purifier companies give because (1) they provide no empirical justification for the number and (2) they give the same numbers in Switzerland or Delhi. Yet clearly the …
Why does Smart Air’s latest air purifier, The Sqair, use a weaker filter–an H11 HEPA compared to the H12 and H13 HEPA filters out there? Tests of different filter grades revealed that weaker filters sometimes make stronger purifiers. Of course, purifier companies like to market their filters as top grade. …
As cities like Delhi, Beijing and Manila face toxic levels of air pollution, people are rushing to find effective pollution masks, particularly kid’s masks. But there’s a problem. Children’s faces are different from adults’. Add to that, children are constantly growing, meaning that the mask that fit last year might …
Many big purifier companies claim only their HEPA filters capture nanoparticles, like this Molekule ad. Although this claim is false, even journalists repeat this myth. Why is this belief so pervasive? One reasonable explanation is that the definition of “HEPA” leads people down that route. For example, this definition on …
Working on DIY air purifiers for over 6 years, I’ve heard from a lot of people who have strong intuitions about cleaning car air filter. People tell me they wash their vehicle’s air filter, vacuum it, or bang it really hard. Opinions are plenty, but what about real, hard data? …
Many purifier companies offer air purifier rental services as part of their business model. It sounds great: they offer to rent you an air purifier short term, and you save money in the process. This simple analysis will show why that system is flawed, and how renting air purifiers is …
Dust mites look scary. So you might ask, “Are their air purifiers for dust mites? Can air purifiers kill dust mites?” Apparently these creatures are probably in my home, since they’re in most people’s homes. A survey found dust mites in 84% of US beds and 68% of European …
