Air Cleaner Ionizer

When we speak about air pollution, the first thing that clicks our mind is the smoky fumes emerging from the manufacturing industries, automobiles on the roads and other plants that require burning of fossil fuels. Many times, we tend to forget that indoor air pollution also exists. In simple terms, the air that we breathe in while staying indoors is not safe, rather it consists of particulate matter and gaseous contaminants. As per scientific studies, indoor air pollution is among the five leading environmental issues that affect human health.

Considering the various health effects of indoor air pollution, several devices are configured with main purpose of removing the pollutants. Air cleaners or air purifiers are available which are used for removal of particulate matter as well as gas pollutants. They are either installed directly in the duct works or available as separate portable air cleaners. An air cleaner ionizer or ionic air cleaner is a new technology, which operates by imparting charge to the particulate matters. Let's discuss in brief about air cleaner ionizer and its pros and cons.

Air Cleaner Ionizer: What is it?

The working mechanism of an ionic air cleaner is to alter the polarity of the particulate matter present inside the room. In majority of the configurations, stainless steel built-in needles are used to generate electrons. After turning on the power supply, the needlepoints create negative ions, which are circulated and attached to the particulate contaminants, thus converting them into charged particles. The resulting charged particles attract towards each other or adhere to positively charged surfaces.

The overall outcome of an air cleaner ionizer is the formation of large and heavy particles, which no longer remain floating in the air, but they tend to settle down or attached to the nearby surfaces. Frequent dusting and cleaning is required to clean the particles that have settled on the surfaces. An air cleaner ionizer is often used with a home air filter system that helps in collecting the ionized particles. The mechanical filter should also be changed regularly, so as to prevent clogging.

Air Cleaner Ionizer : Pros and Cons

One of the major advantages of air cleaner ionizers is that it takes out even ultra fine particulate matter, which are as small as 0.01 microns. An air cleaner ionizer sterilizes bacteria, viruses, smoke and other toxic fumes. With such an air cleaner system, you have little to worry about the pathogens and secondhand smoke. These home air cleaners are effective for removing airborne particles from across the room. Hence, most of the homeowners, who are concerned about indoor pollutants, prefer to install ionic air cleaner in larger rooms, where a conventional mechanical filter is not sufficient to remove particles.

While mentioning about the drawbacks of air cleaner ionizers, it does not remove all the indoor air pollutants, chemicals and odors. Another drawback is the energy coast, as it is operated by using high voltage electricity. It is also reported that this house air cleaner does not kill germs, fungi and some of the viruses. That's why, usage of an air cleaner ionizer is recommended along with other indoor air cleaning systems such as ultraviolet lamps, ozone generator and carbon filter. On the concluding note, air cleaner ionizers complement other filtering systems, helping to provide clean and healthy air.