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With recent air pollution challenges, many seek guidance on choosing air purifiers. What factors should you consider when purchasing an air purifier? Recently, air quality in several major cities in Vietnam has deteriorated significantly...
1. How to Choose the Right Air Purifier amidst Air Pollution?
In response to recent air pollution, many are turning to air purifier products. What should you consider when buying an air purifier? Recently, air quality in major cities across Vietnam has significantly declined. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment has reported the highest PM2.5 dust concentration in Hanoi in the past 5 years and advises people to limit outdoor activities during this period.
With health protection needs rising, many are looking to purchase air purifiers for their homes. However, the market offers dozens of models, with prices ranging from over 2 million to over 10 million VND. So, what are the most important factors when buying an air purifier?
Air Filtration Technology and Humidification. Naturally, an air purifier must first and foremost effectively filter the air, turning polluted, dusty air into clean air with low dust content to reduce health impacts.
Assessing air quality can be done by measuring the proportion of fine dust in the air, with two dust indices: PM2.5 and PM10. PM2.5 consists of ultrafine dust particles with sizes of 2.5 micrometers or less, while PM10 comprises particles with sizes of 10 micrometers or less.
The internal filters in the machine can be divided into different filtration levels. At the coarse filtration level, large dust particles, animal hair, and fur in the air are trapped. Intermediate filters may deodorize using activated carbon.
The most crucial is the fine dust filter. Most machines on the current market use HEPA filters, composed of fibers with diameters of 0.5-2 micrometers, thus capable of trapping dust particles, pollen, smoke molecules... as small as 0.3 micrometers.
Therefore, when purchasing a purifier, ensure it can filter fine dust. Additionally, explore premium purifiers with functions such as odor elimination and bacteria eradication.
Besides cleanliness, air quality, and comfort also come from humidity. Using a purifier in a closed room often leads people to turn on the air conditioner for air circulation, reducing humidity, which can cause dry skin and discomfort.
Autumn and winter weather in the Northern region often have low humidity, so when purchasing a machine, look for one with a humidification function to maintain comfortable room humidity levels.
Consider the usage area and additional functions
Efficient usage area is mentioned in the specifications of all types of air purifiers. Users should calculate the area of the areas they intend to use the air purifier in order to equip it appropriately.
In households, the bedroom is perhaps the most important place to equip an air purifier. In addition, some families also use air purifiers in the living room. Some sellers provide information about the available area when the room is sealed or open; when making a purchase, you should also carefully examine this detail.
Many companies nowadays introduce smart air purifier products, allowing connection and control from smartphones or displaying dust concentration, and tracking dust ratio over time. This is an interesting feature, but the most important thing is still the air filtering ability.
Currently, air conditioners integrated with air purifiers are also more common. If you haven't installed an air conditioner yet, you can consider this option for the bedroom to save space for a separate air purifier.
Warranty, post-sales support
There are many companies on the market providing air purifiers, both new and used. Therefore, when purchasing, users should inquire about the warranty and post-sales support.
For used items, because they are used goods, you should research the seller's credibility. Nowadays, many people import used goods from Japan, also known as 'second-hand' goods.
Due to the voltage in Japan being 110 V, electronic devices imported from this market will need to be equipped with either an internal or external transformer. You should also carefully check this component, ensuring it has a self-cutting fuse to avoid short circuits or fires while in use.
After a period of use, the filters will need to be replaced one by one. However, the lifespan of these filters ranges from 3-10 years, so the cost of replacing them over time is not too high.
Some brands like Sharp, Hitachi sell filter cores for around nearly 1 million VND. Meanwhile, the cost of replacing filter cores from brands like Daikin, Panasonic, or Xiaomi is cheaper, under 500,000 VND. Before purchasing, you should inquire thoroughly about the lifespan of the filters and whether replacement filters are available to make a reasonable choice.
No matter how well the air purifier performs, it should not be solely relied upon. Regular cleaning will help keep the house clean and ventilated, ensuring both health and prolonging the lifespan of the air purifier.
Source: Zing.vn
