HEPA filters are the highest level of air filtration and are considered medical grade. But what exactly is a HEPA filter? HEPA stands for High-Efficiency Particulate Air filter and must meet certain requirements to be considered a true or genuine HEPA filter, such as the ability to trap 99.97 percent of particles that are 0.3 microns in size. These filters typically have a pleated design with some mesh elements to trap particles. It may also be useful to review what CFM is in an air purifier if you want to naturally increase the clean air supply rate of an air purifier. It is important to note that there is no official HEPA certification program for consumer residential air purifiers.
This is a government standard intended to ensure proper air filtration in government and military projects. For example, government contractors must comply with strict standards when installing HEPA filters in ventilation systems in nuclear facilities. They would need to prove that the filters used comply with the DOE HEPA standard.
HEPA-type
: Calling a filter a HEPA-type filter is essentially meaningless, since it doesn't conform to any standard. Therefore, an air purifier or filter manufacturer could have their filter UL tested and, if it passes, the purifier may bear the UL mark (usually the letters “UL” in a circle, sometimes with the specific safety or performance standard ID listed below).For example, a poorly designed filter with gaps around the filter frame would have a very high CADR number, but would provide almost no benefit as a real filter.During your research on air filters and air purifiers, you may have come across the term HEPA filter H13. After all, there's a reason these filters are often found in hospitals and other places where clean air could rightfully be a life-or-death problem. Choosing a medical-grade H13 HEPA filter over less efficient variants can offer some notable benefits, especially compared to an air conditioner, since air purifiers work to clean the air. If you're looking to drastically reduce odors in your home or office, you can't go wrong with an air purifier equipped with a medical-grade HEPA H13 filter.HepaSilent: This is a proprietary trademark filter used by BlueAir that combines an electrostatic charge with a mechanical filter. In other words, they are efficient like other types, including electrostatic vs.
HEPA air purifiers, HEPA filters versus air purifiers, diffusers versus air purifiers, and water-based versus filter-based air cleaners. Many HEPA air purifiers claim that they can remove these contaminants. However, they can be hybrid purifiers with an additional carbon filter, or the HEPA filter can be impregnated with activated carbon.
True HEPA
: A consumer air filter labeled True HEPA must meet the DOE standard closest to the DOE standard for a HEPA air filter. The main reason to get extra money to buy an air purifier, such as the top plug-in air purifier, equipped with a medical grade HEPA H13 filter is the extraordinary filtration capacity offered. To comply with the HEPA specification, an air filter must trap 99.97 percent of all particles that have a diameter of 0.3 microns. CADR: stands for “clean air supply rate” and simply means how much air flows through the filter, but it's not a reliable number. When you're researching the best air purifier to use in your home, one term you'll see time and time again is “HEPA”.Note that in Europe, the HEPA standard is defined a little differently (if you see a filter with a rating similar to H13 or U16, the European standard is being used) in general terms, the higher the number (regardless of the letter), the better the filter according to the European standard.
