People are mostly concerned about the air quality inside their house. According to the scantiest and environmental agency, the air inside the house is ten times more polluted than outside on the busy city roads. For cleaning the air inside the house, people are using air purifiers for quite a long time. These devices use filters and robust technology to trap all the air-born harmful particles and provide clean and fresh air for the people living inside the building.
The one thing that keeps haunting the people’s minds about these products is that do air purifiers overheat. The overheating of the air purifier and fear of fire is enough for the people to leave the idea of buying a product for them inside of the house. To answer the question of do air purifiers overheat, one must understand the way and technology of the product which the air purifiers use to clean the air inside. The complete picture of the mechanism will make people understand and mitigate the fear of fire and overheating to use the air filter in their house and live a healthy and fear-free life.
Table of Contents
How old is the air purifier technology?
18th century
The industrial revolution was based entirely on the burning of coal. At that time, the main power source was burning coal which led to pollution and harmful particles in the air. Though there were no sophisticated equipment and tools to identify the real cause, the decreasing health of the worker and people around the factories made it necessary to create a filtration system that diminished coal’s harmful effect in the 18th century.
1940
The next breakthrough in air purifying technology was World War II. In the year of 1940, HEPA filters were invented. The use filters were called High-Efficiency Particulate Air Filters. These HEPA filters were made for scientists and soldiers. The purpose of this product was to save them from inhaling radioactive parties in and around laboratories. These filters had a high-efficiency rate and saved the lives of many people at that time.
1963
This was the invention of the new dawn of domestic air purifiers. In this year 3, Manfred and Klaus Hammes came up with the most innovative product that revolutionized the air purifier industry for domestic users. With the help of these air purifiers, people start using the products in their homes to get clean and fresh air with a healthy lifestyle.
1980
This was the year when Clean Air Delivery Rate was introduced. The measurement is a standard to check for the productivity and efficiency of the product inside the room. CADR has become a yardstick for measuring efficiency in real terms, and the inventor had to meet the requirements set by the scientists to clean the air inside the room for safe and healthy air.
Modern times
In modern times there are various air purifiers are using combinations of various technologies with maximum CADR and high Air Change per Hour rate.
How do air purifiers clean the air?
The answer to this question depends on the type of air purifier you use to clean the room’s air. There are mostly five types of air purifiers which you can have in your room. And on modern days, most of the purifiers are also using a combination of two or three different technologies.
1. HEPA Filter
High-Efficiency Particulate Air Filters are the most robust and powerful filters which air purifier use. These filers were invented in World War II. The purpose of these filters at that time was to provide safety from the contaminated radioactive particles. HEPA filters are now widely used, and the most robust air filters come with this technology to provide you with clean and fresh air. The 99.97 % clean air guarantee is tested and confirmed in various experiments in the present. The HEPA filters trap all the air-born particles, with dust and pollen particles and harmful bacteria and viruses.
2. Activated Carbon Air Filter
Charcoal is extracted from the wood and coal to make these filters. Activated carbon is the most powerful filter in diminishing the bad odors and harmful chemicals from the area. When there is an elevated level of carbon monoxide, it will affect the health and productivity of the people inside. The activated carbon filters trap the excess carbon monoxide in the air and provide you with fresh and clean air. There are tiny pores in the activated carbon filter that trap all the harmful particles, fumes, and gases from the air.
3. Air Ionizer
The next technology that air purifiers use is Ionizer technology. Here in this method, the air purifier throws the tiny charged particles that combine all the dust, dirt, and pollution particle to combine and fall to the ground. This technology provides maximum protection from allergens and air born particles, but the drawback of this product is that there creates a fine layer of dirt on everything in the room, and you have to clean the area more often.
4. Germicidal UV Lamp
Use of the UV lamps to kill germs and bacteria has been in practice for quite a long these lights are effective in killing bacteria and viruses, but they are not productive at all in removing the dust, dander, and pollen from the air. These lamps alone cannot improve the quality of air in the building.
5. Ozone Generator
These air purifiers are very effective in killing germs and bacteria. But there is a catch with these generators Ozone is highly effective and reactant. It can create irritation in the lungs, and extended exposure to it will cause various health issues.
Are Air Purifiers Safe?
The answer to this question is a big yes. These products have been there in homes for more than five decades, and people use them to save their loved ones from allergens and asthma attacks. These products have not shown any negative results in the lab tests. And all around the globe, people are using these products with trust and surety.
Ozone generators are used to kill germs and bacteria. Professionals know how to use them. That’s why domestic users are not advised to use them in the room while sitting or roaming around.
What Causes Air Purifiers to Overheat?
The main reason for an air purifier to overheat after regular use of day and night is a clogged filter. Whenever you feel that the purifier is not working efficiently or is getting overheated, open it up and clean the air filter, you will get maximum productivity and safe air from an efficient air purifier. Overheating also increases the energy consumption of the product. That’s why it is imperative to clean the filter regularly.
The short circuit or some malfunction is also responsible for overheating electrical appliances; the air purifier is no exception. But this seldom happens, and when it does, call some expert technicians to solve the issue.
What to look for when buying an air purifier?
When you want to buy an air purifier, a little information about the most important aspects and necessary features will do great, and you will have a product that will keep you satisfied for some extended time. Those important features are:
HEPA filter and Activated Carbon
The HEPA filter with activated carbon will work great for you and will provide maximum protection and safe air to breathe. The HEPA filter removes all the air borne parties, bacteria, and viruses, while the activated carbon filter removes carbon monoxide, harmful chemicals, and bad odors from the area.
Sleep mode
When you are looking for an air purifier to keep running, it by your side even at night will make things easy for you at night by silently running the air purifier.
UV and ionization infusion
The UV and ionization infusion also provides maximum protection, and the extra feature will save you from the pollutants if there are more dust particles in the area around.
Capacity and room size
The air purifier’s capacity means the room size for which it is capable of providing the optimum air purifying. The cubic feet area is mentioned on the product, and when you want to buy the product, look for the room size and choose the product accordingly.
Energy efficient
When you want to use the air purifier for some extended time, an efficient product will serve you well and save you money even by extended use.
Also Read : How to Tell if Air Purifier is Working
FAQs for air purifiers and their working:
Is it safe to leave an air purifier on all night?
You can leave the air purifier turned on all night to kill the air-born bacteria and particles only if it doesn’t disrupt your sleep while performing its duty. There is no hazard for you to leave the product on at night; rather, it decreases any chance of an allergy or asthma attack from harmful particles like dust and dander in the area.
Can air purifiers catch on fire?
No, there are rare chances that an air purifier catches fire. If you are wondering that do air purifiers overheat, the answer could be yes or no, depending on the technology and performance of the product. But the answer to the question of do they catch fire is no.
How long does it take an air purifier to clean a room?
The capability of the air purifier depends on its size and capacity. Various sizes and types of air purifiers come in different capacities. ACH, the Air Change per Hour, is the measure to know about the time the product will take to clean the air. The 1 ACH means that it will take an hour for the air purifier to clean the air in the specific room with closed windows and doors.
Conclusion
Do air purifiers overheat haunt most people who want to keep their purifier running day and night. These products are even safe to use around your children and elder. When you have an asthma patient, keep the air purifier running and save the person from the hassle and attacks. The air purifier’s overnight operations don’t make them overheat. You must care for one thing, which is a filter. If you keep the filter clean, there won’t be an overheating issue. And you will love the fresh and clean air from the air purifier.