Wondering What is Micron & why is it important for air quality? Keep reading!
If you are purchasing your first air purifier, you may come across a lot of confusing terms.
One of them is certainly “micron” what does it mean? Why is it one of the most important parameters to consider when buying an air purifier?
In this article, we’ll introduce you to the concept of micron, and we’ll explain when you need to check this information on your air purifier (before purchasing it).
Key Takeaways
- A Micron is a measurement unit corresponding to one-millionth of a meter.
- Microns tell us what all impurities can pass through an air purifier, which is why it becomes important.
- Moat filters can only filter particles that are bigger than 5, or in the best cases, 2 microns.
- HEPA filters are the best because they can trap a minimum size of 0.3 microns.
What Is A Micron?
A Micron is a unit of measurement that corresponds to one-millionth of a meter (or 0.0004 of an inch).
Just to give you an idea about how tiny 1 Micron is, just know that the average diameter of human hair is 50 microns.
When it comes to air purifiers, this size becomes helpful because it tells what particles are filtered through the device and what particles are too tiny, so they pass unharmed through the filters and are blown back into the environment. 1
So, how powerful should be your air purifier filter to actually disinfect your air?
Read: Air Quality Index
The Average Size Of Air Particles
As you may guess, air particles are extremely small: 98% of them are less than 1 micron in size. And what about air purifiers? Can they filter such tiny particles?
Well, it depends on the air purifier.
The truth is that average air purifiers (the most affordable ones) won’t be able to filter out harmful particles because their filters (that are usually activated carbon filters) can only filter particles that are bigger than 5, or in the best cases, 2 microns.
SO, what kind of air purifier do you need to purchase to actually remove harmful air particles from your air? 2
Why HEPA Filters Are Considered Best?
Now that you know what a micron is, you can better understand why HEPA filters are considered the absolute best types of filters for air purifiers.
HEPA filters can trap particles that have a minimum size of 0.3 microns. Such powerful filters can remove more than 99% of harmful particles from the air around you.
Are UV Filters Any Good?
For UV filters, there is no need to talk about microns. These filters don’t trap particles to remove them from the air; they work differently.
UV filters are nothing else than UV lamps: the light can kill pathogens like bacteria, viruses, and spores.
These particles are blown back into the air, but they are dead, deactivated, and completely unharmful.
Conclusion
To sum up, what we’ve learned in this article, we can focus on the following points:
- 98% of air particles are less than the 1-micron size
- Cheap air purifiers won’t be effective because they can remove particles of 5 microns minimum size
- HEPA filters are very effective because they can remove particles as little as 0.3 microns (more than 99% of all air particles)
- There is no point in checking microns on a UV filter because this is not how UV filters work.
FAQ’s
What is micron air filter?
Micron air filter is very effective in providing protection against soot, dust, pollen, bacteria, dust mites, toxic gases, debries, road dust and more.
What microns of air filter should you get?
You should get an air filter with micron rating of 5-10.
What is the micron in HEPA filter?
HEPA filters can trap 99.7% of particles of 0.3 microns in size.
Kylie has been studying air purifiers for the last 20 years and is an expert in the field. She tests and reviews different air purifiers, letting people know they are worth buying. Kylie writes blogs about the latest air purifiers, their features, health benefits, and more. When she’s not writing or spending time with her granddaughter, Kylie can be found testing new air purifiers to see how they perform.
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