Hepa Filter Vacuums: What You Should Know
Are you among the millions who suffer from allergies? Then you know that vacuuming can become a nightmare. HEPA filtered vacuums reduce allergies by removing the particulates like dust, dust mites, and so much more. They ensure that the exhaust air will be a lot cleaner than the non-HEPA filtered vacuums.
A lot of you hear the word HEPA and have wondered just what that exactly is? As a consumer, you want to know exactly what you are buying. Well HEPA is just an acronym that stands for High Efficiency Particulate Air. The HEPA filters are net-like structures which are formed together by various borosilicate fibers which have openings that are too small for most particulates to pass through; however, they are big enough to let air go through them.
Generic HEPA filters have made their way to the market, but only true HEPA vacuums display their efficiency ratings on the packages (which are: at least 99.97% of the particulates will be removed). Other filters may not meet the standards and can leave dust, animal dander, smoke, mold and many other things behind. Your house will not be as clean with those vacuums as a HEPA filter vacuum cleaner.
So how exactly does a Hepa filter vacuum work? Well there are three different ways the filters work: interception, impaction, and diffusion. During the inception method, the particles go around the fibers in the filter and then finish by sticking to it. These particles are stuck within the filter and removed from the air. Secondly we have impaction, where the bigger particles may make it passed the top layer but will not be able to pass completely through the filter. This works great in the HEPA vacuum cleaners because the method is best in tight filters with strong airflow. The last method is called diffusion. In this method (which is probably the hardest to understand) basically is what causes one of the other two methods to work. Diffusion works by a principle that says particles will collide with one another and air molecules changing their paths, making it harder to get through the filter.
The main reason in using a HEPA filter vacuum is pretty simple. You use the vacuum and filter to get out allergens such as dirt, dander, and much more out of the surfaces. This will leave you with cleaner air, making you safe from most of the particles. Vacuums are used to getting those particles you cannot get yourself. You should always follow the manufacturer’s recommendations on proper changing and cleaning of the filters to ensure best performance.
Now on to the best part what the customers want to know, the pros. HEPA filtered vacuum cleaners have many pros to talk about. The main reason to even use a vacuum is to remove dust – leaving a clean house. The HEPA filter vacuums were created to remove all house dust particles that most vacuums would leave behind. They are put through tests conducted to make sure they do what they are supposed to. If they pass the test then they are given a verification number as proof they do actually pass the HEPA standards, which removes 99.97% of the dust particles. This gives you the advantage of having a home free of allergens which provide the clean house and the ability to breathe clean air. The price is well worth it for all the benefits. More advantages are that they are pretty light so that makes it easy to carry around, and it actually improves your carpet by removing all the negative elements that are harsh on it. Filtered vacuums also are very quiet. A vacuum cleaner with bags can easily leak on the floor and furniture, bagless ones with the HEPA filter prevent this. The warranty is another thing that is great. You get a full guarantee of receiving a completely new one capable of doing the job, if the other one doesn’t. It has a long list of customer reviews saying they are some of the most powerful vacuum cleaners to own. They even have attachments to get into those hard to reach places. The pros are just too many to list.
For “the bad part,” we have a couple cons and/or warnings. The big disadvantage of having a bagless vacuum cleaner is keeping the dust from entering the motor by maintaining the filters. The amount you end up paying adds up when you replace the filters, especially if used a lot. You also have to worry about cleaning out the filters, which in the long run makes them deteriorate. Too much cleaning can also lead to an odor coming from the vacuum such as mildew or mold. Another con is having to replace the rubber gaskets and seals over time from being worn out. The benefits of living in a clean home with high quality air, among other advantages, far outweigh the cons.
Always, it is much better to do personal research when shopping for a vacuum. The HEPA filtered vacuums show their proof right on the model with their rating and serial number showing that they passed the test. You may pay a little bit more for replacing older filters but you will be able to breath better using the HEPA filters since they do, after all, pick up almost 100% of the dirt and dust particles in the carpet and air.
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