Air Treatment Buying Guide

To create the most comfortable home possible you need to consider the air you breathe; especially if you or loved ones have allergies, asthma or any other respiratory conditions. It’s not pleasant living with air that’s too damp, too dry or too dusty, or has unpleasant pet, cigarette smoke or cooking odours. You may already know your home air is too humid or too dry, but if not you can use a humidity gauge to determine which kind of air treatment you need to create a more comfortable home. This Air Treatment Buying Guide will make it easier to choose the right kind of air treatment for your home.

1. Where & how will you be using it?

  • How big is the room you want to use it in? The bigger the room the more power and larger water tank capacity you’ll need
  • Do you want to be able to move it from room to room? If yes go for a portable model with wheels so it’s easy to move around
  • If you choose a model with a smaller tank size, you’ll have to refill or empty it more often
  • Do you want to use it at home or while travelling? A compact portable model is better for travel, whereas as wall mounted console model is obviously more suited to home use

2. Purifiers, humidifiers & dehumidifiers

Humidifiers

  • Inject more moisture back into your home air
  • Prevent dry air that may lead to:
  • Skin drying out and cracking
  • Plants drying out
  • An increased risk of contracting colds and the flu
  • Existing respiratory conditions being triggered
  • The finer the water droplets produced the easier they are to absorb
  • Some models produce a:
  • Cool mist that also keeps the room cool which makes them great for young families
  • Hot mist models also heat the room so are good for use in cold climates
  • Ultrasonic models are the quietest with the finest mist so are the best for babies’ rooms
  • Humidifiers help dry your laundry so are great for use in apartments that don’t have a dryer

Air purifiers

  • Capture allergens and remove them from the air you breathe
  • The filter traps dust, mites, bacteria, smoke, pollen and other airborne allergens
  • When comparing models look at their Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR) – this tells you how fast it purifies the air
  • Most air purifiers have filters that need to be replaced
 

Dehumidifiers

  • If you live in a place where the air is really humid, you have lots of window condensation or your house is quite damp, a dehumidifier extracts moisture from the air
  • Once the water has been removed from the air, some models:
  • Collect the water in a container you’ll need to empty on a regular basis
  • Automatically drain the water by connecting to a hose
  • When comparing different models look at the extraction rates – a higher rate means moisture is removed from the air faster

All-in-one units

  • Some models are a combined air purifier and humidifier in one unit
  • Some air conditioners have a built-in dehumidifier and/or HEPA filter to capture allergens

3. What matters to you?

Think about which of the following features matter to you most:

  • Smart sensors – adjust the air treatment output to suit the room conditions for consistent air quality
  • Adjustable speeds – for greater control over your home air
  • Filter change alert – tells you when the filter needs to be replaced
  • Humidistat ­– can be set to automatically adjust and keep your room at the desired humidity
  • Timer – so it can be set to switch off after you’re asleep
  • Sleep mode – noise reduction technology that ensures it’s quiet during sleeping
  • Washable filters – saves on replacement filter costs
  • Remote control ­ for complete home air quality convenience

4. Looking after it

  • Read and follow all of the manufacturer’s care instructions
  • Make sure you empty your dehumidifier water collection tank on a regular basis
  • Make sure you check and change your filters as recommended by the manufacturer

5. Other Considerations

If there are allergy sensitivities in your household also consider:

  • Filters – Most air treatment models require replacement filters so keep a couple on hand
  • Vacuums – While air treatment products capture allergens from the air, a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter captures allergens from the floor for an even healthier home
  • Washers/dryers – some laundry appliances have a HEPA filter that removes allergens

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