HEPA means  High Efficiency Particulate Air, and while many  consumers  have heard of HEPA filters, they don’t normally  understand why they are so important to your household’s health.

Originally created  in the 1940s, HEPA filters were built  to stop radioactive contaminants from spreading during nuclear testing. Over the years  , they were improved and adapted to a variety of industries and eventually given a accepted prominence  by which they are outlined – which is abolishing  99.97% of airborne particles that 0.3µ (micrometers) in diameter . Only filters that achieve this rate can be called HEPA – any other name (HEPA-like, HEPA-type, etc…) are not HEPA filters.

 Despite typically made up of fiberglass fibers, they can be made of other components  that abide  to the HEPA filtering standard. They are used in many environments  , such as airlines and hospitals, to stop the spread of infectious disease.

They are also the premier  line of defense against allergens such as dust mite feces and pollen. Dust mites are little  creatures related to spiders that live in each home. Their main  food source is flaked off human skin, and they are found on soft surfaces like carpet, upholstery and bedding. While this may not be appealing, its a fact of life in any home.

Many people get sold on “low care  ” filters that never have to be replaced ; however, not only do they require more maintenance than HEPA filter machines, they don’t indeed  remove anything.

Dust mites, their feces, pollen and human skin (which is what dust mites feed on) are constantly being produced and are circulating in your home’s air. The only way to take in and remove them from the air supply is with filtration. And to be affective, that must be HEPA filtration.

So don’t be swayed  by marketing that convinces  you don’t need a replaceable filter. HEPA filter equipped air purifiers are a must for anyone who is serious about breathing clear air.