HEPA Vacuum Cleaner
Here’s What You Should Know in Buying a HEPA Vacuum Cleaner
Vacuum cleaners that come with HEPA filters are referred to as HEPA vacuum cleaners. HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filters came into being in the 1940’s, and were primarily designed to filter radioactive dust particulate from bomb shelters during tests involving atomic bombs. However, this is far from the purpose that a HEPA vacuum cleaner would serve.
These vacuum cleaners are used extensively, in homes and businesses alike, and help keep our indoors dust and allergen free. While almost all HEPA vacuum cleaners essentially work in the same fashion, you should know that this is not a set standard and neither is it regulated by any governing body, so any vacuum cleaner manufacturer can claim that its vacuum cleaners have HEPA filters.
A HEPA filter should ideally be able to filter out at least 99.97% of the particulate that is larger than 0.3 microns (a human hair is about 40 microns). A HEPA filter that does not do this is not really an effective HEPA filter.
This is why it is important that you do some research before you actually buy a HEPA vacuum cleaner. One of the first things that you need to know is that you cannot really expect to get a new vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter for under a hundred and fifty dollars. The filter that is fixed in vacuum cleaners under this price would, more often than not, be a regular charcoal filter. You should know that a HEPA filter comes in a sealed unit, and this does not come cheap.
Blindly following claims of vacuum cleaners coming with HEPA filters is not at all suggested. HEPA filtration is a fairly slow process, and when this combines with the fast action of a vacuum cleaner, it creates a hindrance for the air going through the filter, thereby causing dust particulate to bypass it. This is not uncommon in supposed HEPA filter vacuum cleaners.
Since the quality of vacuum cleaners that come with HEPA filters can vary considerably, these are a few things that you should keep in mind.
• You should look for a vacuum cleaner that also comes with a pre-filter. This would prevent bigger particles from clogging the HEPA filter.
• You should look for a vacuum cleaner with a washable HEPA filter.
• You should look for a model where the HEPA filter is placed after the motor. This will ensure that allergen free air is emitted from the cleaner.
• You should look for a model which has all of its components completely sealed, as this would make the vacuum cleaner leakage free.
Remember that you do have a wide range of options in buying a good HEPA vacuum cleaner, and it is important that you compare a few models before you actually buy one.