Sunday, May 13, 2007
What is a HEPA Vacuum Cleaner?
"HEPA" stands for "high efficiency particulate arrestor." "Arrestor" means that the filter stops, or "arrests," debris from passing through the filter back into room air.
A HEPA filter catches dust and doesn't let tiny particulates pass through it back into room air. Many vacuum cleaner manufacturers now offer HEPA models. Generally, canister styles are seen as preferred over uprights. The chassis must be sealed, so that air doesn't leak out through cracks.
A HEPA filter removes 99.97% of dust and other particulates from the airstream. Vacuum cleaners that are not HEPA vacuum cleaners typically recycle many tiny particulates back into room air. One client said her cough was 80% better just by upgrading to a HEPA vacuum cleaner.
I test vacuum cleaner exhausts with a laser particle counter. That is, my instrument counts the dust particles in exhaust air. With a HEPA vacuum cleaner, the count is close to zero. With other vacuum cleaners, it can range up very high, to the tens of thousands or more.
A HEPA filter catches dust and doesn't let tiny particulates pass through it back into room air. Many vacuum cleaner manufacturers now offer HEPA models. Generally, canister styles are seen as preferred over uprights. The chassis must be sealed, so that air doesn't leak out through cracks.
A HEPA filter removes 99.97% of dust and other particulates from the airstream. Vacuum cleaners that are not HEPA vacuum cleaners typically recycle many tiny particulates back into room air. One client said her cough was 80% better just by upgrading to a HEPA vacuum cleaner.
I test vacuum cleaner exhausts with a laser particle counter. That is, my instrument counts the dust particles in exhaust air. With a HEPA vacuum cleaner, the count is close to zero. With other vacuum cleaners, it can range up very high, to the tens of thousands or more.
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