Quiet Air Purifier - What You Should Know Before Purchase

Most people buying their first air purifier are surprised at the noise it makes in the home. Only a few are really quiet.

Despite the universal, and often false, "quiet" claim by air purifier manufacturers, “Noisy on the high speed” is by far the most frequent consumer complaint.

The real issue is not how loud a purifier is on high, but how much sound it makes while cleaning meaningful amounts of air. Several premium air purifiers are loud on high, but offer as many as six speeds for useful quiet air purification.

The Decibel (dB) scale measures noise in objective terms.

On the Decibel scale, each 10 points [dB(A)] added represents 10 times as much sound. For example; 70 dB(A), is not 17% louder, but ten times as loud as 60 dB(A). With many purifiers topping out in the low 70’s, louder than normal conversation, sound levels are a major consumer concern.

A few Decibel ratings;

Threshold of human hearing: 0 dB(A)

Quietest air purifier: 15 dB(A)

Soft whisper: 20 dB(A)

Good air purifier on low: 32 dB(A)

Ordinary air purifier on low: 36 dB(A)

Refrigerator: 50 dB(A)

Normal conversation: 60 dB(A)

Dishwasher running: 55-70 dB(A)

Typical air purifier on high: 66 dB(A)

Busy street traffic, loud air purifier: 70 dB(A )

Car interior: 75 dB(A)

Vacuum cleaner: 80 dB(A)

Common home stereo: 80 dB(A)

Lawn mower: 90 dB(A)

Rock concert: 110 dB(A)

The air purifier industry has no standards for noise levels. Only a few vendors voluntarily reveal actual decibel sound emissions.

Many people will find equally noisy machines are not equally distracting. This is because the combination of sounds is different, more harmonious.

The notion that a quieter air purifier produces less stress and improved health is confirmed by scientific studies. Prolonged exposure to noise levels above 70 dBA can cause hearing loss. Noise levels greater than 50 dB(A) can make quiet conversation impossible.

Most air purifiers have a fan to move air. Nobody has found a way to clean air without moving it. Moving air makes noise.

We are told to make a purchase based on the largest room size an air purifier can clean. Manufacturer’s room size recommendations are based on full time high speed operation. This is not acceptable to most users, who will turn the purifier down or off.

A bigger air purifier can clean the smaller room on lower speeds, often quietly. Many air purifier buyers make the mistake of saving money by selecting a less expensive purifier when the most powerful model in that same vendor's product line is maybe only $20 higher.

A smaller unit will have to run on high continuously, and most smaller air purifiers are noisy on high. A bigger air purifier can run for a few minutes on high, and then be turned down to a quiet level.

Noise levels in decibels are not useful without associated airflow data. If it isn't moving any air, who cares how "quiet" it is? Reviews should cite a noise level with a related Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR) or airflow rate in cubic feet per minute (cfm). For example: 40dB(A)@212cfm is pretty quiet for the air being cleaned.

Well engineered backward curved fan blades and sealed ball bearing motors are less noisy. They cost more.

Noise can also develop when bearings or bushings wear out on cheaper motors, allowing side play of the fan shaft. When slack allows fan blades to rub housings, vibrations increase.

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Why Should I Cover My Air Conditioner During The Off Season?

Air conditioning manufacturers make rugged, high quality products that are designed to withstand the elements i.e. snow, wind, rain, sun, and extreme heat/ cold. However, an air conditioner's filters, coils and fins require regular maintenance for the unit to operate effectively and efficiently throughout its years of service. Unlike the evaporator coil, the condenser coil is exposed to unfiltered outdoor air. Air borne dirt will become lodged in the condenser when the outdoor environment is dusty, or if there is foliage near by. Depending on where you live dirt can build up very quickly. Just about everything that contacts the coil surface can have an insulating effect. Dirt, dust, seeds, bugs, foliage, grease, corrosion, pollution, and even bacteria and other microorganisms can act as an insulating barrier. Anything that touches the coil reduces the heat transfer of unwanted heat from the refrigerant to the outside air.

Air conditioning manufacturers design equipment to achieve the highest SEER level of efficiency using the least amount of refrigerant. The systems are perfectly balanced and anything that affects the heat transfer creates an imbalance which drastically affects performance. A dirty coil reduces heat transfer which causes temperature and pressure of the refrigerant entering the compressor to increases above normal levels. The compressor will than work harder and draw more amps to keep up. The cooling capacity of the system will be greatly reduced and the mechanical components will be significantly stressed. A dirty coil means a higher operating cost, more wear and tear on the compressor and fans, and inadequate cooling.

Coils that have little maintenance performed often become clogged with seeds and dirt over time. If the condenser airflow is restricted on a hot day the compressor head and cylinders will become extremely "hot". The oil will than begin to break down and lose its ability to lubricate causing accelerated wear and allowing contaminants to enter the system. This can cause rings, pistons and cylinders to wear resulting in lower compression, leaking valves, and metal debris in the oil. Once this occurs compressor failure will soon follow. Air conditioners are a closed loop system and changing the oil is not a normal or easy procedure. The oil used in air conditioning systems is extremely resilient but will prematurely break down if the system is not looked after. Imagine trying to drive your car for 10 years without ever changing the oil. When a hermetic compressor fails the only way to fix the system is to replace the compressor. This involves opening the system, having the refrigerant and oil removed, and filter dryers installed to clean up the system of moisture and acid that will be introduced from opening the system and left from the failure. This is a very costly procedure and many systems at this point are not worth fixing.

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Purchasing a Wood and Coal Furnace

The majority of individuals in America heat their homes with gas or electricity. Many of those individuals mistakenly believe that gas and electricity are their only home heating options. The fact is that there are a number of home heating alternatives. One of those methods is the use of a wood and coal furnace.

The decision to purchase a wood and coal furnace is a large one. The biggest cost of owning a wood and coal furnace is the initial purchase; however, that purchase can quickly pay for itself in the money that you will be saving. The best way to decide if a wood and coal furnace would be beneficial to your home is by weighing the pros and cons of all heating methods. Once this is done it is likely that you will see the benefits of owning a wood and coal furnace.

Once the decision has been made to purchase a wood and coal furnace you will need to find out where they are sold. There are a number of home heating stores or home improvement stores that sell these furnaces. Making a purchase from a department store is easy to do; however, you may be missing out on other furnaces. The size of a retail store often prevents a wide variety of items from being sold. There are currently hundreds of different wood and coal furnaces. Purchasing one from a retail store may limit your selection to only two or three furnaces. For this reason, there are many individuals who make the decision to purchase a wood and coal furnace online.

The greatest benefit of online shopping is that you can compare products and their prices all in a matter of minutes. While using the internet to purchase a wood and coal furnace has a number of benefits it also has one fairly large disadvantage. The internet makes it possible for anyone to sell just about any item that they want. The purchase of a wood and coal furnace is not a cheap one; therefore, you will want to make sure that you are dealing with a reputable company.

The best way to determine if you are dealing with an experienced heating company is by visiting their company website. All reputable online wood and coal furnace dealers should have a company website that offers valuable information on themselves and the products that they sell. It is also important to make sure that a company’s contact information is displayed on their website. If you agree to purchase a wood or coal furnace you may need to contact the seller; therefore, this information is essential.

As previously mentioned, the purchase of a wood and coal furnace is a big one, but it is one that could save you hundreds of dollars a year in home heating costs. Why should you and your family settle with high come heating costs when they can be so much lower with the purchase of a wood and coal furnace

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