HEPA vacuums are a great way to ensure that the air you breathe stays clean and free of allergens when you vacuum your floors. However, it’s worth knowing whether or not all types of HEPA filters are the same and what you need to consider before choosing a HEPA vacuum for your situation.
What does HEPA really mean?
HEPA stands for “High-Efficiency Particulate Air.” It is a type of filter that removes 99.97% of airborne particles 0.3 microns in size, such as dust, allergens, and pollen from the air passing through it.
A HEPA filter is made up of a series of layers, each with different properties to trap and remove various types of particle sizes for it to be classified as HEPA-rated:
Are all Vacuums with HEPA filtration the same?
Whereas most HEPA-rated filters in commercial vacuum cleaners are effective at trapping minute particles, not all vacuum cleaners with HEPA filters will give you the same performance.
For example, a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter but which isn’t sealed properly will have air leaks and will not be as effective at trapping particles. This is because the airflow through these vacuums can bypass or “leak” around any filters that are present, which means the particles would escape back into the air and not get caught.
The size of the HEPA filter is also important, as some are smaller than others and vacuums with smaller filters tend to lose their effectiveness over time or under heavy use if the filters are not cleaned or replaced often.
Replacing filters often can add up in cost if not taken into consideration beforehand!
Which type of HEPA vacuum is best?
Vacuums that have HEPA filters are a great way to ensure that the air you breathe stays clean and free of allergens when vacuuming your floors. However, the type of HEPA vac that you should consider all depends on your needs.
For example, if you are working in a laboratory environment, where there should be close to 100% clean air, you will need a vacuum that has been certified as a true HEPA filtration system.
These typically cost a lot more than a vacuum with a HEPA filter because each of these vacuum cleaners needs to go through an official and regulated certification process.
On the other hand, if you are using a vacuum in your home, business, or in a commercial environment and you need HEPA filtration, then a good commercial-grade vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter would do just as well.
In Summary:
Vacuum cleaners with HEPA filtration are a great way to ensure that the air you breathe stays clean and free of allergens when vacuuming your floors.
However, it is important for consumers who need HEPA filtration in their home or business environment to know what criteria to consider before purchasing one.
For more information on HEPA filtration watch this quick explainer video titled: “HEPA VACUUMS & FILTRATION 101”