A vacuum with HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filtration is an important tool in minimizing the effects of allergens and other indoor air pollutants, whether they Miele Bodenstaubsauger S 8340 PowerLine are making existing conditions worse or preventing future health problems.
HEPA is used
Because HEPA filtration is so desirable, the term HEPA is used to market a variety of vacuum cleaners and it is often used in a highly misleading manner, which can make it difficult to select a vacuum that offers the filtration performance you want. Re-buy it for the first time.
The HEPA filtration specification consists of two numbers denoting a very high level of filtration of very fine particles. The first number represents the filtration efficiency percentage and the second number represents the retained particle size. For HEPA, the filtration efficiency must be 99.97% and the retained particles must be as small as 0.3 microns (formerly microns).
The phrase “as small as” is important because it means that if all the particles were 0.3 microns in size (commonly referred to as “filtration efficiency”), the filter would still capture and retain 99.97% of them. The term “down to 0.3 microns in size” does not refer to equal filtration performance as it can refer to a mixture of particle sizes for the stated efficiency.
Important specification
The ability to filter very small particles is a very important specification because small particles can easily reach the deepest recesses of the lungs and, according to the US EPA, can cause a variety of extremely negative health effects, such as: B. Worsening of asthma, acute respiratory symptoms such as increased cough and painful or difficult breathing, eye, nose and throat irritation, respiratory infections and chronic bronchitis, decreased lung function, shortness of breath and lung cancer.
And for allergy sufferers, one of the most potent allergens, thought to be responsible for a significant percentage of allergies worldwide, is found in the feces of house dust mites, which are generally 10 to 24 microns in size and even smaller when disturbed.
To give you an idea of how small these fine particles are, a human hair is about 100 microns thick. HEPA filtration is designed to capture 99.97% of particles as small as one-third of a micron.
HEPA filtration is an important and valuable feature to have as part of your vacuum cleaner. So how can you be sure you’re getting true HEPA filtration? Let’s start with certified HEPA filters.
The HEPA filtration specification
The best HEPA filters are certified to meet strict standards like European Standard 1822 (also known as EN 1822) for filtration performance and are marked with a certification number. Certified HEPA filters are also known as true or absolute HEPA filters. European companies often refer to them as S class filters.
Originally designed to evaluate filtration systems for maintaining extremely clean environments in pharmaceutical, computer manufacturing, medical, and other cleaning-critical facilities, certification to this standard assures you that the filter performs like a true HEPA filter.
The EN 1822 is a two-part test. The first part of the test identifies the particle size that most easily penetrates the HEPA filter to establish the Most Penetrating Particle Size or MPPS.
Once the MPPS is identified, the second part of the test challenges the filter ONLY with particles of the most penetrating size. If a filter can maintain 99.97% filtration at worst, then you have a filter that will deliver true HEPA filtration.
And because efficiency is highly correlated to the speed at which air flows through the filter, this test is performed at the same airflow rate as if the filter were in place and the vacuum was running.
This is extremely important as all vacuum cleaners work on the basis of air flowing from the opening on the cleaning head, through the vacuum cleaner and bag and filter system, and then out the outlet port. It makes sense, therefore, that HEPA filtration is achieved when the filtration system (a filter or series of filters that may contain the dust bag) retains 99.97% of particles as small as 0.3 microns.
If a HEPA filter is tested with less than the actual airflow it will be exposed to when the device is in use, these small particles can simply be blown straight through the filter into the room air during normal operation. This is one way in which a filter that might actually be HEPA will not provide HEPA filtration in the real world.
Certification of the entire system
The next important question is whether all the air entering the vacuum cleaner actually goes through the filtration system. When air escapes from the vacuum cleaner before it’s filtered, a certain percentage of those lung-damaging particles and allergens that have settled on floors and other surfaces are returned to the indoor air, where the extremely light particles can circulate for hours. In this case, vacuuming can even worsen the air quality in the home.
Therefore, not only is a HEPA filter certified according DREAME T20 PRO Akkusauger mit Stiel to the EN 1822 standard essential, but it is also important that the vacuum cleaner is extremely well sealed so that no air escapes in front of the filter.
