Types of Air Cleaners

Types of Air Cleaners

Broadly, air cleaners work by mechanical filtration, electrical attraction or a combination of the two techniques.

Mechanical or "media" filters strain dust from the air as a fan propels the air through the filter membrane.

Electrical-attraction cleaners use a principle similar to "static cling"--they charge particles in the air or a collection device in the filter (or both) to create a magnetic attraction between particles and filter.

Most tabletop and room air cleaners actually send air through a gauntlet of filters: a foam pre-filter to screen out large particles, the primary filter or electrical-attraction device to catch smaller particles, a carbon filter to remove odors and some gasses and a post-filter for any remaining particles.