To find the best air purifier for odors we should take a look at what odors are. We can look to see how they are formed. We can discuss types of odors. A look at air fresheners would be helpful. We find out how to get rid of odors. Lastly we can find the right solution for you. This page focuses on product for the home and office, we will go into the commercial side of things on the Commercial Odor Control web-page. Below are our best options for removing odors in the home. We have several other models, all of which have an odor removal element in them, these units are designed especially with odors in mind.
Odors are an interesting phenomenon; they help shape the world we live in. Many times, memories of an activity or event is linked to in our minds with a particular smell. It might be the smell of muffins baking in the kitchen or the smell of radiator hose busting.
These odors are perceived through the olfactory nerve in our noses. There are more than 1 million of these nerve cells in your nose. These allow us to to have over 500 odor receptors in each cell. The Lord made us to be able to interpret chemicals as scents. Our brains process different gasses as different odors. A cup of coffee can contain more than 800 different types of odor molecules. According to the National Institute for Health, human can identify more than 1 trillion smells.
On one hand these chemicals are interpreted as pleasant odors. While on the other hand this stimulation can be perceived as something unpleasant. Unpleasant to the level as to make us violently ill. It is important to be able limit the affect these chemicals have on ourselves and loved ones. getting a handle on odors is what this webpage is all about.
Odors are created from natural and manmade items. In Nature, odors are formed when things decompose as an item such as plant matter dies and rots the matter it was made of changes. It will breakdown into the compounds it was made of. Some of the matter changes into different matter some of the matter is released as a gas. It is this gas where the odor is realized. when fungus or bacteria start to grow on a decomposing item they can also release a gas that to us is perceived as an odor.
As a chemical reaction odor is caused in many cases. When metal goes through the process of rusting, it creates specific odors. when rain hits the ground it causes a release of oils that causes odors. when something interacts with sulfur a rotten egg smell might be prevalent. Odors are all around us and happen in many ways. Some of the chemical reactions that produce odors we are used to smell are:
There are environmental factors that influence odors. Certain odors are much more noticeable in specific temperature and humidity levels. For example odors generally seem more oppressive when it is humid out. Wind can carry odors a long ways. That farmers field might no be noticeable unit the wind changes direction. Along that same line when we have poor ventilation in a room it adds to olfactory woes. A good air purifier that is adept at handling odors can go a long ways to make the situation better.
can happen through They happen when particles are released as a vapor (volatilized). This usually happens when things evaporate. It can also happen when things rot or decompose. Regular chemical reactions can create the gases that produce odors.
Pets add much pleasure to our lives. They also add a lot of odors. A smelly litterbox or smell of a wet dog can announce itself when you enter your home. These odors are very strong. They need a pet air purifier capable of cleaning large amounts of air. We have an entire webpage that is dedicated to all of the ins and outs of pet air purification. As the numbers of pets increases, so does the odor present we have a pet air purification calculator that will help you determine just how much air circulation you need to handle pet odors and other pet issues.
Smoke can come from many sources. Almost all smoke comes with its own unique smell. Cigarette odor is more easily managed and cigar smoke odor. Cannabis odor from both smoking and growing is an entirely different issue. LakeAir offers a special blend of odor adsorbers to reduce the smell of weed smoke. If smoking in your home is causing you problems we have dedicated a wealth of knowledge on the top of controlling smoke and its odor in the home.
The Kitchen is a place of both pleasant and obnoxious smells. A simmering pot of soup can be a delight. The trashcan might hold odors that will make you lose your appetite. Our line of kitchen air purifiers will help hold in check odors from within the kitchen as well as odors from the outside. An odor air purifier does not remove all the odors at once. These devices are meant to control the scents within the kitchen. The longer you leave your air purifier for odors running the more odors it will adsorb.
Our homes have many distinctive odors. If we have a baby, there are diapers to deal with. Young men and women might produce extra body odor. An older home might have a damp or musty smell. Depending on who lives in your home and when it was built it will have a scent all of its own. Not only does a home have odors it also has VOCs (volatile organic compounds). Especially in a new home VOC’s are a real concern. New furniture and carpet off gas many chemical that with prolonged exposure can pose a serious health threat. By far the worst house air quality issue we see is “sick building syndrome”. In this case an air purifier that has a high level of both particulate removal and odor control is required as part of the the cure.
Chemical odors in the home are usually caused by product we use in or around our house. Cleaning products are one of the most common causes of for this type of nuisance odor. Pesticides are very smelly and need to be removed from the air. The chemicals in pesticides are just as deadly to us as the pests. The determining factor is the ration of chemical to size of the body. Chemicals like formaldehyde can seep up through our basement floor and they off gas from new products we buy. This odor is one you will be sure you will want to get rid of.
The key to removing odors is activated carbon . Activated Carbon is incredibly porous, Its surface is made up of countless nooks and crannies. 1.3 grams of activated carbon (see below) has a surface area are equal to 1 Acre in size. Odor molecules attach themselves to the surface of the carbon. Here they are trapped. LakeAir activated carbon filters are your key to removing odors in your home and business.
It takes longer to remove odors form the air than it does to remove particulates. Particles are much larger than odor molecules. Odor molecules cannot be trapped, they have to adsorbed or destroyed. If you use a proper main filter the particles are removed in a few passes, if not in just one. odors can take several passes through the carbon filter bed to be totally adsorbed. The best media around for general odor is activated carbon.
The primary filter removes the smoke from the air. The odor in gaseous form remains and travels through the carbon filter. In the carbon filter the odor molecules come into direct contact with the carbon crystal and are adsorbed. This adsorption isn’t automatic. It takes a certain amount of time for carbon to soak up the odor. This amount of time is known as residence time. The longer odors are in direct contact with the activated carbon the more of the odor that is removed.
For the best odor removal in a single pass a longer filter bed is preferred. LakeAir odor control air purifiers have a bed length from 2.25 to 4.5 inches. The bed length dictates how much odor is removed in 1 pass the weight of the carbon determines the total amount of odor that can be absorbed.
Our carbon filters are labeled showing the quantity of carbon a filter contains and the length of the filter bed
Example: Maxum Super Carbon Filter ~ 300 gram carbon / 0.75 inch filter
This label tells the customer that this carbon filter contains 300 grams of carbon and has a filter bed length of 0.75 inches. We use this labeling to help customers compare filters and filters than may be available for different units.
When you are comparing the different odor control purifiers that we offer, look at the carbon filter rating to understand how well that unit will remove odors. Remember, the amount of carbon determines how much odor a filter can hold and the filter bed depth tells you how much odor the filter will remove in a single pass. An air purifier with 900 CFM of air flow and a 2000 gram filter will remove odors from a room twice as fast and remove 7 times more than a unit with 500 CFM and a 300 gram carbon filter. As always if you need help understanding this concept you can call us at 800-558-9436 and / or visit our carbon filter page
LakeAir offers different blended medias to help with specific odors. Carbon is considered the best over all in removing odors, However certain odors do not react as well with activated carbon. The answer to these “slippery” smells is Zeolite. Zeolite is a naturally occurring mineral that has a sieve like structure and works well at removing odors from the air steam. Some of the units above feature zeolite blended filters. The product have an ending suffix of “420” Any 420 model comes with zeolite as part of their odor removal package. Filters that are custom blended with zeolite have no additional costs.
Gases, including odor molecules, are incredibly small particles that can slip past both zeolite and activated carbon. However, every time they pass through the odor control media, there is a chance they will be absorbed. The longer they are in contact with the media bed, the greater the chance of their removal from the air stream.
As a general guideline, LakeAir’s team recommends eight to twelve air changes per hour (ACH) to effectively remove odor gases from the air. However, some gases are more easily removed than others. In the case of acetic gases from weed smoke, it can take much longer to remove them from the air. Therefore, it’s important to increase the contact time between the odorous gases and the filtering media to ensure effective removal.
It’s worth noting that the number of ACH required may vary depending on the severity of the odor problem and the sensitivity of the individuals in the environment. Additionally, it’s essential to ensure that the air purifier you select has an appropriate airflow rate for the room size in question. A unit with too little airflow will not effectively remove odors, while one with too much airflow can create excessive noise and drafts.
A huge concern for odor control consumers is the cost of filter replacement. Odor removal filters are not cheap. They require special care and packaging. If you are storing an odor control filter be sure it is in some type of air tight container. As long as you do this the shelf life of your activated carbon filter is indefinite. Standard air purifying situations require replacing carbon filters. these cost average (for LakeAir models) $100-$200 a year. when it comes to extra odor control the tables below show a good idea on tha annual cost of keeping the odors at bay.
Annual Costs for Odor Control Filters
Annual Costs for Odor Control Filters
At the very best, air fresheners only mask the scent. In some cases they make the air in your home worse. A study from the NRDC showed 12 leading air fresheners contained potential cancer causing agents called Phthalates. Air fresheners do not remove any odors. Another product used as an air freshener are scented candles. Scented candles can mask the smell in a room, but are they healthy? for a deeper look into the scented candle craze we invite you to visit our blog article, about scented candles
If your are looking for more information about home air purifiers in general we suggest you visit the “Home Air Purifier” web page. If you need help right away we invite you to call customer service (800) 558-9436. You can also reach customer service via email customerservice@lakeair.com
https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/