Buying a Smoke Purifier
If you have smokers living with you, then getting a smoke purifier is a good idea. Smoke smell can be hard to get rid of, and it can also carry harmful chemicals.
A specialist smoke air purifier will use H13 type HEPA filters capable of catching and removing the solid part of smoke (particles). This is coupled with a carbon filter that adsorps gaseous pollutants like smoke odour.
Activated Carbon
Activated carbon filters or charcoal filters are designed to control harmful chemical fumes like smoke and VOC (volatile organic compounds) in the air. This is smoke purifier done through the physical adsorption of contaminant molecules on carbon’s graphitic platelet surfaces. This happens through Van der Waal forces and induced dipole interactions between the molecule and carbon’s surface. The carbon’s large surface area and pore structure allows the adsorption of a wide range of chemicals.
The carbon used for this is processed through a process called carbonization or pyrolysis. The carbon is put into a furnace and burned at high temperatures, usually over 2000 degrees Celsius. This process is similar to making charcoal and creates extra-porous carbon that has many small pores on its surface. This makes it very good for physically adsorbing gases and chemicals.
Depending on the application and contaminants being removed, different types of activated carbon are used. The most common is granular activated carbon (GAC). This form of carbon has a larger particle size and presents a smaller surface area so it takes longer to adsorb odors but can still remove the most volatile chemicals from the air.
PAC or powdered activated carbon is less expensive than granular but also doesn’t last as long. A quality PAC will have a high molasses number which means it’s better at adsorbing large molecules. Some odors are difficult for carbon to remove such as formaldehyde so a chemical like potassium permanganate may be needed in these cases.
HEPA
If you’re looking for an air purifier to remove smoke and odors from your home or office, you should choose a model that features both a HEPA filter and carbon filters. HEPA filters work to capture small particles in the air, like pollen and pet dander, while carbon filters work to adsorb gases such as smoke smells. Both are important for keeping your lungs healthy and free of these harmful pollutants.
The best cigarette smoke air purifiers feature powerful fans to generate a large enough airflow to push dirty particles into the filters, which then trap them. This is the most efficient way to clean your space of smoke and odors. However, even the best smoke air purifiers will fail if the fan is weak and can’t draw air through the filter quickly enough.
Another important aspect to look for is the smoke CADR rating of a filter, which measures how quickly the purifier can clean a room of certain particle sizes (like dust and pollen). If you’re looking for an air purifier that’s specifically geared towards removing wildfire or tobacco smoke, then you should opt for one with a high smoke CADR rating.
Lastly, you should avoid models that include UV-C sterilization or ozone generators as these technologies can react with volatile organic compounds in the air to create unhealthy VOCs and ozone. These chemicals are respiratory irritants and should be avoided at all costs, especially in occupied spaces.
Detection Sensors
Smoke detectors are essential safety devices that alert you when there’s smoke in the air. They can also be used to monitor carbon monoxide and other harmful gases. Some models use a light-scattering method to detect small particles, such as those produced by cigarette smoke. These types of sensors can be a great complement to an air purifier, since they tend to be more sensitive than ionization smoke detectors and have a wider detection range.
Traditional passive smoke detectors require a certain amount of smoke to reach the sensor before it triggers a fire alarm. However, “active” detectors like those used by ASD systems sample the air constantly and can detect fire much earlier than traditional sensors.
The impact of airflow on the response rate of the detector has been investigated in this study by using a simulation model. The responses of the two different detector types were tested at three different locations with and without an air purifier installed. The results showed that the front-discharge type device performed better than the top-discharge one in all locations, regardless of the airflow conditions.
A new generation of smart smoke detectors can communicate with smart home hubs to send you an alert on your phone when triggered. These include the Leeo Smart Alert Monitor and the Onelink Smoke Detector. The latter can connect to other Onelink units over a wireless mesh network and will automatically call your designated emergency contact when triggered. It also offers a user-friendly test/silence button and a built-in LED nightlight for added convenience.
Noise
Typically the best smoke air purifiers for removing tobacco smoke & other foul odours will have a substantial amount of genuine activated carbon within the filter. The type & size of this carbon will determine how much of the pollution can be adsorbed. The cheap & cheerful units found in the High Street tend to contain just a token gesture of carbon (usually only a piece of sponge impregnated with a tiny amount of the stuff). As such these units will only be able to remove a miniscule amount of the odours.
Unlike many other air purifier types, the best smoke air purifiers will be able to remove both gaseous pollutants and particulate matter. However, it is important to remember that no smoke purifier can ever be a substitute for reducing or eliminating the source of the odours in your home.
Smoke air purifiers work by circulating the air using a fan. This air is sucked into the smoke purifier device, passed through one or more filters and then pushed back out into the room. This process should be fast enough to prevent the odours from returning as quickly as they are removed.
The best smoke air purifiers will also be able to remove both particulate matter and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). These are separate to the VOCs in smoke and typically only an air purifier with a carbon filter or a Molekule can effectively address them.
