Every now and again you’ll see a Boston-area cleaning provider advertise the fact that they utilize High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters for a cleaner and healthier environment. We use them ourselves when circumstances warrant. But do you know what a HEPA filter is? Do you know what it does and why it might be important for your business?
HEPA Filters: The Basics
A HEPA filter is a special kind of air filter designed from the ground up to trap extremely small particles in the air. It is a pleated filter constructed with special materials capable of performing unique tasks.
HEPA standards were originally developed and commercialized in the 1950s. Since then, a lot of things have changed. So much so that if you need HEPA filters for your equipment, look for filters designated as ‘True HEPA’. The designation means they meet U.S. Department of Energy standards.
A filter must remove at least 99.97% of all airborne particles measured at 0.3 microns in order to be given True HEPA status. So without that designation, a filter might not be trapping all the bacteria and particles you assume it does.
How the HEPA Filter Works
A HEPA filter’s design is what makes it so effective. HEPA filters are constructed using a dense mat of fibers that are arranged randomly. The fibers are typically made of fiberglass, though they don’t have to be. Randomly arranging them takes advantage of three key principles:
- Diffusion – Particles in the 0.1-micron range tend to move erratically. That means they are more likely to collide as they pass through the filter, thereby being trapped in the fibers.
- Interception – Particles that move within one radius of a fiber as air passes through a filter tend to adhere to the fiber.
- Impaction – Larger particles make direct contact with the fibers because they are too big to pass through freely. Once they collide with fibers, they become embedded in them.
Combining these three principles in a single filter makes the HEPA design superior at trapping particles other filters miss. They do a fantastic job with dust, pollen, mold, bacteria, viruses, and even aerosol contaminants.
Where They Are Most Often Found
Cleaning companies like All Pro Cleaning Systems utilize HEPA filters in vacuuming systems. The filters can often replace the stock filters that come with a vacuum. Moreover, many commercial vacuums are designed specifically to utilize HEPA filters.
The filters can also be used in HVAC systems, air handlers, and other similar environments. Wherever air needs to be filtered effectively, HEPA technology is applicable. As for specific environments, several come to mind:
- Hospitals and assisted living facilities
- Medical offices and clinics
- Laboratories
- Research facilities
- Pharmaceutical facilities
- Clean rooms
It is easy to see why HEPA filters would be used in hospitals and medical offices. Anyone who works in a clean room understands why they are so important in those environments as well. But it’s not all that unusual to find the same filters being utilized in residential HVAC systems and consumer-level vacuums.
Superior All the Way Around
The HEPA filter represents superior air cleaning all the way around. HEPA technology works so well that it’s found across Boston and throughout the entire state of Massachusetts. We see it all the time in the cleaning industry.
If you are looking for a cleaning company and your space requires the level of filtration HEPA filters offer, make sure potential service providers know. Also be sure that the company you eventually sign with uses True HEPA filters for the best possible filtering.
