Why has the HEPA Filter Negative Air Machine Become so Essential?

In an age of increased allergies and airborne contaminants, air quality has become paramount to everyday life. To help in this fight, many professionals have been turning to a HEPA filter negative air machines to help keep air quality high. This is especially true in areas where the air must be clean, whether it’s to protect vulnerable people or because of high traffic.

You have likely seen more and more negative air machines in spaces today than ever before. There are a few fantastic reasons for their increased prevalence. Today, let’s look at what precisely a HEPA filter negative air machine is, how it works, the technology used and why it has become so essential.

What is a HEPA Filter Negative Air Machine?

A HEPA filter negative air machine is actually two types of technology working together. Let’s break down each for a better understanding of how they work.

First, there’s the negative air machine itself. These devices have an intuitive way of moving air through a space and filtering it. Instead of focusing on pushing air into and out of a space, a negative air machine actually pulls air out of it instead. By pulling air from a room, it creates a negative pressure space that is then filled with outside air that is pulled in. By doing this, the negative air machine controls precisely how air leaves a space and where it comes in, giving people greater control of the air entering and leaving that area. How do they accomplish this? We will address that further on in a separate section.

Now let’s look at HEPA filters. HEPA stands for “High Efficiency Particulate Air” and filters with this designation are particularly good at filtering small contaminants out of the air. And when we say “small,” we mean anything over 0.3 microns can be effectively filtered out through a HEPA filter. To put that in perspective, a human hair is about 1 micron across. This means a HEPA filter can theoretically remove at least 99.97% of bacteria, pollen, mold and other air borne particules that go through the filter.

How does a HEPA filter accomplish this? There are three phases to these filters. The first works like a net: tiny holes in the filter fibers let air pass through and anything too big for the holes (usually about 1 micron) gets caught. The second phase is “interception,” which works by pushing the air up while in the filter. This causes the smaller particles to get caught in the bottom since they are too heavy to effectively follow the air. Finally, there’s the very small particles. So small, in fact, that they bounce around in irregular patterns. Knowing this, the HEPA filters have a special diffusion system that traps the smallest particles through a concept called “Brownian motion.”

Through these three phases, particles of almost every size are all caught in a HEPA filter. In the case of negative air machines, they may be sent through multiple versions of these filters to catch even more.

How Do Negative Air Machines Work?

Now that we know what negative air machines and HEPA filters are, let’s talk about the mechanics of a HEPA filter negative air machine. These machines operate by attaching to existing ducting and using the power of the local HVAC system to control the flow of air. In general, a negative air machine uses fans to pull air out of a space. In the case of a negative air machine with a HEPA filter, it will also pull that air through filters that can then scrub the air of any potential contaminants before it leaves the space.

What Makes These Devices Essential Today?

By now, you are probably piecing together why the humble HEPA filter negative air machine has become an essential part of everyday life: it can safely control the air quality of a space by effectively removing dangerous particulates. In an age where air quality has only become more important due to increased allergies and the presence of airborne contaminants, these devices are essential to keeping people safe in all manner of environments. If you are thinking about air quality, then a negative air machine equipped with HEPA filters may the solution.