Air purifiers are a great way to keep the air in your home or office clean and free of pollutants. But do they create negative air pressure? The answer is yes. Negative air pressure is created when air is introduced into a machine and then expelled out of the space, creating a vacuum effect that helps to limit the spread of harmful particles to anyone outside the negatively pressurized space. Unlike an air purifier, a negative air machine uses ducts to remove contaminated air from an enclosed, controlled area.
Filtered air is then expelled outside the controlled area, creating a negative air pressure. This vacuum effect helps restrict the spread of contaminants to other areas inside the building. Negative pressure offers a practical way to isolate people with infectious diseases and protect people outside the room from exposure. A negative air machine uses ducts to remove contaminated air from a sealed containment area.
Filtered air is then expelled out of the containment area, creating negative air pressure (a vacuum effect) which helps limit the spread of contaminants to other areas within the structure. What is the difference between negative and positive air purification? Most of the time, contractors use ducts and an air purifier to create a negative pressure environment that contains hazardous particles in the workspace. Air always flows from areas of higher pressure to areas of lower pressure. Creating and maintaining negative pressure creates an inward direction of airflow through any leak or opening in the containment barrier.
This prevents airborne pollutants from escaping and contaminating other parts of the building. Positive air purification techniques are used less frequently, but they have their place. In some situations, it may be necessary to protect an area from contamination. This is achieved by placing the air purifier outside the work area and using a duct to direct the “cleaned” air to the desired location.
This positively pressurizes the area with “clean air” and prevents polluted air from entering. When positive pressure is used, the air filter maintains a higher ambient air pressure than that of the surrounding environment, which means that particles are filtered when air leaves the room and are prevented from returning. Aeroclean 2000 ECONO negative air machine The Aeroclean 2000 is a powerful air purifier made of aircraft grade aluminum. The unit creates a negative vacuum that draws air in and through a filter (such as HEPA or ULPA) and connected ducts to remove impurities, such as microbes, dust, and mold.
Air cleaners require a reliable fan, which draws air through the filters and expels the filtered air from the unit. The HEPA-AIRE PAS can also be used for continuous air cleaning, by recirculating 100% of the filtered air within the containment area. HEPA air cleaners are used for the same purpose, but can be used as a negative air machine by adding ducts, a sealed housing, specific airflow modifications, and a fan motor with speed variations to keep the area controlled. As the filters are loaded with particulate matter, the airflow capacity of the unit decreases and the static pressure difference throughout the filter increases.
Dri-Eaz HEPA 500 Air Cleaner The DefendAir HEPA 500 provides 250 to 500 CFM, the typical airflow level required for most restoration work. Since both units work to effectively trap air pollutants, each one is equipped with a fan and a series of filters that help keep the air clean and safe. This gives the unit the unique ability to continuously filter indoor air while depressurizing a damaged site. In conclusion, negative pressure environments are created by introducing filtered air into an enclosed space and expelling it out through ducts.
This creates a vacuum effect that helps restrict contaminants from spreading to other areas within a building or structure. Positive pressure environments are also possible by placing an air purifier outside of an enclosed space and directing “cleaned” air into it.
