Airpura is one of the leading brands for residential and commercial air purifiers in the United States and Canada. If you have considered ordering an Airpura air purifier, you may have realized there are many options and may not know what is best for you. You may recall a prior blog we wrote, “Airpura Air Purifier for the Right Needs” that discussed what each part of the names meant as well as the air purifiers’ strengths to help readers determine the best unit for their needs.
Although it may appear random at first glance, Airpura names their air purifiers with intention.
Please Note: The tips shown below are a general rule of thumb, just like with the English language, there are exceptions to the Rule of Thumb. If you still have questions after reading our tips, we highly recommend you call us at US Air Purifiers to ensure you choose the best purifier for your needs.
The Breakdown
Airpura F600
The Letter in Airpura’s Air Purifier- Purpose and Carbon Type
Above is a picture of the nomenclature for one of Airpura’s air purifiers, the F600. One of the first things you may notice when shopping for Airpura air purifiers are what looks like random letters at the front followed by a set of numbers. Airpura has a wide variety of air purifiers including the Airpura R600, Airpura I600, Airpura V600, and more. The letter following “Airpura” has two purposes: the first being to designate the function of the unit and the second being to identify the type of carbon. This is generally meant to designate the use of that air purifier. We say generally because air purifiers have different configurations and can be changed to best fit your needs. In the case of the Airpura F600, the F is to designate the configuration’s specialty in purifying the air of formaldehyde. Formaldehyde is most common in mobile or manufactured homes, RVs, or mechanic shops. Items that you may not suspect include new carpet, new woodwork, and new furniture also produce formaldehyde. It is especially important to get air purifiers when the formaldehyde is contained and has little air flow. For a full list of what the letters designate, I’d recommend you visit our blog that I mentioned previously located here. Below are a few of Airpura’s most common letters as well as what type of carbon is generally fitted to each unit type.
- F – series is most common for formaldehyde and is impregnated with potassium permanganate
- V – series is most common for VOCs and is impregnated with potassium iodide
- R – series is most common for whole home/regular use standard activated carbon
- I – series includes no carbon which means it is solely HEPA
Airpura F600
The First Number in Airpura’s Air Purifier- Motor
The first number that follows the letter refers to the motor. As of February 2024, Airpura has 3 motor series: the 4, 6, and 7-series motors. As you might imagine, the higher the motor number, the more powerful the motor. You may be wondering why would I choose a less powerful air purifier motor? Most common reason for a client to choose a less powerful motor like the 4-series over the 7-series is for budget or space reasons. A less powerful air purifier motor can also be for smaller places or if your area has less contamination. This is why the Airpura R400 is a common model for all-purpose use. The Airpura 7-series motors are the most powerful motors of Airpura’s motors currently.
Contrary to what one may think, the 7-series motor is both more powerful and quieter than the 6-series motors. If budget and space allow, we typically recommend going with the largest motor, the 7-series, because you can always turn a unit down but you cannot add power to a unit once it is made. The one exception to this is if you have to choose between 1 high powered unit like a 7-series or 2 smaller units like the 4-series spaced out in separate locations in your home, the two smaller units are preferred because the air coverage realm is greater.
Airpura F600
The Last Two Numbers in Airpura’s Air Purifier- HEPA
When shopping for Airpura air purifiers, there are three types of HEPA filters. They are the following, going from lowest to greatest filtration:
-HEPA Barrier: Filters as small as 1 Micron
-Medical Grade (also known to as true HEPA): Filters 99.97% at 0.3 Microns
-Super HEPA (also known as micro HEPA): Filters 99.99% at 0.1 Microns
The HEPA Barrier, although will be shown as “00”, is only used when 26 lbs of carbon are used due to space restrictions. This “00” with the Barrier is one of those exceptions to the rule of thumb that I mentioned earlier. In this article, we are focusing on the particulate filtration of a HEPA and an 18 lb carbon canister so I will not go into great detail regarding the barrier.
The purpose of the HEPA is to filter any airborne particles such as mold, pollen, dust, pet dander, or even smaller particles including bacteria or viruses depending on their size. With Airpura’s air purifiers, you will see “00” or “14” (Airpura F600, Airpura F614, etc) referencing the type of HEPA filtration. The “00” refers to a medical grade HEPA that can filter 99.97% of microns at 0.3 or larger. As particles begin to gather on the HEPAs’ fibers, the HEPA will be able to trap smaller and smaller particles overtime.
The “14” refers to a Super HEPA. Although the “00” and the “14” are both pleated HEPA filters, the “14” is more tightly woven so it can trap a smaller micron level at a higher percentage than the “00” HEPA. The “14” refers to a tightly woven medical grade Super HEPA that can filter 99.99% of microns at 0.1 or larger. The Super HEPA is often used for individuals who are extremely sensitive to particulate matter or immunocompromised and want viruses trapped faster when they first begin using the unit. Overtime, the medical grade HEPA will begin to trap those smaller microns too.
Now that we have broken down each part of the Airpura air purifier, this should help narrow your search. As we mentioned before and will continue to mention, if you have any doubts or want to ensure you choose the absolute best air purifier for your needs, whether it be Airpura air purifiers, Molekule air purifiers, IDEAL Pro Units, etc, we recommend you consult with one of our experts. Air purifiers are investments and it is vital to choose the best units for you.
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