Warehouses and large, commercial spaces often experience problems with air quality and indoor pollution. This is usually due to having many employees and lots of unmoved product, leading to an accumulation of dust, airborne particles, and surfaces that cannot be reached for proper cleaning¹. It is important for industrial spaces to invest in ways to keep air quality in tip-top shape for both the health of their employees and safe storage of product. Read on below to learn about how an air purifier can help commercial spaces achieve improved air quality.

The advantages of a commercial air purifier

In a commercial building or warehouse, there are typically standards set in place to encourage proper ventilation in order to circulate airborne pollution indoors and stale air. Unfortunately, these standards, though crucial in maintaining air flow, are not always respected or sufficient to remove fine particles from the air. Moreover, they merely move the problem since they expulse the air pollution outside.

The main advantage of investing in an air purifier for your industrial space or warehouse is, of course, improved indoor air quality (IAQ). Improved indoor air quality can:

• Keep employees safe
• Ensure safe storage of products and materials

Not only does installing an air purifier for your warehouse protect employees from dust, allergens, and harmful airborne pollutants, it can also boost their productivity. According to an American study on employees working in an indoor pear packing factory, exposure to air pollution, specifically particulate matter (PM2.5), has been linked to a decrease in productivity². Fine particle pollution exposure has also been shown to increase anxiety, depression, and other mental health disorders (read more about mental health’s link to air pollution here).

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A commercial air purifier can also protect employees from germs (viruses and bacteria), including the flu and COVID-19 In a high-volume warehouse with high volumes of employees and products being received from all over the world, germs can spread like wildfire. By purchasing an air purifier that contains a HEPA-certified filter, you can rest assured that your industrial space (and individual rooms in these spaces) will be protected from 99.97% of airborne contaminants and pollutants down to a size of 0.01 μm.

Air purifiers that come equipped with activated carbon filters can also help fight bad odours in the rooms of your industrial space! Those who operate gyms or sport complexes are no strangers to the unpleasant smells of sweat. Also commonly found in gyms may be airborne germs (viruses and bacteria can easily circulate between people in close proximity), allergens, and dust! These things, along with any of the bad smells that occur in your athletic space, may be removed from your indoor breathing air all thanks to a commercial air purifier.

How does a commercial air purifier work?

An air purifier works by pulling in air that is contaminated with airborne pollutants, treating it using one or more filtration technologies inside the device, then recirculating the air back into your room or space.

In addition to its main filter (HEPA-certified, HEPA-type, or a simple filter), air purifiers can come equipped with a variety of filtration technologies to treat a room’s air including bamboo fibre filters, activated carbon filters, photocatalysis, UV sterilisation, and ionisation, to name a few. Some modern, high-end air purifiers, like Eoleaf’s, come equipped with all of the above, making it an air purifier with a wide range of action on all types of airborne contaminants.

How to choose a commercial air purifier for a large, industrial space?

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Before choosing your air purifier, there are a few things to keep in mind.

1. Consider your pollution type. Are you dealing with a specific type of airborne pollutant like dust or allergens in your warehouse? Or are you concerned with general air quality? Some air purifiers are designed to only combat certain types of air pollution whereas others can fight against a wide variety of pollutants.
   
   
2. Consider the size of your commercial space. Air purifiers are manufactured to purify the air of rooms or spaces of a certain size. Industrial buildings, warehouses, gyms and sport complexes, and large rooms of 140 to 200 m2 (1500 to 2100 sq ft) all need a device that is made to purify the air of a large space. Although commercial-size air purifiers do exist, we usually recommend purchasing several units to be positioned throughout your space. This ensures optimal and homogenous air circulation treats the entire space.
   
   
3. Consider the filter type. HEPA-certified filters are highly recommended for large warehouses or industrial spaces that have high foot traffic. Beware of filters that claim to be ‘HEPA-type’: these are typically unrelated and do not guarantee filtration of 99.95% of contaminants down to a size of 0.01 μm.
   
   
4. Consider your budget. In addition to its initial purchase price, an air purifier comes with maintenance costs. Filters must be changed out in regular intervals to insure optimal filtration and continued care of your device. An oversaturated filter will not properly filter your air, and it will overwork your device! Eoleaf’s high-quality HEPA filters only need to be changed once a year, whereas devices with lower-quality filters will require new filters twice per year or more. This can ramp up your budget quickly. Also keep in mind your device’s energy consumption – seek out a device that is energy efficient to keep your consumption and energy bill low!

Please refer to our Buying Guide for assistance in choosing the perfect air purifier for you. Additionally, contact us to reach our dedicated team of air filtration experts. We are here to help with any questions you may have in equipping your commercial space with an air purifier.

References

¹ 4 ways warehouses can use HEPA filters. Janitized. (2018, July 25). https://www.janitized.com/4-ways-warehouses-use-hepa-filters/

² Chang, T., Zivin, J. S., Gross, T., & Neidell, M. (2016). Particulate pollution and the productivity of Pear Packers. American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, 8(3), 141–169. https://doi.org/10.3386/w19944