Recent models of modern vacuum cleaners are increasingly equipped with HEPA filters. Such devices deal with particles that can only be seen with a microscope.
History of creation
Highly efficient retention of particles - this is how the abbreviation HEPA translates from English. The device and the material of these filters can be attributed to the devices of fine cleaning.
Разработаны они были в прошлом веке, в сороковых years, when creating the project of the atomic bomb. The purpose of these filters was to remove radioactive impurities. After some time, the scope of cleaning devices expanded significantly. They began to be used in mechanical engineering and in medical institutions, in the pharmaceutical and food industry, as well as in household appliances.
What is the HEPA filter?This device for highly efficient retention of particles is produced from fine cellulose fiber. When the vacuum cleaner is working, dust accumulates on the network formed from the smallest pores. At the same time even the smallest particles with a size of 0.3 microns are retained.
The HEPA filter is manufactured using a special technology.Its main principle is the pressing of cellulose layers and their arrangement in the form of an accordion. This allows you to significantly increase the area of the filter surface. The pullover made of cellulose is fixed with a reinforcing grid.
HEPA filter can be disposable. In such a case, glass fiber is added to the cellulose during its manufacture. Reusable HEPA filter is produced from fluoroplastic fibers.
Purpose
Filters for very fine cleaning are used whenvacuuming the room. They eliminate microorganisms and allergens. Very effectively captured and the smallest particles. This process is possible with the action of the following HEPA filter mechanisms:
- the effect of entanglement of particles for microfibers;
- the effect of inertia, which is expressed for large particles;
- diffusion effect, which is most pronounced at low air flow rates.
Is it possible to wash the HEPA filter?
There are times when vacuumingthere is a rather unpleasant smell of dust. This may mean that the filter has completed its life and has stopped retaining the particles for which it was designed. In order to correct the situation, the cellulose harmonica should be replaced with a new one. You can simply wash it. However, this procedure is possible only when the filter is of a water-resistant type. Replacement terms and cleaning conditions are specified in the instructions for the vacuum cleaner.
