What does CADR mean and why does it matter?
The Clean Air Delivery Rate, or CADR, on a box can tell a consumer how efficient air purifiers are at removing a certain contaminant from the indoors. The three pollutants that are measured are pollen, smoke and dust. These three pollutants are the most common ones found in the home's indoor air. By comparing the CADR numbers of each air cleaner, a consumer is able to determine which unit would be the most effective for the room he or she is concentrating on. The CADR tells how effective the air purifier will be at removing the pollutant from the room. With the help of the AHAM seal, consumers can concentrate on how the air purifiers will perform in a real-life setting inside their home. The consumer does not have to examine and compare which type of technology or filtering system he or she may need but only how effective the air cleaner may be according to the CADR's.
By separating the three contaminants and making three different CADR's for each pollutant, the AHAM has helped consumers to make the decision between home air purifiers. If one air purifier has a high pollen rating, a consumer who may have pollen allergies will be more prone to choosing that purifier for his or her home. A home air cleaner may have a high CADR when it comes to tobacco smoke so a homeowner that lives with residents who smoke cigarettes inside may choose that air purifier for his or her needs.
The room size rating that is calculated by the AHAM and is printed on the seal is also helpful for consumers when choosing home air purifiers. The room size rating that is given to each air purifier is based on the ability for it to remove 80% of smoke particles in a room. The rate assumes that the air moves through the room with one air change per hour and complete mixing inside the room.
Excerpt above by ClearFlite Air Purifiers writer Kelly K.
The test method used to establish CADR values is recognized as an American National Standard by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and used by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) in its Air Cleaner Energy Star Program. To ensure test results are accurrate and impartial, CADR testing is performed by an independent industry organization, the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM).
While some manufacturers do not submit their air purification systems for independent AHAM testing, we believe that CADR results should be central to your decision-making process. An air purification system is an important investment in your family's health and well-being. We urge you to compare CADR results for the air purification systems that you consider.
