買空氣清新機價錢不代表一切
HOW TO BUY THE BEST AIR PURIFIER FOR YOUR HOME
疫症爆發令人防不勝防，除了注意個人衛生，當然要勤洗手、戴口罩，以及避免前往人多擠迫的地方。近年大家越來越重視室內空氣質素，很多人會選擇添置一部空氣清新機，保障自己及家人健康。不過，空氣清新機越出越多，令人眼花撩亂，大型機、迷你型號、便攜式，亦聲稱具備殺菌功能的新技術，消費者應該怎樣選擇？
信興電器貿易有限公司助理經理Jevons Hui表示，不同牌子的空氣清新機，無論在機體設計、效能、使用技術等都有分別，消費者不應單從價錢比較。近期市面亦興起一些超小型，甚至可掛於頸項的空氣清新機，Jevons認為不同品牌的效能雖然不能一概而論，但部分小型機不設濾網，只靠噴灑離子抗菌，就算有濾網，體積及適用範圍太小而效用不大。要有效阻隔病毒和細菌，始終是大型機才可靠。
With COVID-19 sweeping Hong Kong, we are doing everything we can to slow down the spread of the virus. Apart from taking care of our personal hygiene and avoiding crowded spaces, indoor air quality is another area that we should pay extra attention to. A growing number of people are buying air purifiers in recent years to protect the health of themselves and their families. The increase in awareness has seen an increase in various air-purifying products—large, mini, portable and countless new bacteria-killing technology that you've never heard of, making picking an air purifier a daunting and confusing task for many.
Jevons Hui, assistant manager at Shun Hing Electronic Trading Co Ltd, points out that air purifier models from different brands feature a wide range of sizes, functions and technology, therefore consumers shouldn't just use price as the only benchmark for comparison. Ultramini air purifiers (some of them can be worn around your neck!) have recently emerged in the market, Hui says that although he doesn't want to make generalisations about their effectiveness, many small-size air purifiers clean the air by releasing a steady stream of ions but do not have filters, and even for the ones that do, the filters are usually too small to make any notable difference, not to mention that these tiny models are limited in the area they emit ions to. He concludes that to effectively remove viruses and bacteria from the air, larger purifiers are definitely the more reliable choice.
選購空氣清新機，價錢自然是一大考量，但細節也不容忽視，而最容易被忽略的就是「適用範圍」，即空氣清新機能覆蓋的室內面積。Jevons溫馨提示指，「不是價錢越貴代表適用範圍越大，價格亦取決於本身的功能，例如抑制病毒及細菌技術、過濾網功效及省電效果。」
Price certainly is an essential criterion when purchasing an air purifier, but there are other factors that are equally important to consider, including an often forgotten factor—the applicable area, which is the indoor space that a given air purifier can cover. “But it's not like the higher the price, the bigger the applicable area,” Hui explains. “The price is also dependent on the functions of the product—for example, its bacteria- and virus-killing technology, the effectiveness of its filter and its power efficiency.”
空氣清新機使用不同空氣淨化技術，而目前最先進的是納米離子技術。清新機除了利用機內的過濾網淨化吸進的空氣，更會釋放納米離子到空氣中，抑制病毒及細菌生長。消費者應留意品牌有否為機種進行抑菌能力專業檢測，能否阻隔禽流感、大腸桿菌及其他流感病毒。但要留意，針對新型冠狀病毒仍未有正式測試，空氣清新機是否能阻隔新型病毒仍是未知之數。
Depending on the brands and models, air purifiers feature different air-cleaning technology. The most advanced technology available at present is nano-ion technology, which enables the air purifier to release nano-ions into the air to inhibit the growth of viruses and bacteria. Before making a decision to buy an air purifier, consumers should find out whether the brand has run professional tests on the model’s antibacterial capabilities, and if a product has been proven to effectively filter E.coli, bird flu and other flu viruses. However, it’s worth noting that due to the lack of formal testing, it remains unknown whether air purifiers can filter and remove the COVID-19 virus.
相比便攜式機種，大型空氣清新機的缺點當然是機器體積，在家中如何安放也是一道難題。Jevons說：「空氣清新機的安放位置，視乎機體的入風和出風口設計而定。若風口設於背後，機體便不能靠牆安放，較為不便。」他表示，現時的空氣清新機大多採省電設計，因此不用擔心操作過久會浪費電力；機中最重要的配件― 過濾網，Jevons建議消費者最少每兩星期清理一次，需要時要徹底更換，以保持空氣清新機的效最佳效果。
Compared to their small-sized and portable counterparts, large air purifiers have the disadvantage of being bulky and tricky to place in small Hong Kong apartments. “The location of your air purifier should depend on the design of its air inlet and outlet,” Hui says. “If they are located on the back of the machine, then it cannot be placed against the wall, which can be rather inconvenient.” He adds that most air purifiers nowadays boast high power efficiency, so users don’t need to worry too much about the electricity usage. He also recommends cleaning the air filter—the most vital part of the purifier—at least once every two weeks, and replacing it with new ones whenever needed, to ensure the effectiveness of the air purifier. *所有價錢以網上公佈為準
*All prices are for reference only. In case of any inconsistency or discrepancy, prices listed on the company websites shall prevail.