Clean Air Delivery Rate
Encyclopedia
Clean-air delivery rate indicates the volume of filtered air delivered by a portable air cleaner. Whole house air cleaners are not covered by the CADR specification therefore CADR claims for whole house air cleaners are not comparable with CADR ratings for portable air cleaners. CADR also determines how well an air cleaner reduces pollutants such as tobacco smoke, pollen and dust. The higher the tobacco smoke, pollen and dust numbers, the faster the unit filters the air.
The Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers
(AHAM
) provides standardized testing and certification of CADR rating, performed by independent third-party laboratories, and recognized industry-wide by retailers, manufacturers, standards organizations, and government bodies such as the EPA
and the FTC
.
The AHAM seal (usually found on the back of an air cleaner's box) lists three Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR) numbers: one for tobacco smoke, one for pollen and one for dust. The CADR indicates volume of filtered air delivered by an air cleaner. The higher the tobacco smoke, pollen and dust numbers, the faster the unit filters the air. Consumers can use these ratings to compare air cleaners from the various manufacturers that also certify through AHAM.
and United States Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) have both reviewed and agreed that the AC-1 provides a reasonable basis for making claims on performance.
Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers
The Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers or AHAM represents the manufacturers of household appliances and products/services associated with household appliances sold in the United States...
(AHAM
Aham
Aham is a municipality in the district of Landshut in Bavaria in Germany....
) provides standardized testing and certification of CADR rating, performed by independent third-party laboratories, and recognized industry-wide by retailers, manufacturers, standards organizations, and government bodies such as the EPA
United States Environmental Protection Agency
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is an agency of the federal government of the United States charged with protecting human health and the environment, by writing and enforcing regulations based on laws passed by Congress...
and the FTC
FTC
FTC may refer to:- Organizations :* Federal Trade Commission, a US agency for consumer protection* Ferencvárosi TC, a Hungarian sports club* Financial Training Center Limited, a training institution in Tanzania...
.
The AHAM seal (usually found on the back of an air cleaner's box) lists three Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR) numbers: one for tobacco smoke, one for pollen and one for dust. The CADR indicates volume of filtered air delivered by an air cleaner. The higher the tobacco smoke, pollen and dust numbers, the faster the unit filters the air. Consumers can use these ratings to compare air cleaners from the various manufacturers that also certify through AHAM.
History
In the early 1980s, AHAM developed a method for measuring the clean air delivery rate for portable household electric room air cleaners. The resulting standard became an American National Standard in 1988. Known as ANSI/AHAM AC-1, it measures the air cleaner's ability to reduce tobacco smoke, dust and pollen particles in a room. It also includes a method for calculating the suggested room size. The Federal Trade CommissionFederal Trade Commission
The Federal Trade Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, established in 1914 by the Federal Trade Commission Act...
and United States Environmental Protection Agency
United States Environmental Protection Agency
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is an agency of the federal government of the United States charged with protecting human health and the environment, by writing and enforcing regulations based on laws passed by Congress...
(EPA) have both reviewed and agreed that the AC-1 provides a reasonable basis for making claims on performance.
See also
- Association of Home Appliance ManufacturersAssociation of Home Appliance ManufacturersThe Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers or AHAM represents the manufacturers of household appliances and products/services associated with household appliances sold in the United States...
- Air purifierAir purifierAn air purifier is a device which removes contaminants from the air. These devices are commonly marketed as being beneficial to allergy sufferers and asthmatics, and at reducing or eliminating second-hand tobacco smoke...
- Air cleaner
- Air filterAir filterA particulate air filter is a device composed of fibrous materials which removes solid particulates such as dust, pollen, mold, and bacteria from the air. A chemical air filter consists of an absorbent or catalyst for the removal of airborne molecular contaminants such as volatile organic compounds...
External links
- Information on CADR certification – info for consumers, manufacturers, and retailers.
- "Indoor Air Facts No. 7 – Residential Air Cleaners" – publication from the EPA