Portable home air purifiers

Bronco

Bronco

Moderator
Joined
Feb 25, 2000
Messages
7,580
Does anyone out there have one of these that they can strongly endorse? A company called Living Air has been bombarding the local radio air waves with ads for their unit, and I know that the Sharper Image has been selling something similar for years, but interestingly I've never read or heard any reviews that weren't delivered by someone being paid by the respective manufacturer.

In order of priority I suppose I'm most interested in 1)effectiveness at cleaning the air (duh :) ), 2) quiet operation, and 3) ease of cleaning (is filterless the way to go here?).
 
Just bought my second Honeywell at Homedepot, the first one lasted 15 years.These have a hepa filter as the main filter and a charcoal pre filter over that to get the bigger stuff and get rid of odors.You can see all the stuff they pick up when you change the pre filter.From what I've read the hepa filter is the way to go.In fact I have a Space Gard air filter on my furnace that is hepa also.Consumer report also has a good report on air filters,Gordy
 
Forgot the noise question,your best bet is to go to the store and listen and see if what you think,most have three speeds and on low I don't have a problem with it.Changing the filter is no problem either,you just wrap the pre filter around the main filter and and put it back in.I change my pre filter when I see it is covered with dust and the color of the filter is all gray,when you put the pre filter on new it is black.Good Luck,Gordy
 
Sears has 'em - you can see, hear, feel and choose on the spot. Bought a filterless 5 years ago. It really reduces the dust load and will kill smoke odors in the house with the ozone generator. The pre filter doesn't catch it all, is washable, and lets the ozone genner spark a dust mite when it slips through. You know it's working, especially on hush mode, then.
 
Hey Cone, do you find ozone generators destroy rubber. I have a Flair, and can't keep rubber bands ( from newspapers and mail) for more than a month. I sometimes wonder what it's doing to all my other stuff that might have elastic sewn in or otherwise hidden. For oders though, it kicks arse.
 
I wouldn't endorse a specific unit, but if you want to remove particles from the air (dust, mold spores, etc) a HEPA filter is the type of machine to use. If you are concerned about removing odors, a charcoal filter unit is the type to use. In general, I would recommend a dual HEPA/charcoal machine, as this will cover the widest variety of contaminants commonly found in homes. It is important that the unit you use is rated for the size of the room you will place it in.

I would not trust electrostatic precipitators to function as well as a HEPA/charcoal unit (I think that that is the mechanism of hte Sharper Image unit).

Ozone generators should not be used. Ozone is an indoor air quality contaminant and can cause irritation of the respiratory tract.

If I were going to buy a unit for my personal use I would go to Home Depot, Sears, or another appliance/home store and buy whatever brand has the most models of HEPA/charcaol filter machines. Getting the correct unit (in terms of size and how needs to be placed in the room) for your application is more important the a particular brand.

So you know what I am basing my opinions on, my occupation is an Industrial Hygeinist, or Occupational Health and Safety specialist. My specific expertise in the field is in Indoor Air Quality.
 
First I must say that the diversity of folks on this forum continues to amaze me. On to the question.

Two years ago the wife and I had central air installed here at the house. We got a Carrier system that included a new high efficiency variable speed furnace/heat exchanger. I opted for the optional Honeywell Electrostatic aircleaner option that installs under the furnace to filter all air passing through the system. We only have a 1200 sq/ft house and the Honeywell unit seems pretty industrial. Are these things really any good? I also had a pulse humidifier plumbed into th esystem and a combo thermostat/humidistat installed to control it all. I've set it to run for 10 minutes per hour when we're home assuning that the system it not running for temp control.

Did I do OK, or did I waste a bunch of cash? Should I have the anti bacteria UV light option that I passed on?

Thanks in advance for the feedback.


jmx
 
My short answer to your question is that you probably did not waste your money. The most important use of a residentail ac/heating unit is to make the temperature in the house comfortable. Anything above that is icing on the cake, and it sounds as if your system probably is sufficent for most residential purposes.

I'm not familliar with yor specific system, but Carrier is one of the most frequently used brands of air handling systems, both for residential and commercial applications. I've seen carrier systems used by many high end office builidngs that could afford to, and would use, the best systems available.

I'm not saying that electrostatic sytems don't work, but they don't work as efficently as a HEPA filter (they do not remove particluate to the degree that a HEPA filter does). But, for your use, do you really need the efficency of a HEPA filter? Probably not. Your system probably removes a lot more dust from the air than a system without the precipitator. It will also probably extend the life of the unit as a whole.

Also, most standard air handling systems, especially residential, can not handle a HEPA filter, unless they are specifically made for that purpose. A HEPA filter is basically made of paper with very small holes in it. As such, it creates significant impedance to the air flow and will burn out standard fan units. Electrostatic preciptitators do not have this problem.

Humidification units can take contaminants from the water they use and intorduce these contaminants into the air. The most common/serious concern with humidification is the aerosolization of Legionella bacteria (the causative agent in Legionaires disease.) Therefore it is extremely important to maintain the unit correctly. If there is microbial growth in the system, it is very likely that this will be put into the air, and you may be exposed. Also, tap water is not pure, so even if there is no additional grwoth within your system, the contaminants can be coming in in the water itself.

Any time I do an assessment in a commercial building with a humidification system, I recommend that they stop using it, unless it is is a requirement for a specific purpose, such as to keep a specific humidity range in an equipment room. Otherwise, the potential liability is too great.

In your house, if you are maintaining the unit correctly and you are not getting sick, and are happy with the humidification, that's great. But, you should be aware that there is a risk.

I'm very sceptical of the UV systems. UV light is used to kill microbes (bacteria, fungi, viruses), and it is effective if used appropriately. I don't know if the minimal exposure time that the home systems have would be effective. I probably wouldn't hurt, but for the cost, I think it's unlikely to be worth it.
 
I would not recommend the use of this unit, or any other ozone generating unit. While they may remove particulate and odors from the air, they introduce another contaminant to do so.

It's similar to the Three Stooges pain relief plan: when your foot hurt's Moe hits you over the head with a brck, and you forget your foot pain.

Here's a link to the NIOSH website with some info on ozone.

http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/pel88/10028-15.html

NIOSH (National Institue of Occupational Safety and Health) is a department within the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) and is the US government's research arm into health and safety issues.

Also, this is a link to the American Lung Association Website with info on air cleaners.

http://www.lungusa.org/pub/cleaners/air_clean_chap3.html
 
EHS,
Many thanks again for taking the time and energy to educate the rest of us on this issue.

I had hoped this product might appear more acceptable to you because the manufacturer specifically addresses the hazards associated with high concentrations of ozone and further affirms that their unit produces ozone levels below that which is deemed safe for indoor environments by OSHA and the FDA. At any rate, I appreciate the links you provided and look forward to learning more. :)
 
To be honest, I did not read that much of their website before posting my reply. I have read more since.

The levels that they state the machines produce (at most 0.04 ppm) are below the recognized standards. The OSHA standard is 0.1 ppm and the ASHRAE standard is 0.05 ppm. And, ozone can be effective at reducing airborne particulates.

However, why take the chance of introducing a potential hazard when you can get good results with a safer technology (HEPA). In some special situations, ozone would be preferred, and it would be used in a controled manner. But in a home, it isn't necessary or controled.

Also, a HEPA filter catches whatever it is removing from the air. Ozone generators cause dust to fall out of the air onto the surfaces in your house. As they state on their website, the now surface dust may be disturbed back into the air. It is analogous to the difference between dusting with a duster and vacumming the dust up.

I've gotten much enjoyment from this forum and have learned a lot from the people who post here. I am glad to be able to be an active participant and am more than happy to give my opinion on any health and safety or environmental issues or questions that I feel qualified to comment on.
 
Originally posted by EHS
Also, a HEPA filter catches whatever it is removing from the air. Ozone generators cause dust to fall out of the air onto the surfaces in your house.
Click to expand...

Great point, EHS. Between this and the other concerns you raise, I think you've convinced me that HEPA is the way to go. Thanks again for sharing so much great insight. :)
 
As a respiratory therapist, I'll throw my two cents in here and say that I definitely agree with him on this one. HEPA is good enough for respiratory precautions, good enough for hospital applications, good enough for pretty much anything you're hoping to filter out of the air you're breathing. Heck, the particles that are irritating the respiratory tract might not even be micro sized, so you really don't need to worry too much- the HEPA's going to catch them, and a whole lot more. Of course, I'm assuming you don't smoke; if you use these machines for asthmatics with a smoker in the home, the particles on clothing worn during smoking can be enough to trigger an attack in somebody susceptible.
Check to see how long the filters last, and try to get a unit from a company that will be around, so in the future you don't have a machine with no filters available.
Right now, we're in a cold freeze here in Pennsylvania, it's dry and brittle with a wicked wind chill. It amazes me how many doctors try to order home humidifiers for their patients; many hospitals have outlawed these from being used- that's how much of a problem we've had with infections from what grows in these humidifiers. Many docs don't even know about this problem, and are surprised to hear about it...just passing that bit along as an FYI, if you're ever thinking about them.
:)
 
I couldn't live without a humidifier, but I clean it frequently.

I mentioned this thread to a friend today -- she has an ionizing filter that also incorporates an ozone generator with a timer. When she leaves the house she turns on the ozone generator on high and it runs for an hour, and by the time she gets home the ozone has dissipated.
 
Interesting thread here. I have been researching air purifiers for some time now. I plan on buying one or two very shortly. The American Lung Association website was where I found the most information. One thing that I did learn was to look for air purifiers with AHAM ratings and a clean air delivery rate (CADR). Visit their website and research it, and then you will understand the various ratings and what they mean. These ratings will help you choose your next air purifier. http://www.cadr.org/

Here is a place that has rated various air purifiers, and they have a lot of reviews. Best place I have found yet that puts it all together for a newbie, like me, to understand. There is a lot of information on their website. They also sell all the top brands of air purifiers. The Hamilton Beach model really does look like a good one, and it is on sale. http://www.allergybuyersclub.com/compare-air.html
Big D1
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top