hi guys, do any of you use air purifiers in the home? does it (subjectively) have a benefit? cleaner smelling air? less runny noses?
Air Purifiers - Anyone Here Use Them?
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I have a Sharp one (has an ionizer), gets used when we have the house closed up in the cold weather. My doctor actually did some research and was convinced based on studies done in Japan that they are something that can help with those issues. Prefer fresh air myself but if that's not possible then this is a good option.
I bought 3 Xiaomi air purifier. I turn it on whenever I get an itch in my nose. It does make my hay fever better.
The bonus is whenever my neighbour turns on their wood powered heater I could very quickly remove the smell by turning the purifier on.
burn a beeswax candle …
I had an old one where I never changed the filters (I did vacuum it out from time to time though). It worked well and gradually its effectiveness reduced. Now it just filters out large particles floating around, e.g. pet hair, dust. Recently I bough a new one to replace it as I can no longer get filters. It was a very noticeable difference and the air quality is noticeably improved. Generally they have 3 stages
- a large filter pad which catches large contaminants like hair, dust, fluff
- a hepa filter that catches microscopic stuff like bug poo, mite eggs, pollen and other stuff that generally causes alergies
- an activated carbon filter that absorbs and removes odours. It is good for removing cooking smells, smoke, stale people smells (expired air, farts, B.O. etc.) The activated carbon loses its effectiveness after a while (6-12 months, depends on use) and needs to be replaced.
- Some purifiers also have negative ion generation, which can remove odours and has some sort of electromagnetic attraction properties to get particles out of the air.
People with asthma and allergies use them and the machines are generally approved by the Asthma Association. The replacement filters could cost between $50-$100 for a small to medium room, so it's not cheap. However if you suffer from breathing problems, it may be worth it for you.
I use Philips. Pretty happy. I'm a convert.
Homedics had one w/ 2 replaceable filters (top & bottom, but same filter fit each slot), AND could emit "UV-C" radiation (to kill microbes).
I later heard a Science show that suggested UV-C can kill all sorts of microbes (possibly, just bacteria…? Can anyone confirm that fading memory? :-)
I think I may have seen them at H-N's.
BTW, a later view of a -different- Homedics product gave me to think they have crappy products, but the air filter seemed to be an exception to that rule.
Filters seem to get darker (eg, from exhaust from passing trains, cars, etc.). Top of filter can seem to collect white (dust?)
The form-factor was like some of those (older-style) vertical fans… Not the kind that forces the air thru a "loop" with hole at centre, tho.
PS FWIW, in Stockholm, SE, "public-housing" apartments had a much simpler air-cleaner:
a think piece of cleaning
UV light is used in pool filters and pond water systems to kill algae. Much like direct sunlight, it can kill simple organisms. I don't see the sense in using it in air filters though, the idea is to trap it in the filter and remove the crap from the air, not blow around dead cells.
Black deposits on filters indicates a lot of carbon and soot in the air. White deposits are likely to be dead skin cells — most household dust is dead skin!
UV-C is said to be capable of killing SuperBugs (that beat antibiotics), [if they're bacterial], & UV-C isn't - I'm told - harmful to humans.
If you are interested, you can also purchase plants that will clean pollutants in the air in your house and convert it to clean oxygen.
It can also be good for your well-being.
NASA did a study on plants that remove volatile organic compounds from the air and produced a list of them.
The peace lily made it on the list which is great because those guys can withstand a lot of neglect.
I heard this on TV a few days ago. I can't remember what show it was. It must of been Gardening Australia.
Thanks…
Googling your comment (as is) brought this link to a PDF:
The ion stuff is a bit pseudoscience. Hepa and +- charcoal is all that is needed.
I have, I think it works well but I don't use it much, and its arguable whether I'm noticing a difference or if its just a placebo. I hear its good for people with respiratory issues like asthma or hay fever? Which might see a better benefit?