Air Purifiers - Why Do People Buy Them?

rumblytangara on 26/04/2023 - 15:45
Last edited 26/04/2023 - 15:48

I've been in the country for less than six months. Previously where I lived, the air pollution was sometimes so bad that you couldn't make out skyscrapers a kilometer away. Friends would come down with asthma attacks after a day out, and they were not asthmatic.

So I move to Sydney and the air is, in comparison, just insanely clean. The only thing that gets me here is all the bloody pollen from the damn nature that I'm surrounded by.

But every time I check this forum, there's a post or a deal about air purifiers- why?

Far as I can tell, unless someone is living next to some illegal and unregulated coal burning power plant that's managed to fly under the radar (/s) or there are active bushfires nearby, the air here is crazy clean. I'm not just making this up, out of habit I ran particle counters for years, then after a couple months here realised there was no longer any point even turning them on. And if you've got a problem with pollen like I do, air purifiers do sweet FA unless you otherwise hermetically seal your house and don't go outside.

So why are people buying these $500 or more devices (which in themselves consist of nothing more than a fan and a cheap HEPA filter)? Is it something that came out of the bushfire seasons years past, or has there been some other source that's caused so many people to worry about air quality?

Don't get me wrong, I am not against them per se. I currently own four (use none) and have over the years rotated through at least a dozen, some DIY. But Australia is one of the cleanest countries on the planet, and this forum has constant mentions of purifiers.

Home & Garden Air Purifier

Comments

  • Hybroid on 26/04/2023 - 15:50
    +39

    The air here is clean to you and I. Have you considered others may differ?

    Lots of people struggle with pollen or dust or odors or pet dander or other allergies etc.

    • Cheaplikethebird on 26/04/2023 - 15:59
      +19

      Yeah Melbourne being the pollen capital of the world. I've developed hayfever living here a few years after never experiencing it before in my life.

      • lgacb08 on 27/04/2023 - 13:26
        -5

        I live in Melbourne and has hayfever coming up every Spring but I tell you, you must be on emperors clothes to believe air purifier will do any good to you comes spring time.
        My recently acquired air purifier only pick up the pollution when I do the stir fry or doing barbecue in head wind in the backyard with door opened. The other day I was putting the air purifier next to the internal lourve door whilst cleaning, I could see gazillion of fine dust particles flying around and the machine showed pretty much nothing. Same with another one of different brand in the dusty warehouse office at work.
        In short yes, you must be the emperor from Andersen story to put faith on them unless you were in bushfire season 3 years ago.

        • Cheaplikethebird on 27/04/2023 - 13:27
          +5

          Thanks for the paragraph but I didn't actually say it was effective, in my experience it wasn't.

    • rumblytangara on 26/04/2023 - 15:59
      -5

      Pet dander is from an internal source. The only way to deal with it is to not have pets inside or to vacuum like crazy every single day (and even then I doubt that would be enough).

      Pollen. I already talked about that one in my opening post. Unless you keep your house sealed and clean frequently (houses leak air) then there is pollen everywhere. And when you go outside, you're not walking out in a PPE suit with it's own air supply. I have bloody terrible allergies here, I don't tell myself that air purifiers are going to do anything about it- I have four of the things and don't even try to use them for pollen because of open windows. Waste of electricity.

      • Hybroid on 26/04/2023 - 16:08
        +1

        I don't have an air purifier, but this response makes no sense. Yes, pet dander, dust and pollen etc will make it's way inside homes. These units are meant to help alleviate this…

        Pretty sure people that go outdoors with high pollen count and allergy take antihistamines to help suppress reactions.

        Seems like Melbourne has it worse, but Sydney also has some pretty bad air pollution days. Maybe these units help on those days too.

        • rumblytangara on 26/04/2023 - 16:15
          -1

          The point about pet dander was specifically that it's going to be from a pet… inside the home already. Pet dander doesn't randomly blow in from outside.

          If you have an active source of allergens inside the house, the only way to effectively treat it is to get rid of the source. Or vacuum like an absolute maniac.

          • Ughhh on 26/04/2023 - 18:08
            +9

            @rumblytangara:

            the only way to effectively treat it is to get rid of the source. Or vacuum like an absolute maniac.

            Or an air purifier to help control it… In addition to vacuumming

          • photonbuddy on 27/04/2023 - 21:56
            +4

            @rumblytangara:

            inside the home already.

            Air purifiers aren't for purifying the air outside! They would be utterly useless at that.

            They are designed to filter the air inside a house. You know … the air that has all sorts of stuff generated inside the house.

            • MrFrugalSpend on 29/04/2023 - 20:54

              @photonbuddy: ^^^ This.

              As a hayfever sufferer with dust/dust mite/mould/pet allergies. The best thing I did was move to a house without carpets - hayfever improved dramatically; I need to keep up with cleaning but sometimes don't and when vacuuming or moving things around it stirs up particles into the air, often clearly visible if a light is behind.

              Yes some other places have really crap air pollution / smog etc outdoors…. Can't see why that would change whether I want to suck dust / mites / allergens out of my house which are definitely there and can make my symptoms so bad I am almost incapacitated!?

              Barely even related problems - strange post, it is like OP thinks air purifiers clean smog outside or something!?

      • apple2016 on 26/04/2023 - 16:14
        +7

        Disagree on pollens. I have an air purifier and it definitely helps me for the days when I work from home and also helps me sleep better at night. worth the money!

      • fredblogs on 26/04/2023 - 20:04
        +2

        Why do you think air purifiers don't help reduce pollen?

    • BertieBrown on 27/04/2023 - 21:29

      Exactly.

      My dog sheds hair and dander like nobody’s business - I don’t have an air purifier inside but the indoor air quality is shit, and it’s completely independent of outside air.

  • coffeeinmyveins on 26/04/2023 - 15:52
    -1

    So why are people buying these $500 or more devices (which in themselves consist of nothing more than a fan and a cheap HEPA filter)?

    Because they have been fear-marketed to (and believe it) and told that you need to have one else you'll die of whatever is in the air.

    It's the same reason that people will have triple charcoal filtered water that has been ionized (or de-ionized?) and the PH adjusted.

    • MrFrugalSpend on 29/04/2023 - 20:56

      no mate
      your comment merely displays your ignorance.

      Clearly not a sufferer of quite common medical conditions that cause symptomatic immune system overreactions on exposure… lucky you, perhaps check your privilege.
      I don't recall even seeing any marketing, I went looking for a product after repeatedly experiencing reactions when tidying / cleaning at home.

      For those of us who a simple moving of something covered in dust off a shelf or changing linen on a bed can result in the next 6 hours leaking like a tap from the nose, itching eyes, congestion, sneezing, associated irritability and discomfort…. we will gladly spend a couple of hundred bucks on something really quite simple, not even slightly difficult to understand how it very obviously works, that can be put in the room and pull in air through a HEPA filter that traps particles floating around in the air to reduce their concentration.

      It's no more complicated than a vacuum cleaner sucking up dust except it does it passively aimed at that stirred up into a room instead of being pointed at a surface.
      People are paying $200, $500, or $1000+ even for Dyson vacs… according to you, are they supposedly doing it cause they will die otherwise too?

      The $500 is overpriced, I think I paid like $200 from memory, (and at that price even has wifi connectivity and app to control it and monitor filter status etc)…

      Absolute no-brainer for me… if for nothing more than less cleaning dust off surfaces!

      (no idea what your ionised PH adjustment thought bubble is about)

  • Stopback on 26/04/2023 - 15:56
    +18

    It's my emotional support air filter

  • Cheaplikethebird on 26/04/2023 - 15:57
    +12

    People are scarred after the 2019 bushfire season, it was impossible to get any sub-$500 purifier and there was generally a wait time on the more premium models, so people want to be prepared for the next bad season.

    Also now that I'm working at home a lot it helps filter out the farts from my office.

    • rumblytangara on 26/04/2023 - 16:01
      +16

      Do you also have one of those purifiers that changes LED when you fart and kicks into high gear? One of mine does, and even after years of owning it, it still makes me smile every time it triggers.

      • Cheaplikethebird on 26/04/2023 - 16:05
        -2

        Yeah and when I hit the vape 😂

      • lachhelix on 28/04/2023 - 01:05
        +1

        I want one for this reason only

      • cktftw on 28/04/2023 - 12:15

        Damn i need this - what model?

      • AliG on 29/04/2023 - 11:38

        Sure anyone around you isn't smiling

    • rumblytangara on 26/04/2023 - 16:09
      +1

      This is kind of what I am wondering- did the bushfires really trigger a massive interest in purifiers?

      I've been out of the country for absolutely ages- when I left, it was really, really hard to find purifiers anywhere (I'm asthmatic so have always been interested in air quality) and now I come back they are everywhere.

      • amberstyre on 27/04/2023 - 21:11

        When the bushfires were really bad back in 2019/2020 it was basically impossible to get an air purifier, not because there wasn't many offerings to choose from but because the demand was so high. The smoke in my place was so bad that it would get a bit hazy inside. Going outside = eyes burning, throat and nose irritated. Sealed all the gaps in the windows and doors to stop it from being the same inside. Luckily I had one air purifier which helps with my allergies and helped to clear the air in the house, also had to run the aircon in the other rooms since they also have a filter in them which cleared the air up too.

        It's probably raised awareness of such a product in general and the benefits to filtering out irritants. But they were pretty common to find in the shops beforehand, I wouldn't say there's heaps of purifiers around because of the bushfires. Definitely more on the market now than 10 years ago though.

      • cafeman on 28/04/2023 - 15:49

        Sure did - they were sold out everywhere for a long time. We even bought some just in case, the smoke was horrendous. That along with the dust storms from a few years previously made them more than a "nice to have". The air's normally great but on the very occasional time it isn't due to fires or otherwise, it's toxic.

      • deadpoet on 28/04/2023 - 15:53

        now I come back they are everywhere.

        Initially the interest in air purifiers was because of the 2019 bushfires, but then immediately after that came the pandemic and that became the main driver for a few years (HEPA filters are proven to be quite effective in capturing viral particles, in the absence of effective ventilation which would be the preferred option where possible).

        Now we're likely to see major bushfires again in the next few years, so I'm sure that will cause the trend to spike.

    • DingoBilly on 28/04/2023 - 07:10

      Which thanks to climate change will happen sooner than we think.

  • AustriaBargain on 26/04/2023 - 16:00
    +6

    What's wrong with wanting to breathe clean air. If the filter is dirty when it comes time to change, then the air obviously isn't so clean.

    • rumblytangara on 26/04/2023 - 16:06
      +5

      Purifiers are designed to filter out ultrafine particles. The vast majority of crap you see on a filter is coarse dust, which your body is totally well evolved to deal with.

      I agree there is nothing wrong with wanting to breathe clean air. There air here is already clean, and if you're worried about dust then that's what the vacuum is designed for.

  • Clear on 26/04/2023 - 16:07
    +6

    Once winter really sets in and the woodfires get going in the suburbs there will be a low layers of smog. When bushfire season rolls in it can be pretty bad if there's fires.

    When it comes to PM2.5 there's certainly some high hotspots around. Particularly around Melbourne.

    • Cheaplikethebird on 26/04/2023 - 16:11
      +2

      Don't forget all the oldies who still burn their trash in their fireplaces. Love the smell of burning plastic in the morning.

    • rumblytangara on 26/04/2023 - 16:13

      Ah, good point. I will keep an eye on that during winter.

      Certain times of year, my old area used to regularly go past 100 and sometimes past 150.

  • Cluster on 26/04/2023 - 16:11

    I keep my bedroom windows closed at night due to traffic noise. An air filter keeps the air a little fresher in the bedroom.

    • secondstory on 28/04/2023 - 16:32

      Not sure that's how it works. Unless of course you have a pet indoors that scratches up a storm at night - in which case I can confirm it works wonders. If not just get some indoor plants and/or a low speed quiet fan to move the air around.

  • [Deactivated] on 26/04/2023 - 16:13
    +4

    Why did you buy 4 of them?

  • Benoffie on 26/04/2023 - 16:17

    I only recently purchased one. Must admit, the air feels easier to breathe. Im in the Hills Face in Adelaide so between gully winds, burn offs (2 this week), pollen and then general bleurgh days, it seems to be helping my congestion.

  • ForkSnorter on 26/04/2023 - 16:18
    -1

    In my experience, air purifiers are a scam. They may remove tiny particles from the air, but they also add toxic substances to the air. I bought a Xiaomi air purifier. I have sensitive mucosa in my nose/throat, for example my throat will sting if I breath smoke or pesticides.

    The first time I ran the Xiaomi, I got a sore throat. The same thing happened each time I ran it. So I returned it.

    I thought it was caused by the ozone generation, so I bought a Samsung air purifier recommended by Choice. The first time I ran it, I got a sore throat. Each time I ran it, I got a sore throat. The last time I ran it, it made me feel extremely sick, and gave me such a sore throat that I sold it. It wasn't a coincidence, because I did multiple tests, for example running the air purifier when I wasn't home, then coming home and getting a sore throat.

    There are a number of studies you can find online about the toxic substances air purifiers add to the air. I suspect a lot of them create ozone, even if they don't explicitly say that in the marketing.

    • whatwasherproblem on 26/04/2023 - 17:31
      +2

      I have sensitive mucosa in my nose/throat

      Your username checks out.

    • fredblogs on 26/04/2023 - 20:01
      +1

      How do you know the Samsung doesn't produce ozone?

    • [Deactivated] on 29/04/2023 - 10:47
      -1

      User is full of shit. Xiaomi air purifier does not produce ozone.

      Show us your sources of the "toxic substances" if not ozone.

      • ForkSnorter on 29/04/2023 - 16:24
        +1

        https://mi-store.com.au/products/xiaomi-smart-air-purifier-4…

        Negative ion generation = ozone generation

        • [Deactivated] on 29/04/2023 - 16:55

          1. There are dozens of Xiaomi air purifiers, and only the pro contains an ionizer. So it is misleading of you to portray them in one broad stroke, based on your experience with the Pro 4.

          2. Ionizers in air purifiers are not ozone generators, they produce ozone as a side effect.

          The EPA recommends you never run an ionizer in an enclosed space without ventilation.

          • CommuterPolluter on 29/04/2023 - 19:53

            @[Deactivated]: another word for produce is generate. What’s the point of running an air purifier if you need to open the windows to get rid of that “purified” air?

            • [Deactivated] on 29/04/2023 - 21:03
              -1

              @CommuterPolluter: Ozone generators are items that are purpose built for generating ozone.
              These do so as a side effect and it is not their intended purpose.

              What's hard to understand here?

              Simply, just buy an air purifier (which there are many of) that do not have ionizer.

              • fredblogs on 30/04/2023 - 16:18
                -1

                @[Deactivated]: You said "Xiaomi air purifier does not produce ozone." That's false.
                They have ionizers which produce ozone.

                • [Deactivated] on 30/04/2023 - 16:23
                  -1

                  @fredblogs: Depends on the model, I think we both made an error here by grouping them all together.
                  Only pro 4 has ionizer. Rest don't.

                  • fredblogs on 01/05/2023 - 11:42
                    -1

                    @[Deactivated]: The non-pro has an ionizer as well. Do you have an example of a current model that does not have an ionizer?

                    • [Deactivated] on 01/05/2023 - 11:54

                      @fredblogs: The 4 Compact. Also any of the other dozen models that are not the 4/4pro. They are advertised with the ionizer. So just don't buy one that has one.

                      You can also turn off the ionizer in the software lol

                      • fredblogs on 01/05/2023 - 17:58

                        @[Deactivated]: Looks like they all use electrostatic filters. These use ionizers.

                        • [Deactivated] on 01/05/2023 - 19:18

                          @fredblogs: Nah that's how the filters are made. It's part of the process of making the mechanical filter.
                          https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/10/9/959

                          Compact 4 produces no ozone, it has no active electrostatic filter or ionizer.

                          You can also turn it off in the 4pro/4.

                          Previous models don't have an ionizer.

                          I guess reason your nose hurt was because you didn't do the due diligence of researching. I guess ozb can educate after all :'D

  • Jimothy Wongingtons on 26/04/2023 - 16:20
    +4

    But every time I check this forum, there's a post or a deal about air purifiers- why?

    Just thought I’d mention you can block certain types of deals/users/stores from your feed if it bothers you.

    https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/513367

    • rumblytangara on 26/04/2023 - 16:36
      +2

      I discovered that last week and got rid of all the "free ebook when the source material has been in the public domain for a century" deals. It's great.

      Purifiers don't bother me, I was absolutely obsessed with them for a while. I am more curious about consumer behaviour here- to me, purifiers in much of Oz strike me a bit the same way as how bottled water got popularised in the 90s. Prior to that the idea of paying petrol prices for something free from the tap was just bonkers. Now, it is totally normalised.

  • Ryanek on 26/04/2023 - 16:28
    +7

    Wait till you hear about water filters

  • Godric on 26/04/2023 - 16:41

    To purify the air

  • sss333 on 26/04/2023 - 16:42
    +3

    During the 2019-20 bushfires Canberra was topping the global list of cities with worst air quality

  • Empharand on 26/04/2023 - 16:45
    -4

    Air Purifiers - Why Do People Buy Them?

    To clean the Air

    /Thread

    On a serious note, did you consider how Air Purifiers can help asthma sufferers, those with allergies etc?
    Also if Air Purifiers don't work then why do the filters show evidence of filtration?

  • John Kimble on 26/04/2023 - 16:48
    +3

    Placebo effect is still an effect

    • Dreamcast on 28/04/2023 - 00:07
      +3

      It's not a Placebo!

  • Youfah Mizzum on 26/04/2023 - 17:30
    +1

    I have an air purifier in my home office. Have had it about 3 years or so.

    Prior to purchase I was a general sneezer - like random sneezes maybe 5 times a day. Often 3 or 4 in a row.

    Now I can go days without sneezing. I can't specifically tell the air is "cleaner" just by being in the room but it's just less dustier & my reduction in sneezing tells me it was a good purchase. It just sits unobtrusively out of the way on the lowest setting. Can't even hear it.

  • jolee3 on 26/04/2023 - 17:39
    +3

    We have an open kitchen and our air purifier gets rid of cooking smells. It don't need to run any tests to know it works…without it, the lounge room can smell like sausages all afternoon.

  • lostgoat on 26/04/2023 - 17:40
    +1

    Dust Mites.

  • Hugh G Rection on 26/04/2023 - 17:43

    Outside air is cleaner than what you trap in your house.

    It’s free to just open all windows.

    Spend a little bit for a fan to force air to circulate.

    This will be better then an over priced air purifier

    • lunchbox99 on 28/04/2023 - 11:17
      +2

      well that makes sense unless whatever is outside is causing the problem. I suffer allergies and at certain times of the year pollen, grass, smoke all make my eyes and nose water non-stop and when bad my eyes go red and swell up, my airway constricts and I develop something similar to a fever. I don't like taking antihistamines because they give me headaches - sometimes I have to anyway.

      I bought a phillips auto sensing purifier. When it's bad I can close the windows and the purifier will autosense and rapidly clean the air inside. My symptoms have been dramatically improved since I bought it.

      Inside houses people with allergies also tend to react to dust mites and mould, which are very difficult to completely eliminate. People who don't suffer allergies don't get how debilitating it can be - to me it feels the same as when I get sick (cold, flu). The immune response is essentially doing the same as when you are sick.

  • Heaps for Cheaps on 26/04/2023 - 17:44
    +10

    I'm not sure this can be explained to people, because you have to experience it to truly understand.

    I work at the airport. As international flights arrive, I operate the passenger boarding bridge, connecting to the aircraft and making sure it is safe & secure for passengers to off-board…

    One thing I can assure you is very unpleasant is the waft of built-up farts that exhume out the aircraft door as it opens. It's almost unbearable to open that can of farts, which had been fermenting for up to 16 hours. I am sure my face twist and distorts like I am opening a can of that Swedish fermented fish, Surströmming.

    At home, even the faintest smell of farts makes me sick, it reminds me of work. Hence, the air purifier.

    But back to the planes… Like a baby who laughs and giggles in total obliviousness to it's stinky diaper, the passengers are the same, having sat in that stink-container so long they don't even realise the disgusting farts they have been living amongst. Our training tells us that there can be up to 400 litres of flatulence released during a international flight.

    • [Deactivated] on 26/04/2023 - 18:01
      +4

      TMI

    • ForkSnorter on 26/04/2023 - 18:10
      +1

      That sounds horrible. So that’s why I feel so crusty after an international flight. Can’t you wear an oxygen mask or something? Odours are tiny particles that reach the roof of your nose. If you can smell somebody’s fart, you actually have their poo particles inside your nose.

      • rumblytangara on 26/04/2023 - 19:58
        +1

        Last time I heard that idea was in my 20s in uni. I am pretty sure that's not the way it works (i.e solid particles floating around, it's going to be volatiles)

      • WT on 27/04/2023 - 09:50

        youre smelling methane (gas)

        • ForkSnorter on 27/04/2023 - 10:03
          +5

          Methane is odourless.Most of the smell is from hydrogen sulfide (rotten egg gas) and other suflides. I guess some of these gases could soak up a bit of poo flavour as they navigate the faeces-infested canals of your colon.

    • KSMLJ on 26/04/2023 - 18:54
      +2

      User profile pic checks out!

    • adambargaincity on 28/04/2023 - 08:29
      +1

      Your post implies that aircraft only receive fresh air through open cabin doors - this is just not correct at all.

      The air inside an aircraft cabin is completely replaced every few minutes during flight with fresh air from outside the aircraft, and any cabin air that is recycled is filtered.

      • Heaps for Cheaps on 28/04/2023 - 12:56

        That's why I am on the side of getting a air purifier for home use.

  • djones145 on 26/04/2023 - 19:19
    +15

    why do people buy water filters when the water is cleaner than in africa
    why do people buy air con when its cooler than singapore
    why do people buy heaters when its warmer than canada
    why do people jut cars when its easier to travel than siberia
    why do people need protection when its safer than south africa
    why do people need houses when its better to live than africa

    why
    why
    why

  • meeowth on 26/04/2023 - 20:23
    +3

    I have allergies and after getting a few air purifiers my mutliyear coughing fit ended. I get the cheaper ones, and, after TONS AND TONS of research, the "cheap DIY air purifier" is pretty much a fantasy in Australia. 10$ box fans like the ones in the USA literally don't exist here, the cheapest fans are round pedestal fans wholly unsuited to sealing to a Filter. And speaking of filters… The cheap furnace filters that are the staple of DIY air filters in the usa also don't exist here, sure you can get them imported via amazon at an expense… but in the end the value VS just getting a cheaper air purifier just isn't there.

    TLDR: in Australia, the parts to DIY an air purifier are not significantly different to just buying one, due to the lack of $10 boxed fans and the fact that furnace filters have no market here.

    • rumblytangara on 26/04/2023 - 21:43
      -3

      I built my diy projects out of replacement filter units.

      My sourcing was overseas so pretty cheap though. Smartair, the ngo(?) started by the obsessive PhD student in Beijing, was releasing cheap HEPA filters which were available on taobao and Ali, ages back.

      I take it you've seen the cube versions. I've not made one of those - too much space.

      • MrBear on 27/04/2023 - 17:03
        -2

        No one cares really. Why open a conversation and question and then just shoot every answer down because your experience in another country was different to Sydney?

        • rumblytangara on 27/04/2023 - 17:49
          +2

          Some people here have made pretty good points which I've found fairly eye-opening, some people have made pretty bad points (and I'll point out the problems with bad points because if someone buys a machine not understanding what does, then it's a waste of $). Some people have made amusing points.

          Why does the internet exist.

  • djones145 on 26/04/2023 - 22:50
    +2

    u have been in sydney during a wet period. wait until next summer when its dry, bush fires

    a few years ago we had terrible bushfires. the whole of sydney was blanketed with ash and smoke. we couldnt see a buildimg down the road.

    • bbinc on 27/04/2023 - 13:38

      Same in Melbourne

  • judoman09 on 27/04/2023 - 08:43

    Sometimes when the sun is shining through the bedroom window, I've seen the ray of light sparkling over countless tiny floating dust particles.
    That's made me think that a bedroom air purifier could be a good idea, surely it's better not to breath all that in?

    • rumblytangara on 27/04/2023 - 09:53
      -8

      That's just dust. Your body handles that fine.

      Purifiers are designed for the stuff that is so small that you can't see it- particles that bypass the protective system in your lungs and go into your blood.

      If you're going to drop hundreds of dollars on a machine and annual filters, at least read up on what the machines do.

      • KozieSeller on 28/04/2023 - 03:57
        -3

        I wonder all the people negging if they’ve been wearing face masks everywhere, and also before Covid? What a bunch sheeptards,
        I remember when bogans made fun of foreigners wearing face masks everywhere, dumb racists is all

      • greatlamp on 28/04/2023 - 17:43

        Not true, the particles that irritate your lungs such as pollen are too big to enter the blood stream.

        The particles that are small enough to enter the blood stream will also pass through an air filter . That's why a carbon filter is added, to break up these gasses

  • [Deactivated] on 27/04/2023 - 09:58
    +3

    In Tasmania we have the cleanest air in the world when it comes off the sea, but inside the home there are many sources of pollution, my health has improved from having 2 air purifiers, one upstairs & one downstairs. They go into turbo mode whenever I do anything that generates air pollution and you'd be surprised at the number of things that set them off, they're one of the best purchases I've ever made.

  • cupcake on 27/04/2023 - 10:59
    +3

    Most of us want to breathe easy.
    I discovered my congested nose was a dust mite allergy so now I am addicted to my vacuum cleaner.

  • ColtNoir on 27/04/2023 - 11:31
    +6

    I’ve purchased an air purifier is the last 12 months and it’s been amazing for QoL. For reference it’s the Philips 1000 and cost about $200 with replacement filters costing approx $120/year. It has a hepa and a carbon filter.

    I didn’t do it for general air pollution issues but for allergies caused by our inside dogs, pollen, bushfires and F-wits who own fireplaces in suburbia and don’t do the right thing.

    We vacuum daily due to on of our dogs year round moulting but it wasn’t enough. It’s been amazing and we mainly use it wherever we are when the allergies hit, so we’re not trying to purify the house just the room we’re in.

    To expand on the f-wits. There’s a number of people who think it’s ok to burn green/treated wood and have never cleaned their chimneys, but try telling them that and they get all American on you (eg nobody can tell me what to do in my own home).

    I’d never buy a super expensive one as I think they’re overkill. I do wish I’d bought one earlier when we had those bushfires a few years ago.

    Edit: we also purchased a bagged vacuum cleaner for these reasons.

  • 2esc on 27/04/2023 - 12:09

    They may help for some maybe a placebo effect for others.

  • Waltervp on 27/04/2023 - 14:24
    +3

    I have awful lungs and do lots of nebuliser treatments. The air ppm shoots up in my room when i do treatments and the auto detecting dyson purifyer revvs up. Im not sure if i notice much then, but when i walk into my bedroom with the machine on it generally smells and feels noticanly cleaner/different. Remember the placebo effect can also be highly significant as well! I use the purifyer only in my bedroom as my night oxygen levels are very low and i have to use everything that may help. If anything makes me sleep noticeably better, especially wrt to pollen and allergens, it is the $$$$ ioniser $$$$ next to my bed. That makes an amazing difference to my sleep. First night i assumed it was coincidental, second night i scratched my head, but it continued, so that makes a big difference to allergens i believe… there you go my 2p worth of persinal and probably useless experience :)

    • rumblytangara on 27/04/2023 - 14:30
      -3

      Not taking the piss here, but surely if the ppm count shoots up during a nebuliser being on, that's the stuff you want going straight into your lungs? It's basically your medication and water in aerosol form, so it's billions of little particles you want to breathe in.

      FWIW, just turning on the shower in a bathroom with mess with particle counters readings with steam, and during an asthma attack steam is absolutely great.

      Air smelling fresher- yeah, that's a benefit touted for ionisation. Can't say I've noticed it myself, but my sense of smell isn't pretty bad.

      • Waltervp on 29/04/2023 - 09:39

        Yes, you breathe it in and than exhale… i dont know… most is prob.water vapour, but that's not the point, just saying the ppm is not necesarily pollution, but im still glad that whatever is in the air is noted and the machine tries to deal with it.

        The ioniser is a cool concept as it charges dust particles and the dust/pollen particles then attract each other and fall out of the air. How effective it can be for a room i dont know, but sleeping next to it is noticably better for me!

  • Murdrum on 27/04/2023 - 20:45
    +2

    My office bought several to make the employees feel they were safer from COVID…

    • KozieSeller on 28/04/2023 - 04:00
      -2

      Exactly these sheep just negging like they know what they’re doing,
      Covid got them filtering like psychos

  • photonbuddy on 27/04/2023 - 22:04
    +5

    I bought one. Wasn't sure if it'd do anything, but …

    I'd spend all day with a stuffy blocked nose. Squirting a (supposedly) 12 hour relief spray like Demazin up my nose would give me around 2 hours of relief. Had this ever since I moved into this house in 2016.

    The air purifier cleaned that up massively.

    Just because you think you have no need for them, or can't see why anyone else would have a need for them, doesn't mean there isn't a need for them.

    Best thing I ever spent more than $400 on!

    • Ricktheroller on 28/04/2023 - 14:03
      +1

      If you used the spray for more than a few days in a row it has the opposite effect and causes your nose to block, making you reliant on the spray.

      • photonbuddy on 28/04/2023 - 15:21

        If you used the spray for more than a few days in a row it has the opposite effect and causes your nose to block, making you reliant on the spray.

        Really?!?!? That would explain why I always have a stuffy nose when I'm not at home … wait … that doesn't happen!

        Can go the whole day without the spray if I'm out and about, or at home with the purifier on.

        • secondstory on 28/04/2023 - 16:50

          It sounds like your house is full of dust and mites.

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