Category: Air Purifiers

What is a Cold Plasma Air Purifier?

Finding a Layman’s definition of a cold plasma air purifier is not the simplest thing to do.

Maybe the most basic way of defining it is:

A technique of cleaning air that separates ions into negative and positive to get a reaction of them snapping back together because of polarity.

The result is newly-formed clusters of ions that includes any airborne pollution that is in the vicinity when the cold plasma air cleaning technique is applied.

By emitting a equal amount negative and positive ions 

A Cold Plasma Air Purifier causes an atmospheric disruption in the air

that causes the air to be its own filter.

What cold plasma and cold plasma products do or nothing less than astounding.

  • Imagine a scalpel that cleans the wound thoroughly as it is being used by the surgeon. This is what this technology can do.
  • Imagine a way of keeping fruits and vegetables from getting bacteria and rotting. That’s another example.
  • Imagine a technology that can eliminate bacteria in your mouth and keep your teeth from decaying. Another example.
  • And imagine that technology that could completely eliminate any pollution in your indoor air.

This is also possible with cold plasma.

How could then there be such a technology already being marketed and I’m just now hearing about it?

This reminds me of the introduction of 3D printing.

Home Improvement stores loaded up on 3D printing machines in anticipation of the rush by the public to own one.

After all who is not going to want one of these?

It turns out that there wasn’t too many people looking for it.

And even now I doubt most people are even sure of what a 3D printer is or  does.

You have to wonder what they did with all those machines after the public didn’t buy it.

But that doesn’t change the fact that 3D printing is beyond amazing.

But maybe it is so amazing that people just can’t people just can’t comprehend it yet.

On a large scale.

So I guess we’re just going to have to wait a little longer for public awareness to catch up before we get to print our own clothes off of Amazon,  lol. But you get the point.

Even in the age of Technology,  Cold plasma Technologies may just be suffering from the same type of “to  good to be true” syndrome.

And in an industry like air purification where there has already been a widespread blanket of fear,

because of  companies that decided to sell ozone as a domestic air purifier technology and got shut down by the EPA as being dangerous.

And the fact that cold plasma is another form of ionic, and ionic air purifiers also have been hindered from a  reputation of creating a low level of ozone.

(believe me, I’m not anti ozone. Ozone is an excellent way of destroying large amounts of mold and other carcinogens in remedial situations,  but it should not be used in the vicinity of people, much less as an air purifier in your living room)


Also,

Cold plasma air purification just might sound too weird.

The image that the word plasma gives you, sounds more like a volcano spewing lava more than it does describing the process of neutralizing pollution.

All and all I would say that electronic air purifiers are still suffering from a bad reputation and even something is amazing as cold plasma has shade on it.

But if you’re ready to take the leap, cold plasma air purification is come of age.

From the consumer’s point of view, cold plasma as a air purifying technology is a way of eliminating 99% of all indoor allergens and VOCs without producing any ozone or formaldehyde.

And in an industry that is based on back end replacement part sales, primarily filters , Cold Plasma requires very little.

It is widely known that indoor air is far more polluted than outdoor are in most situations.

And it can even be that much worse when there are groups of people that are routinely inhabiting these spaces.

Buildings like schools, hospitals, office buildings require large HVAC (central heat and air) systems to control the climate.

And that is one of The main problems dealing with indoor air pollution.

The air handlers that are controlling the climate are also the Source behind and the vehicle to transport all types of indoor air pollutants.

It is true hVAC systems are equipped with filters. And the filters will create a small reduction in air pollution.

But the type of filter that would actually be able to reduce indoor air pollutants to a manageable level is a HEPA filter.

And HEPA filters are much to dense to allow the air flow that a central air unit needs to run properly.

Also they would require multiple, multiple replacements to work properly and add extra strain to the unit causing far more mechanical breakdown and need for repairs.

So cost efficiency is out the window.

The solution is to put a cold plasma air purifiers into the ductwork of the HVAC system.

The cost of running these air purifiers is very little and they will add zero extra strain to the unit itself.

The process of cold plasma air purification will eliminate any mold and mold Spore production coming from the condensers and drip pans within the unit and effectively capture any outdoor pollutants being circulated throughout the vent work.

One can only imagine the effect of using cold plasma air purifiers in a smoky bar.

Patrons may think they’re in the wrong place.

The Old Guard of placing UV lights above the condensers and drip pans has been relegated to the Past.

Even the PCO units that we’re all the rage are slowly becoming passe.

Or is it a coincidence that many photo catalytic oxidation air purifier manufacturers are now including cold plasma in their units.

How is it that some companies are advertising photocatalytic oxidation air purifiers that do not create ozone?

Being that the UV used in the process had to be at a certain range to avoid the production of formaldehyde in the PCO process.

Can you actually use a ozone free UV lamp without the production of formaldehyde?

Is it now because they also include cold plasma ionization in the units that eliminates formaldehyde?

Many of the same companies are also touting their new extra weighted carbon filters, also known for their capacity to absorb formaldehyde.

Who’s to say?

PCO is an amazing way to control mold and mold spores. So if these companies have found a way to combine PCO and cold plasma to eliminate the side issues of ozone and formaldehyde, kudos to them.

For my money, why not just skip the PCO aisle and go straight for the cold plasma air purifier.

also: ionizer in air purifier

Advantages of Air Purifiers Without Filters

Most people realize as soon as they start shopping around for an air purifier that they are unwittingly going to have to sign up for the filter of the month club.

Or at least be willing to exchange the filters in their new air purifier pretty regular. 

 So it’s no surprise that given the expense of the air purifier and the expense of the replacement filters that the prospect of buying an air purifier that does not need replacement filters sounds good. 

What are the Advantages and disadvantages of filter less air purifiers?

Advantages:

  • No Filter Replacements
  • Destroy Germs and Viruses
  • Work Well as a Whole House Solution

Disadvantages:

  • Can Leave Surfaces Dusty
  • Higher Upfront Expense
  • Most create low ozone is a byproduct
people-father-man-baby

So What are the Advantages of Owning a Filterless Air Purifier?

1. The obvious answer is less expense down the road.  No Ongoing purchasing and replacing filters. 
2. Filterless air purifiers can destroy viruses and germs, something a filter cannot do.
3. Filterless air purifiers can cover a much larger square footage in most cases
4. They are much better at reducing odors and unpleasant smells.
5. Filterless air purifiers can be placed in the HVAC heating ventilation and air conditioning system without placing strain on the system.
6.  They can also be used as a whole house air purifier or whole building solution. 

What are the disadvantages of filterless air purifiers?

1.  The number one disadvantage of filterless air purifiers is that most of them create ozone is a byproduct.
  Ozone can build up in small areas and can be potentially dangerous to breathe.

2. They can leave the surfaces dusty. Since ionization is the primary technology for most filterless air cleaners, you can expect the surface of the walls around the air purifier to be extra dusty.
Ionization creates a situation where dust becomes too heavy to float and falls to the surface.

3.  Small square footage. Stand alone Filterless ionizers create a small amount of ozone as a by-product.
They are meant to be placed and used for the specific square footage they are bought for.

The problem with that is you cannot regulate how people use the cleaners once they have them home.
Placing too large of a ionic air purifier into a small area can create much too much ozone.

4.  Upfront expense. Even though there may be less expense in the form of replacing filters, most filterless air purifiers are more expensive up front.

5.  Maintenance. Even though you are not replacing filters, there is usually some type of PCO UV module that has to be replaced.
And getting back to expense, the modules typically run higher than filters so you are still going to get to pay somehow someway.

 Isn’t that the way it always is. 

Also maintenance doesn’t just mean maintaining the air purifier, it can also mean more house cleaning in the form of dusting when you are using an ionizer.

Smart Air Purifiers

Going filterless is not the only way you can save money with an air purifier.

The best home air purifier utilize both filter and filterless technologies.

There are many air purifiers that combine different technologies better able to reduce and destroy indoor air pollution up to 99 .9%. it sounds incredible but nonetheless true.

Just like anything else you can buy the entry level model or you can get the Cadillac.

The Cadillac of air purifiers not only filters the air in the room, it treats it only  when it is necessary.

And it does it all by sensors that measure the air quality and introduce as much or less air purification that is needed for the situation.

These air purifiers even come with their own app so that you can measure and control your air purifier with your phone.

The apps can even give you an update on your air quality and alert you when something has caused indoor air pollution to spike.

These smart air purifiers usually come with 3, 4, and 5 stages of technology to eliminate specific types of indoor air pollutants.

For instance, a plasma ionizer may be employed too neutralize and cluster together any bacteria that is in the air,  then the HEPA filter would filter out the clustered ions or dust.

 The Best of Both Worlds. 

Another way multiple technologies can be used in an air purifier is to have a ultraviolet light targeting the filter to kill the germs that are trapped there.

Filterless In Duct Air Purifiers

 One advantage of filterless air purifiers over HEPA air purifiers is they can become a whole house HVAC system for a whole lot less expense and wear and tear on your central heat and air system. 

A big plus of having a filterless air purifier inside the ductwork verus a stand-alone filterless air purifier is that any ozone that is produced as a by-product will have dispersed and dissipated before it enters into the main airstream of the home or business.

This means that only clean, free of bacteria and virus air can move throughout your house without any worries of adding any irritants to your air.

There is virtually no wear and tear on the system and the amount of energy to run it amounts to about the same as powering a light bulb.

The disadvantage of filterless in duct air purifiers is that it usually takes a technician to install and to replace any module when it is time.

Though more than ever if you are willing to do the work yourself, you can find some induct air purifiers that  install as easily as cutting a hole in the ductwork and screwing it in.

Plus these days there’s a instructional video available on YouTube for just about any type of installation.

 Why is this so much better than putting HEPA filters in your HVAC? 

Your HVAC needs air to be able to flow freely through the system in order to work efficiently.

HEPA filters are much too dense to allow air to flow freely in your system.

This can cause extra strain on your system which will mean more repairs down the line,

They also cost quite a bit more than a regular air conditioning filter.

And the energy to run your air unit will increase because of the restrictions to your air flow causing your electric bill to be higher.

Summary

Are air purifiers worth it?

Most consumers shopping for air purifiers, want to at least explore the possibility of going filterless when they find out how often and how expensive their filter replacement will run.

The advantages of going filteress include less expense in replacement filters and the capacity to eradicate germs not just capture them.

While the disadvantages a filterless air purifiers are primarily related to the buildup of ozone as a by-product.

We also mentioned that going filterless is not the only way to save money, there are many smart air purifiers available that use multiple technologies but do so only when is needed so that the life of 

your filters and air purifier is lengthened.

Also for those who need a whole house air purifier, an induct purifier utilizes the HVAC system to provide a ozone free and filterless way cleaning 

the air in the whole house.

What Does Ion Mean On A Fan? The Surprising Truth About Ionizing Fans

A fan is a pretty simple device. It blows air and it osculates.

It has very few working parts aside  from what speed to run it on,

and a lever to keep the air moving in one direction or going from side to side across a wider area.

But once in a while you’ll find something you’re not used to looking at on the fan.

And that’s something in this article is an ionizer setting.

What Does Ion Mean On A FanWhat does ionizer mean on a fan?

Ion stands for ionizer or negative ion generator. An ionizer on a fan is there to help clean the air as it is cooling the air.

Ionizers emit negative ions into the air stream as a means of purifying the air of contaminants such as pollen, pet dander, dust mites, and mold spores, etc.

How does an air ionizer work?

Polarity. When negative ions are emitted into the air, they automatically,  through polarity, attract the positive ions in the air.

When the negative and positive ions snap together to become one,  they trap whatever pollution that is present in the air together with them into a cluster of ion’s and airborne pollutants.

This newly-formed particle is too heavy to float so as a result, it falls to the surface and out of the ambient air that you breathe. 123 knockout.

 

Lasko Ion Fan

Lasko 2505 Portable Electric 36”Oscillating Tower Fan with Fresh Air Ionizer- Click Here For Price


The Lasko Ionizer Fan

is the most popular fan with an ion setting. Nice fans. You can check them out here.


Negative ions also have the reputation of creating a freshness in the air. There are even claims that having an overabundance of negative ions in a room can create a feeling of well being.

The atmosphere that an overabundance of negative ions create can be compared to the after a thunderstorm feeling where everything is light and calm.

But..

Negative ion generators are notorious for leaving the area around the ionizer dusty.

There is a term for it. “Grey wall syndrome”.

Grey Wall Syndrome

Its names Grey Wall because the walls tend to get the brunt of it. What it is , is an area on the around the ionizer that is collecting dust. Its a little like the dirty area around a air conditioner or heating vent

Also anything that is already magnetized with static like a TV screen will attract the newly-formed dust particles more heavily.

And also the ionizer itself also can get super dusty. Which adds to the point that not only will you need to dust more often to keep the dust down, the ionizer will be less effective if it’s not kept clean so that the ions can freely leave the machine without being obstructed.

Are ionizing fans bad for you?

Are ionizing fans bad for you?

Ionizing fans are not dangerous because they do not create enough ozone to be so. And any ozone they create, dissipates quickly because it is blown away by the fan.

Ionic purifiers or ionizers are also notorious for creating ozone as a by-product.

You may have heard someone say or even said it yourself, that the air purifier has a weird smell. That weird smell is probably the smell of ozone..


“If you haven’t seen it yet“, the

Clarifion Portable Plug-in Travel Air Ionizer

is a pretty sweet gadget that is getting a ton of great reviews. You can see it here.

What does ozone smell like?

Ozone is said to have a fresh, after a thunderstorm scent. But some have described it as a pungent, antiseptic smell, similar to bleach.

Ozone oxidizes practically anything it comes in contact with including lung tissue. That is why it is dangerous to breathe substantial amounts of ozone.

Ionizers have been called out by the EPA because even though most create a very low level of ozone, even a small amount of ozone that is not regulated by making sure the level of ozone is compatible with the room size can be dangerous.
And since you cannot regulate how a consumer uses an ozone device once they have it in their possession, it poses a risk.

Ionizing fans have a very small needlepoint ionizer that creates little to no ozone. The machine is in no way considered an ozone generator and the product specifications do not indicate any level of ozone being created.

Ozone at a large level will dissipate on its own in about 30 minutes. And that’s without a fan.

With a fan built in, like on an ionizing fan, ozone does not have any chance of sticking around at any level that can be considered dangerous.

Verdict: Ionizing fans are safe to use.

Air Tamer Ionizer

 AirTamer A310

is another cool way to get the effects of an ionizer without the threat of high ozone, AirTamer is the leading personal wearable air purifier on the market using cutting-edge technology to emit negative ions and push pollutants away from your breathing zone. See Reviews Here.

FAQ

Do fan ionizers really work?

Unfortunately fan ionizers are limited both as a fan and as an ionizer.

They are limited as an ionizer because:

A. Ions have a very short shelf life. They dissipate very quickly.

Ionic air purifiers usually do not come with a fan or if they do it’s a very small fan comparable to the fan on a computer.

Generating negative ions and then blowing them across the room with a regular sized fan is not a technique that works for spreading delicate ions through an area.

Most of the ions will dissipate very fast when the fan hits them and do very little good to rid the air of contaminants.

Negative ion generators work best at cleaning the air directly around the air machine. Most do not recommend trying to clean an area more than a hundred or a 150 square feet. And that’s the absolute optimal.

That is one reason why personal wearable ionizers are popular because they ionize the air directly around your face and mouth. They are very small and meant only as a means of purifying the air directly in front of your face so that you are breathing in clean air. Check out the AirTamer if you want see a good one.

B.  Ionizing fans do not work great as a fan either because the lower speed settings are slower than typical standing fans to try to accommodate the short life of ions.

But even as at lower speeds, as stated before, ions dissipate much too quickly for a tower fan to work well as an ionizer,

And the lower speeds make the fan less effective at cooling air.

My opinion is that some technologies do not work particularly well together and two of those technologies that maybe should not be paired are ionizers and standing fans.

In both cases it would be much better to pick a machine based on its strengths.

There are some amazing air purifiers that clean up to 99% of airborne dust, pollen, dander, dust mites, odors and even viruses.

Likewise there are some really awesome fans available; they can create layers of airflow one upon another and effectively move across a large area without too much noise.

An ION fan is a novel ideal but you can get a much better result from a single air purifier and a single fan. Like I said, some technologies just don’t make good combination devices, 

Summary

There are different settings on a fan that you may not recognize off
hand. The ion button may be one of them.

The ion button on a fan is there to engage a negative ionizer feature.

Ionizers are devices that clean the air by emitting negative ions. And through polarity creating dust particles that are too heavy to float.

Unfortunately the nature of ions as being very delicate make the use of an ionizing fan less-than-ideal for not only cleaning the air but for cooling the air either.

Though there is no danger posed by using the ionizer on a fan, there is also only a minimal amount of benefit that you can get from using an ionizer on a standing fan.

Air ionizers and tower fans are not two devices; they can be paired together to make a better machine.

My advice is to pick an air purifier based on its performance for cleaning air and pick a fan based on its performance for moving air and never the twain shall meet.

Need a Great fan?

Lasko Wind Curve® Bluetooth Fan

Lasko Wind Curve� Bluetooth Tower Fan

“knocks it out of the park.”

This Tower fan is equipped with Bluetooth, Automatic Oscillation and 3 breeze modes (Normal, Natural, Sleep) and 3 fan speeds (High, Medium, Low), and sleep. Find it here.

Best Ways of Removing Pet Hair From Air

I love my animals. Two dogs and two cats.

One of the dog stays outside 90% of the time and has a designated bed when she comes in the house.

But the other dog pretty much has free reign to the house.

Likewise, one of my cats stays in the house all the time and one of my cats lives in the garage.

We have a unique situation in that my wife is allergic to dogs and cant touch them without immediately washing her hands.

And I’m allergic to the cat in the garage.

Granted there are Hypoallergenic  house cats that don’t shed a whole lot including the
1. Siamese
2. Bengals
3. Bombay
4. Russian Blue

And believe me if I were better at looking for a cat as a pet, I would definitely have chose one of those.

But that is not how the cat in the garage came to live with us.

And that is definitely not the kind of cat we have in the garage.

The cat in the garage is named Merida and  Merida sheds more than any animal I’ve ever seen.

You cannot pet that cat without getting hair all over your hands and  your clothes.

Needless to say, I’m in a constant sneezing and running nose dilemma whenever I’m in Merida’s domain.

And since I do tend to work in the garage quite often I’ve had to figure out a few things so that me and Merida can coexist.

Here’s a few things I can tell you first-hand:

Some of the Best Ways to Remove Pet Hair from Air
1. Grooming
2. Restricted Living Space
3. Cleaning
4. Air Purifiers

1.  Grooming

This is the number one way I have found to keep the hair from getting all over the place. I bought a pet hair brush that removes a crazy amount of hair off of the cat at one time.

I open the garage door, step outside with the cat and go to town brushing her  The cat loves it and she leaves a whole lot less hair around the garage when I do this regularly.

  The dogs are a different story though.

Although the outside dog is a lab mix and doesn’t get too many baths,

  The little dog in the house has to have regular haircuts and regular baths or he just becomes right out nappy.

That’s when the sneezing and itchy eye craziness gets out of control for my wife.

It is amazing how much better it is for her when the dog is groomed and bathed.

And It’s a lot better for him also, because everybody wants to pet and hold him a lot more when he’s clean.

2. Restrict the living area of your pets

  Keeping the dander down and out of the air is a lot easier when the animal has their own confined space.

There is no way we could live with  Merida if she stayed in the house all the time.
That being said, we do let her come in the house and visit everyone,

but she primarily stays in the garage and its primarily because of the amount of cat hair that she leaves everywhere.  (she does have some issues with using the litter box regularly but that’s a different article, you can read more about that here)

Keeping the allergens at Bay by keeping the cat outside is one plan that works for us and especially me.

3.  Cleaning

Baby wipes for pet hair

This one works particularly well for my wife. Giving the dog a mini bath with baby wipes helps quite a lot towards keeping her from getting allergy crazy when the dog is around or she when pets the dog.

I’ve seen some wipes for cats on Amazon but I have not tried them.
Seems like a pretty good idea but I can imagine it’s kind of hard bathing the cat with them when the hair is falling off everywhere.

Hand Sanitizer for cat dander

We also keep a bottle of hand sanitizer around. It’s an easy go to when you don’t have access to a sink right away after you been touching the animals.

Vacuum for pet hair

Pet hair tends to accumulate and get all over the furniture and the Carpet and the hardwood Floors.

Everyone who has a cat has probably experienced vacuuming the floor and couch only to discover an insane amount of cat hair in the vacuum dump canister after they are done.

I got a Hoover Rewind from Walmart for vacuuming. Like I said before it’s crazy how much cat hair that thing picks up.

Keeping the floors and the furniture vacuumed is one of the best ways to keep the pet hair out of the air.

Keeping the house clean will keep pet allergies down quite a lot.

But one thing to remember about sweeping and vacuuming is that you are kicking the dust and dander back into the air when you do so.

 

4.  Air Purifier for Cat Hair

 

That leads to the next solution to keeping pet hair out of the air.

An air purifier placed in the right spots we’ll keep the ambient air ,the air you breathe free from airborne allergens including dog and cat dander.

  Using a air purifier equipped with a HEPA filter will capture particles as small as .3 microns.

What is the Micron size of pet dander?

The Micron size of pet dander is typically about 5 up to 10 microns.

Which is well in the range of the capacity of the HEPA filter.

Pet dander is actually the bacteria that makes it to the air via your pets shedded fur.

It’s the part of the fur that people are allergic to.

Though a HEPA air purifier can filter out particles as small as bacteria,

  they are not meant for larger debris like animal fur.

The solution is to make sure that any air purifier you buy has a pre-filter to capture all the big junk before it gets into the HEPA filter.

A pre-filter is typically made out of plastic and is easily washable.

A lot of people still have the ideal that air purifiers are gimmicky or dangerous.

Today’s air purifiers are very sophisticated and capable of eliminating about every type of indoor air pollution there is.

Is it okay to leave an air purifier on all the time?

Yes and no.

Of course you can leave your air purifier on all the time but there is a few things you may want to take into consideration.

1.  HEPA air purifiers can only cover a small amount of space. It is more practical to keep it on only when you are in that particular space.

  For instance, an air purifier will help you sleep by keeping the air that you breathe clean while you are sleeping,

But if you’re not there to breathe the clean air, you’re only using energy and shortening the life of the air purifier and the replacement filter.

A better solution to running your air purifier all the time is buying an air purifier with built-in air quality sensoring.

As I stated before, many air purifier brands have become quite sophisticated.

Many Brands come equipped with indoor air quality sensors to monitor your air.

The sensors communicate with the air purifier so that it only runs as much or less as needed.

  These are air purifiers are typically outfitted with the latest app so that you can control your air purifier and find out what the air quality is of your home right from your phone.

2. Some air cleaners use ionizers that can create low amounts of ozone. Ozone can build up over time. That is one of the particular reasons that the EPA discourages the use of ozone as a domestic air cleaner.

Is Ozone Dangerous for Pets?

Ozone is not meant to breathe in any kind of large quantity. That goes for human lungs and animal lungs.

Ozone should only be used as an air purifier for remediation use and when there is no one around till the ozone clears out.

My animals are a big part of my life as I’m sure yours are,. but sometimes getting along with them requires a little more help in the air quality Department.

Keeping your animals groomed and your house clean,

as well as running a good HEPA air purifier will help go a long way in keeping your air free of hair and your allergies from going haywire.

Peace.

Do Air Purifiers Make the Room Cold?

It can be confusing sifting through all the products and appliances that deal with airflow.

There are a lot of misconceptions and questions that people have , for instance,

Does an Air Purifier make the room cold?

The answer is:

No an air purifier does not make the room cold. It is a device to clean the air and not cool it down.

Most air purifiers do have a fan, but the fan is not in place to blow air out, rather pull air into a filter.

The point is , with so many different types of devices and machines that have similar names and all deal with the air somehow,
knowing what each one is and what it does can take some research.

  Hopefully this article will add some clarity and help clear up a few of the misconceptions that people can have when they need a specific appliance for their air.

Air Purifier

A air purifier is a device
that purifies or cleans the air through different means,
primarily filtering.

Air purifiers are also called:
1. Air Cleaners
2. Air Sterilizers
3. Air Scrubbers
4. Air Ionizers
5. Air Filters
6. Ozonators
7. Odor Removing Machines
8. Negative Ion Generators

Like we stated in the beginning of this article, air purifiers or not the same as Air conditioners. They primarily clean the air where as an air conditioner cools the temperature of the air.

Dyson has an air purifier that is an exception to the rule. It cools the air and filters the air in the same unit. You can check it out here.

All air purifiers are not made the same and they do not all use the same technology to clean air.

Before purchasing an air purifier, you should do a little research to find out which air cleaning technology is right for you. You can find a good resource here.

Air conditioner

Air conditioners are devices
or machines that condition
the air in the room to be cold or cooler.

Different types of air conditioners include:
1. Window air conditioners
2. Central air conditioners
3. Ductless air conditioners
4. Portable air conditioners
5. Heat pumps.

One question we get regularly in regards to these units is:

Can a Air Conditioner Make you Sick or Give you a Sore Throat?

The answer is yes,

The air conditioner housing , being dark and humid can provide an excellent environment to grow mold and bacteria.

A poorly maintained and uncleaned air conditioner can introduce mold and airborne allergens into the air each time it turns on.

This explains why your allergies can flare up and you feel sick when the air conditioner is on.

This can be noticeable especially at the beginning of the season after having not use the unit for a while.

As you can see,

That is just another reason why it can be confusing determining whether you need a air purifier or an air conditioner.

  If Air conditioning can be a contributing factor in the air quality of the home or office,

then it only makes sense that an air purifier for air purification should go hand-in-hand with air conditioner.

Luckily they’ve got you covered. You can take a look at those kinds of products here.

Can an air conditioner be used as a air purifier?

Can an Air Conditioner Filter Pollen?

Yes your central air conditioner can filter out pollen provided that you are using the right filter for it.

But it is important to remember that a filter that is capable of filtering out pollen and bacteria is going to be very dense and is going to cause your air conditioner to work extra hard.

That will add to your energy cost and take away from the life of the air conditioner.

Air conditioning filters are primarily put in place to protect the air conditioner itself , although they do help keep air pollutants from circling through the building to a point.

Humidifier

The humidifier is another airflow machine that can be confusing to understand what it does and whether or not you need it.

A humidifier adds humidity to a room by converting water into a mist that blows from the machine.
There are 5 basic types of humidifiers including:
1. Cool Mist
2. Ultrasonic
3. Warm Mist
4. Evaporative
5. Vaporizers

Does a humidifier Cool the air?

A cool mist humidifier has a cool Vapor that comes from it so technically you could get a little bit of cool air on You by sitting next to it,

But that’s not really the point, that is just a side benefit and it only works with a cool mist humidifier.

The purpose of a humidifier is to add moisture to your room to counter the effects of dry climate like dried out nasal cavities and chapped lips,etc.

Humidifier uses:

Dry air can come with a lot of negative symptoms.

Humidifiers can help alleviate many of the problems and symptoms related to living in a dry climate.

Conditions like:

Bloody noses
Dry skin
Congestion
Chapped lips

To name a few.

Humidifiers can also be a great way to get a better more peaceful night’s rest.

They can also help reduce snoring and sleep apnea.

A Humidifier running in the bedroom at night will also add a little white noise.

White Noise has shown to help some people sleep deeper and for longer periods of time.

Dehumidifier

A dehumidifier is a device that extracts humidity from a room.

Many people have the opposite problem from dry air.
They live in climates that are extra humid for most of the year.

This is another appliance that causes a lot of confusion when you’re talkin about air conditioning.

Will a dehumidifier help cool a house?

Yes and no. A dehumidifier does not produce cool air but it does reduce humidity and humidity will cause the house to feel muggy and warm.

It will also take the strain off of the air conditioner so that it feels like your air conditioner is working much better.

  An air conditioner can work twice as hard in and environment where there is a lot of humidity.

If you ever have been down south in the summer you know what I mean. You can turn your air conditioner on full blast and not feel like it is on.

Other Benefits of Using a Dehumidifier:
1. Mold reduction
2. Home stabilizing
3. Dust mite reduction
4. Reduces indoor air pollution
5. Lower your energy cost.

Humidity helps provide the ideal breeding ground for mold. Mold can bring about a whole host of household problems.

1.  Mold can rot your wood. When the beams in your home get wet they can become weaker over time.
2. Dust mites live and thrive in humid conditions. Dust mites can invade your bedding and your furniture making your home “allergic”.
3. Mold spores along with a thriving dust mite community can cause the air in your home to be very poor.

Does a dehumidifier clean the air?

No it will not technically clean the air but it can help keep the home dry so that many of the air pollutants that thrive and grow in humidity will never become a problem in the first place.

How can a dehumidifier save you money?

1.  By reducing the amount of maintenance and repairs caused by mold.

2. Air conditioners have to run twice as hard when there is high humidity.

A dehumidifier will help the air conditioner run easier. That will prolong the life of your air conditioner and lower your electric bill.

Summary

This article has hopefully helped introduce to you the differences between a air purifier, air conditioner, humidifier, and a dehumidifier.

And cleared up some of the misconceptions about which of these appliances cool the air.

Do Air Purifiers Remove Odors?

No one likes a stinky smell. But when you think about it, that is kind of the point.

A foul smell is almost always a warning that something isn’t right in the state of Denmark.

But have you ever thought about how it would be live without the sense of smell.

Smell is actually very important to our survival.

So many dangers like rotting food , gas leaks, etc are averted everyday because of the basic function of smell.

Our noses are actually one of the best   natural alert systems to keep us aware the possibility of danger.

But of course there is such a thing as lingering odors that continue to assault your membranes after the source of the rotten smell is found and eradicated.

Odors like cigarette smoke, that end up turning into third hand smoke and leave there unpleasant aroma everywhere for months and years to come.

Do air purifiers remove odors?

Yes there are air purifiers that utilize a technology called activated carbon that will absolutely absorb pungent odors. Pet smells, third hand smoke, lingering cooking odors, and gases.

Even more importantly . Activated carbon is capable of absorbing odorless gases.

But An air odor eliminator machine will remove odor from the air as long as you understand that it can only do so much.

What I mean is:
it will not clean the kitty litter for you.
It will not dispose of rotten food for you.
It will not do the dishes.
It will not scrub the kitchen.
It will not clean the toilet.

You get the point. So many odors are basically trying to tell you to take the trash out.

And eliminating these odors, like it or not, would not be the best thing for you.

Imagine if you could not smell bacteria and mold growing in the trash can or the sink.

How long would it take for someone to get seriously ill from it?

But there are many odors that you are fundamentally not able to do anything about.
Vocs are odors that usually come from chemicals around the house and office.

Consumer products like solvents and adhesives including carpet adhesives
can put off a bad smell as well as give you headaches and other adverse health reactions.

Other vocs around the house include natural Gas, wood stoves, chimneys,etc.

Are activated carbon air filters safe? Are they dangerous?

No activated carbon filters are not dangerous. On the contrary, they are one of the safest means of air purification available.

Carbon is one of the main elements of the Earth’s crust. When it is heated to right temperature it becomes extremely porous.

What do carbon air filters do?

Carbon Filters are so porous that they are able to capture particulates as small as gas.
And are is particularly good at absorbing odors.

People have been using carbon as a filter for water for literally thousands of years.
Another one of its popular early uses was for the decoloration of sugar.

Though today, its primary market is water filtration,  it’s also used and multiple other Industries. Dry cleaning, alcohol production, corn refining, and gas absorption to name a few.

Rivaling its ability to filter carcinogens from drinking water is it’s amazing capacity to absorb odors.

It’s excellent air filtering abilities also make it very good for gas mask.

The carbon in air filters primarily comes from heated coal. Activated carbon and activated charcoal are the same thing basically. Activated carbon made from charcoal is the primary type of filter for air purification.

Unfortunately activated carbon cannot work alone to completely filter ambient air.
Pores are much too small to capture other particulates and allergens like pollen,dust mites, mold spores, and dander.

You need a HEPA filter to capture this size of air contaminants.

You rarely find an air purifier that contains a carbon filter but not a HEPA filter. They generally go hand-in-hand.

Can you wash and reuse a activated carbon filter?

Yes and no.

Carbon filters are very porous. And the pores themselves are very miniscule. Once the pores are full, there really is no washing them out.

But the outside of the filter can get covered with larger debris like hair and lint and so forth.

This will definitely keep the charcoal filter from doing its job properly. Getting the junk off of the outside will allow air to flow through the filter as it is intended to be.

Cleaning the outside of the filter can be as easy as taking a wash rag and wiping it off using a stiff bristle brush and doing a light scrub.

A even better solution is to purchase a air purifier that has a pre-filter so that your carbon filter and your HEPA filter do not get clogged with larger debris.

A Pre-filter is usually a permanent part of the air purifier that is made to come out and wipe off easily.

How much do carbon filters cost?

Carbon filters are primarily used in water filtration and air filtration.

Water filtering carbon filters will run anywhere from $200 to $300 and up.

Carbon filters for air purifiers are much cheaper and can run as low as $10 and average about $20.

The more dense and heavier the activated carbon, the better result you will get from it.

A Humidifier vs An Air Purifier For Your Baby?

As a mother or a father, it goes without saying you want the best for your baby. 

You may not realize it but the air you breathe in your home is as crucial to their health as any lotion or product that you rub on your baby’s skin. 


If you’re thinking of buying an air purifier or a humidifier for your baby’s room you need to know the difference between the two. 

What functions differ one from the other.

 You may find that you need both depending on the season.

The main purpose of a humidifier is to add moisture to the air. 

Humidity is definitely not something you want all year long. 

But in the winter months when you’re stuck indoors and the heater is going 24/7, the indoor air can become extra dry and that can mean a whole lot of heartache for your baby and for yourself taking care of your baby.

Dryer air is particularly hard on a baby because it causes the mucous membranes in the nose, eyes and throat to dry out. 

This can add up to it being a lot harder for your little one to stay asleep.

The primary type of humidifiers are evaporative, the mist, and the ultrasonic. 

They all work pretty much the same, turn water into mist and distribute it through the air. 

They’re generally no replacement parts on these types of machines. The only maintenance is to keep them clean and do not let mold grow in them.

An air purifier, as distinguished from a humidifier is an appliance that purifies the air. 

Most air purifiers feature a HEPA filter that is capable a filtering out indoor air pollutants up to 97 percent. 

Most people do not realize that the same heating and air units that distribute warm air in the winter and cool air in the summer, also distribute mold and bacteria. 

 So along with the dryer air that comes from having the heater going indoors, there is also the component of the heater blowing around bacteria and germs, adding to the problem of not resting and feeling fussy.

 An air purifier versus a humidifier for a baby may outweigh the need of a humidifier but the truth is, especially during the winter months both working in concert is the best plan.

 Unlike humidifiers, air purifiers do require replacement parts. Typically the filter. 

 Another point to consider is that air purifiers and humidifiers are a little noisy. There are companies that spin the sound the units make as a blanket a white noise to help your baby sleep. 

So as long as you do your due diligence and find one that is not overly noisy, that may be a good thing.

 Babies and children can have a hard time and be especially susceptible to irritants and triggers that come with airborne allergens and bacteria. Combining these pollutants with dry air can make your babies and yourself miserable.

Do yourself a favor and acquire an air purifier and a humidifier to keep in your home and help give your baby a healthy airspace and better chances for  long nights of sleep and good restful naps.