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How Long Do Carbon Filters Last?

Activated Carbon filtration is one of the best ways you can safely reduce odors in your home but it can be hard to determine how long an activated carbon filter will continue to adsorb odors and smells as well as chemicals and gases.

How long do carbon filters last?

Carbon air filters last anywhere from 6 months to 12 months. Carbon water filters can last 12 months. Carbon is sold by the weight. The heavier the weight, the longer the carbon will be effective.

Activated carbon filters, once they are done, are pretty much just done.

Rinsing is not effective because the amount of area throughout the porous filter and it is the activation of the filter that causes chemicals and odors to be attracted to it.

Unfortunately the activation of carbon requires excessive temperatures in the range of 900 degrees.

But fortunately activated carbon is readily available and does not cost a mint.

A little explanation on what and how a carbon filter works will help quite a bit when your determining how much time you can expect to get out of a carbon filter.

Carbon or charcoal filters as they’re called pretty regular, can be compared to a sponge.
In the same way that a sponge has millions of tiny pores, a carbon filter is comprised of an area with millions of tiny pores to.
But unlike a sponge that absorbs water and completely fills up, a carbon filter adsorbs contaminants.
That essentially means that they are attracted to the surface of the filter pores and do not fill up the pores but create a film that over time will not allow four chemicals, odors, and gas to adhere, to the filter anymore.

There are more than one reason why a carbon filter will last longer in some cases and have a short life in other cases.

1. How polluted is the area you’re using the carbon filter in?

Does carbon filters are primarily for gases and odors, they do not fare well with dust.

Though Most air cleaners come with a pre-filter to keep any larger debris from clogging up the HEPA or the carbon, they will not do and 100% job.

If you’re using the carbon filter in a dusty area, you can expect the filter to get clogged and have a shorter life.

2. Humidifier sediment

If you’re using a air purifier with a carbon filter in the same room as a humidifier, you may have more than one problem getting a good result out of your carbon.

Not only does a carbon filter not work well in humidity, if you are using a humidifier, the same white settlement you see in the bottom of a humidifier could be getting into your carbon filter and clogging it.

a. Carbon filters do not work with humidity very well because water droplets will fill the porous filter and do not allow the gases and fumes to adhere to the walls of the pores of the filter.

In other words, water clogs up carbon.

b. If you were using a humidifier to add humidity to your room, the water that you add to the humidifier is typically tap water and tap water has many chemicals that turn to sediment when the water dries.

If you’re using the carbon filter in the same room with the humidifier that is using tap water to humidify the room, then the sediment from the hard water can end up in the pores of your activated carbon filtration device.

It’s the same concept but you get from using a carbon water filtering process.
How clean or how dirty your water is is going to affect the life of your carbon filter.

Fortunately it’s a little easier to know when your water carbon filter is going out because the sediment from the impurities in the water will clog up your filter and cause your water pressure to go down.
Also the taste of your water will become noticeably different.

2. The size of the filter compared to overall square footage of the room.

If you’re using a small air cleaner in a larger room, you can expect your filters to get dirtier faster than if you were using the smaller unit in the more appropriate smaller area.

Filters that are designed to cover area is 100 square feet are not going to be able to do the same job in an area that is 200 square feet.

They are not going to perform as well and they are not going to last as long because of the volume of air going through and past the filters.

The appropriate filter in the appropriately sized room will have an impact on how long you can expect your carbon filter to last.

3. The quality of your carbon filter.

Activated carbon is measured by the pound. Even the filter that is in your air purifier is rated by how many pounds of activated carbon it has in it.

Some carbon filters contain 5 lb of activated carbon where other carbon filters contain anywhere from 10 to 20 pounds of activated carbon.

The life of your carbon filter is also determined by how many pounds of carbon the filter contains.

If you have a smaller air cleaner, then the probability is that you have a filter that contains less activated carbon.

But that is not always the case because certain air purifiers are specifically made for chemicals and odors which may mean that that specific air cleaner has a carbon filter that contains a higher weight of carbon.

In any case, the weight of your carbon will help you decide the amount of time you can get out of a charcoal filter.

How can you tell when it’s time to change a carbon filter?

1. It simply is not doing its job.
If the odors that you are using the filter to diminish are starting to get strong again, it’s probably time to start looking at a new filter.

Although if you are in the area all the time, then there is a possibility that you have become nose blind and do not even notice the smell anymore.
If that’s the case then bring another person into the room and see if they can smell it.

2. Carbon filters that are going bad don’t smell sweet anymore.
Have you ever noticed that sweet smell the carbon filter has when you first buy it? Some compared it to cake.

But one way you can tell that you’re activated carbon is beginning to not be effective anymore is that sweet smell of the carbon itself is not there anymore.

Summary

Activated carbon is an amazing way to reduce odors as well as chemicals and gas and your air and in your water.

But they are not a filter in the traditional sense and for that reason it can be tougher to know when it is time to replace the filter.

One of the main reasons it may be time to change the filter is that it is just not doing the job anymore.

But there are other indicators that you can look for that will help you decide whether it is time to change or activated carbon filter.

Some of these include the quality and weight of your filter, the size and weight of your filter compared to the area you are trying to treat, and the filter does not have the sweet smell that carbon is known to have anymore.

Unfortunately activated carbon is not the type of filter that you can rinse off very successfully. And the activation of carbon requires high heat in the range of 1000 degrees.

Replacing is really the only option.

Do Air Purifiers Help With Smell?

Dinner lingering in the air from supper last night, diapers sitting in the trash can that should have been taken out yesterday, cat litter that your daughter was supposed to empty last week but somehow can’t break away from her phone long enough to do so.

Household odors can build up fast. And making the time to do housework is not always the easiest thing to do.

Do air purifiers help with smell?

Yes. As long as an air purifier is using either carbon filtration or photocatalytic oxidation technologies.
HEPA filters will do very little to remove odors.

Getting rid of bad smells and lingering odors is not something any air purifier on the shelf is going to be able to do very easily.

Especially overpowering smells like fried fish and cigarette smoke, or strong odors like gas fumes or turpentine.

Most air purifiers feature HEPA filtration as their main air cleaning technology and though HEPA is the best at filtering out allergens like pollen and dust mites, the molecules that makeup average household smells are too small to be captured in a HEPA filter.

But there are a few other different technologies that will help breakdown and absorb the air particles that produce lingering smells.

4 types of air purifiers that get rid of odors

1. Activated Carbon or charcoal filtration

What is carbon filter in an air purifier?

The carbon filter in an air purifier is a spongy, very porous filter that absorbs
the tiny gaseous molecules that make up odors.

First. activated carbon and activated charcoal are the exact same thing.

Charcoal is a popular carbon substance so the two terms are used interchangeably.

Carbon is a extremely permeable material that attracts and retains VOCs (volatile organic compounds)

The filter is kind of like a charcoal sponge that is been activated with oxygen to attract molecules.

And being like a sponge, it is so porous that the molecules that are drawn into the spongy area get stuck inside of the filter.

The molecules were talking about are airborne particles that are smaller than .03 microns. Namely gases and chemicals that are responsible for bad odors or smells.

Carbon filters are always part of a filtration system that usually includes a HEPA filter and a larger pre-filter to capture the airborne debris that would clog the tiny pores if it were not filtered first.

2. Photocatalytic oxidation

Photocatalytic oxidation or PCO for short is a technology that is very effective at reducing VOC’s. Which are the underlying cause of odors.

Vocs are generally what are considered to be the indoor air pollution that is caused by chemicals, and gases. Unwanted smells fall into this category.

PCO is a scientific process of combining ultraviolet light with titanium oxide and moisture.

The result of the process is what is called hydroperoxides.

Hydroperoxide is the gas form of hydrogen peroxide.

If that sounds familiar, it’s because hydrogen peroxide is a very popular antibacterial solution that is sold to pour onto a cut or an abrasion to keep it from getting infected. or to help kill the infection if it is already infected.

If you were able to take a bottle of hydrogen peroxide and spray or mist it on every airborne contaminant that is in your breathing space , you would essentially be doing what a photocatalytic oxidation air purifier does.
By creating a blanket a virtually millions of hydrogen peroxide ions and dispersing them through a room, the PCO process is able to disinfect your air much the same way as hydrogen peroxide is used to disinfect a wound.

Photocatalytic oxidation air purifiers do not require filter replacements either.

But since they do require ultraviolet light to work, the PCO module has to be replaced once a year or so.

Photocatalytic oxidation is also considered a ionic air purifier that creates ozone as a byproduct.

Most people might shy away when they hear but ozone is part of the process.

But photocatalytic oxidation is such an amazing technology for reducing germs, bacteria, and viruses, as well as odors,
It would be well worth looking into even using PCO is a secondary air purifier to run when there is no one home if the ideal of ozone is to scary or if the smell of ozone is too pungent.

Photocatalytic air purifiers or also used in induct air purification.
Houses equipped with HVAC systems can place induct PCO air purifiers into the ductwork of the central heat and air system and virtually turn the heat and air into a whole house air purifier that is rated high for mold spores,

viruses, and odor removal. and since most HVAC units are either in the basement or the attic , any ozone created in the PCO process dissipates before it reaches the ambient air.

3. Ozone generators

When you’re talking about heavy odors like third hand smoke that has been woven into the tapestry of a home and seemed to be part of the smell of the home itself, an ozone generator is like pulling out the big guns for strong odor abatement.

Ozone generators are not meant to be used in the vicinity of people, pets, and plants.

Though there are some ionic air purifiers that create ozone as a by-product and may not be considered dangerous for the amount of ozone they manufacture, that is not the case when you are using ozone specifically to reduce odors.

Ozone would not be considered a domestic air purifier but you can run to get rid of the smell of fried fish that you just cooked last night.

It is considered an odor abatement method to get rid of heavy odors that can’t be dealt with with everyday house cleaning or even opening a window to air out the lingering smell of trout.

Ozone, also called activated oxygen will basically oxidize every airborne contaminant in a room that it is used in.

It is used a great deal in house flipping and or hotels that are reconstituting smoking rooms into non-smoking rooms.

Because ozone travels in basically the same paths as cigarette and cigar smoke, it is able to get into every nook and cranny that is hiding the tobacco odor.

Cigarette smoke also has a tar residue that helps it cling to every item in a room, including the carpet, drapes, and walls.

Ozone even breaks down the tar residue that is trapping the cigarette smell.

Many people use ozone generators for mold abatement but though ozone will kill every airborne molecule in the room including on surfaces, it can’t get under the service or behind the walls where the mold is originating.

It is the same for pest control, though it will rid the room any insects that it is used in, it does not get behind the walls and it does not treat the original problem.

If you had mold or insects before you use the ozone generator, if you did not address the problem behind the mold spores and creeping pest, you will still have the same problem after you use the ozonator.

4. Plasma air purifier

Plasma air purifiers are also a very effective technology for reducing odors.

The process of using cold plasma is an air purifier is about splitting oxygen molecules into both positive and negative ions.

As the negative and positive ions are emitted from the machine they immediately snap together because of polarity.

Any air pollution including vocs that create odors are trapped inside the newly formed ionic cluster and fall to the surface.

Some multi-tech air purifiers use plasma to create air pollution clusters better than pulled into a filter and captured.

Plasma is also a very popular induct air purifier option that can help keep your ductwork clean for much longer then typical HVAC filters or even media filters.

Summary

Are air purifiers worth it?

Air purifiers can get rid of smell as long as they are equipped with the right technology to do so.

The technologies that are best for removing odors from the air are:

Activated carbon filtration, which uses a spongy filter to absorb and trap odors and gases.

Photocatalytic oxidation, which uses the scientific process to create hydrogen peroxide ions that oxidize any pollutant in the air including the molecules that create odors.

Ozone generators. Ozone generators are for heavy odor abatement and not used in the vicinity of people.
They are very effective at getting rid of long-standing permanating smells.

Plasma air purifiers. plasma air purifiers create negative and positive ions that combined around airborne pollutants to create clusters that are too heavy to float while oxidizing any live bacteria trapped inside the cluster.

Carbon filters are the only technology that do not use ozone or create ozone as a byproduct.
But they also do nothing to kill or neutralize viruses and bacteria so it’s worth checking out every type of air purifier.

My personal opinion is that both can be used safely as long as you do so according to the guidelines and instructions. A full spectrum odor air cleaner should give you every option and capacity to get the job done.

Why Does Air Conditioning Make Me Cough?

Why does air conditioning make me cough?

Coughing around an air conditioner is usually a symptom that your air conditioning unit is dirty.

For example, neglecting to change the AC filters will cause the debris and allergens caught in the dirty filter to circle around the house when the unit kicks on.

Dirty filters can also cause your unit to function poorly.

The first place to look when your air conditioner is not cooling or causing you to cough is the filters.

Some Reasons for Air Conditioning Sickness Symptoms

Dirty filter
Air conditioning drying air out
Mold in duct work
Dust and dust mites in duct work

h4>Air-Conditioning Cough Treatment?

Treating an AC cough is not about taking a pill or getting some rest, it is identifying what is in the air conditioner or the air conditioning ducts that is causing you do you have an allergic reaction.

Check the Filter

The easiest thing to check when you find yourself coughing or getting a dry or sore throat around an air conditioner is the filter.

This is a more common problem than you would think. There is no telling how much money has been spent hiring a HVAC tech only to find out that the filter hasn’t been changed and the unit is not heating or cooling. A cool hundred dollars down the drain for such an easy fix.

If the HVAC filter is not changed regularly then all the household allergens floating around the air, things like pet dander, pollen, dust mites, and just everyday dust are all stuck in your HVAC filter.

So basically every time the unit kicks on, it filters the air through a layer of allergens before it distributes back into your room.

Any one of these pollutants can present you with allergy symptoms like coughing, sore throat, sneezing, phlegm, etc.

Changing the dirty filter may not only alleviate an annoying cough when you’re around air conditioning,

You will also have identified a problem that will eventually cause your HVAC to work much less efficiently or even freeze up.

Not changing the filters or not using a filter will also provide a early death for your air handler.

AC Dry Air

The second reason your AC may be making you cough is that air conditioners dry out the air.

When there’s not enough humidity in the air you can experience a whole host of symptoms including coughing, sore throat, clogged nasal passages,etc

The easiest thing to do when there is not enough humidity in the air is turn on the humidifier.

If you’re not acquainted with what a humidifier is, it is a small appliance that you fill with water, which is slowly dispersed into the air as a mist.

Humidifiers are a low-cost item that can give you an enormous amount of relief from the health symptoms related to dry air.

In the South where I live, we keep cool mist humidifiers in every room during the winter.

If you don’t have a humidifier, there are some ways that you can add moisture to the air without one.

How do you humidify the air without a humidifier?

1.Place some open containers of water around the room or house.

This is an old trick that I remember seeing as a kid but back then I had no idea what the water was for.

My grandmother would keep mason jars with water in them, sitting around the house on shelves and whatnot.

Turns out she was simply adding some moisture to the air.

2. Plants

Plants require watering, so keeping house plants is also is a great way of adding moisture into the air. They will not only help add some humidity back into the air, they will also supply some much-needed oxygen back to the air that will also help you breathe.

Some species of plants also act like an air purifier and will help keep your air clear of allergens.

3. Another humidity remedy that I remember seeing as a kid was keeping a pot of boiling water on the stove.

Keeping a pot of water slowly boiling on the stove top will do a great deal to add humidity into the air will that having to purchase a humidifier.

Moldy AC

The third thing you can check when you have a air conditioner cough is whether or not your air conditioner has mold in it.
Unfortunately this is not as easy as changing your filter or turning on a humidifier.

Your air conditioner could be moldy because AC creates condensation when it is running, the inside of an HVAC system, being that it is dark and humid, is actually the perfect environment for mold to breed.

The easiest way to find out if you have a moldy AC is to examine the Vents and see if you can find any mold around them.

If you do then great, you’ve identified the problem.

But if you don’t then that doesn’t automatically mean that there is not mold in the system.

Since there’s no way to get inside the duct work without some kind of probing camera,

The second way to look for mold in your HVAC is to simply smell for it.

Mold and mildew you have a distinct smell that you will probably recognize as soon as you smell it.

Getting the mold out if the AC is a whole other issue.

This is where you start talking about spending money to fix the problem.

The first thing, of course, is you’re going to have to call in an HVAC tech.

He will clean your duct work and supply you with a new filter and will probably suggest that you purchase a induct air purifier.

In duct air purifiers work by:

a. targeting ultraviolet light on the source of the mold which is the coils in the drip pans

b. PCO or plasma ionic air purifiers.

These purifiers are placed in your in duct system and run continuously in the background to ensure that the air inside of your unit is clean and that you are getting clean air delivered into your house via your HVAC duct work system.

Dirty and dusty duct work.

The fourth reason you may have developed a cough when you around air conditioning is that the duct work is just plain dusty.

Like stated before, the inside of the HVAC is going to be humid by nature because of the fact that air conditioning creates condensation when it is working.

What do you have when you combine dust and humidity?

Dust mites.

Dust mites thrive in humidity.

Dust mites are also a major source of indoor allergy problems.

Just like mold, dust mites also can exasperate asthma causing symptoms like tightening in the chest and wheezing.

If the duct work is extra dirty, then there is no other recourse other than calling your neighborhood HVAC tech.

Another one of those bills that you’re going to be shocked at the price when you realize that it could have been avoided simply making sure you’re using filters and making sure they are the right size for a tight fit.

Summary

Air conditioning cough can be caused by several things including a dirty filter, no filter, dry air, moldy or Dusty AC.

Most of the time at is as easy as changing the HVAC filter or adding a humidity machine to the room.

But if the culprit is mold or extra Dusty duct work, you are looking at calling in a professional and having it cleaned properly.

Though no one wants a cough or any type of allergy symptom, when it comes to your air conditioning, your cough is a red flag that something is not right with your air handler.

Taking it as a sign that it is time to do some maintenance on your AC can save you a lot of money down the road.

What Are the Side Effects of HEPA Air Purifiers?

Most air purifiers available to the public use a HEPA filter as their primary cleaning technology. But what are some of the pros and cons of this technology?

What are some of the HEPA Air Purifier Side Effects?

Negative

- Require costly replacement filters
- Regular maintenance
- Noisy
- Do not filter VOCs or Viruses
- Do not filter odors
- Cover a small area only
- Do not work well for in duct systems

Positive

- Capture particulates as small as .03 microns
- Completely safe
- No ozone by-product
- Very good at reducing pollen, mold spores, and pet dander

A HEPA or high-efficiency particulate absorber is a super-dense filter engineered to capture particulates as small as .03 microns.

Nowadays because of copycats filters that are not capable of capturing particulates as small,

the new appropriate name for a hepa filter is True HEPA

This is to differentiate from companies that call their filters HEPA but do not operate on the same level.

If it doesn’t say True HEPA, be aware that it might not be the same thing.

Pros of HEPA air purifiers

1 They capture particulates as small
as .03 microns.

This includes most household allergens what dust mites, pet dander, mold spores, and dust.

Most indoor allergies related to air come in the form of one of these types.

2. Completely safe

Because a HEPA air purifier is basically a large fan pulling air through a filter, there are none of the issues related to electronic air purifiers that create ozone.

3. No ozone

HEPA air purifiers do not create ozone as a byproduct. Many of the worries related to machines that create ozone can be bypassed simply by choosing HEPA instead of ionic.

4. Very effective.

HEPA air purifiers are very effective at reducing common household allergens like dust mites, pollen, pet dander, and mold spores. Many vacuums come outfitted with HEPA filters also. In fact vacuuming with a HEPA filter will help your air purifier do its job tremendously.

5. Can run all the time.

Unlike other types of air cleaners that require a room to be aired out after using them, a HEPA air cleaner does not create anything that can pose a threat and can only be a benefit for those looking to breathe better.

Cons of HEPA air purifiers

1. Require costly filter replacements

Because HEPA filters are engineered to be so dense, they are not really considered reusable.

Though there are some techniques that my make the filters last a little longer, they still require regular exchanging.

One of the problems is that you really don’t know how nappy a HEPA filter can get till you use it for a while.

A lot of stuff like grease and grime that don’t come off, get stuck deep down in the fibers.

2. Regular maintenance.

Though most of your general appliances do not require regular attention, most machines related to anything to do with air typically have to be maintained in order to keep working efficiently.

A True HEPA air purifier is no exception. To make sure the machine works properly, requires regularly cleaning and exchanging the filters.

3. Noisy

HEPA air cleaners are known for being quite noisy. They can be so loud that they fall under the noise machine category.

A lot of advertising that HEPA air cleaner companies use to promote air purifiers, includes language like ” a blanket of white noise to help your baby sleep.

Good news if you’re looking for a combination air purifier /white noise machine.

But to be fair, there are different methods of moving air through fans that require multiple small quiet fans rather than one or 2 larger fans.

It’s worth it to look into how loud the machine’s going to be before you purchase it.

4. Do not filter vocs or viruses

Though the high efficient particulate absorber filter is known for its capacity to be able to filter out particulate is smallest .03 microns, there are many airborne pollutants that are smaller.
These include:

a. VOCs (volatile organic compounds)

Vocs or what you consider to be the chemical type air pollution. They include things like adhesives, cleaners, fuels, and off-gassing from construction products. Strong fumes and odors.

Crafting rooms where are there are a lot of paints and paint thinners being used,
as well as nail salons wear there are a lot of polishes and nail polish remover is are being used,

All examples of air pollution that a HEPA filter cannot absorb.

b. Bacteria and viruses

HEPA filters just do not have any way of breaking down or neutralizing germs and viruses.

There are claims that HEPA filters can become a germ farm when they are not regularly swapped out.

Also to be fair, there are very few, if any air purifiers that use HEPA as their only air cleaning technology.

Most cleaners you see these days, come with the way to ensure that the filter machine does not become a live source of germs.

5. Working a small area only

Because of the way a HEPA air purifier operates, they are much more efficient for a small square footage.

You can imagine the difference between pulling the air from a small bedroom through a filter compared to the difficulty of pulling the air from a large living area through a filter.

It is going to be much easier to get a good result in a small room.

6 . Do not work well for induct systems

Indoor air purification has been rapidly moving towards using the HVAC as a whole house air purifier.

The reason is because placing an air purifier inside of your central heat and air unit can supply clean air to the whole house as well as clean the air before it is distributed back through the house.

Though it is possible and they do sell HEPA filters to use in your regular HVAC replacement filter slot.

The density of the HEPA filter is so tight they do not allow the free flow of air that the HVAC requires to work efficiently.

And also even though they do have a residual effect on helping keep dust out of the air,

HVAC filters are primarily in place to keep dust out of the air handler and protect the machinery.

Smart HEPA air purifiers

HEPA is only one air cleaning technology and though most air purifiers use it, it is usually combined with at least one or two other technologies.

Smart air purifiers use multiple technologies in concert together to oxidize and filter out contaminants in the room based on sensors measuring the air quality at all times.

These cleaners cycle on and off only when needed which expands the life of a HEPA filter considerably.

and also cuts down on the noise that an air purifier makes considerably.

They also do everything connected to a smartphone app so what you can remotely control or schedule your air cleaner or simply find out how clean your air is at any given moment.

Summary

HEPA air filters are the industry standard in indoor air purification but though they do have an amazing capacity to filter most airborne particulates, they also have their problems.

They are generally very noisy and they don’t do much for odors or fumes.

Plus a HEPA air purifier requires purchasing and exchanging filters in it for the life of the air purifier

What Is Best Type Of Air Purifier For Allergies?

If you’re looking for an air purifier for your home,

to help control the symptoms relating to pollen and dust allergies,

than you probably already know how much of a task it can be.

With the number of vendors and different types of air purifiers,

plus the vast amount of information related to air purifiers it can seem insane.

But there is no substitute for being well informed before making a purchase.

So here goes and we’ll try to keep it simple.

What Is Best Type Of Air Purifier For Allergies?

Are air purifiers worth it?

The first type of air cleaner is the HEPA air purifier.

HEPA air purifiers are easily the most popular and they are so, simply because they work.

Most air cleaning appliances are at the very least combined with a HEPA filter.

And most rely on Hepa as the major part of their purifying capacity.

High-efficiency particulate air filters or HEPA has been around since the 40s.

As a technology it is used in many industries including vacuum cleaners and HVAC filtering, and others.

HEPA air cleaners will filter up to 97% of allergens, including, pollens, spores, and bacteria in your air space.

But HEPA Purifiers do come with a couple of downsides.

One is the only work well in a small area. Being that the air machines really amount to being a large fan that sucks air through a filter, the larger the space, the less likely you are able to get all the air repeating through the filter efficiently.

Secondly, they are noisy.
So noisy that many companies spin the noise as a blanket of calming sound to help your baby sleep. Thirdly is the replacement parts. You will be buying replacement filters regularly, for the life of the air purifier.

Second to HEPA is the Carbon filter. Carbon filters are almost never sold independently as an air purifier but as a secondary filter in HEPA machines.

Where as HEPA are capable of filtering particulates as small as .03 microns, they will do nothing for other types of pollutants such as chemicals from aerosols, gases, and cleaners.

This type of indoor air pollution is known as vocs or volatile organic compounds. Their size is around the range of .1 microns. Much too small for a HEPA filter.

Carbon filters are the standard for absorbing VOCs.

Which means that they are also very good at absorbing odors, since odors are in gas form.

Carbon filters are typically made out of charcoal and are more like a porous sponge than they are a filter.

The downside to these is:

1. Small areas only
2. They have to be replaced regularly for the air cleaner to function efficiently.

The next type of allergy air cleaner is an ionic air purifier or air ionizer as it is also called.

There are 4 technologies in which air purifiers can use ions to clean the air. They are:

1. Negative ion generators
2. Photocatalytic oxidation
3. Plasma
4. Electrostatic Precipator

The first is the negative ion generator.

These air purifier generate and emit negative ions into the air stream.

The ideal is that negative ions attract positive ions, which in this case are the airborne allergens.

When the negative ions cluster with the positive ions, they become to heavy to float and fall from the ambient air. (the air you breathe)

The obvious downside is the amount of dust that is left on surfaces.

The “surfaces” in this case are usually the closest wall and the air purifier itself.

There is a phrase to describe this phenomenon called “grey wall syndrome”.

Nothing like having your own phrase to describe your inadequacy.

Also negative ion generators do nothing to neutralize or capture the allergens,

so they are technically still in the room and can be easily stirred up back into the breathing space.

There are certain environments where negative ionizers work well such as a small air purifier on your work desk.

But these units are not made to work in large spaces,

and do emit a small amount of ozone which makes multiplying the amount of units it would take to clean an entire house or business unsafe.

Photocatalytic oxidation is the second type of method which ionization works well to reduce indoor air pollution.

Photocatalytic oxidation or PCO generates ions through a process of combining ultraviolet light with a catalyst coating made of primarily titanium oxide.

The effect is much like covering the air with a blanket of hydrogen peroxide ions and disinfecting the air in the same way that pouring hydrogen peroxide on a abrasion disinfects the wound.

This technology is known for being extremely effective for eliminating mold spores.

It covers a large area and is also way cheaper to use than a HEPA type air purifier because it is a filter less technology that does not require the regular exchange of filters.

Unlike negative ion generators, PCO machines not only create ions that make indoor air pollutants too heavy to float, they also oxidize and neutralize allergens, making them dormant.

The downside is they also create a small amount of ozone.

That is probably one of the reasons you find this technology being combined with carbon filters and plasma technologies.

The third type of ionization air cleaner is Cold Plasma.

Cold plasma works by creating both negative and positive ions and omitting them into the air.

Because of the polarity of the disrupted ions they immediately attract and become one ion combining with anything that gets in the way.

This amounts to the air becoming its own filter.

Sounds amazing simply because it is amazing. Cold plasma is the wave of the future.

The process of cold plasma does not create any ozone and it is effective at absorbing VOCs like formaldehyde.

The fourth type of ion air purifier is the Electro static precipitator.

This is an older technology I am mentioning because it still remains in the the air purification consciousness of the public.

These type of ionic air purifiers had plates in them that were negatively charged to collect the positive polluted ions that were pulled through the machine.

The plates had to be cleaned regularly for them to work.

The usual air purifier hype was that you could simply wipe them off as ai routine when turning your air purifier on and off.

But consumers quickly realize that wiping off meant, scraping.

They also had the typical problem of ozone building up inside the machine.

With Technologies like cold plasma now available,

Electrostatic precipitators, hopefully have become dinosaurs left in the Past.

GOOD RIDDANCE

The fifth type of air cleaner that is used to rid allergies from your air is the UV germicidal lamp.

Ultraviolet light will eradicate anything that it is targeted on.

But because it is impossible to target a UV lamp on the air itself, they are normally included as a secondary method to help keep your HEPA filter from becoming a germ farm.

Another popular method for using UV is to place the ultraviolet light above the coils and the drip pan in your heating and air handler.

This helps kill the bacteria and mold breeding in these dark areas before they ever has a chance to enter your house through the vents of your system.

Even though some UV lights do emit a low level of ozone,

It’s generally agreed the ozone dissipates quickly enough that placing uV or photocatalytic oxidation air purifiers in the hVAC system as an induct air purifier does not pose any risk of symptoms brought on from exposure to Ozone.

Ozone is not recommended as a domestic air cleaner because can be harmful to your lungs when breathed.

Ozone however is very good at destroying any type of air pollution in an industrial setting.

As a commercial air cleaner it is great for remediation, clearing out second and third hand smoke from vehicles and houses.
As well as an excellent mold solution.

As long as it’s not used as a domestic air purifier in the vicinity of people.

You can think of ozone in much the way you think of bleach. If you douse bleach everywhere in your bathroom, even though you will kill every germ in there, you will not be going in there for a while because you will not be able to breathe if you do.
Same with ozone.

And if you live in California, you are out of luck, because ozone generators are illegal to sell there.

Finally, and probably the best suggestion for a room allergy air purifier is a multi tech air purifier.

There are many different air purifiers on the market that can combine many different Technologies all in the same box.

The trick is to find the right combination of technologies that work well in concert together.

Not all Technologies work well together. So just buying an air purifier that has every technology may not be the right thing unless you know what each technology does well and use it for that reason.

Most reputable air cleaner companies will have a good explanation of why each technology is combined.

The best of these multi-tech air purifiers are using an on board air quality sensor to measure the air quality in your room.

and then implement the technology that it will take to clean it properly.

They even come with an app so that you can check your air quality and turn your air purifier on remotely anytime you want.

The best whole house air purifier solution is the induct air purifier.

One of the most frequent questions I hear is whether or not one air purifier will work for both the upstairs and downstairs.

The truth is that it is hard to get an air purifier to work outside of one room only.

If you are using stand alone air purifiers and want to clean the air in the whole house,

you will need air purifiers throughout the house.

Or you can carry one air purifier from room to room and let it run a few days in each. Not a suggestion that too many people want to hear.

If your home is set up to do so,

The best answer is to place an induct air purifier in your HVAC system and clean the air the vents in your home.

Most people do not realize that the central heat and air system in their house is also one of the main culprits when it comes to producing allergens and introducing them to the Airstream.

This is because of the environment within the air handler itself. We’re talking about a dark and damp room. Which are the perfect environment and ingredients for mold and mold spores to flourish.

So the air handler becomes not only a source of mold spores flowing through your air, it also redistributes air throughout the house which means that if there is any pollution in one area of the house it will now be evenly distributed throughout the house.

One in duct air purifier placed in the proper area of your HVAC is a great solution for whole house allergy air purification.

They not only purify the air inside of your vent work so that your machine is distributing clean air, they clean the air coming in from the outside.

What Is an Ionizer Fan?

When you’re talking about a fan ionizer, you have to differentiate between a fan that has an ionizer feature and an ionizer that uses a fan. Also closely related to those is an air conditioner ionizer.

These are all very closely named products that make it very easy to get confused about what is what and what they do.

So let’s break it down a little bit.

What Is A Ionizer Fan?

A Ion fan or a fan ionizer is generally a tower fan that has a ionizer feature included.Its primary function is to blow and cool the air like any other fan but it comes with a small brush ionizer that can emit negative ions into the air while the fan is running. An ionizer with a fan is an air ionizer purifier that includes a fan as a means to help move ions further into a room. Its primary function is to clean the air in a room and it does nothing to cool the air.

Air Conditioner ionizer

An Air conditioning ionizer is an air purifier that goes inside of your HVAC air conditioner.

Its primary function is to clean the air inside of the ductwork and use the HVAC as a whole house air purifier.

How an ionizer works.

An air ionizer removes pollutants like bacteria, pollen, and odors from the air by adding a negative charge to molecules.

When emitted into the room, because of polarity, the negative molecules or ions attract the positive molecules (the pollutants in the air).

Then the newly-formed cluster of combined negative and positive ions become too heavy to float and fall to the surface.

This leaves the Ambient Air free of contaminants to breathe easier

but it also leaves the surfaces around the air purifier dusty.

Whether you have an ionizing fan that includes an ion feature or you have a air purifier ionizer, the premises the same. But the capacity to clean air between the two differs drastically.

Have you ever wondered what the ion setting on a fan is?

It is a button that activates a small ionizer or ionizing wire that is meant to clean the air as it’s blowing from the fan.

Does a fan with an ionizer work?

Yes but not very well. The reason is that negative ions have a very short life span and need to be eased into the air rather than full-on blown.

A typical room fan is likely to cause the ions to dissipate much too rapidly before they have a chance to clean the air very well.

Compare that to a air purifier ionizer

A air purifier ionizer only has a couple of settings. Fan or no fan.

And the fan is very small and more like the fan on a computer than a fan that is meant to cool off a room.

Ionizers work best as simple negative ion generators that let the ions move at their own pace. Gradually making their way out into an area as a path is made.

When a fan is used on an air ionizer, it is there to help give the ions a little push to get a little more square footage out of a machine.

Cooling the air and cleaning the air are not the same thing and combining the two does not give the best results.

I honestly think that it is much better to use a fan to cool the air and a separate purifier machine to clean the air in a room.

Are ionizing fans bad for you?

All ionizers create negative ions through either electric spark or UV which causes a small amount of ozone to be created in the process.

The ionizer on a tower fan creates a very low amount of ozone, and then the fan blows it away on the spot. Ozone dissipates very quickly and with the fan right on it, it doesn’t have much of a chance to be a hazard.

I have yet to see a tower fan with an ionizer, that list any warning in their instruction booklet, or give any actual quantity to the amount of ozone being created by the ion feature.

But

An air purifier ionizer with a fan has a much larger chance of creating enough ozone to cause discomfort or irritation to your breathing.

Since the primary function of an ionizer is to create negative ions, the likelihood of ozone buildup is much higher.

Most ionic air purifiers create much less ozone than what is allowed by the EPA.

But not all ionic air purifier manufacturers follow the guidelines perfectly.

Ozone can build up and you should be aware of it.

Ionizers that are too strong should be treated more like an ozone machine that is meant to be operated when there is no one around. That includes pets.

Many ionic air purifiers have a “while you’re away” setting.

That is another way of saying that the setting is there to create a higher level of ozone and you need to be out of the house or office when it is in use.

Also set a timer to turn the machine off a hour or so before you’re going to be home to allow the ozone to completely dissipate before you get there.

Air Conditioning Ionizer

Have you ever wondered what an ionizer on a AC is?

An air conditioning ionizer or induct air purifier is made to be placed into the ductwork of your HVAC system.

The ideal is that the inside of your ductwork is full of bacteria and germs, as well as dust mites.

By placing ionizers in the ductwork, you clean the air before it ever has a chance to distribute the contaminated air into your Home or business.

This is the safest and most effective way to get a whole house air purification effect out of a ionic air purifier.

Are ionizers good for you?

An air ionizer used in the right way can be a great benefit to your health.

not only do they clear the air of harmful contaminants,

They create a atmosphere of freshness that can have an energized and relaxing affect on your mood.

Are ionizers bad for you?

Though ion machines have some great benefits when they are used correctly, they also have their ugly side when their not.

Ionizers are meant to be used for the exact square footage they were purchased. Placing an ionizer that was meant to cover 300 square feet in a closet will create way too much ozone for the area.

This is the reason to EPA discourages the use of ionizers as an air purifier.

And also one of the reasons why California has banned the sell of air cleaners that create ozone as a byproduct.

Ionizers that create too much ozone should just be labeled ozone machines or ozone generators and be happy about it.

Why would you try to sell me something that’s going to be potentially dangerous when you could tell me right out that I should only use it when I’m out of the house?

If you need an air purifier to sleep with, there are types of air purifiers that use no ozone and would be a better choice in that type of situation.Also you can keep a fan on you while you’re sleeping and not affect the capacity of the air cleaner at all.

Do HEPA Filters Remove VOC’s?

HEPA filters are the number one choice for air purification across most Industries.

Their capacity to capture particulates as small as .3 microns make them extremely efficient at removing pollutants and improving indoor air quality.

But what about pollutants that are smaller then .3 microns?

Do HEPA Filters Remove VOCs?

The answer is no. By definition, VOCs are gas type particles that are smaller than .3 microns. A carbon filter used in conjunction with a HEPA filter is the standard for removing vocs.

Vocs are usually described as the chemical or gas air pollution that come from building Products such as adhesives, paints, acrylics, and so forth.

Crafting products, tobacco carcinogens, cleaning products also fall under this category.

Formaldehyde, generally agreed to be one of the toughest volatile organic compounds to remove, can in fact be absorbed by a carbon filter.

That point alone puts carbon filters ahead of the game and places them as the top technology for reducing volatile organic compounds (VOCs)

Benzene and naphthalene are also adsorbed easily with the use of carbon filters.

But the problem with HEPA and carbon filters being the primary Technologies in these arenas is that,

Air purifier consumers have to unwittingly sign up for the filter of the Month Club in order to keep their machines working properly.

That and the fact that you are limited to using them and a small area primarily.

This makes the use of HEPA and Carbon filters in large buildings with multiple rooms like hospitals and schools very expensive to say the least.

Regardless of their limitations they remain the industry standard. And Industry standard can sometimes be a barrier that is hard to penetrate.

Especially when the experts have their own HEPA air purifiers that they are touting.

But despite the political Riff Raff, other air purifying technologies are edging their way up because of their capacity to take on large areas without the need of multiple replacement filters.

In duct air purification or HVAC (central heat and air) air purification is the obvious wave of the future and one that HEPA is having a hard time keeping up with.

When it comes to improving air quality throughout multiple rooms and reducing the spread of germs over a large area,

Placing plasma air purifiers in the ductwork not only removes pollution at the source inside the unit,

They also removes the pollution being recirculated through the unit and redistributed back into the air you breathe.

This is a win-win situation and one that HEPA or carbon cannot tackle.

Some will say that you just need to use HEPA filters in your HVAC system and that you only need choose the proper Merv rating for allergens.

The problem is that air Handlers are made for the Air to flow freely

and using a very dense filter like HEPA combined with carbon will place an enormous

amount of strain on the unit setting yourself up for mechanical breakdowns.

That fact and the fact that HEPA filters are much more expensive then the typical air filter,

Shine a large lamp on the inefficiency of HEPA in large multiple room situations.

Using carbon filters to reduce Gas by products in the HVAC suffers from the same scenario.

They restrict airflow through the system and introduce the need for a second filter because HEPA filters cannot absorb gases.

The four Technologies taking on this problem with success are:

Ultraviolet sterilization
Photocatalytic oxidation
Cold plasma
HVAC dehumidifiers

HVAC Indoor Air Quality

One of the main problems with controlling air quality in large areas with multiple rooms like schools is that the HVAC that is in place to control the climate in the building is also one of the main contributors of bad air quality itself.

How so?

a. The environment inside the HVAC housing is not only dark, it is moist. The ideal breeding ground for mold.

This means that without a way of controlling it, each and every time your air handler kicks on,

it is actually distributing mold spores throughout your business or living space.

b. Outdoor air is distributed through the unit

and depending on the area and environment you’re in, your inside air can be affected by fuel emissions, industrial smog, etc.

c. Air inside the building is also introduced into the system and becomes part of the recirculating cycle.

That means if one room is dedicated to printing,
the vocs contained in the ink as well as the ozone being sparked when the printers are running
are put back into the Airstream and distributed throughout the whole building for everyone to enjoy.

1. Ultraviolet sterilization works by placing UV lights above the condensers and the drip pans in the plenum of the HVAC.
The ideal is that ultraviolet light kills anything that it is targeted on.
Many industries use UV as a way of sterilizing fish tanks, surgical equipment, and many others.

When I think of UV lamps, they remind me of the barber shop that my father took me to as a kid. I would see that jar that had that blue light in it to sterilize the combs and scissors while I would sit there and get my hair buzzed.

This is the same concept as using UV in your HVAC system.
Placing UV lamps in the areas the drip pan where mold is forming will help kill the mold spores before they ever have a chance to enter into your ambient air. (the air you were breathing).

2. A step up from UV lamps is photocatalytic oxidation.

Photocatalytic oxidation or PCO also uses ultraviolet light but it does so in a different manner.

Instead of focusing on what you were trying to sterilize, the focus on a titanium catalyst.

Ultraviolet light combined with a titanium catalyst creates a reaction of hydroperoxide ions.

Hydroperoxide is the gas form of hydrogen peroxide,

Hydrogen peroxide is the stuff that you pour on a wound to clean it before you put the triple antibiotic on it.

So in a manner of speaking, this technology is like pouring hydrogen peroxide on every infectant in your air handlers vent work.

These air purifiers are a considerable improvement on UV alone.

Photocatalytic oxidation is also very effective at removing mold spores.

Benefits include filterless air purification and the capacity to cover large areas. Because PCO uses ultraviolet light it does require the annual replacement of the module.

There is a downside though. And though it is not a huge one considering these are purifiers are meant to be placed inside of the ductwork, PCO air purifiers create small amount of ozone in the process.

Ozone is really not an issue here because it dissipates very quickly and will never have a chance to enter into the breathing space.

But unfortunately the mention of the word ozone is enough to deter a large amount of the population from using this technology.

A Pity.

3. Atmospheric Cold plasma is it technology that works on the molecular level.

It is another form of Ionic air purifier that has an advantage over UV and PCO because

a. it doesn’t introduce ozone or formaldehyde into the airstream.

b. It is extremely effective at reducing microscopic air pollutants like bacteria and mold spores.

Cold Plasma works by dividing ions into negative and positive. When the split ions spring back together because of polarity they capture any pollutants in the air in the process.

This technology is used to sterilize food and water as well as a dental tool to prevent decay in the teeth just to name a couple.

Because of its ability to reduce any type of VOC including formaldehyde, it is one of the best unheard of air purification methods available.

It is also a very inexpensive type of air purifier to run. It takes very little electricity and requires zero replacement filters.

4. HVAC dehumidifiers or whole house dehumidifiers or not a full solution for reducing indoor air pollution being circulated through the HVAC

but they can help considerably with controlling air pollution and reducing wear and tear on your air moving system.

a. By reducing the moisture in your system,

you are eliminating one of the primary ingredients production of mold.

Dust mites also need a lot of humidity you to flourish.

b. Humidity causes your system to run over time to cool off a room.

By removing the humidity in the system and in your building,

you are giving your HVAC system a much easier time to work properly and reducing the need for repairs to the system.

Summary

HEPA and carbon filters maybe the industry standard for reducing air pollution

but they are not the only solution and they’re definitely not the less expensive solution especially in large buildings with multiple rooms.

In duct air purification the uses Technologies like cold plasma and photocatalytic oxidation

are as effective and even better in many cases

and are much less expensive to run and keep up with replacement cost and wear and tear on your HVAC system.

Can HEPA and carbon be used in conjunction with other in duct Technologies ?

Of course.

Why shouldn’t you have a carbon filter in your printing room?

also this: ionizer in air purifier

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

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 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 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?

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.

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.

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