air purifiers

[Journer]

so...do they? how do you know which one works best?
what about ones with built in dehumidifiers/humidifiers? how do you know if you need a humidifier or dehumidifier?

 

[jpeyton]

Originally posted by: Journer
so...do they?

Yes.

how do you know which one works best?

Read reviews. Don't by those crappy "ionic" air purifiers; get one with a variable speed fan and a replaceable HEPA filter.

what about ones with built in dehumidifiers/humidifiers?

What about them?

how do you know if you need a humidifier or dehumidifier?

If your air is too dry or humid.

 

[wedi42]

yes, air purifiers clean the air

are they worth it? probably not

 

[chin311]

yea they work, the amount my little one collects is amazing, and i still get quite a bit.

seems to make the air a lil' fresher....not so stagnant

 

[Bill Brasky]

I had a humidifier/filter when I got my tonsils out to keep my throat from drying out. The side effect was that it did an amazing job of taking pollen, dander, etc. out of the air. I really enjoyed it, but the maintenance was a PITA.

 

[Journer]

Originally posted by: Zaitsev
I had a humidifier/filter when I got my tonsils out to keep my throat from drying out. The side effect was that it did an amazing job of taking pollen, dander, etc. out of the air. I really enjoyed it, but the maintenance was a PITA.

elaborate please

 

[AlgaeEater]

Good quality air purifiers have tons of maintenance. You not only have to keep the unit functional by cleaning it out every week (or sooner), but it has really expensive filters that need replacing as well. Some air purifiers (the good ones, IE the ones that look like air conditioners that hospitals use) have so many complicated parts, it's a PITA to maintenance it.

As for dehumidifiers, that's self explanatory. You have to pretty much empty the bucket whenever it gets full, and there's prone to be leakage if you're forgetful.

Humidifiers must be kept clean and sanitary AT ALL TIMES, less you start spreading stagnant water into the air, making everyone prone to mold and perhaps legionaries disease.

 

[Bill Brasky]

Originally posted by: Journer

Originally posted by: Zaitsev
I had a humidifier/filter when I got my tonsils out to keep my throat from drying out. The side effect was that it did an amazing job of taking pollen, dander, etc. out of the air. I really enjoyed it, but the maintenance was a PITA.

elaborate please

Unfortunately I can't remember the brand name or provide a link. But the basic idea was that a fan would pull air from vents at the base through a large dome shaped "filter." Since it was actually a humidifier, this filter was just a fabric/cloth (manufacturer made) that would wick up water from a water tray inside the unit. Air would pass through, take evaporated water with it, and large pollutants would get trapped.

However, there were negatives with this design. It couldn't be left on the ground, especially the carpet, because dust and carpet junk would clog up the filter too fast. It was best left on a table, which isn't aesthetically pleasing and not a great permanent solution. Also, if the filter dries out pretty much all benefits are lost. Finally, the water tray had to be washed and the filter needed to be replaced on a regular basis because they were excellent places for mold to grow.

Granted, I knew I would only use this for 2-3 weeks so I only spent 60 bucks, which is the bottom of the barrel for humidifiers. I would assume that more expensive models would be easier to maintain.

 

[olds]

Very topical, my wife and I were talking about these today. Enlighten us...

 

[FoBoT]

there are some that work
there are a bunch that are crap, the ones that don't filter forced air

 

[Apex]

The IQair ones are great.

 

[Shadowknight]

Partly it depends on the purifier; they tend to recommend up to x square feet, so you may need to read the box to make sure it works for you (so with multiple rooms, you made need one for each room you want purified).

I originally got one to help with my cat allergies, but medication has taken care of that problem so I never use it. I do however use a HEPA air filter for my apartment. I replace it every 3 months (like it recommends on the package) and the highest rated one that I can find at lows removes 93% of impurities in the air. Depending on the conditions of your home, you might not need an air purifier if you just spluge on better air filters. A $17 filter is going to do a better job than those $3 ones most people use.