You know those room air purifier/ionizers...............???

[zsir]

Do they really work.....? Can you actually notice a difference.....? Are they worth a $100 or so.....?

My wife wants to get one, so I'm wondering if they are worth it....

Thanks

 

[mrCide]

I'm interested myself.

Particularly something real quiet that will filter all the dust out of my room heh, I live right by a main road and with the a/c suckin in air everytime a door is opened a lot of dust gets in.. =\

 

[Valhalla1]

that ionic breeze by sharper image looks good.. completely silent and low power usage, easy to clean but I don't know if its as effective as a bigger noisier one at actually moving and filtering the air.

also its damned expensive

 

[pg22]

I have one of the little round "noisy" ones that competes with those Sharper Image ones....and I like it! I think it works, to some point. The noise is annoying, but considering that people here have 4,000 fans in their PC's, it's not that bad =)

Are they worth it for $100-$150? Yes, I think so. Are they worth the amount SHarper Image charges for it's own brand? Nope.

Good luck!

 

[RC5Bri]

I have a room purifier/ionizer because of allergies in August and September. If I just use the ionizer, I can't tell much of a difference. But if I use the fan that filters the air, it works great. I typically use it in a room 8' x 10', and on low speed it makes a difference in about 10 minutes. On a larger room it will take longer, but still works wonders.

I would only suggest getting one if the quality of air is really bad. Maybe if someone smokes, or you live on a dirt road, or if you have allergies. But, if you just want to "clean" the air, you probably won't notice much difference.

 

[Zucchini]

How about just cleaning the air to prevent dust from settling?

 

[Dofuss3000]

Worth it... at least for my dad,

 

[esung]

It depends on what you want to purify.. For me, it works, get rid of a lot of pollution that's in the house (when someone smokes.. it help to get rid of it faster)

 

[Brill]

I agree esung. I have only a small Hunter ionizer/hepa, but when it's on I definitely notice a difference in the smoke and dust levels. I have Hot air oil heat and if I leave my purifier on high I have to change the filter about once a month, it collects that much dust..Also I agree with RC5Bri that with just the ionizer on I can't really notice any difference not sure if it really does anything, but all in all I think they are well worth the money spent.IMHO

Bri

 

[Frenchie]

Definitely worth it. Odors, molds, smoke, pollen, dander, all gone. Works wonders for those with allergies, myself included.

 

[Batti]

I have a couple of the Sharper Image ones, and they work great. It's spooky cleaning out all the gunk they pick up. Buy them on eb@y, I paid about half as much as retail.

 

[j@cko]

they filter out the dusts... I have one in my room.
I think they work only when yours room is VERY VERY dusty.... which in this case, it doesn't work as well in my room.

 

[Zucchini]

jackc20_00, so your saying your room still gets some dust? I just want one to cut down on my cleaning.. i apparently live in a very dusty area

 

[Aquaman]

I've been using a Bionaire Air purifier for years with great results but it will not cut down on the clean much. The unit will grab a lot of the dust in the air but a lot is still left on the ground. I've had great results with the Swifer though The little sheet really collects the dust

Cheers,
Aquaman

 

[Zucchini]

shucks.. nothing i hate more then vacumning. grumble what good is an air purifier that cna't even keep the air clean enuph to keep your furniture clean

 

[mattyrug]

--this was my part of a post i did on these things in November of 2000--
I got an Ionizer (a living air breeze) it works great for getting rid of Odors, Smoke, and other crap, but you'd better get that dustbrush, or HEPA Vacuum Cleaner, beacuse all the particles drop like crazy. I bought an Air Filter after i got this thing, just to help minimize dust and dirt!! Mine does a 2500 Sq foot room, on high. I've never had it past 10% because the Ozone Smell makes me sick. The one I have an an RF Emitter which is supposed to ward off dust mites, and other microscopic insects, but i'm not too sure about that. My Buddy is a dealer for these things, and I just know it works wonders for a house with 3 chain smokers, and Mold!!

---and here's what i've experienced since---

Prolonged Exposure to Ozone is not recomended, i've read a lot of conflicting reports on this, and i'm not trying to start a war here, but i rarely use mine anymore. I only found out because shortly after getting it, my girlfriend would complain of burning eyes, nausea, and really bad throat irritation. I never got a manual with it, so i finally got one, and Come to find out, these are symptoms of ozone poisoning, listed right in the manual. Occasionally I would feel some severe nausea, and never thought it was Ionizer Related.

I think this is working out to be the best scenario for me, and quite a few other people....
the Ionizer, placed low in the room, (floor or such) in combination with a HEPA filter seems to be the best, but still, HEPA Filters still don't get all the Particles, they tend to just recirculate most stuff right back into the air, because most Airborne Irritants are smaller than 0.3 Microns, and HEPA Filters can't filter all of these particles. Ionizers can discharge particles as small or smaller than 0.001 microns, but they wind up on the floor, or stick to the wall.
I only turn mine on in extreme situations (multiple smokers, or old musty odors), or when i'm not home. I really think lots of fresh air is the best!! The Ionizer is great if you got a room that smells really bad, smokey, and/or really moldy.

Link to an old Ionizer Post
BTW if you get one, and you smell a strong bleachy smell in the air= that's Ozone (O3)!! Turn it down!!

 

[Zucchini]

Anyone know how much electricity these things use? hehe its an issue with california power the way it is

BTW, anyone with kids shouldn't get these.. you want your kids exposed to allergens ...overshielding leads to hypersensitivity.

 

[tkdkid]

Yeah it's worth it. The more expensive ones will last longer. The ionic breeze is only an ionizer, it just causes the allergens to fall to the floor, it doesn't remove them like a hepa would. Most reviews on the web show that people are happy with it.

Is she allergic to dust mites? My wife is. So far we got an allergen free pillow cover (pillow & mattress covers are two of the most important things to get), vent filters and an air filter. We also vacuum a lot more. So far, it's working very well, she doesn't snore anymore. Hehe.

 

[Zapster]

When we built out house we budgeted for an electronic air cleaner. When the time came to install the unit, we asked them about it. Most places don't recommend them and we instead went for a passive spacesaver 5000 thick filter unit instead. Takes out about 90% of the dust and pollen. The filters must be changed about once a year for $15. Thats it.

 

[bcterps]

I have one of the Sharper Image air purifiers and I love it. I got it from the Sharper Image auction site for a pretty good price. It uses very little electricity and is definitely completely silent. If it does make noise then it needs to be cleaned thats all.

--Ben