Air Purifier GO!

See larger image Holmes HEPA-Type Air Purifier - Small (HAP242-UC) (Electronics) List Price: $84.44 USD New From: $42.04 In Stock

Over the past decade or so, amazing progress has been made in miniaturizing air purifiers. At the same time, following the trend in ever more affordable household electrical appliances, prices on these new and often palm sized cheap air purifiers have only continued to slide. Even so, before you make your final decision on which one to take home, there are a few facts you may like to know.

For instance even in larger models, ionic air purifiers don't process a lot of air, if they don't have a fan in them. Yes the ionic action alone will move air through the system but at a very low rate. What this means, is that you really can't expect a whole lot of performance out of any of the smaller less expensive ionic air purifiers.

On a positive note, ionic air purifiers are effective odor killers and that even includes the smaller models. So for localized, confined areas where odors are a problem, such as around a kitty litter box, a small ionic unit may be the perfect solution. Ionic smokeless ash treys are another example of ionic air freshening in a confined space.

There is also a huge selection of surprisingly inexpensive smaller hepa air purifiers to choose from as well. Now a hepa filter system will always have a fan in it regardless of its size, so they do tend to process more air. Even so, keep in mind that a $15 unit is not going to take care of a whole room. It just can't move enough air.

Basic smaller hepa air purifiers aren't as efficient at odor killing as ionic cleaners but they do a better job of cleaning the air of dust and other suspended air particles, such as smoke and ambient oil mist. Areas where smaller cheap air purifiers might be put to effective use are perhaps at a workshop table or in your kitchen near the stove.

Before you buy any smaller hepa filter air purifier you need to read up on its filter. How often does it have to be changed and how much does each one cost? You may be surprised at how many smaller hepa air purifiers appear to be a great bargain, until you do the math on filter costs and find out you'll be spending the same amount over time that you would on a larger unit.

See larger image Bionaire BAP1412-U PERMAtech Mini Tower Air Cleaner (Kitchen) List Price: $69.99 USD New From: $49.95 In Stock Used from: $35.00 In Stock

• Find out about combined ionic and hepa technologies

• Check out pricing on their three models

The Bionaire air purifier line occupies its place in a very competitive market. The air purifier business has always been competitive but this years long recession has only served to make it more. Hence; just like so many other manufactures, Bionaire has scaled its product line back rather extensively.

Beware of Fake Online Negetive Reviews

Tower no remote $159

Now one problem you may have is fake product reviews that have been posted online. They're pretty common in all online product and business genres but they seem to have picked up in recent times. They can at times leave you scratching your head with the astounding negative claims that contain.

Bionaire Air Purifier Consumer Approval Ratings

In the end, the quickest way to find out what previous buyers thought of an air purifier, is to click to Amazon.com. Just type in what ever it is that you're interested in checking out and up will pop a whole selection of them, along with their “Amazon consumer approval star rating”.

What About Replacement Filters?

Now as stated above, this company has trimmed its line back extensively. Even so, you can still find their discontinued air purifiers being marketed on sites that specialize in clearance products of this type. Now for the time being, Bionaire Air Purifiers still stocks and sells replacement filters for all of them but this can't go on for ever.

Their Filters are Reasonably Priced

It's only a matter of time until they stop stocking them in the hopes of forcing consumers to buy a new Bionaire air purifier, or they'll simply jack the prices up on their replacement filters. That's the more likely scenario and it would be a shame too because their filters tend to be quite reasonably priced, comparatively speaking.

It's Basically Just the Permatech Line Now

Permatech Tower with remote $139

Now when I checked to companies main website, it shows them carrying basically three air purifiers and all of them are in their Permatech line. This means that they no longer make any of the nifty smaller units that they used to. It's a trend that seems to be pervasive throughout the industry as a whole.

The Permatech Tower Models

One noteworthy feature of these Permatech air purifiers though, is that they combine both ionic and hepa filter technology. Even so, the largest of them all is their Permatech Tower model that covers 170 square feet. They also have another model listed as simply The Permatech Tower that has a remote control. It's also listed for 170 square feet.

The Permatech Mini Tower

The baby in their lineup is simply called The Permatech Mini Tower and it in fact has no listing showing how may square feet it will cover. This of course can be taken to mean that it must not be much. Even so, as small as this unit is, it too comes with combined hepa and ionic air filtration technology built into it.

See larger image Oreck XL-Air Purifer Tower, Black (Health and Beauty) New From: $499.95 In Stock

• Free 30 day trial period

• They can be laid on their side

• 3 & 5 year guarantees
  

If you've been watching TV over the past ten years then you no doubt have heard of the Oreck air purifier. In fact this one firm alone is responsible for introducing more people to ionic air cleaning technology in their adds than any other company out there.

Have You Seen an Oreck Air Purifier on TV?

Even so, there two traits that I've found that all air purifier companies have in common that have been heavily advertized on TV. That is that these heavy TV advertisers tend to have a limited line of rather expensive machines and Oreck is no exception.

If you're looking for convenience features, none of their three models of ionic air cleaners have any, so to speak. In fact, aside from what they call “Truman Cell” bacteria killing technology these are basic three speed on and off machines. No timers, remote, etc.

What's Truman Cell Technology?

Simply put, Truman Cell Technology is the same ionic technology that all ionic air cleaners use to trap ambient air particles. The airborne bacteria is charged and then sticks to the collection plates and dies. It's really nothing more than that.

You see, the little known truth of the matter, is that recent studies have demonstrated that bacteria gathered in all ionic air cleaners tends to die shortly after being deposited on collection plates. Hence; in general terms, all ionic machines operate with Truman Cell Technology.

However; before you click your mouse and move on to review another brand, there are two items worth mentioning that you just don't see in Oreck's competitors. It's very odd too because neither is difficult to offer or any type of earth shaking technology.

Free Thirty Day Trial Period

The first item is a no questions asked, thirty day trail period on all three Oreck Air purifiers. The nice thing about it too, is that they'll even pay the shipping fee if you send yours back. Now in my mind this makes a lot of sense to a person who's curious about ionic technology. It gives them an out.

The second item worth mentioning, is that two of their three models, the ProShield and the ProShield Plus are designed to stand on their own or lay on their side. Once again, this isn't earth shaking technology but it sure is nice for someone who wants to place their machine on a shelf.

The Oreck Pro Shield Air Purifier

The base model Oreck Air purifier is called the ProSheild and it lists on their site for 349.95. (let's call it $350). It features three air speed settings, including a fourth that's referred to as a silence setting. This no doubt allows you to run the machine with no fan.

Now it is a vary nicely designed unit and I can see how someone might want to lay it on its side on a shelf. It has a sleek black look to it. Even so, its specs list it as being able to recirculate the air in a 12' X18' room only twice every hour, so the room size rating is a bit exaggerated. It does come with a three years guarantee.

The Oreck ProShield Plus Air Purifier

The next Oreck air purifier up from there, is the ProShield Plus. It lists on their company site for $399.95 (let's call it $400) and it really is basically an enhanced version of the ProSheild. It's the exact same machine with one added feature, so it too can be laid on its side too.

That one added feature is what Oreck calls their Permanent Helios Shield. (I Like that name). It's basically a UV lighting system located in the machine, that sterilizes the air that passes through it. By the way UV lighting is quite common now, on both ionic and hepa filter air purifiers.

Now I do have one complaint here though and that is they advertise what is basically a UV lighting system as never having to be replaced, which is true “in effect”. However; what they don't tell you is that the mercury vapor lamp that powers it will lose half its strength in five years. It wont burn out though. Same 3 year warranty.

The Tower Model Oreck Air Purifier

Next up is their top model. The Oreck air purifier they call the Oreck Tower. It lists on their company site for $599.95 (let's just call it $600) which is a heck of a lot of money for an air purifier. This one does have a couple of added features and it also is quite nice looking but I have just one problem here.

That problem is that on their site, they show it as being able to clean 900 square feet per hour. Now isn't that the same as 1800 feet every two hours? Now I'm not very good at math but that seems awful close to the what the above two models listed clean. A 12' X 18' room every two hours. Am I being picky here?

There's also no “Permanent Helios Shield” in this model but you do get a “turbo” option on the fan switch. (I just love the names they use). You also get two more years on the five year warranty, which is nice but in the end I really do think that for $600, there's better deals out there.

See larger image Honeywell HFD-120-Q Tower Quiet Air Purifier with Permanent IFD Filter, Black (Kitchen) List Price: $149.99 USD New From: $123.74 In Stock Used from: $104.99 In Stock Release date February 15, 2006.

• How do they work to clean air?

• What about Ozone gas?

• What are the pros and cons?

If what you have in mind is a filterless air purifier, then what you should be looking into is ionic technology. These types of air cleaners aren't new and in fact they first began being used in metal smelting plants almost 100 years ago.

The Filterless Air Purifier Uses an Ionic Chamber

The way that they function, is rather then the air passing through a filter as you would imagine in the classic sense, the air passes through what is commonly referred to as an ionic chamber. It's basically a contained area where negative electrons are generated.

Pollution Particles Pick Up a Negative Charge

From there the air moves on through a series of stacked metal plates. It's on these plates that the pollution particles end up being deposited. You see the particles pick up the negative ions and this causes these then negatively charged particles to be attracted to the plates, like magnets.

Even These Machines Have to be Cleaned

Now keep in mind that at some point these plates do have to wiped clean and with some machines this is an easier task then with others. It all depends on how easy it is to remove the plates then slide them back into the machine.

New Filters Can Go Months Without Cleaning

One thing worth noting, is that new hepa filter designs have made for standard filter machines that require far more infrequent cleanings. In fact most of these new low maintenance filter designs can go months without you ever having to touch them. It's something to think about.

There are Some Solid Pros and Cons

You need to also understand that there are a few solid pros and cons that should be taken into account before you buy into either type of air cleaning system. As an example, “for your money”, a standard hepa filter machine is going to process a far greater amount of air.

Look into a Non Ozone Technology Feature

Another thing to look out for if you're dead set on a filterless air purifier, is ozone generation. Ozone is a colorless gas that's made up of two connected oxygen atoms that's generated during the production of negative ions. New machines however do have non ozone technologies that do away with this problem.

Ionic Non Filter Air Cleaners are Quieter

One of the major benefits of a filterless air purifier though, is that they tend to be far more quiet than a filter unit. The reason is simple and that is that hepa filter air cleaners require larger fans to push the air through the filter. There is a huge selection of ionic cleaners to choose from so make sure to select one with features that suit you best.

See larger image Sharp FP-P40CX Plasmacluster Air Purifier (Kitchen) List Price: $299.99 USD

• Amazing New Technology

Sharps innovative and cutting edge Plasmacluster Ion technology has introduced the entire planet to a brand new method for neutralizing airborne viruses and mold spores. A system that is now proving itself invaluable in homes and businesses the world over.

It functions by depleting live viruses and spores of vital hydrogen. They are instantly dehydrated. It accomplishes this by way of hydroxyl production, a secondary byproduct of the production of both positive and negative ions in the same reaction vessel.

You see hydrogen is the second and third molecule in the H2O matrix that you of course know as water. Once the two hydrogen molecules are removed in the Plasmacluser contained reaction chamber, all that remains is the oxygen molecule.

So as the live virus' and spore are effectively killed by instant dehydration, pure oxygen is being created. In this way this innovative system is actually replicating the earths natural atmospheric oxygen generation and air purification processes.

• Airborne Viruses it Instantly Kills
  

Viruses: MRSA – E Coli – Influenza (including Swine Flu) – Poliomyelitis – Tuberculosis – Common Cold – Pertussis (Whooping cough) – Streptococcus (Pneumonia) – Strep – Typhus – Rubella (German Measles) – SARS – Variola (Small Pox) – Corynebacterium Diphtheriae (Diphtheria)

• Air Particles and Gasses it Functions to Eliminate

Tobacco Smoke, Mold Spores, Formaldehyde, Pollen, Dust, Pet Odors, Exhaust Fumes, Formaldehyde, Ambient Cooking Oils, Micro Textile Fibers

• Looking Inside the Integrated System

Plasmacluster technology is but one component of a technologically advanced, completely integrated, multi-layered air purification system. As part of its function, it imparts an actual electrical charge to airborne particles that allows them to far more readily adhere to the secondary hepa filter grid.

• Maintaining Ionic Balance

This new advanced system contains a built in atmospheric monitoring system that automatically adjust the flow rate of negative ions. In the natural environment, negative and positive ions are kept in a healthy natural balance.

However; in a contained environment such as a home, they can become unbalanced, with one being in greater concentration then the other. This system insures that the ionic balance in the air you breath will always be exactly neutral.

If you're like most newbies, you need an air purifier so you set out to buy. Air purification information hits you like a swirling storm though. So many different types. So many different new technologies and so many sizes and features. How can you decide?

What are Your Actual Air Cleaning Needs?

The first thing that you need to do is calm down and keep things in perspective. Then you must decide what your real needs are. Are you suffering from acute allergies for instance, or are you simply looking to cut down on the dust level in your home? Is there a smoker in your home?

Don't Buy Air Purifier System You Don't Need You

The last thing that you want to do is go at it from the other direction. That is to become bedazzled by the technology, size and features and make an impulse buy. Do this and you may be stuck with a unit that is less or more than what you really needed.

Are You Suffering From Allergies?

Now if your situation is acute. For instance, if you're looking for some serious relief from allergies, smoke and pet odors then you will want to pay close attention to the number that indicates the minimum particle size that an air cleaner will capture.

A Micron is One Millionth of a Meter

Most go as far down as .03 microns, while the more exacting units with more advanced filtration systems go as far down as particles of .01 microns. Now bear in mind that the more advanced the filters and systems, the more there is to be cleaned and maintained.

Is it Your Goal to Just to Eliminate Dust in Your Home?

This is why if your goal is to simply eliminate dust in your home for aesthetic purposes, you might be better served by looking into a machine with a more straight forward filtration system. A .03 micron filter system. Are you now beginning to see why before you buy, air purifier information is so critical?

Then What About Convenience Features?

Well hold on because it gets even worse. Take convenience and air sterilization features, as fine examples. Take a look around online and you can find any number of units that are completely loaded down with every type of feature you can imagine. You can have all of them if you want!

Can You Get Along Without Convenience Feature Options?

Timers, sensors, LED control panel automatic this and automatic that. So there you are left scratching your head and wondering just what you actually need and what you can do without. To make matters worse, you click to a site and there is a top of the line unit that comes with no features at all. Just a straight forward air cleaner!

Some Top Rated Units Have No Features At All

The fact is that when it comes down to it, you really don't need any extra features at all and with the exception of an illness, you don't need air sterilization either. The Blueair 402 is a fine example of a stripped down air purifier that basically comes with just an on off button and five fan settings.

You Don't Need Features to Clean a Lot of Air

It's a 40 pound, steel cased air cleaning beast that garners consistent 4-5 star amazon user reviews. Because it has no snazzy convenience features, it also has a low comparative price (you pay for features) and an unheard of ten year guarantee. Hey! No features equals no problems.

Then Again Some Folks Just Must Have Them

Then again, if you're the type of person who simply must know at any given time the actual pollution level in your home, there are any number of models to accommodate you. Need LED lighting and automatic fan adjustment? That's no problem either. Or what about ultraviolet air sterilization? That's no problem either.

Once Again Before You Buy, Air Purifier Info is Helpful

Now another number that you're going to come across, is the square footage rating. Once again, before you buy, air purifier information is critical because there is no government standard regulation these numbers. Each manufacturer decides them on their own and your own particulars also factor in heavily.

Do You Live on a Dusty Horse Ranch?

For instance if your home is well sealed and there isn't that much pollution to clean, you can get away with using a unit that isn't rated all the way up to your square footage. On the other hand, if you live on a dusty horse ranch and suffer from severe allergies you may want to buy a unit with a higher square footage rating.

See larger image NewAir AF321 Portable Evaporative Swamp Air Cooler With BuiltIn Air Purifier (Kitchen) New From: $116.35 In Stock

• What are the smallest portable air purifiers?

• What about moving one up a set of stairs?

• What about prices & performance levels?

Portable air purifiers are in fact relatively new, considering the very first use of this technology was in industrial metal smelting plants some 100 years ago. So yes they have gotten more portable but what you sacrifice in going truly portable is size and air cleaning capacity.

The very smallest of mobile air cleaners are micro-units that are about the size of the palm of your hand and a number of companies now manufacture them. Be aware though, that their actual cleaning power is very limited.

The micro wall plug units come in both hepa filter and ionic styles and are really meant to be used to treat air in smaller discreet areas. Around a kitty litter box or the confined space of a small hallway bathroom for example. Now some work better then others and they start in as low as $9 and go all the way up to around $60 for the higher performing models.

As far as larger standard air purifiers are concerned, any model with wheels on it can be deemed portable. One thing to keep in mind though, is that larger units can be a hassle to move around your home, even with wheels, particularly if you plan on moving yours up a set of stairs.

Another common problem that you can find posted online, is registered by people who have tried moving their air cleaner in and out of their bedroom at night. While on the surface it may sound plausible, what they tend to find is there can be a noise problem.

You see your larger wheeled portable air cleaners may work just fine out in the living room during the day but move one into your sleeping quarters and the low level of noise that was no problem during that day, can be all it takes to make falling asleep a problem.

The typical solution involves buying two types of air cleaners. A high volume portable air purifier to move around the home during the day and a lower volume yet far more silent ionic unit to keep the air quietly scrubbed in your bedroom at night.

See larger image Sunpentown Dehumidifier with UV Light (Electronics) List Price: $249.00 USD

• How do they Kill Germs and Mold Spores?

• Just What is UV Radiation and is it Safe?

• What in the Machine Creates the UV Light?

• What Machines Deliver the Best Air Treatment?

Ultraviolet germicidal irradiation or (UVGI) as it is also commonly referred to, is the term that is used to describe what UV air purifiers do. They basically kill germs as well as mold and fungus spores by zapping them with a brief shot of ultraviolet radiation.

What About Radioactive Air!!??

So then do these air purifiers contain some type of hazardous radioactive material or can the in some way send out radioactive air or gas if they malfunction? The simple answer to both those common questions is no. Absolutely not!

Don't Let the Word “Radiation” Scare You

Don't make the mistake of confusing light radiation, which UV rays are and nuclear radiation, such as the type that's produced by plutonium. You see radiation is just the word that is used to describe anything that moves out and away from something.

How a UV Air Purifier Makes the UV Rays


The light coming from the light bulbs in your home is also in fact radiation, just like the light that's used in these types of air purifiers. You see, unlike a standard light bulb, a mercury vapor lamp is used in these air cleaners to generate UV radiation. It's just a light bulb that's filled with mercury vapor.

Treated Air Carries No Residual Effects

Now once the air in a purifier is zapped in its closed chamber by the mercury vapor lamp, it's done. That is that it leaves the unit just as it came in, other then the fact that it has been sterilized. It in no way carries any residual effects from the UV treatment any more than you can carry residual light when you click off your light switch.

Does the UV Treatment Help to Filter Air?

Understand though that UV air purifiers in no way filter air any better than an air purifier that does not include the UV feature. That is that the UV treatment in no way assists the machine in trapping air pollution particles. So then your next question may be “which machine has the better UV treatment feature”?

Which Machines Do the Best Job of UV Treatment?


The answer is that unlike things like filters that can come in any number of configurations and can be made from any number of materials, UV radiation and the mercury vapor lamps that create it are all alike. It would be like asking which drop of water between three of them is wetter. It's just light.

More Facts You Should Know About Mercury Vapor Bulbs

This type of light bulb is relatively inexpensive, so it really makes no sense for a manufacturer to use anything but a good quality bulb in their UV air purifiers. One thing worth noting though, is that while a mercury vapor lamp can last for decades, they do slowly degrade and will lose about half their power in about five years.

See larger image Honeywell 50250 99.97% Pure HEPA Round Air Purifier (Kitchen) List Price: $210.99 USD New From: $164.89 In Stock Used from: $89.99 In Stock Release date September 15, 2005.

• Just what is a hepa filter anyway?

• How big is a micron?

• Can a hepa filter really last a lifetime?

If you have been checking into air purifiers, hepa filter is two words that you're no doubt familiar with by now. Time and again they're mentioned as pretty much the end of the road when it comes to air filtration technology. All of them have them and each manufacturer also claims that theirs are the best So then what is a hepa filter anyway??

What Makes an Air Filter a Hepa Filter??

The fact is that there is no official government standards that dictate what makes a filter a hepa filter for home air cleaners. However; there is a common accepted industry standard that this type of filter must remove 99.97% of suspended air particles. Also there are exacting “official” standards that the U.S. Department of Energy has for it's respirator hepa filters.

So then How Big is a Micron?

By the way, hepa is an acronym for the phrase (high efficiency particulate air). Today they are for the most part made from fiberglass or plastic fibers that are usually around 5 microns in diameter. Now you've heard the word “micron” also mentioned in air purifier literature. A micron is a measurement that's equal to 1 millionth of a meter.

Non Shedding Life-Time Filters - WOW!!

So the battle is now on amongst air purifier manufacturers to make their latest hepa filter sound like the best choice. New materials that don't shed fibers and even hepa filters with names like “LifeTime”, so they appear to never have to be changed. So then, how can you sort out fact from fiction?

Maybe it's Time for A Little Common Sense?

It's all really quite simple if you apply a little common sense. Take the filters that are promoted as “never shedding fibers” for instance. First of all, who ever said that the filters before them even did shed fibers? The fact is that they most likely didn't, also remember that they catch 99.97% of air particles.

Who Even Said the Last Filters Shed??

This means that some .03% is still passing through! So given that a finite amount of dust is still escaping and that previous hepa filters never even shed fibers in the first place, new non shedding air purifiers hepa filter technology can most likely be chalked up to so much marketing hype. Now on to the lifetime filter.

Will Your Air Purifiers Hepa Filter Die Before You Do??

One more reason to live to be 100

Now it's only a few manufacturers that are making the lifetime filter claim and a couple even do it without even openly saying it. They use trade names like “LifeTime” and then let your own imagination, coaxed along with careful promotional wording, do the rest.

80 Years is an Awful Long Time for Anything to Last!

Now with the average lifespan in western countries now hovering somewhere up around 80 years, it's just hard to imagine a filter that will last that long. Now I know that you're not going to buy the filter on the day that you're born but just the same, you can get what I'm getting at here.

Quality Does Count But Only at a Reasonable Cost

The truth is that longer lasting hepa filters are being made now. However; over time, with enough vacuum cleaning sessions even these so called lifetime filters can get a little worn around the edges. My opinion is that for air purifiers, hepa filters of good quality do count but don't get suckered into paying an exorbitant price for yours.

• The ionizer/filter comparison

• Which type cleans more air?

• Which type is the quietest?

• Which is the cheapest to buy?

• Which is the cheapest to run?

It really was only about three decades ago when the ionizer air purifier began to make the big splash that it has in the general consumer marketplace. The fact is though that this technology has been around for about 100 years.

In fact the very first of these types of air cleaners were built in the early part of the 1900s for use in metal smelting plants. They were used to remove toxic particles, such as lead and sulfides from the exhaust before it was sent out the chimney.

Now who today hasn't seen household models advertised at malls or on TV? Then when you search online, there they are. Right alongside standard home air purifiers. Units that clean air by forcing it through a standard mesh filter to capture pollution that's suspended in it.

So then here's a short list of some of the basic pros and cons that pop up when these two types of air cleaners are ran through a side by side comparison test. Now one thing to bear in mind though, is that many people actually end up choosing both types and use them for different purposes.

They Tend to Be a Lot Quieter

As an example, ionic air cleaners always tend to be a lot more quiet. The reason for this is that they don't have to force air through a filter system, so their fans tend to be less powerful. This is precisely why so many people prefer this type of machine in their bedrooms at night.

Then again, an ionic cleaner just won't process near the same volume of air that a comparable standard hepa filter unit will. You see the fact that they draw pollutants out of the air with an electrical charge, rather then a filter means that the air must move slower.

No Filters to Buy and Change

No Dirty Filters

Then again the fact that they don't require filters. Combined with the the fact that they use far less electricity and it means that the ionic air purifier is by far the most affordable long term option. Bear in mind that many of the better standard filter units use two types of filters. One long term and one short term that needs frequent changing.

There's also a sterilization effect when air passes through an ionization chamber. An effect that means that an ionizer air purifier actually kills germs and bacteria as the air passes through it. Better quality forced air cleaners also now have a sterilization feature though.

Now as far as the actual price of the units is concerned, the two types are running about neck and neck. All types of air cleaners in general come in a wide range of styles, sizes and prices. Although on the very low end, you can find small filter air cleaners priced as low as $15, while the ionizer air purifier bottoms out at around $30.

See larger image 3Q AP04S Twin Pack Electrostrostatic Ionic Air Purifier, Cleaner ()