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CADR Ratings: Is it a Good Measure of Air Purifier Quality?

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I have had many calls and emails asking me about CADR Air Purifier Ratings. What it means, and whether it is a good way to measure air purifier quality. Especially when they find companies that do not use it.

Here is my experience…

What are CADR Ratings

Would you like a reliable way to compare one air purifier to another? The AHAM CADR rating is one method used by some air purifier manufacturers to promote the value of their products.

But what is this CADR air purifier rating? Is it a reliable means to compare air purifiers? If so, why do so many top-quality air purifier manufacturers not bother to get their units rated?

CADR, short for Clean Air Delivery Rate. Developed by the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM) as a means of providing air purifier ratings to consumers.

Basically, CADR is a measure of an air purifier’s ability to produce pollutant-free air.

The CADR measures a certain number of cubic feet per minute. That is, the CADR essentially states the volume of clean air a portable air cleaner can produce at one time. For example, suppose a particular model has a CADR of 250 for dust. That means the unit can reduce dust particle concentration equivalent to adding 250 cubic feet per minute of dust-free air.

The manufacturers in this association are the very ones who determine what to test, how it will test, and what is a good performance. They decide by a negotiated mutual agreement among the associated manufacturers.

Obviously, the air purifier manufacturers have a vested interest in creating a test their products will perform well in. Unfortunately, this conflict of interest has created a test with severe limitations.

Many air purifier companies actively market their cleaners based predominately on this rating which stands for “Clean Air Delivery Rate”. It is a measure of air flow, not air purity. Therefore, other companies will skip this CADR Air Purifier Ratings altogether. Because it does not address some technologies critical to cleaning and purifying the air. CADR is associated with air flow alone, make its numbers, at best, Irrelevant and at worse, Misleading.

Why is it misleading to compare air purifiers by CADR numbers?

Most units only state three CADR numbers: one for smoke, another for dust, and a final one for pollen, which are the largest of all particles.

The number means much the same thing in each case. It still refers to the ability to reduce that material’s concentration by a certain amount in each time. It’s just that virtually all units can do that differently for the different kinds of home air pollutant. So the manufacturers state different ratings for each category. There are lots of reasons for that: particle size and weight, filter efficiency which differs from one type to another, and more.

One of the reasons home air purifier makers go to the trouble of measuring and reporting those three different numbers. Is that they are (almost) all members of the AHAM, the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers.

That organization certifies that the numbers that air purifier makers report are accurate and honest. They use an independent, 3rd party lab to test the devices and verify the numbers reported.

Of course, “honest” is a little bit of a relative term here. No major manufacturer tries to deliberately misreport their numbers. That would threaten their membership in the AHAM and result in bad publicity, something none of them wants. But there are various ways they can report those numbers that can differ from one device to the next.

How to Easily Manipulate CARD Numbers

The fact is, if a manufacturer wanted to market their purifier just according to the CADR numbers. They can simply ‘beef up’ the fan speed, eliminate certain technologies and just manufacture the same limited filtration systems most companies use. For example, if you pull air too quickly through the unit to artificially inflate your CADR numbers. Any UV technology that protects you and your family from harmful germs and viruses. That traditional air purifiers miss, might negate any effects of killing germs and viruses.

CADR Air Purifier Ratings Do Not Factor Germs, Bacteria, Mold, Mildew, Fumes, Odors, etc.

The CADR is basically only a measure of how rapidly air circulates through a given air filtering device. While this figure is perhaps relevant for most filtration-only devices that attempt to clean air using only one or two types of filters. It is meaningless because filtration is simply one single aspect. The fact is that the CADR number tells you nothing about how well, or even “IF”, an air purifier filters germs, bacteria, viruses and other harmful biological agents. Neither does it assess how well the unit clears chemical fumes and odors.

The easiest way to think of it is that, even though everyone in the industry refers to their products as an air “purifier”. The fact is that most competing products out there are simply air “filters” that do not use anywhere near the number of additional “purification” technologies available, e.g., UV light, TiO2, activated charcoal, negative ionization, etc.

Ways of Reporting CADR

Two different home air purifier makers may have units with identical CADR numbers but still be quite different in their ultimate effects.

The key to using CADR numbers to compare models accurately lies in two things: (1) take them as approximate, (2) look closely at what is behind them. The first is obvious, but what does (2) mean?

Simple, just get the context around that number. Look for the number of air exchanges per hour, and the specific room characteristics assumed by the CADR. The AHAM gives manufacturers a little leeway here.

A stated CADR references a ‘standard’ room. Ensure that your room is ‘standard’. That is, the standard used for CADR’s assumes an 8-foot-high ceiling because the ordinary home has (or had for many years in the U.S. after WWII) a ceiling that high.

As the years have rolled on, more and more home designs deviated from that, so adjust accordingly. If your home has a cathedral ceiling, an open area that leads up to a second floor, or other deviation from ‘the norm’ look for a home air purifier with a larger number to compensate.

In brief, don’t assume that because your floor area square footage is the same or even smaller. Than what the model specifies that the device will purify your room air totally. The device operates, after all, on the total volume, not just the air from your head on down.

It’s a good idea to follow the AHAM’s “2/3 Rule” but modified. What’s that?

The (Modified) 2/3 Rule

Suppose you have a room measuring 10′ x 12′ (120 square feet) whose air you want to purify and keep smoke-free. You should look for a home air purifier with a Smoke CADR number of at least 80. (120 x 2/3 = 80).

The CADR test on the air purifier only use the highest setting. Since your home unit will typically run at the middle speed/power most of the time. The CADR obtained by the 2/3 Rule is the bare minimum and you should add about 30% to get a ‘floor’ on the CADR number.

So, start with 120 x 2/3 (the 2/3 rule) = 80. ADD 1/3 to that, so: 80 + (80 x 1/3) = 107 (approx).

That calculation assumes an 8-foot ceiling. So naturally if you have one that’s higher or not flat, open to another story, etc. multiply accordingly. It would be too complicated to detail here what is “accordingly” for the general case, so just approximate your situation.

For example, if you have a 12-foot sloping ceiling, add about another 30% to the number. So, for this case, that number becomes: 80 + (80 x 1/3) + (80 x 1/3) = 133 (approx).

CADR Helpful but Not the Only Factor to Consider

CADR numbers, helpful as they are as a starting point. They are not the only important feature for ensuring a good air purifier model as the ratings don’t capture some especially useful information.

For example, because the AHAM tests are short they don’t tell you how the air purifier will perform over the long haul. They also don’t encapsulate how well the air cleaner captures small particles. Which are often the most damaging to health nor do they tell you how well a model removes VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds), which can be unpleasant or even unhealthy.

So, the moral is: use the CADR as a starting point but look also to other features of any home air purifier you’re considering before you make a final choice.

To start on the process the AHAM maintains a searchable Directory of Certified Room Air Cleaners.

Include link – https://www.ahamdir.com/room-air-cleaners/

The size of these pollutants is quite large in comparison with other particles found in the air. Over 90% of all airborne particles in our homes and offices are smaller and include viruses, bacteria and mold.

CADR air purifier comparisons provide no indication of a filters efficiency at removing these smallest of all particles. These are the  the ones that purifiers are generally the least efficient at removing. This test also does not measure gas and odor reduction. Since most people buy air cleaners for these purposes, this standard is of no real value to consumers.

Longer-term tests clearly show that collector plate loading by contaminants can reduce efficiency to less than 20%. This can have a severe impact on Clean Air Delivery Rate that would not show up in the CADR testing. Failure to provide consumers with this critical information prevents them from understanding how important it is to follow use and care directions routinely.

The top four reasons the AHAM CADR rating is unreliable

  1. The rating test performed by CADR is not a strict, definitive test. It fails to address the majority of lung damaging airborne particles.
  2. The test just measures the elimination of the particles. Even ionizers rate well. The well-documented ineffective filtration and dangers of ionizer air purifiers is a good indication that this test is questionable.
  3. The test does not measure the performance of the elimination of gas and odors. Although many people buy air cleaners for this purpose.
  4. The major downfall with the test is that it does not measure long-term performance. The values in CADR air purifier comparisons represent performance during the first 72 hours of use. Air cleaning system generally run for 5000 hours before you replace the filter. The performance over this span will often be drastically lower and depends to a significant degree on the construction of the air cleaner and the air cleaning technology.

Based on these concerns CADR air purifier comparisons are questionable and fail to really serve the best interests of consumers. The manufacturers of the world’s best air purifiers universally ignore this test. Submitting to it would seem to grant it an air of credibility while failing to really prove the superiority of the air purifiers they have to offer you.

A better standard than the AHAM CADR rating is available

A superior testing method to the AHAM CADR rating went into effect in 2000. This determines HEPA efficiencies in the smallest of particles over extended use. It determines air purifier effectiveness under a worst-case scenario.

It is known as EN1822 (European Norm 1822).

Link – https://www.en-standard.eu/set-en-1822-and-en-iso-29463-standards-for-heigh-efficiency-air-filters-epa-hepa-and-ulpa/

The EN 1822 standard tests air purifier effectiveness over a broad range of particle sizes. This determines the particle size the filter is the worst at removing, known as the Most Penetrating Particle Size (MPPS for short). These particles then test the filters efficiency at air speeds that reflect actual use conditions.

Since this gives the absolute worst-case scenario performance measure, there is assurance of real-world performance in their own homes.

CADR Conclusions

CADR will give you some idea of how the air flows across your HEPA filter, but that is about it. It will not give you any idea of the purifier’s effectiveness in eliminating odor, gas, viruses, bacteria, etc.

An air purifier without an activated carbon air filter is only half an air purifier.html

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An air purifier without an activated carbon air filter is only half an air purifier Just as in the case of other air purification technologies, the activated carbon air filter is misunderstood, misleadingly advertised, and mistakenly dismissed as unimportant. Ionic type air purifiers do not use one at all. Air purifiers promoting their HEPA or HEPA-type media may include a thin fibrous pad with a few token ounces of activated carbon. How should you, as a consumer, evaluate these products? Will they do for you all that you expect from an air cleaner? Or should you insist on something more? The very companies that should help make your decision an easier one often do just the opposite. Unfortunately, one of the most frustrating things about searching for air purifiers is the prevalence of hype and the absence of real information. Rather than follow suit and toss dozens of alarming “quotes from experts” at you, I hope to answer some of the most basic questions you may have. What can an activated carbon air filter really do for you? Will activated carbon filters prove to be your only real defense against chemicals and odors? How does activated carbon work in air purifiers? How much do you need? How can you evaluate which air purifiers are best for your needs? No other air purifier technology comes close to removing the volume of chemicals that activated carbon does. If you’re serious about making the best possible choice in air purification, why not take the time to review the information in this article?

What can an activated carbon air filter do for you?

Air purification with activated carbon air filters is the single best way to remove chemical pollutants from the air. An activated carbon filter will adsorb some of almost any vapor, especially organic molecules and solvents. Activated carbon can adsorb and retain a wide variety of chemicals at the same time. Activated carbon air filters work well under a wide range of temperatures and humidity levels; are inert and safe to handle and use; and are readily available and affordable. While activated carbon does remove many volatile organic compounds (VOCs), some compounds like formaldehyde and inorganic gases respond best to chemisorbers that break down the pollutants by chemical reaction. You should look for air purifiers containing activated carbon impregnated with appropriate chemisorbers and catalysts to control the particular pollutants that concern you.

How does activated carbon work in air purifiers?

When gases, chemicals and odors pass slowly through a thick filter packed with activated carbon they become trapped in the million of pores opened by the activation process. Due to the large internal surface area of activated carbons it can adsorb up to 60% of its weight. Good carbon filters, depending on the environment in which they are used, can last up to 5 years before all of the pores are full.

What should you look for when choosing your activated carbon air cleaner?

Is protecting your family from airborne chemical toxins important to you? Would you like to control unpleasant odors from cooking, cleaning or smoking? Do you have sensitivities to volatile organic compounds? An activated carbon air filter is the best way to accomplish these tasks, but will just any old purifier claiming to have activated carbon be good enough? Many air purifiers claim to use activated carbon for gas and odor removal, but will not mention how much is in their filter. In an average home, that small amount of carbon could get saturated in days, even hours. After this, the filter would need to be replaced or it would be doing nothing. For an activated carbon filter to be effective, there needs to be a sufficient amount of activated carbon so the air passing through is able to deposit its pollutants. When choosing an activated carbon filter it is important to find one that provides a large activated carbon bed weighing many pounds. Additionally the activated carbon media needs to be protected from premature clogging by being placed behind a pre-filter. An optimal flow of air needs to be available to pass through it. A cylindrical shaped design is an ideal solution for allowing maximum contact with the air. It is best if the air filter’s activated carbon bed and HEPA filter can be replaced separately as the activated carbon filter will typically have a shorter life than the HEPA filter. They both should be relatively easy to access and replace, preferably without tools. Another point to look for is whether you can replace the activated carbon media itself without replacing the entire containing cartridge. Bulk media is much less expensive than a complete cartridge unit. Among the best air purifiers offering activated carbon air filters are Allerair, IQAir, Blueair, and Austin Air. 

How to Achieve Superior Air Purification with Activated Carbon Air Filters

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How to Achieve Superior Air Purification with Activated Carbon Air FiltersIs protecting your family from chemical air pollution important to you?

Activated carbon air filters will prove to be your only real defense against chemicals and odors. No other air purifier technology even comes close to removing the volume of chemicals that activated carbon does.

Consider why we use activated carbon for air purification. Only activated carbon removes gaseous chemical pollutants. Many troubling effects chemicals can cause you and your family to suffer include:

  • Cancer
  • Depression
  • Dizziness
  • Dryness and irritation of the eyes, nose, throat, and skin
  • Fatigue
  • Headache
  • Hypersensitivity
  • Irritability
  • Lightheadedness
  • Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS)
  • Memory loss
  • Nausea
  • Symptoms similar to a cold

How Can Activated Carbon Air Filters Benefit You?

Featured Site What Is Activated Carbon? Learn more at Wikipedia

Most persons looking to buy an air purifier initially do so to relieve an allergy or asthma condition and often think only in terms of particulate irritants like dust, pollen, and dander.

With a little research they discover the substantial negative health effects of the odors and chemicals they are exposed to in their homes and workplaces. It’s because of the ill health effects of chemical contaminants and the need to control them that better quality air purifiers include activated carbon air filters.

Activated carbon air filters can adsorb some of almost any vapor; have a large capacity for organic molecules, especially solvents; adsorb and retain a wide variety of chemicals at the same time; work well under a wide range of temperatures and humidity levels; are inert and safe to handle and use; and are readily available and affordable.

Activated carbon air filters can make the air healthier for people in general, but especially asthma sufferers, babies, children, the elderly, and are particularly helpful to people with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS).

How To Choose The Best Activated Carbon Air Filters

Numerous air cleaners promise you the benefits of purification with activated carbon. What do you really need to know to judge your familys needs accurately?

First, differing chemicals and odors may require activated carbon with differing properties. These properties result from the source of the activated carbon, the methods used to create it, and any added chemisorbers and catalysts. These catalysts and chemisorbers enhance the adsorption of specific pollutants.

This allows you to select the specific activated carbon air filter for your needs. However, few air purifier manufacturers offer you any opportunity to select a custom carbon blend.

What about the quantity of carbon? Is an air cleaner offering only a simple activated carbon filter pad with a few ounces of activated carbon sufficient? Should you look for an air purifier that includes an activated carbon bed weighing many pounds?

For an activated carbon filter to be effective, there needs to be a sufficient amount of activated carbon so that the air passing through the filter is able to deposit its pollutant molecules.Most air cleaners on the market today include a foam or fibrous pad onto which a few ounces of carbon have been applied. This is so they can claim a broader range of air cleaning capabilities, but in reality such small quantities of carbon are ineffective.An activated carbon filter needs a deep bed consisting of many pounds of activated carbon to provide sufficient dwell time for the air passing through it to achieve maximum removal of pollutants.

The activated carbon pads found on most filters are also usually part of a pre-filter design that is intended to prevent large particles from prematurely clogging a higher efficiency filter placed behind the pre-filter. Unfortunately this allows fine dust particles to clog the micro pores of the activated carbon and results in very rapid reduction in its effectiveness.When choosing an activated carbon filter it is important to find one that provides a large bed of many pounds of activated carbon. Additionally the activated carbon media needs to be protected from premature clogging by being placed behind a pre-filter.An optimal flow of air needs to be available to pass through it. A cylindrical shaped design is an ideal solution for allowing maximum contact with the air.

To capture any carbon dust that may be lost from the activated carbon filter a post filter should be placed after the activated carbon and in front of any other high efficiency filter such as HEPA.

It is best if the air filter’s activated carbon bed and HEPA filter can be replaced separately as the activated carbon filter will typically have a shorter life than the HEPA filter. They both should be relatively easy to access.

Finally, you should be aware that while activated carbon is excellent for removal of highly volatile organic compounds (VOCs), less volatile compounds like formaldehyde and inorganic gases respond best to chemisorbers that break down the pollutants by chemical reaction. Thus, you should look for an activated carbon filter that is impregnated with appropriate media to control the particular pollutants that concern you.

I have found that Allerair air purifiers, with over forty different activated carbon blends available for almost any general application can meet anyone’s needs with ease. Allerair can also provide highly customized blends for special purposes to labs, industry, military or anyone with needs beyond the usual residential, healthcare, or commercial uses.

If you’re going to buy an air purifier, it only makes sense to purchase one that can control practically anything.

Is a HEPA Filter Really Necessary?

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Is A HEPA Filter Really Necessary? Should you choose a HEPA filter over other alternatives?

At first glance there may seem to be added expense in your initial purchase. You may feel that replacement filters will expensive and cumbersome. With so many air cleaners promising to be “silent” or have “no messy, expensive filters” you might feel that HEPA filter air purifiers are a second rate option. Is the marketing of well-heeled consumer product companies really doing justice to this mainstay of air purification?

I feel that many people are being misled by the disinformation of irresponsible marketing campaigns. That is one of the reasons for building this site. Multiple chemical sensitivity, allergy and asthma are problems I am personally familiar with. So finding effective air purification systems has been a priority in my life for the last fourteen years.

Ultimately I came to the conclusion that a HEPA air filtration system is the best solution available. I believe that you too will benefit from a HEPA air cleaner.

To explain why let’s start with the most basic questions you should ask when deciding on an air purifier.

Questions you should ask of any air purifier

  • What will the air cleaner remove from the air? What will it not?
  • How efficient is the air purifier? How effective is the technology it uses to clean the air?
  • What size of air cleaner will I need? How many air changes per hour will it provide in that size room?
  • How easy is it to change or clean the filter? How often is this maintenance necessary? What our the cost and availability of the filters?
  • How much noisey is the sysyem, can I run it when I am asleep.?

With these questions in mind, how effectively does HEPA air filtration give the results you’ll be most satisfied with?

Evaluating HEPA air filtration

What will a HEPA filter remove from your home air? What will it not?

HEPA filters can also capture irritant particles like tobacco smoke. Usually some form of prefilter is used to trap larger dust particles that would prematurely clog the higher efficiency HEPA filter placed after it.

HEPA filters will not remove chemicals and odors. This is why they are often combined with activated carbon filters.

Of course, all filtering systems likewise claim to remove such particles. They likewise need to be supplemented in some way to remove odors and chemicals. The real advantage of HEPA air filtration is seen in its overall effectiveness versus these other air cleaners.

What is the efficiency rating of HEPA? How effective is the technology versus other air cleaning systems?

Only HEPA air filtration meets a standard recognized by government and industry. To receive the HEPA designation it must remove 99.97% of all particles as small as 0.3 micron in size.

While other filter media remove some particles at that size their efficiency varies and is often no greater than 50%. Even much larger particles like pollen may not be fully removed. The problem with non-HEPA filters is you have no way of knowing how effective they are.

Ion generators do not remove particles at all. Their method is to fill the air with charged particles that tend to attract other particles. These stick together and presumably settle out of the air more quickly. Some charged particles will stick to the walls and furnishings. This has been called the “black wall effect”. The EPA has expressed concern that these uncollected charged particles may even deposit within the lungs of exposed persons.

Ionic air cleaners that use collector plates are called electrostatic precipitators. Their efficiency at particle collection tends to be no greater than 80%, much less than HEPA air filtration. Studies have shown that the collection efficiency can be reduced to as little as 20% in as few as three days due to particle loading of the collector plates.

Some people claim that ozone generators clean the air by destroying the contaminants. Scientific studies have shown this to clearly not be the case. Ozone can react with pollutants but the partial breakdown byproducts that result can be more numerous and more dangerous than the original pollutants. Ozone generators’ efficiency at removing contaminants is essentially zero.

If you really want the most effective air cleaning available then HEPA air filtration is your best choice.

Will the air purifier clean the air in a room as large as you need? How many air changes per hour will it provide in that size room?

HEPA air filtration is the most effective means to clean large volumes of air rapidly.

Of course, these air purifiers come in a wide variety of sizes allowing you to choose according to your needs. Some Allerair air cleaners reportedly cover areas as large as 1800 sq. ft. However, that is at a reduced number of air changes per hour. Even so, the total capacity of these fan forced air cleaners is always far greater than other systems.

In ionic air cleaners that use no fan the speed of ionized air being pulled through the unit is quite low. This means a very much-reduced ability to clean large volumes of air.

Where ionic air cleaners have an added fan the air speed has to be kept low also. This is because a fast moving air stream would not permit the charged particles to be deflected onto the collector plates. Again, you don’t get the ability to clean large volumes of air quickly.

How easy to change the filter? How often is this maintenance necessary? Cost and availability of the filters?

One of the greatest scams in the air purifier market among non-HEPA air cleaners is to sell a cheap air purifier and then bilk the customer later with pricey regular filter changes. Sometimes the filters are hard to come by, either the store selling the air cleaner doesn’t carry the filters or is chronically out of stock.

The actual cost of a replacement HEPA filter may seem high compared to a non-HEPA filter. However, consider that replacement may be once every two, five, even eight years in the case of the Allerair AirMedic. This means the annual cost to have clean air is low by comparison.

With ionic air cleaners you avoid the cost of replacement filters but cannot avoid the necessity of constant maintenance cleaning of the collection system. Many owners have complained at how difficult it is to properly clean closely spaced collector assemblies. A collector grid that isn’t cleaned regularly doesn’t clean the air and can develop a residue on the plates that will not come off. This permanently reduces its ability to clean.

HEPA air filters are very easy to change. Manufacturers have made certain tools are never required and most can be completely replaced in less than five minutes.

All things considered, HEPA air filtration is simple, easy, low maintenance and low in long term cost while offering the best air cleaning possible.

How much noise does the filtration system make? Is it quiet enough to run while you sleep?

HEPA air filtration tends to be the noisiest because of the fan forcing air through the system. However, high quality HEPA air purifier manufacturers recognize this and do their best to keep noise levels as low as possible. All offer low speed settings that are quiet enough to sleep without disturbance.

If you choose the right size air purifier it will be able to give sufficient air changes per hour at a lower speed setting. This keeps noise low and gives you additional cleaning capacity at a higher setting in the event it is needed, like after a cooking mishap.

Ionic air cleaners may have an edge in the “silence is golden” department, but this comes at the expense of performance.

I encourage you to put greater value on air cleaning performance and choose HEPA air filtration.

If you would like to consider air purifiers from companies that keep your needs in mind and offer truly effective and reliable air purification IQAir, Allerair, Austin Air and BlueAir are among the best.

Is a filterless air purifier equal to the hype?

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Is a filterless air purifier equal to the hype? Is a filterless air purifier right for you? Would you like to know more about the limitations of filterless purifiers before you make your final decision?

I understand that you sincerely want to make a good decision when it comes to your family’s health. Shouldn’t you have as complete an understanding of the facts as possible? The marketing behind filterless air cleaners can be very compelling. However, like all marketing, it can be very biased, presenting only the most favorable information for their products. Often, real and imagined “deficiencies” of competitors are exaggerated well beyond what is reasonable. This is certainly the case when it comes to “no filter” air purifiers. In one advertisement after another you find air cleaners based on varied technologies proclaiming “no filter replacement”.

Oh, how difficult it must be changing filters, since the filter free purifiers insist on how you need no tools.

Oh, how messy filters must be to replace, they imply as they show some poor woman gagging on dust.

Oh, how expensive filter replacement must be, with some vendors quoting costs in the thousands. But is a filterless air purifier really the ideal solution to your air quality problems?

What are your filterless air purifier choices and how do they work?

Allow me to introduce you to the primary technologies found in filterless air cleaners:

  • Electrostatic precipitators(often called ionics by vendors)
  • Ion generators (the true ionic cleaner)
  • Ozone generators
  • Photocatalytics
  • Plasmacluster ionics

The electrostatic precipitator

The electrostatic precipitator charges particles in the air and then uses a series of collector plates with an opposite charge to attract the particles to the plates. It is possible for particles as small as 0.1 micron to be collected this way.

The ion generator

True ionizers simply emit ions into the air. These attach to airborne particles and cause them to aggregate into clumps until they fall to the floor or stick to walls, draperies, or furniture. While these filterless air purifiers help clear the air the dirt is not removed permanently.

The ozone generator

Ozone generators purposefully have ozone emissions that push the limits of what is considered acceptable for human exposure. The claim is that ozone destroys particles and gases and odors and that it is healthful to breathe. The scientific consensus is that such claims are completely false. This is the position the US Environmental Protection Agency and Federal Trade Commission take. Until the law is strengthened, these devices will continue to be marketed as air cleaners and continue to do harm.

The photocatalytics

Plasmacluster Ions

A new technology developed by Sharp. These ions are drawn to airborne contaminants like bacteria and viruses by their electrical charge. The ions surround the contaminant and form hydroxyl radicals that ultimately destroy the contaminant. This technology has been proven effective against biological pollutants like mold, pollen, viruses and bacteria as well as chemical and particulate contaminants. But this technology is also generally combined with filtration.

What are the top ten drawbacks of filterless air purifiers?

  1. Low efficiency. Scientific evidence indicates that home ozone generators are all but zero percent capable of cleaning the air. The best models of electrostatic precipitators only achieve about 80% efficiency at particle removal. Ion generators have some effect but precise measurements are hard to come by, and besides, any particles they help settle out of the air are easily disturbed and reintroduced into the air. Photocatalytic and plasmacluster air cleaners work best on only the smallest of particles.
  2. Rapid loss of efficiency. Loading of electrostatic precipitator collector plates with captured particles rapidly degrades efficiency at collecting further particles. Efficiency can be reduced to below 20% in as few as three days. CADR (Clean Air Delivery Rate) labels on air cleaners indicate that the stated performance refers to the first 72 hours of use. This is because the voluntary testing is limited to 72 hours, primarily due to the fact that manufacturers know their products cannot sustain high efficiency. Ozone generators are worthless to begin with. Ion generators can suffer from corrosion and contamination of electrode pins and wires, reducing their ability to generate ions. Similar contamination buildup on the semiconductor plate of photocatalytics can reduce effectiveness.
  3. Constant maintenance. The rapid reduction in collection efficiency due to electrostatic precipitator plate loading requires regular maintenance cleaning. From twice a week to daily is recommended, depending on the environment. This sounds like a lot of work for the “benefit” of a “no maintenance”, “no filter replacement” filterless air purifier. Ion generators also need regular maintenance of their electrodes, cleaning them with an alcohol swab.
  4. Reduction in efficiency over life of unit. Even with regular maintenance cleaning, collection efficiency will degrade due to deposits that simply cannot be removed. This is an even greater problem when cleaning is not regular. This degrading over the life of the unit can effect all filterless air cleaner technologies.
  5. Short life. Corrosion of the ionizing wire or needlepoint ionizing pins, electrical failures of the high voltage systems, and other problems can lead to product failure. Hence, warranties of filter free air purifiers tend to be far shorter than the five to ten years available on better quality HEPA air purifiers.
  6. Ozone production. Electrostatic precipitators and ozone generators produce ozone, a hazardous gas that damages the tissues of the airways causing increased sensitization to allergens, difficulty breathing for asthmatics, and possible severe respiratory distress. Photocatalytic and plasmacluster air cleaners are ozone free.
  7. Limited area due to low airflow. The need for ionized particles to spend sufficient time in the air electrostatic precipitators to be charged and then deflected onto the collection plates means air speed must be low. This limits the amount of clean air that can be delivered by the units. Likewise other filterless air purifier systems also tend to demonstrate much lower clean air delivery than can be achieved by a good HEPA filter air purifier. Of course, clean air delivery for an ozone generator is essentially zero, especially since ozone is itself a pollutant.
  8. No effect on gaseous contaminants. Chemical toxins, mold mycotoxins, volatile organic compounds, formaldehyde, the hundreds of chemicals in cigarette smoke all pass through an electrostatic precipitators unaffected. Ion generators likewise have no effect on chemical pollutants. Ozone generators, while marketed as being able to destroy these contaminants have consistently failed to do so in scientific studies. What is more, breakdown products of ozone oxidized contaminants have been shown to be more toxic than the original pollutants and more numerous. Photocatalytic and plasmacluster air purifiers do show excellent promise in handling chemical contaminants.
  9. Black wall effect / Black lung. Ionized particles created with an ion generator will collect on walls, furniture, or any available surface. This includes the inside surface of your lungs. This effect has been given a name. It’s called the black wall effect. The EPA has noted the health hazard of negatively charged respirable particles adhering to your lung tissues. See: Possible effects of particle charging
  10. Arbitrary pricing serves as no guide. Testing often shows that high priced filterless air purifiers may perform no better or even worse than cheaper models. Consumer Reports has periodically tested a number of the market leaders in this category and given them poor ratings due to inadequate performance and ozone production. Quality of materials and construction, durability, and effectiveness do not seem to play a consistent role in pricing. Rather, it seems the basis for price is simply what the market will bear and what their advertising budget can convince people to pay for the promise of clean air.

Are there filterless air purifier alternatives?

It’s very understandable to want an air purifier that is effective, reasonable in cost, low maintenance, and has low long term cost of ownership. That’s why a filterless air purifier appeals to so many.

The idea of “filter free” seems to solve maintenance and long term cost issues. Unfortunately, this isn’t really the case, and effectiveness tends to also be sacrificed. Plus, the initial cost of these air cleaners can often equal that of a good HEPA air cleaner.

There are better alternatives to “no filter” air purifiers that really can be reasonable in total cost and easy to live with. Allerair air purifiers and Austin Air air purifiers are two that stand out.

These two manufacturers both offer a variety of models that are reasonable in initial cost, use filters that last up to five years and are economical and easy to replace with no tools.

Should you consider an air ionizer?

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Should you consider an air ionizer? One of the most confusing terms in the field of air purification is the air ionizer. In one advertisement after another we find air cleaning devices with widely varied technologies claiming to ionize the air. So just exactly what are we talking about when we use the term “air ionizer”.

The one thing that all these air cleaning devices have in common is they are a form of electronic air purifier. Electronic air purifiers use a high voltage wiring system to create an electrical charge that results in particulates passing through becoming negatively charged.

But after that the similarity ends and a whole host of differences begin to show up. Some use collector plates and some don’t. Some have a fan and others don’t. Some use a charged media filter and others use various mechanical filters including HEPA type filtration. Some use the ionization potential to deliberately create ozone and some attempt to reduce ozone byproducts with catalysts. Finally, there are the hybrids that mix and match approaches, sometimes including as many as five different technologies.

It’s no wonder that comparing air ionizer air cleaners is confusing. How can you know what is effective? Are there any that should definitely be avoided?

The vast field of products renders it ridiculously difficult to evaluate air ionizers individually. However, it is possible to break down the basic technological approaches used and determine if any one or combination is worthwhile.

The primary technologies found in air ionizer devices are:

  • The electrostatic precipitator
  • The negative ion generator
  • The ozone generator

Each of these receives a brief overview below.

The electrostatic precipitator

The electrostatic precipitator uses a series of collector plates with a charge opposite that of the ionized particles. This results in a powerful electrostatic attraction that pulls the particles to the plates like a magnet.

It is possible for particles as small as 0.1 micron to be collected this way. Since this is smaller than the 0.3 micron rating of HEPA filters you will sometimes see claims that these devices are better than HEPA. However, it must be pointed out that even the best electrostatic precipitators are only 80% efficient. Compare this to the 99.97% efficiency of a HEPA filter.

Apart from the poor initial collection efficiency is the additional flaw that the plates progressively lose efficiency as material is collected. Research shows that in as few as three days you can lose as much as 80% of the collection efficiency of clean plates. This means your electrostatic precipitator will only be attracting about 20% of the particles passing through it. Regular maintenance cleaning is an absolute necessity. At a minimum, the collection plates should be cleaned twice a week and every day would be best in order to achieve maximum efficiency.

On a final note, electrostatic precipitators will produce ozone in sufficient quantities to be an irritant to many people, especially those with pulmonary related illnesses like asthma.

The negative ion generator negative ionizer no collector and brief faults

The ozone generatorozone generator and faults

Eleven ways air ionizers underperform

  1. Low efficiency. Even the best models only achieve 80% efficiency at particle removal. They are unable to clean the air to HEPA standards.
  2. Rapid loss of efficiency. Loading of collector plates with captured particles rapidly degrades efficiency at collecting further particles. Efficiency can be reduced to below 20% in as few as three days.
  3. Constant maintenance. The rapid reduction in collection efficiency due to plate loading requires regular maintenance cleaning. From twice a week to daily is recommended, depending on the environment.
  4. Reduction in efficiency over life of unit. Even with regular maintenance cleaning, collection efficiency will degrade as constant bombardment from high energy ions corrodes the needlepoint ionizers or ionizing wire.
  5. Short life. Corrosion of the ionizing wire or needlepoint ionizing pins by ion bombardment will result in failure of the air ionizer. Hence, short warranties.
  6. Ozone production. All air ionizers produce ozone, a hazardous gas that damages the tissues of the airways causing increased sensitization to allergens, difficulty breathing for asthmatics, and possible severe respiratory distress.
  7. Limited coverage area. Government regulations on ozone exposure levels effectively requires manufacturers to balance the ionization potential of their units against the level of ozone produced. This serves to limit the area an ionizer can effectively clean. This means that you must buy multiple units to achieve the same coverage area as a single HEPA purifier may be capable of handling.
  8. Limited area, part II. Low air flow. The need for ionized particles to spend sufficient time in the air ionizer to be deflected onto the collection plates means air speed must be slow. Thus, air ionizers often use no fan or a low speed fan. Low air flow means low air volume handled by the unit and thus significant limitations on the size of the area that can be cleaned. Again, you must buy several units to achieve the coverage of a single HEPA air purifier.
  9. No effect on gaseous contaminants. Chemical toxins, mold mycotoxins, volatile organic compounds, formaldehyde, the hundreds of chemicals in cigarette smoke all pass through an air ionizer unaffected.
  10. Black wall effect / Black lung. Ionized particles not collected on plates in the electrostatic precipitator or by design with a negative ion generator will instead collect on walls, furniture, or any available surface. This includes the inside surface of your lungs. This effect has been given a name. It’s called the black wall effect. The health hazard of negatively charged respirable particles adhering to your lung tissues has been noted by the EPA. See: Possible effects of particle charging
  11. Arbitrary pricing serves as no guide. Testing often shows that high priced models may perform no better or even worse than cheaper ones. Quality of materials and construction, durability, and effectiveness do not seem to play a consistent role in pricing. Rather, it seems the basis for price is simply what the market will bear for the promise of clean air. This situation is often pointed out by the sellers of air ionizers themselves.

Why Choose Allerair Smoking Area Air Purifiers?

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Do the Allerair smoking area air purifiers offer you advantages you won’t find in other products?

Admittedly, finding an air purifier to remove tobacco smoke in the home, in bars, restaurants or other indoor environments can be especially difficult. Most devices sold as home smoke eaters are simply not up to the task of cigarette smoke removal.

Those relying on electrostatic precipitator plates rapidly lose effectiveness as the plates load with tobacco smoke particles and they have no effect at all on the gases that are responsible for tobacco smoke odor.

Ozone generators have no effect on particles, minimal effect on smoke odor due to the low concentrations of ozone that are considered “safe”, and actually may increase your health problems due to the damage ozone can do to lung tissues.

Other air purifiers claiming to be smoke eaters offer activated carbon as a method of smoke odor removal. While this is the right idea, since activated carbon certainly works, they only provide a few token ounces of carbon impregnated into a thin foam mesh.

For these reasons looking for an air purifier for cigarette smoke removal is like looking for a needle in a haystack. While many products claim to be a smokers air cleaner most perform poorly if at all.

Why I Recommend Allerair Smoking Area Air Purifiers

If you’re looking for an air purifier to remove tobacco smoke you need one that can adequately handle both the particulate and gaseous components of tobacco smoke.

My own personal recommendation is for you to consider the Allerair smoking area air purifiers. Allerair has developed well over one hundred models of air purifiers for home, commercial, and industrial use – more than any other in the world. As a company dedicated to the air purification needs of medicine, industry, businesses, and the home they have expertise that cannot be matched by mass-market merchandisers.

Turning their attention to the need to remove tobacco smoke faced by many of their customers they developed innovative products you simply won’t find anywhere else.

The Allerair smoking area air purifiers have a patented tar trapping pre-filter that acts to remove the heavy tars in tobacco smoke before they reach the rest of the filter media.

The smoke laden air then passes through a deep bed of granular activated carbon, custom blended to have enhanced adsorption properties against the chemicals found in tobacco smoke. This bed may be from 15 to 160 pounds of activated carbon, depending on the model. H

High quality true HEPA filters complete the process by eliminating smoke particles from the air.

If you’re looking for a smokers air cleaner Allerair offers the most effective cigar and cigarette smoke removal available.

The Allerair smoking area air purifiers succeed like no other.

The Allerair Smoking Area Air Purifiers

Allerair 4000 DS

These air purifiers are specially designed smokers units, which feature a unique pre-filter.

The unit also features a micro-wrap filter to deal with small particles as small as the ash and a 3″ extra-deep, 12 pound activated carbon bed. Carbon filters are the only effective way of filtration for removing the odors of tobacco smoke. Tobacco smoke and odors are most effectively trapped when your air purifier is set on low speed.

The Allerair 4000 DXS offers a 3.5″ extra-deep, 15 pound, carbon bed which increases dwell time, allowing more chemicals, gases and odors to be absorbed.

Allerair 5000 DS

The 5000 series models are by far the most popular of all Allerair’s air purifiers. Larger than the 4000 series the Allerair 5000 DS includes an extra-deep 22 pound carbon filter which increases dwell time, allowing more chemicals, gases and odors to be absorbed.

The Allerair 5000 DS Vocarb model also has the extra-deep 22 pound carbon filter. The activated carbon in the DS Vocarb has received additional treatments to enhance it’s effectiveness against a wide range of volatile organic compounds.

The Allerair DS Vocarb model provides the most comprehensive protection against airborne chemicals and odors.

The Allerair 5000 DS UV features a 10 Watt Ultraviolet lamp to sterilize airborne antigens and pathogens like mold, bacteria, and viruses as well as the same air filtration system as the 5000 DS model.

The Allerair 5000 DXS models have an activated carbon bed that is even deeper than the DS models at 3.5″ and 28 pounds increasing the air purifiers abilty to adsorb chemicals, gases and odors even more.

The Allerair 5000 DXS UV is the same as above but also features a 10 Watt Ultraviolet lamp to sterilize airborne antigens and pathogens like mold, bacteria, and viruses.

Allerair 6000 DS

The Allerair 6000 DS air purifiers feature the same high quality filtration as the previous air purifiers but in an even larger package. This allows the use of even more carbon for tobacco smoke removal The unit comes with a 3 inch extra-deep, 28 pound carbon filter.

The Allerair 6000 DXS air purifiers feature an even deeper, 3.5 inch, 36 pound carbon filter.

Allerair 9400 Ceiling Mount Air Purifier

Allerair also offers ceiling mounted air purifiers for heavy duty use in bars and restaurants where smoke and odors are the main concerns.

Customizable for different applications the Allerair 9400 units are successfully used in homes as central air purifiers by connecting directly into your HVAC ducts.

Save energy and help protect the environment by cleaning and recirculating the heated indoor air instead of exhausting it. Application specific carbon blends for controlling over 4000 specific chemicals are available.

The 9400 model comes with a 360 cfm rated fan, the 9450 model has a 560 cfm rated fan, and the 9475 model has 735 cfm rated fan.

All models offer several filtration options.

Option one is a 1 inch particle trap pre-filter to capture large particles and a pleated post filter with an additional 2 inch true HEPA filter and 15 pounds of special carbon for chemicals, gases and odors.

Option two is to double the amount of activated carbon to a total of 30 pounds.

Option three is 15 pounds of MAC-B special carbon and a bag filter.

Why Use Allerair Smoking Area Air Purifiers?

Activated carbon which is one of the main filtration components of the Allerair smoking area air purifiers is the only known media proven to effectively remove the effects of tobacco smoke long after the active smoking ceased.

Dangerous substances, compounds of tobacco smoke (benzene, toluene, arsenic, nicotine, cyanide, trichlorethylene…) lingering on the walls, drapes or furniture are being released as the air circulates through the room.

Recirculating a continuous flow of air, at low speed (400 CFM) through an activated carbon filter allows it to be properly cleaned of these pollutants.

Allerair includes specially formulated activated carbon in order to create a really powerful air purifier dedicated to control tobacco smoke at all times.

Return to top of Allerair smoking area air purifiers page.

The True HEPA Filter Revealed

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If you worked in a military or government procurement office the term True HEPA filter would have no meaning. Nor would it mean anything if you were contracting a HEPA filter supplier for industry.

Only in air purifier marketing will you see the term hyped as if it were the all-important gold standard. This is not necessarily a bad thing. Air purifier companies have one very good reason for it – Shady competitors with inferior products dishonestly associate themselves with the HEPA efficiency standard.

The term true HEPA is entirely a marketing term. In industry, government and military applications a filter is either HEPA or it isn’t. However, there are different specifications for defining HEPA.

Defining The True HEPA Filter Standard

The usual standard for measuring air cleaner efficiency health or cleanroom purposes is the MIL-STD-282 Method 102.9.1 Dioctylphthalate test (D.O.P test) which requires the filter to capture 99.97% of 0.3 micron particles. So a True HEPA filter has the proven efficiency of 99.97% at 0.3 microns by this test.

However, there are specific filtration grades given to each filter spanning that range. This allows an end user to know exactly what they are purchasing. In many respects, it is a better way of expressing air filter efficiencies.

How Other Filters Compare To True HEPA

A True HEPA filter’s D.O.P.-rated efficiency is it’s minimum starting efficiency. The actual operating efficiency is higher than that, for all particle sizes from 0.001 micron upwards.

The starting efficiency of any non-HEPA air cleaner is very much lower – anywhere from 5% to 60% by the D.O.P. test. True HEPA filters are far more efficient for air cleaning than other types of filtration systems.

Filter systems like electronic air cleaners’ aluminium plates or 3M Filtrete media depend on electrostatic charges to attract dust to its plates or fibers. As the plates or fibers load up with dust, their ability to attract more dust drops dramatically.

An electronic air cleaner or 3M Filtrete-based air cleaner’s starting efficiency is usually the maximum efficiency. With use the efficiency will drop very fast and the average operating efficiency is much lower.

Some published studies have shown that an electronic air cleaner’s efficiency can drop to one-fifth of its starting efficiency within 26 hours of operation. That, plus the fact that most electronic filters are not very efficient at .3 microns and even worse for particles less than .3 microns, makes a strong case against electronic filter types.

A Few Facts About True HEPA

True HEPA filtration is currently the only type of air purification recommended by the U.S. Government’s Department of Homeland Security and FEMA.

Contrary to the claims of misleading air cleaner ads, bacteria and viruses do not breed in true HEPA filters. HEPA filters provide a dry environment and without moisture there is nothing to keep bacteria alive, much less breed. If such is the case, methods for killing bacteria within a HEPA filter include antimicrobial treatment of the media or a germicidal ultraviolet light.

Though it may only be a marketing term, it is born of the necessity to counteract the efforts of many impersonators. There are many air cleaners claiming to have HEPA type filters. These air cleaners have no specified performance rating, so you have no way of knowing how good it is. In many cases a high efficiency furnace filter with a MERV 13 rating would be as good as these much more expensive air cleaners.

My own personal conviction is that buying a HEPA filter air purifier is the best choice I can make.

Does An Ionic Air Purifier Work As Well As They Want You To Believe?

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Ionic air cleaners exposed!

What is it about an ionic air purifier that consumers find so compelling?

Is it the long, svelte curves that seem to say “High Tech”?

Is it the promise of whisper quietness that tickles their ear?

By comparison, how could you prefer that fat, loud and unattractive box, the HEPA air purifier?

But beauty’s only as deep as the injection molded plastic.

What you read in this review of ionic air cleaners may make you reconsider rushing the merchant with a fist full of dollars.

Get facts no ionic air purifier review dares reveal

Facts like these that directly impact your health and satisfaction…

  • Even the best electronic air purifiers are no better than 80% efficient
  • Cleaning power falls rapidly, losing up to 80% in as few as three days
  • Regular plate cleaning is a must, exposing you to captured allergens
  • Cleaning efficiency steadily declines over the life of the unit
  • Defects and burn outs result in a short service life
  • All ionizing air purifiers produce dangerous ozone
  • Very low air flow severely limits coverage area
  • No ionic air purifier has any effect on gases and odors
  • Ionic air cleaner pricing is often unrelated to quality or effectiveness

Read on for the full exposé…

Ionic air purifiers are not better than HEPA

How well does an electrostatic precipitator really clean your air?

Marketing claims of “better than HEPA” performance abound because ionizing air purifiers may remove particles as small as 0.1 micron.

You may be aware that HEPA filters are at least 99.97% efficient at 0.3 micron. So, the ability to remove 0.1 micron particles seems to justify claims of better performance than HEPA filtration.

How does this stand up to the facts?

First, the efficiency rating of HEPA air filters is clearly stated in every HEPA air purifier ad you see.

Bottom Line: Ionic air purifiers compare poorly to HEPA. They offer only low, inconsistent and undetermined efficiency.

Ionic air cleaner efficiency drops quickly

Unlike HEPA filters that increase in capture efficiency as they load up with particles, electronic air cleaners rapidly lose efficiency. No ionic air purifier review reveals this severe limitation.

In as few as three days efficiency can be less than 20% that of clean plates. Since the best ionic air cleaners may have an initial efficiency of 80% your electrostatic precipitator may only attract 15% of passing particles.

Bottom Line: The poor performance of an ionic air purifier rapidly becomes even more dismal.

Ionic air purifier maintenance is more than claimed

Marketing typically presents only favorable information. Real or imagined deficiencies in competing products are exaggerated or simply misrepresented.

Have you been persuaded by cleaning and maintenance claims like these?

“See how easy it is to clean, just wipe or toss in the dishwasher!”

“Oh, how difficult it is replacing filters in HEPA air purifiers!”

“Oh, how impossibly messy filters are!”

“Oh, how expensive filter replacement is!”

Consider this fact, a HEPA filter may only require replacement once every two to five years depending on the model. Most purifiers are designed for quick filter replacement, taking perhaps five minutes.

At least one air purifier, the Honeywell 50250, is marketed as never requiring filter replacement, just occasionally vacuum it clean.

Yet, as addressed above, rapid efficiency loss due to plate loading means ionic purifier cleaning should be a daily chore to keep efficiency at a reasonable level. Most people never perform this task as often as needed.

The next time you hear an ionic air cleaner crackling and popping like a bug zapper on a summer night remember this article and clean that thing.

Bottom Line: Electronic air purifiers demand more effort than advertised.

Ionic air cleaners degrade steadily over time

This means pollutants can become stubbornly, if not permanently, adhered to the collection plates. Thus whatever efficiency you once enjoyed is gone for good.

Even with regular cleaning, oxidation of the aluminum plates occurs causing reduction in efficiency.

Bottom Line: Ionic air purifiers degrade steadily over time no matter what you do.

Electrostatic precipitators have a short service life

The numerous ionic purifiers I see sitting on curbs awaiting garbage collection would seem to say “No, this isn’t a good product”.

Of course, many may get thrown out when people realize they don’t work very well anyway.

One indicator you can rely upon as a guide to life expectancy is the manufacturer’s warranty. How long is it? 90 days? A year? Two years?

Most manufacturers anticipate few warranty claims. They know most customers throw the old unit away and forget about it. Even so, they protect themselves with short warranties.

Compare ionic air purifier warranties with those of top HEPA air purifiers like those featured on this site.

Some of these manufacturers stand behind their air purifiers for as long as ten years with many satisfied customers still using air purifiers originally purchased fifteen years ago or more.

Bottom Line: Ionic air cleaners offer no long term value.

Ionic air purifiers are not effective for large areas

Ionic air purifiers often use no fan or a very low speed fan.

Consider a quick comparison.

While I’m no fan of CADR ratings, they sometimes prove useful.

The Sharper Image Ionic Breeze had a CADR rating of about 20. The 3M Ultra Clean air purifier, has a CADR rating about 13 times greater than the Ionic Breeze.

Similar comparisons can be made with any electronic air purifier versus a HEPA filter air purifier yet the typical ionic air purifier review isn’t going to inform you of this weak performance.

Bottom Line: Ionic air purifiers are ineffective for areas larger than a bathroom.

Electrostatic precipitators have no effect on gases

So if you are concerned at all hundreds of chemicals in cigarette smoke or any other odor or chemical pollutant you need to look elsewhere.

Bottom Line: No ionic air purifier will protect you from chemicals.

Ionic air purifiers expose you to dangerous ozone

Ozone has numerous effects, none of them healthful. Initially it can seem to give a sensation of clean in the air, because ozone has that after-the-rainstorm odor.

Unfortunately ozone deadens your sense of smell while simultaneously increasing your sensitization to allergens. Thus allergic persons have even more severe reactions in the presence of ozone.

In sufficient quantities it can cause death.

Studies show that it reacts with fragrances, air fresheners and cleaning products to produce ultra-fine particulates with cancer causing properties.

Bottom Line: Ionic air cleaners pollute your air with dangerous ozone.

Ionic air purifier prices don’t reflect quality

Likewise, ozone dangers are not necessarily less in a pricier model. Even those claiming to have some kind of “ozone guard”.

It seems the basis for price is simply what the market will bear for the promise of clean air and a fancy, sleek design.

Final Analysis of Ionic Air Purifiers

Electrostatic precipitator air purifiers have built their reputation on promises of quiet operation and low, filter free maintenance. A careful comparison reveals that silence is the only thing they have going for them.

Unfortunately, silence about their glaring faults keeps unwary customers buying these air purifiers by the millions.

How to successfully use air purifiers with activated carbon for odor control

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Are you considering activated carbon for odor control? If possible, it’s always best if you can remove the source of the odors.

Of course, there are circumstances where this is not practical. Baby diapers or a health problem are simply part of life. Perhaps your favorite hobby or a loved pet raises a stink and you have no wish to part with these.

That’s where an air purifier with a large bed of activated carbon for odor can help you. Activated carbon is an effective way to remove odors from cooking, cleaning products, tobacco smoke, human and pet waste, and VOCs.

In selecting the best air purifier for odor control you should remember that the effectiveness of any filter corresponds to the quantity of activated carbon contained in the filter.

One of the preeminent air purifier manufacturers, Allerair, has invested much energy into developing activated carbon filters to cover most any odor problem you may face. Allerair offers over forty specialized carbon blends covering industrial, commercial, medical, and military uses in addition to home use.

Allerair activated carbon air filters are more effective than other odor control filters because they contain more carbon. A greater amount of carbon solves your odor problems by removing odor concentrations and providing protection over a longer period of time. The true test of a carbon filter is how long it will continue to remove objectionable odors. Allerair carbon filters deliver fresh air longer, from two to three years.

Allerair’s off the shelf coconut shell derived activated carbon can take care of odors associated with normal home cleansers, mold, personal care products, and new furnishings. This is possible with other high quality air purifiers also, like Austin Air, Blueair, and IQAir.

However, Allerair also offers a wide variety of blends under their “Vocarb” trade name. The most common Vocarb offered handles the extra pollutant load of new carpets, wood furniture (stains, sealants, etc.), computers, and particleboard. They also have specialized blends to deal with pet odors (Vocarb PO), urine and incontinence odors (Vocarb IN), and tobacco smoke (Vocarb SM, found in their DS, DXS, and other “S” suffix models).

You can also choose carbon blends specially made for beauty salons, artists, glues and embalming fluids, welding and soldering fumes, and persons with multiple chemical sensitivities.

If you feel you need specialized activated carbon for odor control then my first recommendation is Allerair air purifiers. My second recommendation is a knowledgeable dealer with personal service that can guide you in choosing the best unit for your circumstances. Allergybuyersclub.com is your best online air purifier source.

To learn more about activated carbon for air purification view these additional articles:

  • Why is activated carbon filtration essential in your air purifier?
  • Choosing activated carbon filters | How to evaluate air purifier quality
  • The activated carbon filter pad in multistage air purifiers isnt good enough
  • Activated carbon air cleaner report | The purifiers that really perform

Why is understanding the limits of an activated carbon filter pad important

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Are air purifier manufacturers that claim an activated carbon filter pad can remove chemicals and odors deceiving you?

Many air purifiers use activated carbon for gas and odor removal, but will not mention how much is in their filter. This is because they have simply coated a mat with a few ounces of activated carbon.

In an average home, that small amount of carbon could get saturated in days, even hours. After this, the filter would need to be replaced or it would be doing nothing.

If an air purifier does not make any obvious claims to the amount of activated carbon it uses, you should question the filter’s effectiveness.

To learn more about activated carbon for air purification view these additional articles:

  • Why is activated carbon filtration essential in your air purifier?
  • Activated carbon air cleaner report | The purifiers that really perform
  • Choosing activated carbon filters | How to evaluate air purifier quality
  • Activated carbon for odor control in your home

Why an activated carbon filter pad doesn’t give you the air purification you expect

Air purification is big business. Realizing the demand for air purification, many companies have entered the air purifier market.

However, you should take note: These companies are not air purifier manufacturers whose sole business is air purification. They are consumer product sales organizations. Most manufacture nothing at all, but contract design and production to others. Their primary concern is to blanket the market with whatever is the hot seller of the day.

Eager to gain the approval of consumers by giving the appearance of quality and superiority, they hype the fact that they offer a “multistage” air cleaner that can control all sorts of air pollution.

Activated carbon filters are usually featured as one of the stages in these air purifiers. They typically take the form of a foam mesh impregnated with a few ounces of activated carbon.

Is this really good enough? Are these companies really being honest? What about those manufacturers that offer a deep activated carbon bed that includes many pounds of activated carbon?

Question the quality of the activated carbon

First of all, lets bring up the question of the quality of the activated carbon. Activated carbon can vary greatly depending on the methods used to produce it. For instance, the surface area available to adsorb pollutants can vary between 400 sq. meters per gram to over 1500 sq. meters per gram.

Also, it is true activated carbon can generally remove some of any chemical. However, raw activated carbon may not be very effective against some of the very pollutants you’re concerned about. That’s why activated carbon needs to be impregnated with special catalysts and chemisorbers to ensure maximum effectiveness against the pollutants you wish to target.

Air purifiers using an activated carbon filter pad never address these issues in any of their consumer literature.

Question the quantity of filtration

How much chemical contamination can a few ounces of activated carbon adsorb?

Activated carbon can adsorb as much as 60% of its weight in pollutants. This is best accomplished by increasing the “dwell time” or time spent in contact with the pollutants.

An activated carbon filter pad cannot supply much in the way of dwell time. This is why air purifier manufacturers whose real business is nothing but air purification include a deep activated carbon bed that often weighs many pounds.

Question the design of the air purifier

Activated carbon filter pads are often used as a prefilter in front of a higher efficiency particle filter. This exposes the activated carbon to the incoming stream of dust and microparticles. The structure of activated carbon is that of macropores branching into ever-smaller micropores. Incoming particles can easily clog these larger pores and prevent gaseous contaminants from entering the micropores where adsorption takes place. Using an activated carbon filter pad as a prefilter is a bad design decision.

Another bad decision that seems to defy all common sense is the inclusion of scent cartridges in air purifiers with activated carbon filter pads. Since activated carbon is supposed to remove odors and volatile chemicals from the air, why is a source of volatile chemical fragrance included? This seems to defeat the purpose of the activated carbon. The reality is that the scent masks the odors in the air and is intended to lead you to believe the air purifier is doing a good job.

Purification with activated carbon works if you choose the right air purifier

Activated carbon filters have real value when they take the form of a deep activated carbon bed. There are several air purifier manufacturers that design and build there own products with this in mind. Some examples are Allerair, Austin Air, Blueair, and Iqair. These companies understand that a large volume of activated carbon is essential for air purifier performance.

Activated carbon filter pads are a gimmick of marketing companies. These sales organizations are only interested in grabbing a piece of the air purifier market with inferior products. They rely on the absence of consumer education about air purification to succeed.

You can make a much better choice.

Is A Portable HEPA Filter A Good Choice For Allergy And Asthma?

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Are you considering a portable HEPA filter air purifier for relief of allergy or asthma symptoms? Would you like to know whether it would be a good investment? What can you do in your home to get the greatest symptom relief? If buying a portable HEPA filter air purifier is part of your strategy how can you be certain you’ve chosen well?

These are important questions both from a health perspective and financially, since high quality air purifiers are not inexpensive.

I have faced these very questions myself. My wife suffers from allergies, asthma, Multiple Chemical Sensitivities (MCS), as well as fibromyalgia. Air quality makes a tremendous difference for her ability to engage in normal activities around the house, let alone out of doors.

You Can Sink Or Swim

The good news is that buying a portable HEPA filter air cleaner can be a good investment. Expert opinions hold that they do reduce airborne concentrations of many irritants. This can bring a measure of relief. However it is also agreed that you cannot rely on them entirely.

Think of it this way. A ship at sea has pumps to remove unwanted water that reduces its buoyancy. But this doesn’t enable the ship to remain afloat with a gaping hole in its side. Better to have structural integrity than the best pumps in the world.

Your home air can be likened to that ship and its pollutant load to the water. Is it better to have the best portable HEPA filter hard at work pumping pollutants out? Or to maintain a home that doesn’t introduce those pollutants in the first place?

Lifestyle Changes Are First And Best

Keeping pollutants out will involve certain changes, some of which may even be called sacrifices. Easy enough is purchasing cleaning and personal products that are fragrance and dye free. Discontinue the use of so called “air fresheners” that only mask odors by introducing fragrant chemicals to the air. Candles, whether natural beeswax or not, also add soot and unburned hydrocarbons to the air.

Many people have found that removing carpets is of great benefit. Not only do they outgas volatile organic compounds, they harbor dust mites and their allergens. They also retain pet dander and pet allergens, increasing the total quantity of these.

More difficult is the necessary step of eliminating smoking from the household. Even if smoking is relegated to outside, the smoker brings in on their person enough residue to be a problem. Some studies have shown that negative health effects in children are not improved at all when smoking is done outside versus inside.

Another difficult choice is removal of a pet. Pet allergens, especially cat allergens, can exacerbate all other allergies. Even if you are not allergic to cats, you have a high likelihood of developing one. As many as 80% of persons with a cat in the home show signs of cat allergy whereas only 10% to 20% of the population at large has cat allergy.

All the above mentioned pollutant sources are things for which people often wish to buy a portable HEPA filter air cleaner. They are also the sorts of things that stream a steady load of pollutants greater than any purifier is designed to handle. That is why air filtration cannot be your first and only choice. You must take responsibility for air quality in the home and remove the things that cause your health problems.

More Information About Buying A Portable HEPA Filter Air Purifier

A portable HEPA filter air purifier will now be a much better health aid once you have eliminated the bulk of pollutants from your home. That is really the purpose of its design, to purify the air to a higher degree than good housekeeping alone can achieve.

What should you consider when buying a portable HEPA filter air cleaner for allergy relief?

Overall capacity should be first and foremost for two important reasons.

First you want a unit that can give multiple air changes per hour (ACH) for the size room you’ll be using it in. The more times the room air passes through the filter the cleaner it will be and the better relief you will get.

Second, you want a unit that will give you the needed ACH on its lowest or intermediate settings. These are its quietest settings and noise is often a complaint with portable HEPA air purifiers.

There are of course many other important considerations beyond the scope of this article. Please review these articles about buying a portable HEPA filter air cleaner and HEPA air filtration.

Why the Best Air Purifier Needs HEPA

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  • Discover why the best air purifier for your needs includes HEPA filtration.
  • Build the foundation you need to buy air purifiers like an expert.
  • I’ll show you how…

HEPA Filters Meet The Challenge of Medicine

Your air purifier should clean your air sufficiently to give you real health benefits.

Will a HEPA air purifier provide you with these benefits better than any other?
What do you think? Would you trust the choice of hospitals as a guide to the best air purifier?

Medical facilities need air purification to control infectious microbes that spread through ventilation systems causing illness and death. Thus operating rooms, outpatient surgery, labor and delivery, isolation rooms, intensive care and other areas require high efficiency filtration.

The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), the American Institute of Architects, (AIA) and the Joint Commission for the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) all recommend HEPA filters for medical facilities.

Likewise, in Guidelines for Environmental Infection Control in Healthcare Facilities, the CDC recommends HEPA filtration to remove airborne contaminants. No other air purification method receives this endorsement.

If a HEPA filter is the best air purifier choice for hospitals then what is your best choice?

The Best Air Purifier For Health Benefits Is HEPA

Only HEPA filter air purifiers have the efficiency you need to improve conditions like:

  • Allergic rhinitis
  • Allergic conjunctivitis
  • Asthma
  • Allergic sinusitis
  • Allergic bronchitis
  • Animal allergies
  • Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

A HEPA filter air purifier is effective at removing many types of airborne allergens, asthma triggers and infectious agents such as:

  • Pollens
  • Molds and mildews
  • Dust mite debris
  • Animal dander
  • Cockroach debris
  • Tobacco smoke

Facts About The Best Air Purifier Technology

HEPA stands for High Efficiency Particulate Air filter. A HEPA air filter must be 99.97% efficient, allowing no more than 3 particles in 10,000 to penetrate the HEPA filter media.

HEPA air filters were developed to contain radioactive particles at nuclear facilities. Since then, HEPA air purification has been used in industrial, medical and military clean rooms.

There are two very different types of air filters on the market that use the term “HEPA”.

  • A true HEPA filter must remove 99.97% of all particles 0.3 microns in diameter.
  • HEPA-type filters use similar media as true HEPA. However, their efficiency may be no more than 55% at removing particles regardless of diameter. These filters are much cheaper than true HEPA filters.

Avoid products that hijack the HEPA term but provide no performance guarantee.

HEPA filter material causes a great deal of resistance to airflow so a powerful fan is needed to push air through the air purifier.

Because of this resistance neither a HEPA air conditioner filter nor a HEPA furnace filter is practical. A whole house HEPA filter system is not recommended as your best air purifier choice. They filter only a portion of the air passing through your ductwork and provide you with less benefit than HEPA room air cleaners you can place wherever needed most.

HEPA filter replacement is essential to best air purifier performance. Your HEPA air purifier filters need to be changed when they are dirty or else your clean air will steadily dwindle. How often they need to be changed depends on several factors:

  • How large the air purifier HEPA filter is. The greater the surface area of the filter the longer it will last. Some filters can exceed a five-year useful life expectancy.
  • The best air purifiers use a prefilter. Prefilters stop larger particles from reaching the HEPA filter. Prefilters can often be cleaned and allow the HEPA filter to last longer.
  • The kind of environment where the filter is being used. Homes with mold, pets or smokers require filter changes more often.

Now that you understand why HEPA filters are at the heart of the best air purifiers as well as some background information it’s time to move on.

I’d like to invite you now to consider why not all HEPA filter air purifiers are created equal and how it affects your choice of the best air purifier.

Is Your Activated Carbon Filter A Cheap Trick?

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How To Know If An Activated Carbon Filter Won’t Clean Your Air

How do you feel when someone sells you a product and afterward you discover it doesn’t do what was promised? Would you return again and again to the same vendor? This is precisely what you will do as you continue to buy filters for air purifiers that don’t clean the air.

Is my contention true, those manufacturers who claim an activated carbon filter pad removes chemicals and odors are deceiving you? Please allow me the opportunity to present my case and you be the judge.

Many air purifiers include activated carbon for gas and odor removal, but will not mention how much is in their filter. This is because, at best, they have coated a mat with a few token ounces of activated carbon.

In an average home, that small amount of carbon could get saturated in days, even hours. After this, the filter would need to be replaced or it would be doing nothing.

If an air purifier does not make any obvious claims about the amount of activated carbon it uses, you should question the filter’s effectiveness.

Why activated carbon filter pads don’t give you the clean air you expect

Air purification is big business and many companies have entered the air purifier market.

However, these companies are not air purifier manufacturers solely in the business of air purification. They are consumer product sales organizations. Most manufacture nothing at all, but contract design and production to others. Their primary concern is to market whatever is the hot seller of the day.

Eager to gain the approval of consumers they hype the fact that they offer “multistage” air cleaners that can control all sorts of air pollution.

An activated carbon filter is usually featured as one of the stages in these air purifiers. They typically take the form of a foam mesh impregnated with a few token ounces of activated carbon.

Is this good enough? Are these companies being honest? What about those manufacturers that offer a deep activated carbon bed that includes many pounds of activated carbon?

Question the quality of the activated carbon

Activated carbon can vary greatly depending on the methods used to produce it. For instance, the surface area available to adsorb pollutants can vary between 400 sq. meters per gram to over 1500 sq. meters per gram.

Activated carbon can generally remove some of any chemical. However, raw activated carbon may not be very effective against many of the pollutants you’re concerned about. That’s why activated carbon needs to be impregnated with special catalysts and chemisorbs to ensure maximum effectiveness against typical pollutants.

Air purifiers using an activated carbon filter pad never address these issues in any of their consumer literature. How can you know the real capabilities of their filter? You can’t.

Question the quantity of filtration

How much chemical contamination can a few ounces of activated carbon adsorb?

Activated carbon can adsorb as much as 60% of its weight in pollutants. This is best accomplished by increasing the “dwell time” or time spent in contact with the pollutants.

An activated carbon filter pad cannot supply much in the way of dwell time. Air passes through such thin filters quickly. Filter pads with only a few ounces of activated carbon have precious little time or capacity to make any real difference in your air quality.

This is why high quality air purifier manufacturers whose business is nothing but air purification include a deep activated carbon bed that often weighs many pounds.

Question the design of the air purifier

All too often, activated carbon filter pads are used as a prefilter for a higher efficiency particle filter. This exposes the activated carbon to the incoming stream of dust and microparticles.

The structure of activated carbon is that of macropores branching into ever-smaller micropores. Incoming particles can easily clog these larger pores and prevent gaseous contaminants from entering the micropores where adsorption takes place.

Using an activated carbon filter pad as a prefilter is a bad design decision.

Another bad decision that seems to defy all common sense is the inclusion of scent cartridges in air purifiers with activated carbon.

Since activated carbon is supposed to remove odors and volatile chemicals from the air, why is a source of volatile chemical fragrance included? This seems to defeat the purpose of the activated carbon.

The reality is that the scent masks the odors in the air and is intended to lead you to believe the air purifier is doing a good job.

Activated carbon filtration works if you choose the right air purifier

Activated carbon in air purifiers has real value when employed in a deep bed.

There are several air purifier manufacturers that design and build there own products with this in mind. Some examples are Allerair, Austin Air, Blueair, and Iqair. These companies understand that a large volume of activated carbon is essential for air purifier performance.

Activated carbon filter pads are a gimmick of marketing companies. These sales organizations are only interested in grabbing a piece of the air purifier market with inferior products. They rely on the absence of consumer education about air purification to succeed.

You can make a much better choice.

Will HEPA Room Air Cleaners Meet Your Needs?

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Do you have allergies, asthma or other respiratory troubles? HEPA room air cleaners are often presented as a complete one size fits all solution. I personally use a HEPA air cleaner in my own home, so my position is that they do offer benefits.

However, I find that much of the marketing is a little overly enthusiastic to put it kindly. Some claims simply are not supported by the research and the true measure of benefit is not as you might be led to believe.

The reality is the air in your home is influenced more by what you put into it than what you can take out of it. Does that sound reasonable?

HEPA room air cleaners can and should be only one part of a greater effort. My purpose in this article is to discuss some of the most common reasons for buying a HEPA filter air purifier and to what extent that air purifier will really help. I also will offer some alternatives that are even more effective. When these steps are taken together with air purification you’ll see the best results.

HEPA Room Air Cleaners For Seasonal Allergies

HEPA filter air purifiers are a great benefit if you suffer from seasonal allergies. HEPA filters trap both large and small particles so you aren’t breathing them in. Allergy triggers that cause itchy, water eyes, sneezing, and coughing are effectively removed from your air allowing you to breathe easy. This is one of the best uses for HEPA filter air purifiers.

HEPA Room Air Cleaners For Pet Allergies

If you have pets and you or someone in your home is allergic, then an air purifier may help the situation. However there are limits.

Cats are especially allergenic and are prolific creators of allergen. Worse yet, their allergen aggravates sensitivity to other allergens like pollen, making the allergic person even more miserable. One Japanese study found levels of cat allergen 160 times that of dust mite allergen in a typical home. The primary cat allergen, Fel d 1, is not only airborne but sticks to surfaces and textiles throughout the house. The allergic person is as likely to contact it via household furnishings and objects as to breathe it in.

A cat can also be compared with a lit cigarette; as long as it is present the continuous pollution exposes you even as the air purifier tries to remove it. Most studies have found air purifiers provide limited benefit to households that keep pets indoors. The best option is to remove the pet entirely. Even then pet allergens can take 6 to 12 months to subside from carpets and furnishings sufficiently for the allergic individual to be symptom free.

Some place the air purifier in a specific room, such as the bedroom, and forbid the pet from entering. This helps create a safe room for the allergy sufferer to go to for relief. However, the best option is to eliminate the source by removing the pet. Once you’ve come to grips with this reality, an air purifier will remove residual background allergens and help you breathe easier.

HEPA Room Air Cleaners For Dust Mite Allergies

Dust mites are tiny organisms that live off material such as dead skin flakes.

The dust mites themselves are not likely to ever become airborne and so a HEPA filter air purifier is not going to become a breeding ground for them as some competing air cleaner marketers wrongly claim. However, particles from their droppings and dead bodies can contaminate the air and a HEPA filter air purifier will remove these.

In all honesty though, most persons encounter dust mite allergen through their mattress and bed sheeting. Since your face is essentially lying upon the source of allergen an air purifier elsewhere in the room has limited effect with this allergen while you are sleeping.

Pillow and mattress casings specifically designed to prevent dust mites are your best option for reducing this exposure. Regular washing of sheets in hot water is also helpful. Dehumidifiers that keep humidity low also prevent them from multiplying since they require moisture from the air to live and breed.

HEPA Room Air Cleaners For Asthma

HEPA filter air purifiers are the most effective way to improve your indoor air if you suffer from asthma. Asthma triggers saturate indoor air and an HEPA filtration can help to diminish them.

There are many HEPA air cleaners on the market today designed to target asthma triggers. They can add a real piece of mind, knowing you are doing all you can to stop an asthma attack before it starts. For asthma, you may also wish to choose a unit with substantial carbon filtration, to address things like perfumes and other indoor chemical pollutants that can aggravate asthma conditions.

HEPA Room Air Cleaners For Smoke

Smoke: Smoke from your fireplace, cooking, or tobacco are potent irritants that can aggravate many respiratory conditions as well as cause them in otherwise healthy persons.

Getting rid of the smoke through source control is a far better choice than any air purifier. However, for intermittent exposures HEPA filter air purifiers coupled with activated carbon can quickly clear the air of both smoke particles and odors.

If this is your number one concern, then choose a unit that is specifically designed to handle this problem. There are air cleaners with specialized carbon blends designed to handle smoke more effectively than standard models. Allerair offers a number of excellent smoke air purifiers.

HEPA Room Air Cleaners For Multiple Chemical Sensitivities

Chemical sensitivity can be divided in two categories.

First, some individuals are sensitive to one chemical or a number of chemicals present in their home and need an air purifier to address this specific issue. A high-quality unit with ample carbon and good filtration will be able to solve this problem easily.

The second type of chemically sensitive person is one who is highly reactive to most chemicals they come in contact with and, in general, that includes the glues, filters, and plastic material found in many air purifiers.

If you feel you fall into the latter, don’t despair. There are great units on the market that are specially made not to off-gas.

When you are ready to purchase a unit, just remember you want to take special care in choosing your air purifier, as many units claim to not off-gas but still do. Individuals with severe chemical sensitivities should only consider air purifiers designed for individuals with these specific needs. Typically, these are going to include large quantities of activated carbon, often specially blended to give added control of specific vocs.

The key to picking the right air cleaner for your indoor space lies in knowing what problems you want the unit to address.Some air purifiers can be custom created to suit a variety of needs, such as customer-specific carbon profiling to make sure you get the right activated carbon for your chemical sensitivity.

Allerair provides this service prior to purchasing their MCS model air purifier. A sample carbon test kit is sent to you to determine your sensitivity to a variety of carbon blends. Once you have indicated which one is most acceptable they will include that blend in your new air purifier. The cost of the test kit is deducted from your air purifier’s purchase price.