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.