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Air filters/purifiers

dandelos

Well-known member
Our new addition is joining us in a couple of weeks :), so we're busy trying to get everything prepared for him --

We live in an apartment in an urban setting so air quality isn't too good. Does anyone recommend the use of (HEPA) air filters/purifiers? Trying to figure out if they're a sound investment or not. Also, if anyone has any recommendations on specific brands and/or models.

Thanks!
 
What country are you in? That will help with recommendations as brands and models vary from country to country.

Is the filter for your or for the dog? I wouldn't bother with a filter for the dog if you don't have problems with air quality (eg you breathe the same air with no issues). If someone has allergies or asthma then getting a purifier often helps. If you want to keep levels of dander down generally then it will help too.
 
Hi Karlin -- we're in the USA.

No one in our household has asthma or breathing issues (now), but our air quality is rather poor --we get lots of dust settling on stuff even though we're on the 10th floor). We thus thought that the dander might exacerbate the situation, basically figuring that prevention might be wiser than fixing something once it's broken. That said, if the derived benefits of an air purifier are neglible, then obviously it wouldn't be worth the extra $$.
 
Consumer Reports magazine has rated HEPA room air filters in the past. If you don't have an online subscription, often the local library will have back issues. I seem to remember the Whirlpool brand was at the top of their list, last time.
The cost of the filters and frequency of changing them is also something to consider.

We have the Austin brand, which CR gave bad ratings for in the most recent study, but it was the best on the market when we bought it 15 years ago.
 
Thanks Waldor! Is there a noticeable change in air quality when you are using your filter compared to when you aren't?

I guess my main concern is more on the actual effectiveness of these air filters/purifiers. I remember when Sharper Image's line of Ionic Breeze air purifiers sold like hot cakes, until the emergence of a mini-scandal and lawsuit alleging that they weren't nearly as effective as they were advertised to be, which effectively drove them into bankruptcy.
 
I sensed, from the get-go, that the SI air cleaner was not up to the job. I believe CR magazine did a write-up about it shortly after it came out, that verified my doubts.

Yes, I can tell a difference with the HEPA air cleaner. I first got it for my horrendous allergies, when we were living in a 100 y/o house. I didn't think it helped all that much until the night I did *not* run it. I was quite stuffed up the next day. Ever since then, it runs 7/24 in our bedroom. I even have one in my sewing room, and put one in our son's bedroom when he was growing up. Get a good one and it is money well spent.

They're only able to clean one room, so be sure you get one that matches the size of your room. The Austin brand we use has two sizes.
 
Yeah I think it was actually a 2003 CR article that blew the lid on the Sharper Image's air purifiers.

Either way, awesome, I'll start looking for decent ones. I'll check out the Austin brand one you mentioned. We'll probably need one bigger one and one smaller one for our place. Thanks again!
 
One purifier I would steer away from is the EcoQuest FreshAir. It does a great job, uses ozone to purify the air and makes a huge difference with bad smells... BUT they cost about $750 and repairing them is next to impossible. I have two that are less than a year old and BOTH have completely stopped working. I'm looking at $200 a piece to have them repaired.
Thus, may campaign: "Just say NO to EcoQuest!!!"
 
One purifier I would steer away from is the EcoQuest FreshAir. It does a great job, uses ozone to purify the air and makes a huge difference with bad smells... BUT they cost about $750 and repairing them is next to impossible. I have two that are less than a year old and BOTH have completely stopped working. I'm looking at $200 a piece to have them repaired.
Thus, may campaign: "Just say NO to EcoQuest!!!"

Thanks rhiannasmom, we will definitely keep that in mind!

Meanwhile, 5 nights and counting till our little addition arrives!
 
I have allergies and have had an airfilter in my bedroom for years. The one I have now is a bookshelf Honeywell model with a hepa filter. Change it every so often, helps a lot. Also if you have forced air heat/ac don't forget to put in high efficency filters. I remember growing up and you could see through the filters my Dad used, now I have 3m high quality filters, amazing how dark they are are after even just a month.
 
Also if you have forced air heat/ac don't forget to put in high efficency filters. . . . . . now I have 3m high quality filters. . .


The 3M Filtrete are expensive but do a very good job. That's the brand I use.

It also helps to run the central fan constantly, in order to filter the air better and trap more stuff. In summer that makes the house rather humid so I don't do it then.

It also helps to have the micro-filter vacuum cleaner bags in the vacuum, instead of the regular bags. They really do trap more dust & dirt in the bag. When I started to use them, I noticed the exhaust filter stayed cleaner longer. Otherwise, you're recirculating some of the dirt & dust back into your air/home.
 
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