eliminating dust?

[Berner]

Anyone have one of these air purifier systems? I need to get rid or all this dust in my room before it even gets there. Do these ion breeze things really work in eliminating all dust? I know it removes air pollutants and crap in the air but will it prevent my from having to dust every week? This shits getting our of control

[fsttyms1]

dusting and vacuming regularly and better air purification on the furnace helps

[ZeroPSI]

Oreck makes a amazing air purfifier than eliminates something like 99.7% of all air borne dust microns, and is even uses HEPA filtration. People will allergies swear up and down by these.

[95gt]

Do a search in hear on the ionic sharper image one. There were a couple of Consumer report tests that showed it does virtually nothing.

of course many that have bought it will disagree but I think they are just trying to justify their 500 dollar purchases

Heard good stuff on the Oreck one.

[doopstr]

As stated previously, a good vac and a good heating/AC filter =

[Sly Raskal]

the ionic breeze aren't good at all.

I have a subscription to consumer reports and read their tests on the air purifiers that are on the market.

I'll list the room air purfiers they list from best to worst, there are about 20 they list, the ionic breeze one of the worst. But do a search on the ionic breeze and consumer reports and you'll see that sharper image sued consumer reports for reporting their product was below standard and consumer reports won the suit because their testing was valid and the ionic breeze truely doesn't work.

top 5 by consumer reports:

Friedrich C-90A
Kenmore 83202 83200, Whirlpool AP51030HO
Whirlpool AP45030HO
Bionaire BAP-1300 Holmes HAP675RC
Honeywell Enviracare 50250
Vornado AQS35
Hunter 30400
Hunter HEPAtech 30375
Blueair 601
Hunter 30170
Holmes HAP650
GE (Wal-Mart) 106653
Austin Health Mate 400
Holmes HAP625
GE (Wal-Mart) 106643
Honeywell Enviracare 18150
Honeywell Enviracare 17000 17005
Hoover SilentAir 4000
Sharper Image Ionic Breeze Quadra (SI637
Honeywell Environizer 90200

these are rated for sound level, how much it purfiies the air, replacement filter costs, how much energy they consume, ease of use, how large of an area they are effective in.

I personally went with a honeywell enviracare system that I picked up Kmart for around 80 bucks and it works very well for it's size. Depending on your room size and how much you want to clean the air you'll have to dish out more or less money.

But remember, air purfiers don't prevent sickness, eliminate bacteria or anything like that.

You're best defense is keep your room clean.

[Sly Raskal]

May 2005 article on Consumer reports about air purifiers and ionic cleaners:



New concerns about ionizing air cleaners

Buying an air cleaner that doesn't clean the air is bad enough. Some of the least effective ionizer models also can expose you to potentially harmful ozone levels, especially if you're among the roughly 80 percent of buyers with asthma or allergy concerns.

CR Quick Take Months of testing and investigation yielded these findings: • Many ionizing air cleaners like the kind we tested do a poor job of removing particles from the air. • Two separate tests--in a sealed room and in an open lab--show that some can create significant levels of ozone. • Ozone is a growing concern. People with asthma and respiratory allergies are especially sensitive to it. • Some ads include endorsements that mean little. • Consider low- or no-cost air-cleaning alternatives.

Also known as electrostatic precipitators, the five ionizing air cleaners we focused on for this report are supposed to trap charged particles on oppositely charged plates. But as we reported in our October 2003 report on air cleaners, models like Sharper Image's Ionic Breeze, the market leader, did a poor job removing dust and smoke from the air. Our latest tests also show that some ionizing models can expose you to significant amounts of ozone.

Unlike ozone in the upper atmosphere, which helps shield us from harmful ultraviolet rays, ozone near ground level is an irritant that can aggravate asthma and decrease lung function. Air cleaners need not meet ozone limits--not for the federal Environmental Protection Agency, which regulates only outdoor air, nor for the Food and Drug Administration, since it doesn't consider them medical devices, despite the health benefits that some ads imply. Manufacturers often submit air cleaners to a voluntary standard that includes a test to see whether they produce more than 50 parts per billion (ppb) of ozone, the same limit the FDA uses for medical devices.

We replicated that test using the sealed polyethylene room specified by Underwriters Laboratories Standard 867 to help ensure consistent results. Ozone levels were measured 2 inches from each machine's air discharge in accordance with the standard. All five ionizers failed the test by producing more than the 50-ppb limit--in some cases, much more.

People don't live in sealed plastic rooms, however. So we also tested these ionizing air cleaners in an open, well-ventilated lab. For comparison, we also tested a top-performing Friedrich electrostatic-precipitator and a Whirlpool HEPA model from previous reports.

We measured ozone levels 2 inches from the machines, as in the sealed-room test, and 3 feet away, since ozone becomes diluted and dissipates rapidly indoors as it reacts with carpet, upholstery, and other surfaces. In our lab tests, two ionizing models--the IonizAir P4620 and the Surround Air XJ-2000--emitted more than 150 and 300 ppb, respectively, 2 inches from the machine.

While few people are likely to sit 2 inches from the air discharge, where our ozone readings were highest, you could be exposed to higher levels than those we measured at 3 feet if you take a cue from manufacturers. The IonizAir's box shows it on a desk near a keyboard and on a nightstand near a sleeping woman. The Ionic Pro CL-369 is shown next to a sofa, while the Surround Air's manual suggests placing it “nearby those suffering from breathing or other health problems.”

Ozone from ionizing air cleaners is a greater concern as sales increase. Ionizers now account for about 25 percent of the roughly $410 million per year spent on air cleaners as brands such as Brookstone and Oreck compete. (We plan to test the Oreck in a future report.)


INDOOR OZONE hits the radar

Experts agree that an ozone concentration more than 80 ppb for eight hours or longer can cause coughing, wheezing, and chest pain while worsening asthma and deadening your sense of smell. It also raises sensitivity to pollen, mold, and other respiratory allergy triggers, and may cause permanent lung damage.

Most indoor ozone is carried inside with outdoor air. Regulators have given indoor ozone less attention than outdoor ozone, since dilution and dissipation typically lower indoor levels by 20 to 80 percent. But Charles J. Weschler, professor of environmental and occupational health sciences at the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Jersey, notes, “Since we spend so much time indoors, exposure is often greater than outdoors.“

CLOSE ENCOUNTERS Images like this could prompt you to place some air cleaners near enough for you to breathe relatively high ozone levels in their air stream. Recent studies of ozone's cumulative effects also raise concerns. A 14-year study of 95 urban areas in the U.S. found a clear link between small increases in ozone and higher death rates. The study looked at days when outdoor ozone concentrations didn't exceed the Environmental Protection Agency's 80-ppb standard over eight hours, according to the study's lead author, Michelle L. Bell, assistant professor of environmental health at Yale University's School of Forestry and Environmental Studies.

“We were able to tease out the relationship between ozone and mortality, even accounting for each day's weather and particulate pollution,” Bell said in an interview. “A small increase in ozone was associated with a small increase in mortality and a larger increase with a larger increase in mortality, even in cities with low ozone levels.” The study predicts that a 10-ppb increase in ozone over eight hours could lead to roughly 3,700 premature deaths per year in those cities.

Another ozone study conducted in 2001 over six months in southern New England by the Yale University Center for Perinatal, Pediatric, and Environmental Epidemiology links ozone levels well below the EPA's 80-ppb standard to a higher risk of respiratory symptoms and use of rescue medication for children with severe asthma. Indeed, the study found ill effects even on days when ozone levels were 20 ppb lower than the EPA standard over eight hours.


OZONE RAISES OTHER THREATS

While ozone dissipates indoors, it can create other pollutants in the process. Research suggests that ozone reacts with the terpenes in lemon- and pine-scented cleaning products and air fresheners, creating formaldehyde--a carcinogen--and other irritants. Those byproducts can be absorbed by beds and carpets, and be released over an extended time frame. Research has also found that ozone reacts with terpenes to create additional ultrafine particles, which are hard to filter and can go deep into lungs.


A regulatory black hole

Ionizers such as the five we focused on are adding ozone indoors just as regulators work to cut ground-level ozone created outdoors as pollutants react with sunlight. The federal EPA's acceptable outdoor level is 80 ppb over eight hours. This year the California EPA recommended lowering the state's outdoor limit to 70 ppb. World Health Organization standards are tougher at 60 ppb over eight hours.

Several states, the EPA, and Canada have issued warnings about ozone generators, a small segment of the air-cleaner market. While ionizers emit ozone as a byproduct, ozone generators create it by design and purport to offer health benefits. Consumer Reports found two such models Not Acceptable as early as 1992.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission is reviewing scientific and government data on all air cleaners that create ozone. The CPSC is also evaluating whether the 50-ppb industry standard is adequate protection for consumers, and it may recommend a lower limit. A report is expected later this year.

No federal agency sets indoor ozone limits for homes, however. The EPA has authority over ozone outdoors, not indoors, though it publishes booklets on indoor air quality and runs the Indoor Air Quality Information Clearinghouse. Interestingly, the EPA doesn't take a strong position for or against buying any air cleaner.

The Food and Drug Administration regulates medical devices but says air cleaners aren't covered because manufacturers make only vague, health-related claims, rather than claims related to specific diseases. Nonetheless, the 50-ppb ozone limit for medical devices is also the threshold used in the industry test.

Some manufacturers tacitly acknowledge that their ionizers create ozone and may pose risks. Brookstone's owner's manual suggests that “any person suffering from heart, lung, or respiratory illness should consult his or her physician before using this unit.” But that advice is buried deep in the manual's text.

The bottom line: Consumers Union believes that the CPSC should set indoor ozone limits for all air cleaners and mandate performance tests and labels disclosing the results. CU also believes that the Federal Trade Commission should take a close look at air-cleaner ads to determine whether they include unsubstantiated and deceptive claims.

In the meantime, we recommend avoiding ionizers that performed poorly or emitted significant ozone in our tests. “We can't guarantee safety at any ozone level, so it makes sense not to contaminate your living space,” says Jonathan Samet, M.D., chairman of the epidemiology department of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

[Sly Raskal]

Shaper Image vs Consumer Reports:

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Sharper Image pays $525,000 to end lawsuit against CU

Sharper Image Corp. has ended a product-disparagement lawsuit that it brought against Consumers Union, publisher of Consumer Reports, paying CU court-ordered attorneys’ fees and costs totaling $525,000.

Sharper Image sued after Consumer Reports judged the company’s Ionic Breeze Quadra air cleaner “ineffective” in an October 2003 report. A U.S. District Court dismissed the suit, ruling that Sharper Image had not shown our findings to be false. Because Sharper Image’s claims affected CR’s rights of free speech and press, the court ordered the company to pay our legal expenses. Sharper Image filed an appeal but later withdrew it, ending the legal action.

“Sharper Image’s decision to withdraw its appeal puts an end to a lawsuit that should never have been filed, over reviews that were truthful, carefully researched, and fairly stated,” said Jim Guest, president of Consumers Union. “This is a victory for every American concerned about the rights of an unbiased organization to test products independently, and to speak out in the interest of product performance and quality.”

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[chef chris]

I've seen more reports about how much vaccuming makes dust WORSE than better.

A simple trick I learned to cut down on dust:

Spray a thin coat of oil(even PAM cooking spray) on your heater filter...they make the specific oils if you want o buy them.

[M TYPE X]

Vaccums irritate my nasal passages. Sharper Image is all marketing and no go.

RESISTANCE IS FUTILE * BOW TO THE DUST!

[ccannizz11]

Considering you are a walking dust generator, M TYPE X is right.

something like 80% of all dust is dead skin cells, so unless you're exfoliating hourly, you are dust ball.

[SiGGy]

Originally Posted by chef chris

I've seen more reports about how much vaccuming makes dust WORSE than better.

A simple trick I learned to cut down on dust:

Spray a thin coat of oil(even PAM cooking spray) on your heater filter...they make the specific oils if you want o buy them.

Depends on your vacuum. Mine has a true hepa filter on it, so it actually helps clean the air when I vacuum.

Ya, if you have a cheap-o vacuum then your just stirring up the dust back into the air to be circulated.

It's pretty gross how much dead skin/dust/lint/cat hair we pickup every week we vacuum.

I also have a 8 merv air filter on the A/C unit. Makes a huge difference for my allergies.

Vacuuming weekly or bi-weekly with a good vacuum will make a HUGE difference.

People forget they shed dead skins cells all the time, which makes up most of the "dust" in the air.

[chef chris]

Originally Posted by SiGGy

Depends on your vacuum. Mine has a true hepa filter on it, so it actually helps clean the air when I vacuum.

One thing I can't stand about my vacuum...it's a bagless, pretty expensive model, HEPA filter, the works...but when I have to empty it, all the dust in the canister seems to come flying back out.

They need to make a device that captures that stuff on it's way to the trash can. I usually end up doing it outside.

[LLWesMan]

I don't give a rats ass what Consumer Reports has to say, I LOVE my Ionic Breeze. Last time I cleaned it I even found a few small bugs stuck to the rods! After about a week its coated in dust etc, to me, thats a lot of dust that isn't flying around my bedroom. You can get one on ebay for hella cheap from the Sharper Image outlet.

[doopstr]

<---- Thinks a good bagging vac is > canister.

Also, depending on the vac, having a HEPA filter might not mean anything. If the vacuum isn't a properly sealed system then the dust will just sneak out anyway.

[michimonster]

Why dont you just try dusting and vaccuuming more?

[Scrib]

Has consumer reports done an update on this? Curious what is the recommended unit these days.

[Sly Raskal]

Any HEPA based filtration system is good if you ask me. HEPA FTW!

I have a honeywell HEPA based purifier. Been working well for me for the last 2+ years.

Just be sure you get one that is strong enough for the room that it will be used in. they are all rated based on room size. In fact, what I may recommend is get one for a room that is slightly larger than the room it would be placed in.

Another option, for homeowners, is to buy a home air purification system. They are of course more expensive, but some are still HEPA based.

[Sly Raskal]

Originally Posted by doopstr

<---- Thinks a good bagging vac is > canister.

Also, depending on the vac, having a HEPA filter might not mean anything. If the vacuum isn't a properly sealed system then the dust will just sneak out anyway.

We've got a Eureka Canister type with a HEPA filter. Works pretty good for us. Some can leak though and that definitly defeats the purpose.

[65 Fury Convert]

I have the Honeywell 50250. It has a Hepa filter and it collects a lot of dust

[Sly Raskal]

^^^ that suckers huge!

I've got the 11250 or something like that.

What size room do you have it placed within?

[JLatimer]

Originally Posted by 65 Fury Convert

I have the Honeywell 50250. It has a Hepa filter and it collects a lot of dust

I have the same thing - it pretty much covers the entire main floor of our bungalow. Does wonders for my allergies.

Edit: my only complaint is that it is loud.

[jupitersolo]

We have two Mid size,Sharper Image air cleaners, they're a pain in the ass. During the winter when the humidifier is on the get dirty very fast. The make cracking noises, something like when a bug hits a outside bud light. They're a pain in the ass to clean. They say just rinsing them off. They have to be wiped down, each slot in just about a 1/4" wide.