Hey guys, lately at my apartment my asthma has been getting pretty bad as well as my allergies. I've considered getting a nice air purifier in the past, but never taken the time to actually try and find out how much one would really help out. Anyone here with asthma/allergies care to share how much of a difference, if any, a nice air purifier has made. FYI -- My allergies and asthma are predominately triggered by smoke, dust, pollen, and cats.

1/7/2006 11:50:55 PM

start with getting the filters in your a/c and heat vents replaced, your landlord has to supply them to you unless otherwise stipulated.

1/7/2006 11:51:52 PM

eugenics.

kill yourself.

1/7/2006 11:57:32 PM

Do not get the one from sharper image. They don't do shit.

1/8/2006 12:03:19 AM

get some 3M air filters at Home depot, kinda think bumpy ridged ~15 dollars.

1/8/2006 12:28:50 AM

^The $9-15 3M air filters are expensive, but I've found them to be worth it... especially if you start trying to put a monetary value on one or two fewer cases of sinusitis a year, an Rx or two, maybe allergy meds, using less Albuterol or something... Plus, I generally feel healthier (I'm not asthmatic), but after I moved out of a mold-infested apt. I have way less allergy trouble and don't need meds all the time. I didn't have those filters there. I've worked in a hardware store my whole life and I've heard a lo of ppl echo that.

1/8/2006 3:23:20 PM

I agree, get the 3M ones in the Purple wrapping, they have the highest rating. They are electrostatically charged and trap all sorts of pollen/dust/dander/smoke. Plus they last for about 3 months, so the cost isn't that much more. The difference is amazing, I also have asthma, and I can't live without them.

1/8/2006 4:39:32 PM

ionic breeze from sharper image - theyre awesome

1/8/2006 4:55:37 PM

^see what i mean. mainly the people who blow money on those care more about the style and placebo effect. rjr is the kind of person who probably hasnt done a single bit of research.

do not buy the ionic breeze, they move no air, and they remove virtually nothing compared to other fan/hepa types, or good 3M filters that go in your walls.

[Edited on January 8, 2006 at 5:26 PM. Reason : -]

1/8/2006 5:25:52 PM

Quote :

"do not buy the ionic breeze, they move no air"

they move air!
granted, you have to put your hand right on the output to feel it, but they move air

[Edited on January 8, 2006 at 6:02 PM. Reason : .]

1/8/2006 6:02:06 PM

I have your identical problem, but perhaps not to the same degree. I had an air purifier growing up and never noticed a bit of difference, but it made it hella hard to sleep, those things are friggin loud. I just kinda suck it up and ignore my allergies and asthma, learned to overcome it.

1/8/2006 6:23:52 PM

Quote :

"^see what i mean. mainly the people who blow money on those care more about the style and placebo effect. rjr is the kind of person who probably hasnt done a single bit of research. do not buy the ionic breeze, they move no air, and they remove virtually nothing compared to other fan/hepa types, or good 3M filters that go in your walls."

hahaha

1. my parents are the ones who bought them, cause my family has bad allergies
2. youve OBVIOUSLY never cleaned one. i have.

[Edited on January 8, 2006 at 6:55 PM. Reason : and i havent had to do any research on them, since i havent been looking to buy one]

1/8/2006 6:54:23 PM

just becuase they collect some crap doesnt mean they arent vastly inferior to real air purifiers. you can find anecdotal evidence that anything helps allergies/asthma.

they sell them for $500 and they cost 20x to make. its a scam.

[Edited on January 8, 2006 at 7:46 PM. Reason : -]

1/8/2006 7:44:44 PM

hey wait a minute, hepa air filters and fan-less air purifiers like the ionic breeze are totally different. only an idiot would think that they are comprable.

1/8/2006 7:50:31 PM

you mean 1/20th that to make?

1/8/2006 8:04:00 PM

....they both purify air but they are TOTALLY DIFFERENT. sounds like good logic.


^20x less i meant to say.

1/8/2006 8:12:02 PM

Recent Consumer Reports on air filters found that the Ionic Breeze did essentially nothing. Its all just great marketing, a late night informercial with a stylish and hip store-front.

1/9/2006 12:41:26 AM

ionic breezes are bad for you

1/9/2006 12:42:44 AM

get one of the vicks purifiers
available at your local grocery or drugstore

1/9/2006 1:42:39 AM

most important, seal the air leaks in the room you are putting the air filter in. renew or replace the weatherstripping on the doors and windows (this costs very little money - <$10), put expanding foam in the larger areas/around door frames and window gaps. then you'll be cleaning the air only in your room.

check the humidity in your room with a humidistat. you can get them most anywhere for plants, cigar boxes, weather stations, etc... too dry air will exacerbate allergy and other respiratory conditions/make your more vulnerable to viruses and crap.

get the highest quality air purifier you can afford that will move the most air. find ones that have a large activated carbon filter in front of the main filter (it'll trap odors/gases and act as a pre-filter). you can also put a fine metal/plastic screen in front of the carbon filter to act as a pre-pre-filter if there is room. it will make the carbon filter last longer.

get better furnace filters, such as the 3M or DuPont Platinum series filters. btw, they don't last 3 months. it says under light/normal conditions they COULD last 3 months, but to check the filter often. it's often a way to get you to pay more for it. they don't guarantee it.

the more loaded the filter is, the more energy it'll take to pull air through it. that also goes for the higher quality/more restrictive air filters. the thicker/more they filter = more resistance. it pays to keep watch on your filters.

that's why the MERV ratings are higher. it's a trade off.

usually the more you pay, the greater dirt-holding capacity it has/the finer it filters.

i can't say this enough, dust often.

get a vacuum with HEPA filtration if you have carpet. it's made the most difference with me.

[Edited on January 9, 2006 at 4:07 AM. Reason : eh]

1/9/2006 4:03:47 AM

thank you for reminding me to change my filter when i go home today

1/9/2006 12:37:31 PM

You can buy a lot of damn air filters for $500. BTW on the expanding foam... "Great Stuff" is great... but DO NOT get it on you. Nothing short of acetone will get it off. You will have pine rosin on your hands for a week.

1/9/2006 12:43:20 PM

^^np

1/9/2006 3:06:19 PM

from consumer reports..
(I bought the Whirlpool and love it.)

1 Friedrich C-90B
$500 EP $40 $80
2 Kenmore (Sears) 83202 83200, Whirlpool AP51030R
350 F 90 220
3 Whirlpool AP45030R
250 F 69 130
4 Honeywell 50250 50251
180 F 124 157
5 Vornado AQS35
200 F 133 43
6 Blueair 501
500 F 55 176
7 Hunter QuietFlo 30401
230 F 127 120
8 Holmes Harmony HAP750-U
160 F 67 105
9 Bionaire Galileo BAP1250-U
200 F 67 102
10 LakeAir Maxum Electronic Air Cleaner

Quote :

"An air cleaner that does little cleaning Our latest tests show that the Sharper Image Ionic Breeze Professional with OzoneGuard is as ineffective as earlier versions and, unlike most room air cleaners, emits ozone as a byproduct. Based on its poor performance, we do not recommend it. Sharper Image began offering its Professional Series air cleaners with the new OzoneGuard catalyst in July 2005 as Consumer Reports' October report on air cleaners went to press. Our air-cleaning tests show that the Ionic Breeze with OzoneGuard does a poor job of removing smoke, dust, and pollen particles from the air when new and after 500 hours of continuous use. We consider any air cleaner with a clean air delivery rate (CADR) of under 100 to be ineffective; CADR values for the Ionic Breeze were consistently in the 20s for dust and smoke and in the 30s for pollen. Indeed, our highest-rated air cleaner removed particles from the air roughly 20 times faster than the Ionic Breeze Professional. Ozone is also a concern, especially for people with asthma and respiratory allergies, which ozone can aggravate. While earlier versions of the Ionic Breeze significantly exceeded the ozone limit in the voluntary, industry-standard Underwriters Laboratory test, the Ionic Breeze with OzoneGuard still adds ozone to the air, measuring just within the test limit. The bottom line: The Sharper Image Ionic Breeze Professional with OzoneGuard does little to clean the air. If you own one, try returning it for a refund. Also remember that even the best air cleaner may be a questionable investment, since there's little medical evidence that air cleaners alone reduce the effects of indoor pollutants for those with asthma and allergies. "

1/9/2006 4:32:59 PM