To anyone who knows anything about air purifiers

[Terminator X]

I have been having what I think may be a combination of seasonal hay fever combined with far worse allergies than I am used to (usually fits of very intense sneezing.)

I am convinced that although this is not an allergy from my dog, or anything strange about my diet, I am definately not convinced that silt and dirt, and that kind of stuff, stormed up from local construction has nothing to do with it...

If anyone has ever bought an air purifier before, who knows a brand/model that may be able to be found on a good discount, uh, ...air purifier store... online, share the wealth of knowledge, pretty-please!onetwo.

- The Termite

[crazymage]

yeh let us know i havent been able to breathe out of my nose since 2003 and i refuse to believe its puppys fault.

[Artha]

Don't buy those ionizer air things that Sharper Image sells...they don't work.

[DeV]

Try the Sharper Image. They have some really good air purifiers.

[DeV]

Originally posted by Artha
Don't buy those ionizer air things that Sharper Image sells...they don't work. Which one did you get because mine works wonders. I was using one that plugged into the wall from Target and tried one of the higher ends from Sharper Image and there was really no comparison.

[Warriorbird]

They don't do a damn thing for me but give me nosebleeds. The best solution tends to be moving.

[Terminator X]

Originally posted by Warriorbird
They don't do a damn thing for me but give me nosebleeds. The best solution tends to be moving.

I've been in pretty arid climates before, hot and cold, but have not had an entirely tremendous kind of problem with respect to dryness.

If there is an air purifier that can suck every single water molecule out of the surrounding air, I'm cool with that, as long as it gets rid of other dust particles :cool2:

[Warriorbird]

Then I'd reccommend something above the bottom of the line ones. I just queried my much more allergic to stuff than me cousin and he says that he rents one occassionally which is much cheaper than buying something high end.

[Edited on 9-2-2005 by Warriorbird]

[DeV]

Originally posted by Warriorbird
They don't do a damn thing for me but give me nosebleeds. Fellow nosebleed sufferer here as well. For this reason I really had no problems with the moisture in the air, but having a puppy changed all that. Have you ever checked into seeing if any of the veins in your nose need cauterization? I haven't had one since I had the procedure done. :knock on wood:

[Artha]

Which one did you get because mine works wonders. I was using one that plugged into the wall from Target and tried one of the higher ends from Sharper Image and there was really no comparison.
I recall reading it in a Consumer Reports.

Did a quick google check.

Consumer Reports calls air purifier 'unhealthy' (http://msnbc.msn.com/id/7391185/)
Then apparently Sharper Image sued them for libel and lost.

[DeV]

Those must be the ones that come with ozone guards now.

[Tromp]

I read the same consumer reports issue... hey I have two Sharper Image Purifiers I'll sell ya. They are sitting in my closet. Oh and I have one of those Alpine Air models. I'll sell ya that one as well.

[Edited on 9-2-2005 by Tromp]

[Electrawn]

I have one of those RadioShack Honeywell Environizers, same principle as the Sharper Image ones...$200 less.

Neither work as claimed. The Consumer Reports issue is on the ball.

40$ small air filter systems beat the $400 POS Sharper Image thing in that CR test.


My first suggestion? CHANGE THE FURNACE FILTER EVERY MONTH!
Don't use those cheap .25 cent furnace filters either, use those $5 dust devil branded hepa ones.

[DeV]

http://www.tryfreshair.com/airproducts.asp

And don't pay over $200.00 or anywhere close for an air purifier. That's insane. I paid around 70 bucks for mine and it is also the smaller kind that sits on a desk. It is a huge step up from the target brand one I previously used which cost around 40 bucks and it's still within a reasonable price range. Smaller seems to be better.

[Terminator X]

Too late.

I was just suckered into a buy one, get one half-off on a "cheaper" Ionic Breeze model at The Sharper Image's website.

I purchased a warrantee, but more importantly, there's a decent return policy for most of the products that I saw, so hopefully if I do do not notice a significant difference in my indoor allergies being downtoned, I could always go through the process of being refunded.

I'll let ..you.. know how it goes :beer:

[Skirmisher]

Originally posted by DeV
Which one did you get because mine works wonders. I was using one that plugged into the wall from Target and tried one of the higher ends from Sharper Image and there was really no comparison.

Hey, as long as it works for you keep it going. :)

I know that they received poor marks when tested though(consumer reports i think it was that Artha posted) and my mother tried one herself and returned it in days as it seemed quite ineffective. They have a more traditional Honywell I think is the brand now and it works well. I can't tell you about filter costs though.

[Skirmisher]

Originally posted by Artha
[quote]Which one did you get because mine
I recall reading it in a Consumer Reports.

Did a quick google check.

Consumer Reports calls air purifier 'unhealthy' (http://msnbc.msn.com/id/7391185/)
Then apparently Sharper Image sued them for libel and lost.

God I love Consumer Reports.

[crazymage]

http://www.honeywellpurifiers.com/platinum-air-hepa-air-purifier-40100.shtml

just ordered that one

[Skirmisher]

http://www.honeywellpurifiers.com/honeywell-quietcare-hepa-air-cleaner-17000.shtml

Thats the one my parents use and it seems to work quite well.

[Showal]

The honeywell one works well, it's a little loud. I did about 3 months of research on air filters before purchasing mine. If you have a decent health insurance, you can get a referal from your PCP and get an appointment with an allergist. For 15 bucks, I got an allergy test and I'm getting allergy shots once a month. It starts at once a week for a while, but at once a month, it's easy. My allergies were uncontrollable before this. I'm really good now. The allergy shots was the cheapest most noticeable improvement I've made. I got a kenmore one from sears. Cost me 300 bucks, but I have a huge room so I needed it. You need to make sure it's a true hepa filter and does at least 6 air changes per hour, for your room size. If you have a smaller room, you can get away with a smaller cheaper one. Mine has all sorts of flashy gadgets with it. It has dust and odor sensors and will adjust the flow accordingly. I use that setting when I'm sleeping but I keep it running on full when I am not home. The combination of the shots and the filter have truly changed my ability to cope at home.

You are probably allergic to dust mites. It's one of the most common allergies. Mold is a common allergy too and no matter how clean/new a house is, it has mold. A dehumidifier will also help a lot. Keep the humidity in your room below 50% and the dust mites can't breed, essentially limiting your exposure to them. Keep your room vacuumed from there on. There are also a number of mattress and pillow covers that will prevent dust mites from migrating from the fabrics through the cover and to you.

There's a number of helpful articles on www.homeenv.com , it's a store near me. These people will buy all sorts of allergy products and test them in their store so they don't have to suggest products to you through manufacturer's claims. The website's produt listing is pretty bare compared to the store, but a lot of the laundry additives work miracles as well. The Allergy spray they have works really well if you have carpets in your bedroom and the de-mite is for your sheets.

The trick is to give yourself a safe area, the smartest place for this is your bedroom. You should have no carpets (which I am stuck with) and as few surfaces (tables, desks, etc) as possible. Also the placement of any air cleaners truly matters.

I'm not going to write anymore, but I have learned a lot on this subject and have been keeping my allergies at bay for a while now. U2U me or IM me if you got any questions.

[Showal]

Showal's Air Cleaner (http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.do?BV_UseBVCookie=Yes&vertical=APPL&pid=03 285500000)

[Back]

Ha, I HAD an air purifier, until it was so mucked up with crap it wouldn’t run anymore.

I’m guessing you keep the windows open like I like to do. I’m also going to guess its more of a humidity problem than an air pollutant one. AC is great for drying out the humidity. If you don’t have AC then maybe a de-humidifier is what you need?

[Showal]

AC's are cheaper initially than dehumidifiers but dehumidifiers are cheaper to run. Dehumidifiers will also raise the temperature in your room. My best suggestion is still to go see a doctor, but the dehumidifiers will help.

[Terminator X]

I've had my piece of crap air conditioner running way more than it should for around the past two or so weeks since I started noticing that my allergies were quite more intense than my norm. I cleaned it out an hour ago for the first time in probably a lot more than a year. I think it clogged my shower's piping :blush:

Another thing, which sucks, is that I remember that when I went to contract on my current apartment, one of the specific fine-print issues was that every square inch of any given resident's floor had to be covered in carpeting. Since I'm not going to stomp my lead-soled boots deliberately through the floor into the studio below me, I'm pretty sure that I can get away with prying off and rolling up my current carpet, followed by its prompt fiery disintegration ...or at least wrapping it up in layers of plastic tarp... (I'm not really sure as to whether or whether not I should do this behind my landlady's back.) Using wood cleaner and a mop would be a lot easier than cleaning out this trashy mat anyway.

I don't really know if this is the common dust mite allergy, but I've always toughed it out when it starts kicking in early September. For whatever reason though, at 20 years of age, it seems greatly exacerbated for X reason. I had an allergy medication prescribed to me when I think I was like fifteen or sixteen, and it gave me a nasty jazzed up feeling, so I didn't really follow through with it. But yeah, tomorrow I have to call in about this crap since I have the time to do so, yeah.

[Wezas]

http://forum.gsplayers.com/viewthread.php?tid=11121

[Skirmisher]

Aha! It was Wezas with the CR info last time, oops. :blush:

[Terminator X]

Thanks, Wezas.

If this really ends up sucking shit, what is the sucking shit timeframe?

How soon after I plug these in should I expect, relatively, to notice a difference?

[Showal]

The time frame? Honestly? Give it one day, at the most. Put it close to your bed. If you don't notice a clear difference, get rid of it.

That friedrich c-90a one that was in the other thread is supposed to be amazing ... if you have 500 bucks to spend on an air cleaner.

Look on craigslist for air purifiers in your area. Ask how long it has been since they've changed the HEPA filter. If it's over 6 months, replace it. Keep in mind these filters can get rather expensive, but no where near the price you paid for the sharper image one. I'm always up to look at new air cleaners. If I see a good deal on one, I'd grab it in a heart beat even though I have 2 running in my room. Only one I think is worth anything and the other one is mainly there to make noise, but it helps.

[Hulkein]

I too get allergy shots.

Get a referral to the allergist, let them test you for what you're allergic to, and if they recommend shots, take them up on the offer.

They work great after you get them for a couple months. Basically, if you start getting shots now, next spring/summer allergy season will barely even bother you.

[Showal]

I dont even have to pay a copay when I go in for my shots. Like I said, $15 once and it's been almost a year. It's a miracle being able to breathe out of both nostrils at once, a sensation I was unable to experience for the first 23 years of my life.

[Showal]

Oh yeah, and sorry to say it ... you're going to return that sharper image filter.

And don't be tricked that you paid such and such and so it's gotta be good. Actually think, "do I feel $250 better?"

[Terminator X]

Alright.