Air Purifiers

I set out on a mission to figure out the most economical & effective way to purify my home air. I have known I should do this for some time now but really what made it a priority for me is #1 because I have had two almost back to back allergic reactions to my allergy shots--go figure, that require steroids and seem to have a negative impact on my lungs they reduced my dose in half and I come in twice as often. Unfortunately the shots are less effective that way so I have more allergy symptoms. The second one is that we have a damp basement and we have had torrential rains this year which leave the basement smelling musty/mildewy and having ABPA I know this is baaaddddd news. So, since we are on a budget and are better able to plan for large expenses like this I put a $500 place holder in teh budget thinking I wouldnt need it all and set out on my path to figure out what the 'best' deal was.

The way I started was I figured I would see what other CF'ers were using/recommending so off I went to the two main sites I use/have used and using the search function looked up old threads. Then I did some research on each of those. The main points I was looking at were: cost, efficiency, filter/upkeep require and costs associated, how big of an area it covered/how many I would need to buy, HEPA or 'other', what other consumers rated it or said problems with it were. I also wanted to know in addition to trapping particulates if they could kill/remove mold, chemical contaminants, and/or smells i.e. two dogs.

The ones I found recomended are below along with some basic review facts I found on epinions, NA means noone had rated it. *these are all hepa*

MODEL--------------------COST ---SQ.FT-- LBS--STARS-- 1'COMPLAING---Notes
whirlpool whispure510-----250 ----510 -----26 ----4.5------ size
honeywell 50250------ ----160 -----375 -----21 ----4.5------ loud/size
Bionaire -------------------70 -----168----- 14-----3.5------- quality/noise
Austin Air (baby breathe) -135------700-----12----NA -------------------------*has carbon
Honeywell 1700S -----------121 -------------------------------------------------*has carbon
IQ Air Health Pro ----------750----1000---------------------------------- *0.01micron HEPA


At this point in my research I was reading just enough to make my head spin based on OPO 'other people's opinions' I decided to do some research for myself like...........and I was pretty sure I had figured out that the best job could not be done by the most economical or 'best' deal unfortunately it appeared you got what you paid for--darn!

what exactly is 'hepa'
how many microns is 'normal' (its 0.3) and why does IQ do 0.01
what type of carbon material is used and is it really doing anything?
if a larger sq.ft is 'claimed' what if its two rooms then will it still only do one room?

I found a site where they describe what they do for independent 3rd party evaluation of air purifiers and it goes into great detail explaining alot about the industry and things to think about when buying an air purifier that I never thought of. I woudl HIGHLY recommend reading it here:http://forum.allergyconsumerreview.com/2008/01/22/how-we-rate-and-compare-home-air-purifiers/

here is an even more detailed article but might be overkill for most:
http://www.allergyconsumerreview.com/airpurifiers-information.html

and there are a TON of other great articles here (scroll down to where it says "best articles and charts on air purifiers"):http://www.allergyconsumerreview.com/air-purifiers-guide.html



Ultimately I decided to fork over the extra money (double what I had intended) to do the job right. I decided on two things and hope to get a second purifier for our second floor next eyar.

#1: We are getting a mold DESTROYER specifically for my basement. It uses very little electricity, has no fans etc to get clogged up in a dusty musty basement and uses a heated ceramic core to destroy everything that flows through it. It uses the natural flow of the room so takes like 3 weeks to get to optimum effectiveness but thats fine by me. http://www.allergybuyersclubshopping.com/af-ap-airfree-air-purifiers.html

#2: IQ Air Health Pro Plus. IQ are the 'cadillac' of the air purifier world and come with the associated price tag unfortunately. I did my research and I think its worth it, when it comes to my health. Also they come with a warranty and the longevity of these machines is PHENOMENAL it will outlive something that costs 1/2 or a 1/4 of its price by far and do a better job. I cant say I didnt have anxiety over the sticker shock I did but that is why I did the research. Also the filter replacement costs are greatly reduced compared to its competitors because each filter is separate. The one I bought has the 'real deal' carbon filter which is separate from the pre filter (which extends life of the others) which is separate from teh hepa. ALot of the ones out there have them all in one so you have to replace the hepa prematurely if you want the carbon to work etc etc.
http://www.allergybuyersclubshopping.com/iqair.html

I also bought my machines from the allergy buyers club, I like that they have someone chatting 24.7 that can help if need be and they were very helpful honestly. I couldnt beat the price on the internet, I could buy it from amazon etc but they have a top notch reputation, return, warranty etc etc program.

NOW I just cant wait to GET MY MACHINE!!

My plan is to have it just outside my bedroom so it can do the bedroom and the living room (where the dogs sleep). The sq.ft is only 'true' if you have it on high all the time, if I did do that then it would technically cover the downstairs which is all open except our bedroom so that would be cool. I plan to move our bedroom upstairs soon, the upstairs is smaller so then it would be our bedroom, the hallway (where dogs sleep when we 'live' upstairs), Lillians room, and the bathroom (good for my hairspray habit etc).

I will be sure to post back what I think. Let me know if you read the articles and decide to get a purifier.

oh and PS my 3nd choice was allens air