Air Purifier - new apartment (HEPA filter, humidifier, pools, windows)

[hartford_renter]

Hi,

I just moved into a new apartment, but the problem is that the air is really dusty. Has anyone bought an air purifier, because I was considering getting one.

I'm curious what type did you get, and how well did it work?

Thanks

[JayCT]

I am moving this over to the House Board. there may be more people there that can respond. Jay

[photobuff42]

Make sure it is a real hepa filter. It makes a difference. Make sure you get one that is designed to clean the size of the room you want to use it in.

[widecanyon]

The best allergies HEPA air purifier I have been able to find is the [URL="http://www.airfiltersandpurifiers.com/allergy-machine.html"]Austin Air Allergy Machine HEGA Air Purifier[/URL]. I had some Whirpools at one point and a couple of other different brands, but they didn't really work specifically for my allergies.

Carol

[BellaBear]

An air purifier will really help with dust problems, if you get a good one. Like others said HEPA is the best. The purifier that I know worked best for a bad dust problem is the BlueAir- any size. My cousin had tons of dust from a remodel job in her home and she used the BlueAir 402 to clean her bedroom air and while dust was piling up on furniture around her house, in the bedroom there was none! Here is a list of top quality air purifiers- BlueAir is on the list. [url=http://www.air-purifiers-humidifiers.com/best-air-purifier.html]Best Air Purifier - Top Rated Air Purifiers, Cleaners[/url]

[AirPurifierGuide]

Hi hartford,

I bought an IQAir HealthProPlus for my bedroom after doing a lot of research. I was primarily concerned with removing allergens that cause my chronic rhinitis (stuffy nose). This particular model claims actually to filter out smaller particles than HEPA filters and uses laser particle counters on the air to substantiate the claims. So far, I have really liked it and it has helped control my symptoms (not cure them though).

Actually if dust alone is your main concern, this is what I recommend from my research:

1) Frequent vacuuming - dust particles can be heavy and often settle to surfaces, thus not remaining in the air column long enough to be filtered by air purifiers. Frequent vacuuming with a good vacuum (HEPA filter or not), will really help get the dust off the surfaces.

2) Remove carpets - I know this can be expensive and impractical, but if you can, remove carpets since they trap a lot of dust.

3) Air purifiers - actually for dust you don't need HEPA filtration since HEPA is designed to filter really small particles and dust is larger so HEPA is overkill. Believe it or not, HEPA-type filters are fine for dust. If you want to filter smaller particles like common allergens (different pollen types down to dust mite feces etc.) then HEPA is what you want.

Types for air purifiers:

1) Stay far away from ozone generators. They are banned in the state of California and not recommended by the EPA. Any amount of ozone can damage lungs.

2) Electrostatic precipitators can cause small amounts of ozone. For dust, I think an air purifier with a strong fan, good construction to avoid air leakage, and HEPA type or HEPA filters are great.

3) Make sure you get one big enough for the room you want to put it in. Probably better to get one rated for a larger room than where you want it - sometimes manufacturers pad the numbers. This will ensure your air purifier can actually filter effectively the amount of air in that room.

4) Check the clean air delivery rate. Not all manufacturers are apart of this testing standard, but this supposedly measures the ability of an air purifier to filter dust, smoke, and pollen. They get different ratings for each of those. The higher the number the better.

I've put together a page on Clean Air Delivery Rate here along with a table of the most recent tested models at the end of the page - [url=http://www.airpurifierguide.org/faq/cadr]What are CADR Ratings and How Do They Work? - Air Purifier Guide[/url]

As mentioned, BlueAir is a good brand along with IQAir and Austin Air. Those brands tend to produce the more expensive models. For cheapies, check the Clean Air Delivery Rate page and be mindful of how often you need to buy filters. Some times manufacturers make a cheap model to get a good CADR score but then make the money back on how often you have to buy filters which can get expensive.

If you really want to get some good, unbiased info on air purifiers, also check the report from the Environmental Protection Agency - [url]http://www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/residair.html[/url]

There is a lot of info there but you can skip to certain sections like "Portable Air Cleaners - Available Evidence for Their Usefulness" - [url]http://www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/residair.html#Portable_Air_Cleaners_-_Available_Evidence_of_Their_Usefulness[/url]

[K'ledgeBldr]

My first thought would be-"why is the air so dusty?"
If you can eliminate the source of the dust- you shouldn't need a purifier.

[AirPurifierGuide]

Often those that live in apartments have limited control over sources of pollution.

1) Can't remove carpets
2) No control over central heating (if it exists, especially in older buildings)
3) Can't remove pollution sources in other parts of the building
4) Sometimes can't increase ventilation due to living in inner city with lots of outdoor pollution

What you can control:

1) Frequency of vacuuming
2) Opening windows to increase ventilation (if this is feasible)
3) Getting rid of dust sources like old furniture and clothing etc.
4) Air purification (if desired)

Again, I put vacuuming (including walls, ceilings, tops of shelves, anywhere that harbors dust) as one of the most cost effective and overlooked means of dust control. It is time consuming and sometimes a pain, but effective if you have a good vacuum.

[K'ledgeBldr]

I'm not a teacher, nor do I need to be taught too.
I offer advice, a experience based on many years of residential construction and real estate buying and selling.
The intent of my statement is based on the habitability of the residence.
Under most state law, there is an implied warranty of habitability; that is, a landlord not only must deliver residential rental property to the tenant in a habitable condition, but they remain responsible for maintaining the property in a habitable condition during the term of the lease.

"Habitability" is typically defined in local housing codes. It is usually defined as the minimum standard for decent, safe, sanitary housing suitable for residential purposes ( does excessive dust fall under that description? I don't know- I have no reason to read CT law).

Most counties and/or municipalities have local housing codes. The codes are local ordinances or laws that require owners of real property, including representing agents of; to maintain the property and make any necessary repairs. These codes typically require that any residential rental property offered by a landlord must meet the minimum standards established in the code.

[BigJon3475]

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sourc...Xe_xFw&cad=rja