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By Mac Mess

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Allergies Affect Millions of Americans, but Air Purifiers Can Help Improve Indoor Environments

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Do you know an over 35 millions Americans suffer from seasonal and perennial nasal allergies? We all enjoy the arrival of spring after a long winter but for allergy sufferers across the U.S., pollen from trees, weeds and grasses can trigger allergy symptoms but indoor air may not be any better which can be filled with pet dander, dust mites, mold, bad odor and other allergens. To help consumers reduce airborne allergens, Kaz, Inc., makers of Honeywell Air Purifiers, offers three easy steps you can take to improve your indoor environment and reduce the presence of allergens inside your home:

1. Take off your shoes when get in home, take off your shoes before entering the house to prevent tracking in pollen, mold spores and other outdoor allergens at least take it out before get in to your bedroom.

2. Think Spring cleaning, that is a thorough spring cleaning can help rid your home of outdoor air pollutants that creep into your home and it'll reduce indoor pollutants as well. Be sure to use a vacuum with a HEPA filter inside on rugs and hardwood floors, wash bedding and curtains frequently, scrub bathrooms and fix moisture leaks to eliminate mold and mildew and clean mini blinds and shades with an electrostatically-charged cloth to trap dust or use a vacuum attachment designed for dusting and don't forget to wipe-off your pets after being outside to reduce dander and outdoor pollutants that stick or gather on their fur.

3. Keep the windows and doors closed and air purifiers running on. Keep your windows closed to keep outdoor pollutants out of your home come in. Consumers may use portable air purifiers with HEPA filters in rooms where they spend the most time such as the bedroom and the living areas like family room, living room, den or home office. Effective air purifiers, such as Honeywell air purifiers, eliminate at least 99% of airborne pollutants that pass through their filters, capturing common allergens such as dust, pollen, pet dander and smoke. Some Honeywell air purifiers can also be effective at fighting germs such as bacteria, viruses, mold spores and fungi. Portable air purifiers support air circulation in a room, usually several times per hour helping to reduce stuffy, stale air.

Lastly, Honeywell air purifiers have received "Best Buy" ratings in the categories by Consumers Digest magazine. Honeywell air purifiers can affordable, integrate attractively into any home decor, feature advanced technology, are simple to clean and are quiet. Most feature permanent washable or vacuum able filters eliminating expensive filter replacement costs and reducing landfill waste. And some Honeywell air purifiers are even Energy Star-rated and can be operated for the same cost as a 40-watt light bulb!

By Mac Mess

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Honeywell 50250 99.97% Pure HEPA Round Air Purifier






Product Description
The True HEPA filter can removes 99.97% of all airborne particlesfrom the air passing through the filter such as pollen, cat dander, odor, household dust, some of tobacco and mold spores

Product Features
- Round air purifier or larger rooms approximately 390 square feet
- Permanent True HEPA filter removes 99.97% of common airborne pollutants which smaller than 0.3 microns
- Glass fiber HEPA material helps to remove airborne particles, viruses and bacteria
360 degree airflow with 3 speeds and carbon pre-filter
- Measures 18 by 18 by 19 inches
- 5 year limited warranty

Our customer review
I recommend this air cleaner
I've suffered from allergies all of my life especially the last few years, they have gotten progressively worse. Last year, I lived in an apartment over two chain smokers and was constantly congested. I started researching about air purifiers because my medications weren't helping enough on their own. I ended up deciding on this unit for my living room, dining area, a Hamilton Beach 04163 for my bedroom and another Hamilton Beach 04163 to go on the other side of my living room as well since the living room and dining area and kitchen was all together and not separated by doors and was too large an area for only one cleaner to handle efficiently. I've been very satisfied with this unit. I got it since December 2004 and it has not given me any problems at all. I have had to change the pre-filters a few times but haven't yet had to change the HEPA filter. I like the way this system has what it calls Intellicheck which lets you know when it's time for the filters to be changed, as well as the way that it has the 360 degree airflow technology. The unit looks kind of like a barrel so that the clean air flows out of the top all around it. I don't notice a cleaner air smell like I have heard people talk about but I can definitely tell a difference in my allergy symptoms when I am running my air cleaners or not. And when I put my Hamilton Beach air cleaner in the living room which has an auto setting that detects the air quality. It had the air rated as being good from the beginning which I believe is due to the Honeywell 50250 which had been running 24/7 a few days prior to that since the Hamilton Beach air cleaner in my room had the air quality as poor when I turned it on the auto setting. I still have to take my allergy medications that I was prescribed, but there is a definite differences between when I just take the medication and when I take the medication and use the air cleaners. Lastly, I hope my review can helps. I also like the fact that it has a carrying handle at the top, and I don't interrupt about noisy from it. The replacement pre-filters are easy to find for this unit. The HEPA filter seems a little harder to find in retail stores but it doesn't have to be replaced as often so it is not too bad.

By Mac Mess

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IQAir AM GCX Air Cleaner

Product Description
IQ Air has over 40 years experience and technological capability providing the highest caliber solutions. IQ Air supplies professional grade products for medical and commercial sectors, homes and offices, applying the same principles for all customers to suite your satisfy.

Product Features
- Each unit certified from the factory
- Advanced gas and odor removal
- Remote control
- Six fan speeds and Integrated timer
- 5-year manufacturer warranty

Our Customer Reviews
It is a real filter, not science fiction like Ionic devices
There is no magical, silent, super-energy efficient way to REALLY clean air and cheap price. PERIOD. There are only measured compromises.
The IQAir is the absolute best air cleaner available to the public right now. It makes a bit of noise, but very, very little for the massive volume of air. It uses a bit of electricity, but it takes power to pump air through such absolutely, ridiculously, fabulously purifying multi-stage filters. THINK about it carefully.
The filters seem expensive but THEY AREN'T. The filters last a stupefyingly long time. They are huge and thick everything they need to be, to stop greater than 99% of .003 micron particulates and the huge 0.3 micron particules that make the filters HEPA certified. Just try to picture the difference--a thousand times smaller. That's like the difference in size between a b-b and a 15 foot diameter ball. If you spend a bit more, you will get a gas filtering too. Spend a little more and get yourself a cleanroom certified IQAir, if you need it.
An IQAir Healthpro Plus just saved my wife and me from suffered while several brush fires over the past a few years ago have lapped at our neighborhood. Before having the IQAir, we both suffered gravely whenever brush fires were anywhere within 50 miles.
After two years of us raving about our IQAir, our next door neighbors who are asthma sufferers sought refuge in our home during the last fire which was a couple miles upwind and within sight of our house. One evening of easy breathing was enough to convince the cheapskates to pony up for an IQAir.

Great product
I have two IQ Air purifiers in my home.This Prefilter is manufactured specifically for the machine. I have had the purifiers for 3 years now and I am very pleased with the quality of IQAir. The purifiers should last for decades. When they finally reach the end of their life I would purchase another from the same company.

The pre-filter allows the IQAir's other filters to last longer
The IQAir tells you when to change the filters and the less expensive pre-filter allows the more expensive filters to last longer. I love my IQAir very much.

By Mac Mess

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Surround Air MULTI-TECH Intelli-Pro Intelligent Air Purifer

(You save $180 for this item)

Product Description
Most of complete air purifier in the market, Outstanding other highly rated air purifiers, 6 air cleaning methods (Prefilter, Electrostatic grid, Carbon odor filter, HEPA filter, Anti-bacterial UV lamp, Exhaust ionizer), 5 fan speeds, Cleans rooms up to 650 square feet, 106 CFM maximum airflow, 15 lbs., Up to 8 hour timer, 3 year parts and labor warranty.

Product Features
- Odor, dust and allergen sensors let you know how well the air is being cleaned and it's on working process also automatically adjust settings accordingly
- Diagnostic sensors indicate when to replace filters, and when to clean the dust collector grid.
- The UV light and negative ion indicators shown status that these functions are working, and indicate when the UV lamp needs to be replaced.
- Electrostatically charged dust collection grid traps particles and pollutants like a magnet. Easy to wipe clean when dirty. Long-lasting, high-efficiency HEPA filter: most effective way to capture dust and allergens. Activated carbon filter traps chemicals, gases, dander and odors.
- Germicidal UV lamp kills micro organisms. Air-cleaning negative ions are circulated throughout the room. Completely safe which no ozone release, and scientifically proven to enhance filter efficiency.

Our customer reviews
Far outperforms muich more expensive units..simple to clean
This air purifier completely outperforms those costing hundreds more. It is quiet, efficient and effective. I've had mine for about two years and I love it. Simply for cleaning. Order the filters from the manufacturer (Surround Air) to avoid problems that a prior reviewer has indicated getting the wrong filters.

Fantastic!!!
I've had a lot of different air purifiers in the last 25 years and this, by far is the best on the market. I keep it on low speed. When my kitties use their litter box, it goes on high for several seconds then goes back to low light; I laugh everytime that I heard it. No more dust particles floating in the air either! I also bought a smaller one for my bedroom and and love it too. I will never go back to any of the other brands and plan on buying a third one for another part of my home. LOVE IT, LOVE IT, LOVE IT!!!

By Mac Mess

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Are you breathing pollution in your Home?



Recently, the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) now suggests that the air pollution existing surrounding today in the US raises the risk of lung disease to a point where more than half of the US population is breathing unhealthy amounts of air pollution . And more than 50 million Americans seem to be suffering from allergies and more than 20 million battle with asthma. It is such a thing as Sick Building Syndrome in the big city, a worldwide phenomenon, when chemical substances used in office construction such as glue, insulating materials, cardboard and fiberglass are steadily released into the atmosphere from electronic equipment, carpeting, furniture and fittings. That's why the air inside our buildings and residential structures may be many times more polluted than the air outside, according to the EPA.

Because of all reasons, Air Purifiers have become very important. There are different types of air purifiers including mechanical purifiers, electronic air purifying systems, hybrid purifiers and gas phase purifiers. Most of these systems remove particles and harmful toxins indoor air. The HEPA Filter is a High Efficiency Particulate Arrested Filter designed to remove 99.97% of all airborne pollutants 0.3 microns or larger from the air that passes through the filter ( including tobacco smoke, household dust and pollen).

There're also filtering technologies that operate by using ozonation. And most of popular air purifier on the market today uses ozone. All these purifiers can produce ozone which is an irritant that can worsen asthma and decrease lung function. The removal of particles from the air which is measured when the efficiency rate is trying to be achieved. The fraction of particles that is removed from the indoor air being measured is what determines the amount of efficiency an air purifier possesses. Air cleaners using mechanical filters and electronic technology can perform particle removal. Mechanical home air purifiers are units that can draw the indoor air through a metal or fibrous filter that is designed to trap the particles.

Because of filters have different size pores they are able to catch these particles and able to catch these particles with its different sized pores. Different types of filters may be pleated , square, round with different levels of efficiency.

Mechanical filters in general are very efficient in eliminating contaminants from the air as long as they are cleaned regularly. There are 3 diferent types of electronic purifiers including:

First, Electrostatic purifiers pull air into a chamber and charge the particles electrically. Then let through wafers which are negative ion generators, give particles a charge and cause them to stick to the nearest solid object.These purifiers are not as effective as the other electronic or mechanical purifiers because they do not eliminate particles but move them to another location.

Second, Ionizers air purifier do the same thing but create ozone which in itself may be bad for your health. Ozone is a lung irritant produced by ion generators and some other electronic air cleaners and ozone generators. While indirect ozone production is concerned, there is even greater concern with the direct and purposeful introduction of a lung irritant into indoor air. There is no difference despite as some of the marketers claims, between ozone in smog outdoors and ozone produced by these devices. Repeated exposure to ozone pollution may cause permanent damage to your lungs directly.

And last one, Hybrid air cleaners use both mechanical filters and electronic technology in order to clean the air of particles. Ozone emissions may be present from the use of electrostatic air purifiers and negative ion generators. High levels of ozone may harmful but cleaning the units as specified by the manufacturer may decrease the possible of bad effects from ozone to some extent. Efficient Air Purifiers can cost anywhere from $500 to $1500 for a single room depend of your size and design also option of the air purifier and a System to clean a whole house can easily run into the thousands of dollars but worth.

By Mac Mess

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Blueair 250E Energy-Efficient Air Purifier with Remote Control and Digital Display

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Product Description
Blueair Digital Air Purifier with remote control

Features
- Environmentally friendly 3 speed air purifier covered 200 square feet
- Digital display provides instant feedback of particle detection, speed and timer
- HEPA Silent technology; 100% recyclable, nontoxic, polypropylene filter
- Remote control; blue "power-on" light, galvanized steel housing; built-in carry handles
- Measures 9.5 by 17 by 21 inches; 5-year warranty

Our Customer Reviews
Allergy sufferer
This is an excellent product, I love an Automatic function where it senses the condition of the air and adjusts the fan speed accordingly. Since I placed this into our bedroom the dust accumulation is about 99% gone, we also sleep so much better and feel rested in the morning. I would not hesitate to buy this purifier,again it is made with such outstanding quality and so very quite.

Quiet, Energy Efficient, Will be buying more
Boy, I wish I had purchased this purifier from the beginning. BlueAir is truly whisper quiet (30 db at low setting) and I had a hard time believing it was on full blast when I had it on the highest setting until I put my hand near the top.

The CADR is more than enough for a 12x12 room size according to a conservative estimate from a leading allergy website. I like that you could have this right next to your bed and not realize it is turned on. The remote control is terrific and you can turn off the ion purifier if you like as well, although I am comfortable knowing that it's been tested by various sites with no ozone production measured from this air purifier.

Ordered this product via Amazon Prime and arrived within 2 days, outstanding service as usual (and free shipping) - well worth the investment for me.

I will look at buying some of the larger BlueAir products for my living room and larger areas and can't wait to have guests over now that the air is fresh and inviting.

By Mac Mess

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GC AM Air Purifier by IQAir

(You already save $114.90 for this item)

Product Description
IQ Air® GC Multi Gas Industrial Toxic Chemical Fumes Air Purifiers is a specialized line of advanced industrial air purification systems which meets almost any gas-phase removal need. There are several special gas-phase media configurations available for removal of various air pollutants. The GC Multi Gas Air Purifier offers Industrial Air Purification for control of over 48 Air Pollutant Gases and Odors, including several Methylic-based flamable Solvents (look below). Moreover, there is a wide range of Vapor, smoke and Odor Control - such as for tobacco smoke - effective for those who suffer (MCS) Multiple Chemical Sensitivities. The versatile, compact and affordable IQ Air® GC Multi Gas Industrial Toxic Chemical Fumes Air Purifiers are perfectly suited to take control of an ample spectrum of dangerous gaseous contaminants in professional, commercial, industrial or medical environments.

Features
- Advanced filtration eliminates ammonia-based compounds and odors
- Dimensions: 28"H x 15"W x 16"D
- Enjoy 99% efficient purification!
- Receive the peace of mind of a five-year warranty
- Unit Weight: 51 lb.

Our Customer Reviews

It's the best value despise the high price.
Although, I don't have chemical sensitivity problem but I 'm very sensitive to certain smells. Certain food like becon smell makes me crazy and I can't sleep. I've tried everything. I had five cans of air fresheners around the 928 sq.ft. apartment on top of the two heated scent oils. I had two TrueAir units in the kitchen that I ran 24/7. These just didn't work for me. After an exhausive research on air cleaners and filtrations, I finally gritted my teeth and bought this expensive IQAir because it had 12 lbs of activated carbon filter.

As soon as I got it, I tested the thing out right away by cooking spicy Italian suasage for dinner. I dragged the unit into the kitchen and let it run at the highest fan speed for a few hours. By the time I went to bed, the smell was gone. It used to take a few days with two TrueAirs to get rid of the smells. We dragged the thing back to the bedroom and let it run at the lowest setting the whole night to test out the HEPA pre-filter. The next morning my husband woke up without a stuffy nose.

PROs
- It works exactly as advertiser claim.

- It smells of odors is gone. If you have a very sensitive nose, you'll know what it means.

- HEPA pre-filter. Allergy anyone?

- The fan is very quiet. The lowest two settings is hardly noticable. Even at the highest setting, the fan hums rather than blasts.

- It is programmable. We can set it to run just a few hours before we get home from work. That helps prolong the filter life. You can program the dust load, fine dust load, and gas load and it automatically calculate the filters' lives for you. So, if you live in a less dusty area, your filters last longer. It'll tell you exactly when to change the filters.

- It is a solid machine. No flimsy parts.

- It covers 900 sq.ft. One unit is enough to cover an entire apartment.

CONs
- The caster wheels work fine on a hard surface floor. They don't move effectively on carpet floor. I found it easier to half lift, half drag the unit between the kitchen and the bedroom. Because the heavy carbon filters are on the top part of the unit, this thing is top-heavy. When you drag it and the wheels got stuck, it tends to tip over. (it's not vacumm anyway)

An update on the caster wheels: One of the wheels finally broke off from being dragged while it got stuck in the carpet. I emailed the customer support and a set of replacement wheels arrived in a week. I only needed one, but they sent me a set of 4 free of charge.

- The assembly instruction not good enough. It doesn't show you how to put the carbon filters together. You pretty much have to guess what goes where. Don't wear light clothes when you assemble the carbon filters. I got carbon dust all over me. Since the carbon powder is very fine, some of it got loose during shipping. Imagine a bag of flour on the supermarket shelf. Except it's black.

NOTEs
- When you unpack the carbon filters, be sure to wipe them really good with damp paper towel. Do not use a cloth towel unless you plan to throw the towel away. Of course, the instruction doesn't tell you this. (It doesn't tell you anything, actually.) I figured that out on the second filter.

- Neither one of us has chemical sensitivity so we can't test that feature. However, I notice that the Clorox smell doesn't linger on for half a day the day I do laundry like it did before.

By Mac Mess

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Fresh air in whole house by Air purifier



First thing when we are talking about air purifiers, we generally talk about purifiers for fresh air which are placed somewhere inside a room, and is employed in cleaning the air of that particular room. But investing on such purifiers discount the fact that the air inside our house, if it polluted, it will be polluted all over and will not be restricted to a single room. So just having clean air in one room with rest of the rooms remaining as they are doesn't really help much. Instead of if you get yourself into whole house with full air purifier you will be able to breathe in fresh air wherever you go inside your house. So you wouldn't have to spend you holidays curled up in the couch of your living room just to breathe fresh air same as rest in the park. This has been a real leap in terms of air purifier technology and before you select one for your home, make sure that you are understand of the capabilities and specifications of the same.

Over 50 million Americans suffered from some form of allergy. And there are close to 20 million Americans who have problems of asthma. If you or someone in your family have such an ailments then a whole house air purifier should be the best option to go for. It is not possible that someone spends his entire day in a single room. He will have to move around. In such an event if only one room has air purifier then the it will hardly help to alleviate the problem.

But installation in the whole house air purifier, you need to have a central heating or cooling system the ducts of which are used by the purifier to bring in impure air and to release clean and pure air. Such air purifiers need to be of more capacity and will also draw in more electricity. In a day the purifier will be able to exchange the air of the whole house for a maximum of two times. This definitely wouldn't clean the air as a standalone room air purifier would do, but overall the effect would be more positive as the entire house will have healthier air for your healthy.

If you are living in a single room or floor then you can also get yourself a floor air purifier. It doesn't need you to have a central cooling or heating system and works similar to room air purifiers, only that they are of higher capacity.