Tip of the day: How to choose an air purifier

Consumers Union, the nonprofit publisher of Consumer Reports, continues to urge the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission to set indoor ozone limits for all air purifiers and mandate performance tests and labels disclosing the results. CU also urges the Federal Trade Commission to investigate air purifier ads to determine the validity of health-related claims.

But if you're set on buying an air purifier, read our latest report “Filtering the claims” and see our Ratings of room and whole-house models (available to subscribers) and keep these points in mind:

Consider a whole-house air purifier. Forced-air heating/cooling systems circulate so much air that they can overwhelm portable purifiers. Whole-house purifiers are a better option. Better products range from $10 to $30 for do-it-yourself filters (shown) to $1,000-plus systems that have to be installed by a pro. The latter are more effective at removing dust and smoke.DIY furnace filters do nearly as good a job of removing dust but aren't as good at removing smoke. Buy a whole-house air purifier with a filter rather than an electrostatic precipitator, which produces some ozone.

Buy a bigger portable model. Portable air purifiers work best at high speeds but are quietest on low. Run the unit on the higher, louder setting when you're not in the room, and turn it down to low when you're nearby. Or buy an air purifier certified for a larger area. We believe a clean-air delivery rate (CADR) above 350 is excellent, and one below 100 is poor. Look for CADR figures with an Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM) logo. Only those were confirmed by AHAM.

Avoid ozone generators. Makers of ozone generators often target home users with claims that the devices reduce allergens such as dust, smoke, pollen, germs, and mold.

But our tests found that even at the low everyday settings on some ozone generators, their ozone production quickly exceeded the Food and Drug Administration’s 50 parts per billion limit for medical devices. Purifiers aren't considered medical devices by the FDA.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency warns that relatively low levels of ozone can cause chest pain and shortness of breath. Ozone might also worsen asthma and compromise the ability of the body to fight respiratory infections. The EPA regulates outdoor ozone levels, but there is no federal agency that regulates indoor levels or air purifiers. California has recently banned the sale of ozone generators for most uses.—Ed Perratore

Comments

[Carlotta Tyler]

I bought two AirSource 3000 Air purification "systems" for $500 each.
Are they the big ozone producers. I need to know because I gave one to
my grandson who has ashma.

[Big Will]

Carlotta's concern about ozone and the danger it can present to an asthmatic is well documented. The unfortunate thing is that most people never ask "How much ozone is too much ozone for an asthmatic to be exposed to?" The fortunate answer is that if the asthmatic is not adversely affected by the amount of ozone found outside on a nice, clear, sunny day [not next to a high traffic street] or outside after an electrical storm then that small amount of ozone is OK and that amount would be beneficial to have indoors. What a lot of people overlook is that the filthy air inside a building contributes to an asthmatic's breathing difficulty. The reason a lot of asthma attacks occur while the asthmatic is sleeping in their bed is because of the bacteria in the bedding that the asthmatic breathes when he gets his nose and mouth close to the bedding. The bacteria is on the droppings from the dust mites that go to the bedding to feast on the dead skin that drops from the people who use that bed. That bacteria can be the asthma attack trigger and/or the cause of restless sleep. Having the amount of ozone inside the house like Mother Nature provides outside will kill the bacteria in the bedding. But, the ozone must be constantly replaced inside just as it is outside to be effective. Ozone generators produce LARGE amounts of ozone to sanitize/deodorize indoor areas and are often referred to as air purifiers...they should never be used as an air purifier while people/animals are present. An easy way to determine if the air inside is safe to breathe is to use a do-it-yourself petri test dish able to test for bacteria, virus, mold, mildew, fungus, etc...if nothing grows in the dish after 5 days you know you have safe air to breathe.

[Penny Hess]

I am researching air purifiers. I bought an Oreck for my mom for reduction of smoke in the air. After cleaning it properly and allowing drying fully, the machine crackles. This is the second problem with this unit. Evidently Oreck is not the answer. What should I try next?