Better Air Purifier

I felt quite excited about my new Honeywell HFD-120-Q Tower HEPAQuiet air started talking about it with my friends. Coincidently, one of them is using the very same model as mine. His name is Sean. This is what he shared with me about his experience.

About one year ago, Sean moved into his new apartment with his wife.  He said that the air in his apartment was terrible when he moved in. Everyday, he would walk into his apartment and started sneezing and his nose will start running.  Whatever it was in the air was driving him crazy. His wife had a constant nasal drip/allergy problem after moving into this apartment. She was unwilling to see a doctor and the air had kept her and I up for many nights.

After 1 month, Sean finally started to research some air filters and settled on this not too expensive and large enough for their living room. He bought another one for his bedroom too.  The change wasn’t instantaneous but he as patient enough and gave it about to weeks. The machines operate very quietly and before he realized, he wasn’t sneezing like made anymore! He and his wife woke up feeling fresh every morning ever since.

One disadvantage that Sean highlighted about this air purifier was the distinct odor.  But that was not a major issue as it does not cause any harm to the air quality. Neither him nor his wife has allergy on that odor. Besides, the odor became a lot less after 6 months. He even bought another one for the kitchen. This makes a total of 3 units in his apartment.

Now that he has been introduced to the world of purifiers, he will always love Honeywell brands.

I stumbled upon an article about some guides when choosing your air purifier. I hope this will be useful for those of you who are buying air purifiers for the first time.

Where do all the air pollutants and allergens in my home come from?

Air pollution, in general, is a top environmental concern in the world today. Indoor air pollution is part of that concern. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, indoor air pollution levels can be up to five times higher than pollution levels outside. Most Americans only spend about 10% of their time outside.

Indoor air pollution commonly consists of the following allergens and pollutants:

• Second-hand tobacco smoke is one of the smallest allergen particles and is linked to many health problems including asthma.
• Animal dander is created from dander flakes shed by pets. It can cause asthmatic and allergic reactions in people who are allergic to cats and dogs. Sometimes removing the pet from the home isn’t enough. Dander usually remains in the home long after the pet has left.
• Pollen is created by trees, flowers and grass. Each time a door or window is opened, millions of pollen particles enter the home. Most allergy sufferers are allergic to one or more types of pollen.
• Mold and mildew can be found where there is a supply of water or where it is warm and humid. The shower, kitchen and basement are perfect places for these plant spores to grow.

What type of air purifier do I need?

The most important thing to look for when you buy an air purifier is the correct size for your room. Air purifiers are portable and can be moved from one room to another, provided the rooms are similar in size.

What size do I need?

The first thing you need to know when purchasing an air purifier is what CADR means. The Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR) seal program was developed by the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM) to help consumers choose air purifiers. CADR is based on the cubic feet of air a purifier can filter per minute. The higher the CADR number the faster the unit cleans the room’s air. Purifiers with the CADR seal remove tobacco smoke particles, animal dander, mold, mildew, dust and pollen particles. Use the following formula to decide which CADR is correct for your room:

Square footage x .75=CADR

Example: If your room is 16′x17′, which equals 272 sq. ft., you’ll need an air purifier that has a CADR of at least 204.

272 x .75=204

If an air purifier isn’t available with the exact CADR you calculate, round up. For instance, if your room size requires a CADR of 204, purchase one with a CADR of 220.

If you have a room with ceilings higher than 8′, move up to the next level CADR for a larger room. If you have an open floor plan, purchase two small units. The units can be moved to different areas in the room, cleaning the air more efficiently than one unit.

What else should I look for?

Different brands of air purifiers have different features. Here are some additional features to look for:

• Air purifiers today commonly use the High Efficiency Particulate Arresting (HEPA) filter. HEPA filters remove 99.97% of air pollutants .3 microns or larger from the air. HEPA filters also remove tobacco smoke, household dust, mold spores, animal dander and pollen.
• Frequency of filtering cycle (average every 10 minutes) can vary between models.
• Check filter control is available on some models.
• Speed controls for times when filtering needs vary.
• Some air purifiers offer 360° air flow based on the shape of the model (cylindrical or rectangular).

Article Source: http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=howTo&p=BuyGuide/AirPurifierBG.html

Hi, my name is David Barry and I live in a rented room for couple of years now. The size of my room is about 160 square feet. Due to the confined space and a window so small that could hardly provide any good air circulation, the air inside my room is always stuffy and stale.

I suffered frequent sinus and running nose (few times a month) and my life was a mess. Sometimes, I even can’t sleep well or concentrate on my work. I was always out in the shopping malls during weekends and holidays due to the fact that my room was a very unhealthy place to live. I’ve even tried some cheap air purifiers made from China that cost not more than $70 each. NONE of them worked. I have tried essential oils. Well, that helped a little bit. But I wanted a long-term effective solution. Some of my friends recommended me Honeywell air purifiers. I was really skeptical because of the high-price and it’s obviously out of my budget. There’re many other choices with that kind of price.

Since I didn’t know what to else to trust, I did some research online for user reviews. The reviews were not bad and I began to give it a long thought.  I have already spent quite a sum of money on the useless purifiers. At last, I decided to give a last try and went beyond my budget to buy a Honeywell air purifier. Due to the limited space I have in my room, I opted for this model called “HFD-120-Q Tower HEPAQuiet” due to its compactness and feature-packed advantages. Amazon was giving 10% discount on this thing, so I just placed an order with my credit card. There goes my debts.

The air purifier took almost 2 days to arrive. The first thing that amazed me when I plugged in this Honeywell air purifier was the quietness of this unit. It’s even quieter than most table fans and some air-conditioner units. I left it on for about 2 hours while I went out to a nearby store to grab some snacks. When I came back, I didn’t expect my room’s air to be so fresh. I can hardly smell any stale air.  Plus, I slept really well that night and woke up in the morning feeling rejuvenated. Obviously, I went to the office light-heartedly. My friends at work were surprised by my good mood that day. Well, I must thank them for their recommendation to this Honeywell air purifier.

By the way, the air filters are permanent and washable. I never find any maintenance issue on this product. Do checkout the model I’m personally using below:

You might also want to checkout the following Honeywell air purifiers to suit your different needs.