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Smart Air

smartairfilters.com

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Re: Smart Air

#31

Post by dm2 »

simonsarris wrote: post #13

This is a very neat idea, though I suspect they'll ultimately want a more powerful fan. Note that high quality air filters also have a carbon pre-filter that gets changed more often than the HEPA filter, and having one ought to make your HEPA filter last much longer, especially in somewhere like Bejing. They also play a part in controlling odors. This is what I'm currently using and love it to death. Note that the cu…

Below is the one I have and am very satisfied.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00007E7RY/

I'd like to rent one of those air quality testers for a week, anyone know where/if that's possible.

Re: Smart Air

#32

Post by lignuist »

gpurkins wrote: post #18

Nice! I had read something similar for a wood workshop here: http://woodgears.ca/dust/air_cleaner.html Seems to be quite effective. Also, if you're into woodworking, woodgears is probably one of the best, if not the best on the net.

I stumbled upon woodgears.ca after watching woodwork Youtube videos. This guy is so awesome.

Here is his 3D Pantograph:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtm4u583YOQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUGkroZus_Y

Re: Smart Air

#33

Post by scarboy »

I like this product, it appeals to a market where there isn't much money to spend and is probably effective.

The consumer air purifier market is a mess. There is so much misinformation and fake reviews out there that it's impossible to make a decision.

Each company runs dozens of smear sites against everyone else. All the Amazon reviews look fake. All the companies seem to have something wrong with them. It got to the point that when I was doing me research I just gave up and decided to not buy anything.

Re: Smart Air

#36

Post by gabemart »

For someone living in a city with reasonably clean air and no smog problem, does filtering the air in their living space provide any long-term health benefits?

Re: Smart Air

#37

Post by DannyBee »

acgourley wrote: post #24
simonsarris wrote: post #13

This is a very neat idea, though I suspect they'll ultimately want a more powerful fan. Note that high quality air filters also have a carbon pre-filter that gets changed more often than the HEPA filter, and having one ought to make your HEPA filter last much longer, especially in somewhere like Bejing. They also play a part in controlling odors. This is what I'm currently using and love it to death. Note that the cu…

I'm still trying to reconcile the $300 price tag of yours with the price tag of a carbon filter (5 on amazon) HEPA filter (70 on amazon) and box fan (30 on amazon). Is there really 200 dollars worth of plastic, assembly, marketing and IP in the the whispure? Or is there one important element I'm not accounting for (perhaps fan power, fan noise, some kind of PID, or sensors to check filter health)

There is not 200 bucks of anything in it.

http://www.amazon.com/Shop-Fox-W1746-Fine-Filter/dp/B000QD7Y... is a good choice if you want a single large room done.

Re: Smart Air

#38

Post by mjn »

pervycreeper wrote: post #20

Are particles the whole story when it comes to air pollution, or do you have to worry about gases, too? Also, what would be a good source for obtaining HEPA or carbon filters in Canada/USA?

Your guess that gases are also an issue is correct. For example, ground-level ozone and sulfur dioxide typically also have negative effects on the respiratory system. In the U.S., the Air Quality Index (AQI) is computed from five components: ground-level ozone, particulate matter, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide. Of those, particulate matter is the one that's easy to do something about in a DIY fashion, since it can be filtered indoors with relatively low-tech filters. So it's worth doing if you live in an area with poor air quality, even if it's only a partial amelioration.

As far as I know, there is no practical way of filtering out the other AQI-component pollutants using consumer-level technology. It's possible to filter them: power plant chimneys have devices called "scrubbers" attached that filter out things like SO2 [1]. But I don't think there exists a device you can place in your living room that does so.

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flue-gas_desulfurization

Re: Smart Air

#39

Post by DannyBee »

Errr - this is expensive for what you get. Among other things, the CFM is so low that it takes hours to reduce the particle rate any appreciable amount, as their own tests show.

You'd do a lot better with a standard high velocity fan (also 35 bucks, and you can get them cheaper): http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200361823_200...

You want to be changing the air at a much higher rate than they are.

They quote a 13.5 square meter bedroom. This is 145.313 square feet. If they have 8 foot high ceilings, it's 1160 cubic feet.

In order to be changing the air so little as they are, my guess is this box fan is ~40CFM, giving ~30 minutes between air changes.

For 30 bucks, you can get a 2000+ CFM fan (see above), and put the filter on the intake side rather than the output side. This would change the air in the room roughly twice a minute, or roughly 60 times faster. There will be some loss of CFM due to static pressure increase, but ...

They also probably want a cheap, washable, electrostatic pre-filter so you aren't wasting the filtrating on easily caught particles. Otherwise, you are just going to go through this hepa filter really quickly.

Re: Smart Air

#40

Post by dmix »

gabemart wrote: post #36

For someone living in a city with reasonably clean air and no smog problem, does filtering the air in their living space provide any long-term health benefits?

Negative ionic air purifiers may help with SAD (seasonal depression) [1] similar to daylight bulbs. Research is somewhat inconclusive.

It also supposedly makes air have equivalent ionic levels to "country or mountain air". Apparently in the city/offices the ion levels in the air are quite lower than in rural areas which is harmful. This of course is the sales pitch from the companies selling them.

But at the same time the filters kill bacteria and pet dander (which is always good).

I found a HEPA air filter that contained negative ionizer for around ~$50 on Amazon which I use in my home office.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Negative_air_ionization_therap...

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