| My Search For Allergy and Asthma Relief and | | | | charge for their HEPA filter. (like my $100 inkjet |
| treatment has taken me down many paths, air | | | | printer - every little ink replacement cartridge is |
| purifiers being one of them. | | | | $28!) So ask for HEPA filter prices first. Every |
| I've owned over 73 air purifiers since 1974. I | | | | 6-12 months you'll change filters. Anything over |
| became a Health Practitioner in 1982 because of | | | | $40 is too much. |
| my interest in relieving, and in some cases | | | | Avoid" No Replacement Filter" Air Purifiers |
| eliminating, allergies and asthma naturally. | | | | Once you've seen a dirty HEPA filter (HEPA's are |
| Starting when I was 12 years old I've owned: | | | | a cloth-like filter which grabs and holds dust and |
| Ozone air purifiers, Ionic air purifiers, Zeolite bags, | | | | pollution) you realize those without filters aren't |
| HEPA air purifiers, UV light, Catalytic plate air | | | | holding dust or pollen - YOUR LUNGS ARE! |
| purifiers, water air purifiers, etc.. | | | | Especially the Oreck is guilty of this fact plus they |
| Brand names I have owned - EcoQuest, Oreck, | | | | contradict themselves on their website. You have |
| Oreck XL's , Alpine Air, Hunter, Panasonic, Austin, | | | | to replace charcoal filters, and witout HEPA they |
| IQair, SunAir, and about 42 other "non-name" | | | | perform poorly on pollen |
| Chinese brands. (I avoided Sharper Image | | | | So get an air purifier that has affordable |
| because I knew Ionic alone won't cut it.) | | | | replacements. HEPA is critical if you have allergies. |
| So let's just say I have seen it all in my 30+ | | | | Most Air Purifiers Don't circulate enough air |
| years of Air Purifiers. | | | | I called Oreck about the new $700 tower (says it |
| (Last year alone Austin, IQAIR, and Oreck all | | | | covers 1100 square feet). "How Many Times |
| called me to distribute their air purifier. I said no. I | | | | Does It Change The Air In The Room Per Hour?" |
| couldn't justify the fact that some only have 2-3 | | | | (ie; how many times it will change all the air in that |
| technologies, or the $800 some of them want for | | | | room). They didn't know. The answer: "One per |
| a HEPA air purifier) | | | | hour". That's poor. |
| Getting The Right Type To Relieve Your Allergies | | | | So make sure to ask for 3-5 "Changes Per Hour" |
| When people ask me: | | | | per Square footage. |
| "What is the best kind of air purifier to relieve | | | | Choosing The Right Technology For Your Allergy |
| allergies? | | | | Here are some suggestions to match the basic |
| My answer is: | | | | technologies to your allergy: |
| "It depends on what TYPE of allergies you have? | | | | #1 HEPA, Pre-filter, Neg/Ion, Plasma Grid = Helpful |
| For pollen, and animal allergies (dander) - HEPA and | | | | for allergies and asthma, some odors |
| a good pre-filter are a must. | | | | #2 Carbon, Charcoal, = for odors, smoke, animal |
| For mold and mildew - UV light, Negative Ions and | | | | smells, chemical sensitivity, VCO's, and immune |
| Tio2 are a must. | | | | system |
| For dust - HEPA | | | | #3 UV, TiO2, Plasma Grid, Ceramic = To fight |
| For environmental sensitivities - Active carbon | | | | colds, flu, viruses, pathogens, mold and mildew |
| For pollution (cars and trucks) - Electristatic, Ion, | | | | allergies |
| and HEPA | | | | Pollen and Dust Sensors: A cool new technology |
| But the best way is to find the type which | | | | from Japan that detects pollen and dust. A big |
| eliminated the primary allergen and then try and | | | | help with allergy relief by continuously adjusting |
| get as many of the other methods of cleaning | | | | the purifier to the rooms dirt and pollen level. Also |
| the air as possible. The reason - each type of | | | | saves electricity and guesswork. |
| purification has strengths and weaknesses, yet | | | | CONCLUSION: Look for an air purifier that has |
| the more types you have the more your immune | | | | HEPA, and 4 or more additional technologies such |
| system can relieve you of allergic responses. | | | | as UV and ion. Keep away from overpriced, |
| WHAT TO AVOID IN AN ALLERGY AIR | | | | underperforming infomercial brand. You can still |
| PURIFIER | | | | find all of this for under $300 (and don't pay |
| Expensive HEPA Replacement Filters | | | | more). Make sure the replacement filters are |
| Once you purchase an air purifier you'll be stuck | | | | reasonably priced. |
| paying whatever the manufacturer wants to | | | | |