| Ionic air purifiers are not filter systems. Ionic air | | | | with a ceiling fan. |
| purifiers work by sending out negatively charged | | | | One variation on the ionic air purifier is the |
| ions into the air of your home. The ions latch onto | | | | electrostatic air purifier. It works by actually |
| chemicals and particles such as dust, tobacco | | | | drawing air in through a carbon or HEPA pre-filter, |
| smoke, and pollen, causing them to become | | | | which catches larger particles such as dust and |
| attracted to each other and to the interior | | | | pet dander. Then, the smaller particles, such as |
| surfaces of your home. The result is that they | | | | aerosols, pass through an electrical field, which |
| drop right out of the air. You wipe, mop, and | | | | ionically charges the pollutants. Immediately the |
| vacuum the precipitant as part of your regular | | | | newly charged particles are caught upon |
| chores. This may seem like a dirty way to purify | | | | magnetized plates. To maintain peak efficiency, |
| the air, but many machines are highly effective at | | | | you periodically wash the filter, the electronic cell, |
| it. | | | | and the electrostatic collector plates. This could be |
| Some ionic air purifiers have fans and others don't. | | | | anywhere from every week to every six |
| Those with fans can be noisy or very quiet, | | | | months, depending on air quality. |
| depending on the brand. Those without fans rely | | | | Most ionic air purifiers produce some ozone as a |
| on existing air currents - caused by ceiling fans, | | | | byproduct of ionization. Ozone has a distinct, |
| human movement, and so on - to carry the ions | | | | "fresh" smell that can help to reduce and mask |
| to the various nooks and crannies of the room. If | | | | certain odors. But ozone can be bad for your |
| you buy one with no fan, be sure to place the | | | | health when exposed in large amounts or for a |
| unit accordingly. If you buy one with a fan, wipe | | | | long period of time. Be sure to buy a unit that |
| off the grille once in awhile, just as you would | | | | emits 50 parts per billion or fewer. |