Electrostatic Air Cleaners For Allergy and Asthma Symptoms

Can electrostatic air cleaners reduce allergy and asthma symptoms? In a word, yes. They help remove allergens and pollutants from the air we breathe. These allergens and pollutants are what trigger the symptoms from allergies and asthma in sufferers and can be easily removed.

Electrostatic air cleaners are the type of air cleaner that uses electricity to produce negative ions and ozone. They filter the air by charging the allergens and impurities in the air causing them to stick to the blades of the unit, instead of using traditional air filters like HEPA units and some other common air filters. The negative ions produced from the unit go out into the room air and charge more allergen and impurity particles causing them to fall to the floor, and the small amounts of ozone produced eliminates any foul odors in the air. So as you see electrostatic air cleaners actually clean the air in a few different ways.

One of the really nice things about electrostatic air purifiers is that they don't have any filters to replace. You simply remove the blades from the unit and wipe them off. If you smoke in your house, be prepared to do a bit more scrubbing on the blades as nicotine is more difficult to remove than the normal household pollutants. You may even need to use a solvent like alcohol once in a while if you are a heavy smoker. Not having to buy any filters makes these type of air cleaners very economical. The prices of them are very reasonable and once you buy it, you are done. There is no need to keep spending money on replacement filters ever.

Proper placement of your electrostatic air purifier is key in getting the most allergy and asthma relief from it. It should be placed in a space that has plenty of air flow around it, and is easy to get to for maintenance purposes. Whether you place your air cleaner on the floor or up higher will depend on the type you purchased. Some larger units are made to be placed on the floor or desk while smaller more compact units tend to be ore efficient if placed up higher like on top of a bookcase or other location where it can be about 5 to 6 feet off the floor.

You can get electrostatic air cleaners in all shapes and sizes. You can buy large units that will clean the air in most of the house, you can get smaller units made to clean the air in one room, and you can get smaller personal space type units like desk units and even car units. They come in a variety of price ranges too. There are some higher end units that cost a fortune that are definitely a cut above the rest but for most intents and purposes an average priced one you can get at your local home store will do just fine. These should cost you anywhere from around 50 to 200 dollars or so.

The main key in keeping your electrostatic air purifier running efficiently is keeping it clean. The blades can't do their job properly if they are too dirty. You will know it is getting too dirty if you start hearing zapping and popping noises coming from it or if it just shuts off for no apparent reason. Some units even have a warning light that comes on when the unit needs to be cleaned. Keeping the blades clean is key but you must also keep the rest of the unit clean as well. Vacuum off where the air enters and exits and vacuum out the inside if possible once in a while. You can also use compressed air to blow out the unit outside if you have access to it. In addition to keeping the unit working properly this will also keep allergens and dust from being released back into the air in your home.

One of the drawbacks of using an electrostatic air cleaner is what people commonly refer to as "the black wall effect". If your air cleaner is positioned close to a wall, because the negative ions cause impurities in the air to land on surfaces they cause them to stick to the wall as well. If left alone, over a period of time you may notice a black looking buildup growing on the wall behind your air cleaner. This can be avoided by not placing the unit near a wall, or by simply wiping the wall and surfaces off once in a while. If you regularly clean those surfaces then you will not need to worry about this. If you do notice any black stuff on the wall or surfaces simply wipe it off, you may need to use some type of cleaner that is safe for the surface to get it all off. Keeping the surfaces around your air purifier clean will help keep those allergens and impurities from being reintroduced back into the air.

Which are better, electrostatic type air cleaners or HEPA filters? This is the subject of debate. They both have advantages and drawbacks. They are both very efficient in removing pollutants from the air however electrostatic units tend to use less electricity since there are no moving parts. HEPA filters, if not changed frequently, also tend to build up moisture inside them which causes mold and mildew to grow inside the filter. This can be very bad as you could be adding more pollutants to your air than you are removing.

Keeping the dust, allergens, bacteria, viruses, odors, and other impurities out of the air we breathe will go a long way in reducing asthma and allergy symptoms. Electrostatic air purifiers can help you achieve this in your home and make your life more enjoyable again.