Beware Sharper Image Ionic Breeze?

[bhd812]

One thing I noticed in the years of having a breeze and others even have said to me...

smoking and the ionic breeze is worse then smoking without any air cleaner at all.....it sticks the smoke the metal rods dont catch on everything in the room. in other words it promotes that nice yellow smoke look!

 

[bhd812]

Well after some research on the net I have concluded I will be buying a new air cleaner....

TODAY!!!!

damm just when I thought I had money to buy some clothes...man..lol

 

[Edwood]

The best ones out there (other than whole house filtration via central HVAC) are IQair and BlueAir.

Both have active Carbon filters available that filter smoke.

The IQair units are more expensive, but they have better performance. Probably overkill for most people.

While the IQair units are better built, BlueAir has a 10 year warranty, provided that you buy replacement filters on time.

-Ed

 

[Edwood]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...2005Apr11.html

Seriously guys. The Ionic Breeze costs about $400 USD.

BlueAir just released a new smaller model, the 201. It retails for $300. Even though it is really only suitable for small bedrooms, it is the quietest unit they have and cleans a helluva lot more air than the Ionic Breeze.

I just got a replacement for my BlueAir 402. It was still under warranty, and they simpy replaced it outright with the newer model. The problems I was having was that it was starting to make an annoying whining noise. Most people wouldn't be bothered by it, but they advertise and sell on the basis of how quiet their units are. And it is clear that they warranty that feature as well. After being without it for 4 days, waiting for the replacement, I really did notice how much of a difference it made. I'm so glad to have it back.

My wife wants to buy the smaller 201 model for the bedroom. I'll have to wait and see it in person first. The store I buy from personally tests all new filters' PPM filtration. I'm interested in the results for this one.

-Ed

 

[Gonz]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Born2bwire I don't know what would be safe levels for ozone.

0.05ppm is the acceptable (safe) limit. (according to the EPA)

I've got the Ionic Breeze Quadra, paid $125 for it 3yrs ago, and i would'nt want to be without it. Quite frankly, i'm more concerned about whats in the water i drink, as opposed to worrying about the breeze's ozone generation.

Ozone is in the air you breathe, every breath of it.

I'm not saying put a bag over yourself and the breeze and suck it in like it's a bong or anything, but i certainly don't think it's a concern, unless you've got respiratory problems as it is.

 

[BlindTiger]

If these things are so good, why don't I see them in my doctor's office or in hospital Operating rooms?
I've seen those giant honeywell round one's and some giant UV lights in OR's but no ionic breeze.
Anyway, the courts had their say and SI had to pay CU.

 

[zachary80]

I always liked the idea of the ionizers being quiet

With my honeywell hepa sometimes I have to choose between breathing and listening to music

 

[Edwood]

If you want what Hospitals and clean rooms use, get an IQair. Of course the industrial units are waaaaay too much for home use.

-Ed

 

[Edwood]

Quote:

Originally Posted by zachary80 I always liked the idea of the ionizers being quiet With my honeywell hepa sometimes I have to choose between breathing and listening to music

Sharper Image Ionic Breezes have issues with wires arcing and making zapping/popping noises as they get dirty, so Sharper Image didn't even get the "silent" part correct.

-Ed

 

[Soundbuff]

I just did a little research on the Blue Air units. Another good one to look at is the Blue Air 301. It costs $50 more than the 201, but it moves air from side to side (right to left) through the unit, so it can be placed directly up against a wall to save space. It is suitable for use in a small to medium size bedroom.

The 301 is a special model that is only offered through allergybuyers.com:

http://www.allergybuyersclubshopping...fiers-301.html

The 201 mentioned previously also looks good for a small to medium size bedroom, but the unit draws air in through the back and out the top, so you would not be able to place it directly up against a wall. Aside from this limitation, it has the advantage of being very slightly quieter (both are nearly silent) and it has a pre-filter (something the 301 lacks), so your filters may last a little longer with the 201.

Here is a link to this model on the same website:

http://www.allergybuyersclubshopping...fiers-201.html

Personally, I'm having a tough time deciding between them.

 

[Edwood]

Ask Allergybuyersclub of their warranty policy.

One of the reasons I bought from a local store is that if something goes wrong (in my case it did), I can bring my unit to the store and they handle the RMA, including the shipping. So it costs nothing for me. Only the effort of lugging it to the store. (the 402 is pretty large.)

I will be checking into the 201 when it is in stock at the place I buy from.

The 402 at it's quietest setting is whisper quiet. You have to have your ear within a foot of it to hear it if there is any ambient noise. In the dead of the night, you can barely hear it.

-Ed

 

[seeberg]

My parents got sucked into buying a Filter Queen Majestic/Defender package. And although I think the vacuum isn't as good as a Dyson(which is 1/3-1/2 the price in this case if it's $500) but the Defender filter thing that it comes with works well in a pinch, but it's damn expensive. I really only use it if there's a funk in the air or if there's excessive dust- my home's a work in progress so go figure. It also works for smoke from herbal remedies quite well.

I would like to experiment with a K&N filter and a CPU fan to see what I can get done, but I'll have to budget that out.

,
Abe

 

[Soundbuff]

I spoke with a rep earlier today from Allergybuyers.com

He said for anything bigger than a small room (150 sq. feet or more) it's probably better to get the Blue Air 402 rather than the 301 or the 201. The 201 is supposedly the quietest of all models on the lowest settings, but the 402 is still very quiet and can clean a much higher volume of air in the same amount of time.

He said you may need to keep a 201 or 301 running at a higher speed (producing more noise) to get the same amount of cleaning that a 402 can do at a lower setting (that is virtually silent). So, in the end the 402 may be the quietest of all if you want effective air cleaning.

The 402 is a little bigger than the 301 or 201. I believe it's about 23 inches tall by 20 inches wide by 11 inches deep, so it's about three inches taller and wider than the 301 or 201. It's a putty color as are all Blue Airs, except the 201 which comes in silver.

Here's a link to the 402 for anyone interested in comparing DB ratings for any given level of airflow per CFM between the 402, 301 and 201:

http://www.allergybuyersclubshopping.com/blueair.html

 

[10068]

Sweet, good to know. I was planning on getting an Ionic Breeze, but now i'll be getting that BlueAir 402.

HeadFi rules

 

[Edwood]

The key for quiet is overkill.

The bigger units can clean the same amount at the lowest setting as the smaller unit cleans at the highest (and noisiest) setting.

-Ed