[Omega]

I live in St. Louis, which amongst other best-in-class options such as violent crime, car theft, congested roads, hot&humid summers and ignant public schools also offers a mega-load of allergens. Grass pollen. Tree pollen. Mold. Even ozone levels are consistently beyond what other cities bring to the table.

So...my immune system decided to become an active participant in my daily life and I've developed pretty acute mold allergies. Any suggestions for a good, quiet HEPA filter? I'm looking to filter ~800 sq.ft with somewhere between 2 and 4 air changes per hour, which makes ~16,000 ft^3/hour or ~265 CFM.

I'm looking for something you can personally recommend, as a result of your own experience with it, if possible! Anyone tried the Austin brand HEPA (or HEGA) units? AllerAir? BlueAir?

<cranky pre-emptive strike> Don't suggest an ionizer solution. Anyone who can calculate a mass balance can tell you ionizers are ineffective at filtering particulates from the air. And lots of reactive radicals floating around your home is bad, not good, regardless of how fresh it smells. </cranky pre-emptive strike>

Much appreciated!

 

[Lazarus Short]

I own two, and consider them well worth the investment. I took one, with a fresh charcoal prefilter, to my GF's condo after interior painting, and it took out the paint smell within hours. Reduces dusting too. Good for allergies. If you don't have one, consider yourself third world.

Since you mention that you have a serious mold allergy, also consider the purchase of a dehumidifier, and keep the humidity well below 50%.

BTW, the bigger filters may run quieter, but the filters will be more expen$ive.

 

[rangen]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Omega /img/forum/go_quote.gif Don't suggest an ionizer solution.

I won't. But HEPA is not the only solutions that should be on your list, unless you're positive you need it for the tiny particles you're after, especially considering filter replacement cost. What I use is a big box made by Friedrich, that wraps one of those Honeywell electrostatic filters. I think they use these on submarines, or something like them, and in one house I owned, I added them to the furnace airflow, with great results. They basically have some wires that charge the particles, and collection plates on which they deposit the charged particles. There is no ozone smell, and I vaguely recall reading some reassuring claims about ions when I bought it, though I imagine you'll want to research that point if this is of interest.

It's reasonably quiet, with its large-bladed fan, though anything that moves air will make some noise. I'd say the low setting is just a bit noisier than the low setting of a HEPA I had, but it moves much more air. I think my comparison was either an Austin Air or something like it, a rectangle on rollers with a huge block of something called Zeolite inside.

Anyway, something to consider. I've found it effective for the allergens in my area.

 

[FallenAngel]

HEPA is just a standard for fiber density. If you're looking for JUST that, grab a $20 filter, install a large fan behind it and run it!

Now if you want a serious air purification unit, I use an IQAir Multigas GC and it's well worth the money for me.

 

[KONAKONA]

Well I could put a recommendation behind one, but I don't think it would make it though.

Sorry had to do that.