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What type of air purfication system is best for bird-dander?


glitteronfire

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Hi there! I am a HUGE fan of air purifiers! Right in the bird "area" I have a honeywell air purifier 50101 that is set up near the cages. It is fairly quiet, and has a pre-filter/main filter unit. The replacement packs are about $14 at Target (you have to cut them yourself) and you get about four to five replacement pre-filters if you are crafty (creative with scraps, and their provided velcro strips). The actual Hepa Filter is about $26 and needs to be changed depending on hours of usage. It really keeps the dander low, and you can see how quick it works when you change the black pre-filter. Due to the high amount of dander that grey's produce, you will need to change the prefilter more often, so it can get proper filtration.

 

For something that is under $100, it works great for us!!

 

Cheers!

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I have an old (10 years or so) Hunter HEPA unit I've been happy with which I've repaired once (the control/timer board died, so I bypassed it and just hardwired and on/off switch). Now I can no longer get replacement filters for it and the motor is making 'interesting' noises, so I don't trust it anymore (I actually just turned it off today).

 

I think I'm going to replace it with a cheap box fan set on low with a couple furnace filters duct-taped on the backside. I can hide it under Spencer's cage with little visual distraction. Something like this:

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i do the pre-filter about every other month, you can hear it start to get clogged, and see when it almost turn completely white with dander, it is indeed time. The regular filter is about once a year, and to be honest, you can really tell the difference of air quality. It's nice and the pre-filter has an odor reducer in it as well.

 

Some filtration systems come with ionizers, i have done extensive research on the topic, and 85% says DO NOT use it. The ionizer bonds the molecules together in to larger particles, which your parrots inhale, and can cause respiratory problems. The same risks are true apparently with ozone options. The Honeywell I recommended, doesn't have the option, but the small holmes in our bedroom does, I just leave it off. Better safe than sorry.

 

cheers!

Edited by bran
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  • 1 year later...

I'm glad many people have air filters. I had the " original charcoal filter" over 30 years ago. I had asthma since I was 8. If a person after being allergy tested... is positive to birds, cats or dogs... don't get them!When we were asked to adopt sunny our sunconure, as he fell in love with ryan at daycare...I took the time to get us all tested. No allergies to birds. Sunny came home. Airfilters should be used to cut down on the dust, but never used for allergies to birds or other animals. It doesn't change the normal immune response. If allergic.... don't get the animal. Nancy

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I need new a new filter for my Honeywell and I'm having trouble locating them at a reasonable price. Target is now only selling the prefilter. According to everything I'm reading online I need to stack 2 short filters even though the unit came with 1 large filter and they are about $35 each. That is almost what I paid for the unit.

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Amazon is where I finally found them for $35 each and I need 2 :( or $85 for an off brand full size replacement. I tried navigating through Walmart.com and didn't see any but their search leaves a lot to be desired sometimes. Its a shame because I really like this unit. It is quiet and low to the floor so it picks up a lot of bird dust.

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I talked to my kid and am going to bring the filter to him to measure. He thinks I might be able to use an automotive air filter. I would still need to buy 2 and stack them but at least they would be available locally and probably less expensive.

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I am so glad this topic is being refreshed at just the time I am thinking about getting a filter. When we had both parrots in one small bedroom, I could not believe the dust that they produce. It could be the difference between baseboard heating and forced air which filters and refreshes the air too, but a small filter near the cage seems to be a good idea. Thanks for all the insight you have provided. I probably wouldn't have thought to look for replacement filters and maintenance cost when looking for a cost comparison.

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I am so glad this topic is being refreshed at just the time I am thinking about getting a filter. When we had both parrots in one small bedroom, I could not believe the dust that they produce. It could be the difference between baseboard heating and forced air which filters and refreshes the air too, but a small filter near the cage seems to be a good idea. Thanks for all the insight you have provided. I probably wouldn't have thought to look for replacement filters and maintenance cost when looking for a cost comparison.

 

 

I did consider replacement filters when I bought the unit and at the time all of my local stores carried them for about $15 each. The type of filter required was standard for many model types so I thought I was good. Now no one is carrying it. The stores are barely carrying the units now. A year ago Target had an entire aisle, both sides, dedicated to them and the filters and now they only offer 2 models and only carry the prefilters for those models.

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That is lousy customer service, right when you have something you like so much. I will keep your experience in mind when I am looking for a unit. Hopefully I can find something that has a permanent washable filter or something that can be created from another common material. Hopefully your son will find a good solution to let you keep yours working.

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Jayd... a little insulted! Dave does not have medical or personal experience with asthma. You " blew me off". I am an asthma pro both profressionally and personally. A filter, will do little for a person that is allergic to a bird. Same histamine reaction will occur if a bird is introduced and someone is allergic. I guess I really understand now, where I stand. Nancy

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