air filter question

[Sassy]

WHat do you guys/gals think of this one??

 

http://www.target.com/p/advanced-pure-air-newport-9000-air-purifier/-/A-10514642

 

It puts out negative ions and i'm reading lots of mixed things... some reviews say they have birds and it works great... I like that it has multiple filter methods not just the HEPA filter... but also UV...

 

thanks!!

Sassy

[Dave007]

That all depends on what attracted you to the purifier. It works on the same principle that most other well known machines work.

Just about every brand of purifier is made for working with dust that floats in the air. All of these machines have a vacumm strength of about 4 to 5 ft. Anything that the machine will take in has to be in that range in order for the machine to pull it in. The types of dust that it pulls in is the type of dust that stays airborne and moves around all day in different rooms. The dust is measures in microns.

 

**********Unit traps tobacco smoke, pollen, dust, pet dander and other harmful airborne particles******

 

 

Now if the reason you like this machine is because of the above features, you should understand that parrot dander ( especially grey and cockatoo dander) doesn't stay airborne. It's too heavy and the first place it heads to is anything it can land on. It never floats around. Just about every purifier never advertises that their machine can take in parrot dander, just pet dander. So, if you like this machine your whole family will benefit but it won't decrease parrot dander. Basically, the parrot area will be dustier than other rooms and will need to be cleaned more often than other parts of the house.

Edited July 7, 2012 by Dave007

[kins2321@yahoo.com]

Honestly. I believe in air purifiyers 100& IF... you have an asthmatic child. I have two. I have an air purifyer While both my kids are asthmatics, I never agreed to rescue Sunny, until I knew they weren't allergic. I also NEVER adopted our dogs, unti l I knew they were not allergic. Once kids were tested for animal allergies, we knew what animals could be part of our home. Kids are good with birds and dogs. ( non-shedding) NO CATS!I love them, but kids are very allergic!

[Wingy]

Doesn't the ion ones used a charge to get particles to stick together making them larger and easier for the filter to pick up? There is/was respiratory issues with the ones that made the particles larger and easier to pick up.

[kins2321@yahoo.com]

Unless you have kids with asthma, why do you need a filter?Depriving birds from natural germs, doesn't keep them, or your kids safe. My birds are protected from MRSA, VRE, C-DIFF., just by showering. Washing hands! I keep them, as safe as I can, but ignoring normal bacteria, will not protect them. I can only say... wash your hands! I* am crazy about it. Kids know. Never touch a bird, until you have washed! My rule... Wash, Play... wash. Its worked. nancy

[Wingy]

My living room was built with no operating windows, no exhaust fans of any kind anywhere in the house and I don't have central air conditioning. It gets very stale, and sometimes very odoriferous, in here very quickly without an air filter. I would normally keep 2 ceiling fans and the air filter running but once Jake comes home I'll lose the use of those fans when the cage door is open so I am adding an additional air filter just to keep the air circulating.

Edited July 4, 2012 by Wingy

[Daniel]

We have an air filter in the birdies room and in our bed room. Mainly in the birds room because Ruby's dander makes Virgil sneeze. When they started rooming together Virgil ended up with some respiratory problems. We figured this might be from Ruby, bought the filter, and Virgil cleared right up. It also keeps their room feeling fresh. It does seem to make it a bit drier in there, so they get extra baths.

oh yeah for reference Ruby is a Grey, and Virgil is a Macaw.

Edited July 4, 2012 by Daniel

[Sassy]

Unless you have kids with asthma, why do you need a filter?Depriving birds from natural germs, doesn't keep them, or your kids safe. My birds are protected from MRSA, VRE, C-DIFF., just by showering. Washing hands! I keep them, as safe as I can, but ignoring normal bacteria, will not protect them. I can only say... wash your hands! I* am crazy about it. Kids know. Never touch a bird, until you have washed! My rule... Wash, Play... wash. Its worked. nancy

 

I don't have kids. Neytiri will be my child. I have asthma. That's why I want an air filter.

[Amali]

I have heard wonderful things about the Austin Air Cleaners, but I simply couldn't justify spending the amount they cost at this time. So I ended up with this - http://www.amazon.com/Winix-PlasmaWave-5300-Cleaner-Model/dp/B001RUS05E/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1341508993&sr=8-7&keywords=air+filter . I believe I read somewhere that the ionic thing is not good for birds - I will have to do some digging around on that.

[kins2321@yahoo.com]

Sassy... I am an asthmatic pro! You need to be tested! Neytiri will be your child, air filter will not protect you! Get tested. If you are allergic, the situation will not change. Nancy

[Sassy]

I was tested for allergies and wasn't allergic to anything. My asthma is mostly excersize induced and just want a little extra protection.

[kins2321@yahoo.com]

Sassy... if you are NOT allergic to birds, that is most important! My kids also have exercise indused asthma. Skip the purifyer. It won't make any difference for you and your bird.

[Spock]

Hi, I've got to go with Dave, he's had a lot of personal and practical experiences with this subject ......Maggie

[filterho]

I don't think so kins, through out the world asthmatic patients successfully use air filters and it works perfectly well. I advice you to install it perfectly and use air filter plants as well, some of the plants are....

1 Dwarf date palm 2 English Ivy 3 Peace lily and many more, place these in your home and see the difference.

[kins2321@yahoo.com]

Filterho Thank you! I have already used an air filter for many years... saw no change in their respiratory status. The Plants... I will give it a try. Both boys, have " respiratory infection induced asthma". On the third day of a cold, they will either wheeze, or not. I am always ready to do battle! They will have to start steroids or not. I have their asthma well controlled, so steroids have been very limited for several years. As teenagers though, they tend NOT to tell me they are really wheezing, until they are a " mess!" It trully annoys me, as they have been educated. Nancy

[thenabrd]

ok, so i've tried searching this but so far this is the only thread i got, sorry if this is the millionth time this has been asked but.....

 

i've started the process of looking at electrostatic air cleaners. my budget is rather tight and i don't want to have to buy filters again and again so this is why i'm looking at the electrostatic units. i'd rather pay a bit more now than spend much more over the life time of a unit on filters. some units say ozone, some say negative ions, some say "active oxygen" or o3 converting to o2, some say ionizing, etc so you can see where my confusion is coming from. for the life of me, i've read threads here regarding these issues but can't remember if ozone is bad, ions are good or if its the reverse and so on. so i'd really, really appreciate advice on what is on the "no no" list with these things. many thanks in advance for any advice and again i apologize for this being the millionth time this has been asked!

[kins2321@yahoo.com]

This is my opinion, we all have many. I have used an ionizer, about 30 years ago, when they first came out, due to asthma. My kids have asthma. No curtains, no rugs, no stuffed animals... I could go on and on! When we were asked to adopt bird.. kids got tested, no allergies to birds. YAY! We could adopt.

As far aS ionizer, why would anyone need one, if not allergic to birds? If the purpose is to keep the air clean for your bird, you are doing them a disservice. Clean their cage, vacumn. Birds need to be exposed to normal flora, need to develop a natural immunity. When you deprive them from natural pathogens, thats when they get sick. Nancy

[Jayd]

Maybe this will help... http://www.greyforums.net/forums/showthread.php?121453-HUMIDITY-IMPORTANT-TO-YOUR-GREY-S-HEALTH/page7

[thenabrd]

we do use a humidifier starting in the fall. but for some reason this year, the dust has been much heavier this summer than ever, so that's the reason i'm looking at air cleaners. this is the one i'm looking at currently crane co ee 8072 air purifier and i'm not finding anything about ozone, which is good, but it does do a hyper ionic field (their words) so i don't know if that's bad for them. i would put it near the girls cages. i'd have to figure out the best layout for the humidifier and this, lol!!

[Wingy]

I read somewhere not to get the ionizers because it caused the particulate in the air to clump supposedly making it easier for the air filter to remove but the larger particulate more harmful for the birds to breathe. When I get home from work I will see if I can locate where I read that. Honestly though your best bet might be contacting a pediatric allergist specializing in infants and asking them for a recommendation.

[Greywings]

Have read many places that ionizing filters are not good for birds, several friends swear by the Austin air purifier as far as effectiveness, longevity and ease of cleaning. Not the cheapest but very long lasting. You always place any air filter on the far side of the birds to pull the dust away from you.

[thenabrd]

this is another i've found that i'm checking into Ionic Pro - Turbo Ionic Air Purifier w/Germicidal Chamber/Oxygen Filter it says it turns smog and ozone into oxygen and i could care less about the germicidal chamber!! i'm still trying to research this. i'm just not in a position to keep buying filters, that's the biggest problem, i just don't have money to do that!! that's why i'm trying to be so careful making this decision.

[Dave007]

Just a few facts about air filters. People buy them to purify air and pull dust into them. Almost all air purifiers are made for people, not birds. Some advertise that they handle pet dander but those pets are the type that walk around pushing the dust around. Birds don't do that. Air purifiers don't handle bird dander very well. The reason is this--most air purifiers are for dust that remains in the air all day long moving around very slowly. Under the right light coming from a window, that dust can be seen floating around. No house is immune from that type of dust. Air purifiers also act as vaccuums. The dust they pull in is the type that's floating around all day long. Because the air purifier doesn't have the power to suck in dust past 4 to 5 ft., the only dust it does draw in is the type that's constantly airborne. When that airborne dust nears the purifier it's pulled in. Bird dander is very different in that it's much heavier than regular dust so when a bird flaps or shakes that dander off, the first place it goes to is anything it can quickly land on. The direction of that dander is always downward. That's why a grey's area is much dustier than other areas. Much more vacuuming, rinsing and general cleaning goes on in the bird's room as opposed to other rooms. This is also why the suggestion that birds be sprayed with water during molting season works well. The dander gets soaked and when the bird flaps or shakes, the dander goes down to the bottom of the cage or no more than 3 to 4 ft from a cage. So, you may wanna also add an exhaust fan to that bird area. It doesn't purify the air, it simply sucks out the heavier bird dander from an area. A while ago, I posted pics of one such exhaust fan. It was also used to suck out paint fumes.

[thenabrd]

an exhaust fan would be the perfect solution, except that the birds are in the living room with us. i don't have any unused rooms for a bird room, plus the living room is where we can all spend the most time together. we've talked about switching the living room into the dining room and vice versa, and leaving the girls in the "new" dining room, since that's in the front of the house and they're able to look out the big window on the front porch. they'd still be able to see us and hear us if we did this. but at this point its just a thought. kallie's dust has been really bad this year compared to last year, so that's the biggest cause for my looking into air cleaners. this year i'd have to dust 5 times a day with the amount she's putting off. to see if i can help this situation, i've put up the humidifier this morning, much earlier than i did last year. time will tell!! i figured that besides no additional costs for filters, an electrostatic might work similar (or as well, lol) to our tv and stereo equipment in attracting the dust, lol!!!

[kins2321@yahoo.com]

Vacumn, vacumn, vacumn! Mine sits in the middle of their room. They love it! Nancy