\"Ionic Breeze\" stuff

John R. Hall

Yeah, I know this is an old release but maybe not everyone saw it:

http://www.iqair.us/sharperimage.cfm

Time for a follow-up.

cruizer

A friend of mine has a couple Ionic Breeze's. All those reports that say they don't work is complete bull. When you walk into his apartment, they air quality is unreal. It's a very noticable difference, the air just "feels" clean and fresh, and easier to breathe. It's really unbelieveable how well they work. Are they better than a HEPA filter, probably not, but I have never experienced a HEPA filter. Are they worh the price? Maybe not compared to a HEPA filter. But they do work, and work well.

BillW@honeywell

Consumer Reports...

tested them and concluded that they were completely ineffective. The evaluation also included a similar product that was manufactured under the Honeywell name several years ago, and also was found to be ineffective. That product is no longer made. They rated our whole-house electronic air cleaner as "very good", along with several competitor's whole house devices and higher merv filters.

jerry scharf_2

my different $.02 on these

I have a different view on ion generators than most people. I have no idea whether they work or not. They certainly do not filter the air, I hope there is no auguement there. There also seems to be no indication that they are harmful in any way (not like Ozone!!!)

Do they improve the air and make a healthier environment? There are some studies from Japan that seem scientific and indicate health benefits. Science is really quite hard when you're dealing with reactions of human populations to environments. Low population studies make it just about impossible. This means there is little work that meets the bar for me to consider it conclusive. But there is also no proof that it is harmful and as such, I would list it as inconclusive.

Are they better than a placebo? Placebos are the most unfairly underrated concepts in medicine. There was a study of a new parkinson's drug. Part of the trial included getting a PET scan to see the drug/brain chemistry interaction. Since it was double blind, the controls needed to get the PET scan as well. Low and behold, they documented the same specific brain chemistry changes that the drug was producing in the control patients who showed improvements.

My net on this is similar to cancer people drinking their special tea: I have no idea whether it works. I would not want anyone to not use known methods for IAQ management, but I would not recommend against them as a additional step. They may turn out to help or they may just be a useful placebo, but in either case it may help the health of a person living there. I can always support that!

Hopefully we can talk some more about this at Wetstock.

jerry

P.S. I am thinking about trying to do consulting with IAQ in construction for people with significant medical issues. It would be targetted at owners and architects. I'd love people's input either on the wall or privately on their take and how I could move forward with this (or not.)

Mike T., Swampeast MO

Ion generators DEFINITELY produce ozone!

David_5

Ionic breeze

If it is removing "stuff" from the air then you should be able to see build up on the plates. My bet is that you won't see build up.

David

Mike T., Swampeast MO

Buildup is Not in Doubt

Stuff does collect on those plates. As one user put it, "just like my TV screen".

S Ebels

Additional related IAQ topic

S Ebels

Additional related IAQ topic

Many of you remember the post I had about the building with the mold problem this past summer. The building manager called in an IAQ company and an architect to review problems I had brought up with the building envelope itself. Long story short, they both agree with my assessment and recommendations plus added some of their own. I'm feeling somewhat vindicated......but I'm already off the subject here.

The reason for my post is to relate how well Nu-tech's Lifebreath TFP filter works. Talk about an improvement in IAQ!! As the research by the two other parties dragged on, the building manager asked if there was something I could do in the meantime. I have a console type TFP in my own home and I took that over to the afflicted building about a 5 weeks ago. This was as much to give the TFP an "acid test" as it was to try and alleviate some of their problems.

I stopped in there yesterday and asked the manager of the company that occupies the building if she or any other workers had noticed a change in the IAQ. She asked in reply if she could hug me! (I said no, people would talk) She stated that no-one had gone home sick since about 4 days after the unit had been placed in service. She herself was wearing her contacts to work for the first time in 2YEARS without suffering! On her suggestion, we went and talked with several of the peoople that had been experiencing severe problems. All of them indicated that their symptoms had been greatly reduced or eliminated entirely.

The TFP filter is a product that flat out does what it was intended to do. No rocket science or smoke and mirrors. Simple and effective.

Larry Weingarten

Jerry: For your consulting...

work, you absolutely need to attend an "Affordable Comfort". Look them up at affordablecomfort.org. Wonderful info!

Paul Pollets

Lifebreath, et al

Being involved with high tech ventilation has made me aware that most products are merely "snake-oil". When it gets down to where the rubber meets the road, air filtration is a matter of capture ratio and ability to remove (not just precipitate) particles. Very few machines dare show capture rate data over time. Most sales brochures demonstrate capture rate for either 1-4 weeks. Only Lifebreath demonstrates the effect of time vs capture rate. I'd urge technicians to invest in a laser particle counter if they want to really see "what's in the air" and how well certain products work. 200 Lifebreath TFP's were installed a a local Seattle school with mystery air problems. The problems disapppeared.

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