Filterless Air Cleaners Make No Sense: Airfree Lotus Air Purifier
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- Опубліковано 1 сер 2024
- Honestly, it's starting to piss us off that some of these marketing teams are combining their shocking lack of understanding of what they're selling, with an assumption that their customers won't be able to understand it either. Let's fix that right now, starting with this Airfree Lotus 'filterless air purifier'. Oh, and they make one specifically for baby rooms too, if this wasn't dumb enough already.
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For what it's worth, I've been trying to google this thing because it's come recommended by our functional medicine doctor. Huge mold issues in my GF's health, and we bought a really great Air Doctor unit as a start. The reason our doctor recommended this one was because he tried it personally in his basement. He did a mold test via immunolytics before, and then after ( I forget how long, but Im pretty sure within a month apart). The before came back with pretty significant mold as suspected. The after test came back with no mold indicators.
I hear what you're saying in this, it feels so hokey. But im really looking for others' experiences with this thing. "Boiling" is such a stupid way to market it, because anyone that buys a $300 unit shouldn't be patronized too. The tech is really interesting. My only additional worry is this thing serving as a mini heater in the hot summer weather, which would not be ideal.
I purchased one for a mold problem. Within 2 weeks the mold was gone. Also, noticed that placing bread on the counter would get moldy in the kitchen within 5 days. With this thing, it gets hard before getting moldy. So, it may not be filtering the air particles as much as normal filters, but it kills mold very very well. No normal air filter would do that.
I agree. This device does kill the airborne mold spores. The clean up processes is still needed. Also need to eliminate source for why the mold does get into your home. Water and humid air are key sources for mold growth.
It does reduce Ozone, I checked the lab test reports (which they freely provide on their website) and researchers noted that the levels of ozone in the test room actually went down after the test was finished. The only thing is, Ozone levels were extremely low to begin with, so it's decreasing the level by a VERY small amount. either way the statement is true
Ozone levels can also go down because of reactions however- lots of ways to game tests, I know from experience.
5:27 this is an interesting concern but I really don't think it has any merit, again if you look at the lab tests you can see independent organizations placed the units in actual office rooms (not just a closed off box like an ACTUAL office room) and they saw a sharp decrease in microbes, it just took a while. The timeframe of the tests looks to be showing ~4 weeks until there are >97% fewer live microbes in the air. One organization that tested this even tried turning the airfree off and they saw a sharp rise in microbes in the weeks after. But the fact remains, while airfree was turned on the room saw NO bacterial or viral growth, only a decrease in numbers. If the dead microbes were 'food' for other microbes then we would have seen an increase instead of a decrease, but that did not happen. I just think it's important to show that they have facts to back up their claims here and I think it's not worthwhile to scare potential customers based on pure speculation. great video though
Fair point. Offices are not homes, though. Bet they didn’t test them in much that more chemically unpredictable, much more active and varied environment.
I had the same thought throughout this video which seemed more like words of caution rather than disproving the product. Ive watched this channel for years but in this one case, the 'proof' that something was made worse is yet to be made. All this to say, I think this product plus a medium (MERV13) filter 'may' provide similar disease free air as say a HEPA filter. Now that's a test I'd be interested in.
@@DarenSpinelle I, too, had the same thought in regards to spewing out dead carcasses. As long as the rate of killing the organisms is higher than the reproduction rate it sounds like a positive effect.
@@DarenSpinelle Please read my comments. I've tested it and it does work. I was skeptical about its ability, but I went out of my way to buy the test equipment to test its performance capabilities. Its biggest limitation is it is limited to one room. If the room is extremely large you may also need more than one unit. I have more than one on every level of my house.
I have not yet tested this with room air-conditions, but will get that done soon since the warmer days are coming - I believe this should not be an issue, since the air exchange rates are not significant enough to impact the overall air quality. My home reading are comparable to reading that I have collected from public buildings and hospitals - "Good" per EPA standards of Clean Air Act for Air Quality. We need more dialog from all on these health issues - So that is why I'm thankful that Corbett posted this opinion.
The world is full of gullible people who lack critical thinking skills
Thanks for clearifying the workings and downsides of this "aircleaner"... I was tempted to buy one... not anymore.
👍🏽
Thank you for all of the valuable information I've learned from you! I was wondering if you've looked into and you're opinion on the Dyson air purifier that they say "destroys" formaldehyde? Thanks!
I’ll add it to the list, Yosef. Thanks for watching!
7:08 can you explain what you mean by weighing? The only tech I've ever heard of in particle sensors involves lasers and light, never heard of an air quality monitor that weighs objects but i'd be interested to hear more about it
Regarding UV light: In the South most HVAC outfits are using UV light inside the air handler cabinet to mitigate mold development on the coil.
What is the best argument against that (if there is one) and what is the alternative?
i doubt they are using the expensive non ozone producing uv lamps. so it would be pumping ozone around which oxidizes everything.
Oh my gosh 400 degrees will cause a lot pollutants. This reminds me I tried and tested a REME LED to test their claims. None of them were true. VOC's were not reduced whatsoever. In fact, it seemed to cause me throat and sinus irritation at night. I tested it for a couple weeks. It did nothing for my home. I uninstalled it. Some time after that I found out the hydroxl radicals, catalyst, as well as peroxides it releases into the air are all bad! Now I just have a MERV 16 5" thick filter and ventilating dehumidifier bringing in approximately 70 cfm 24/7. I was experiencing muscle discomfort from VOC's in our brand new home and ventilation cured me and I get a good night sleep now.
Thanks for sharing, David, and great work!
I’m thinking of using a Lennox Healthy Climate Lennox X6675 20x25x5 Healthy Climate Carbon-Clean MERV 16 Filter going forward.
What filter did you end up using.
Bought 2 of their P models about 5 years ago. They were effective in the sense that my leather bags and shoes no longer got moldy. One of them however stopped working. Probably because the room had no air conditioning and was too hot. My only problem with them is after sales service.
My wife was on the precipice of buying something like this. We've always used HEPA before and I am urging her to stick with that. It is practically impossible to get non-marketing info on these devices.
However, we do have a Honeywell electrostatic air cleaner on our 2nd floor heat pump/AC. It seems like it works well as far as I can tell. There is a difference in air quality and freshness upstairs vs. down. We clean the plates 2x per year.
What do you think of those things?
By the way, I have been testing probiotic cleaners in my home. One mild one and one that is a stronger cleaner plus probiotics. They work very well for cleaning anything, plus over the course of a week, they eliminate odors for good. Positive Evergy Podcast has great info on this and biofilms. I tried probiotics on my A/C coils both in my garage mini split and 4 ton coil inside and it eliminated odors after about 1 week. The garage one took a few treatments, but it is basically outside and has a screen for a filter
Can you please share these cleaners?
Guys, these are UNTESTED. They play with microbiology in experimental ways to mimic the gut biome, which is not the same thing. Interesting, yes. Safe? Who knows?
I think this is one of those ceramic media things, basically it seems like you're trying to purify the air with a tiny diesel exhaust filter that's always hot. I like the idea that its incinerating all of the filth in the air, but I don't like the idea that small bits of burnt particles are leaving the thing.
I’m starting to see a pattern with these air devices having nightlights.
Since these devices are small and often located low near or on the floor, it acts as a warning/safety light for potential tripping hazard. It is very important to not allow anything to cover these devices because it is a heat source -potentially a fire hazard.
Appreciate all your research and information! Could you also discuss the "reusable filter" style purifiers like the Honeywell Air Genius line? I wanted something that would last, instead of require specialized HEPA filters that would go out of production in a year and force me to buy yet another new unit when I couldn't find them anymore. Are the electrostatic filters a good choice or more bs?
Wasted several hundred $$ on an Air Oasis a few years back. Opened it up to clean it....no filter, just a little nodule covered with dust.
Big fat JOKE.
It would be interesting to run that in a sealed room with a good pm2.5 meter. It would not surprise me if the numbers went up
Wrong conclusion. Please read my comments on why this device works. I've done these tests - It works well in small areas with very little air circulation.
Probably would go up...internally the device may 'boil' but with the expulsion of heat it acts like a convection incubator over a much larger volumetric area of atmosphere
Looks like an Alien egg. Better nuke it from orbit!
So what is the problem with having at home both this AirFree air sterilizer for viruses and small particles etc and an air purifier with HEPA and carbon etc filters?
This will create particles small enough that your filter won’t catch them unless it is a merv 16 or higher filter. If your filter is that good then you are already catching the virus and tiny particulates of smoke so you would not need or want this device.
I have a smaller unit and it can take upto 3 week for best results is what I read, I have this my boss has this and a couple of co workers and i gave my relatives some too and everybody seems to like it, but dont expect immediate results, its slow.
and there are airfree units with fans aswell I got one for the bedroom, and I tried Ikea, philips, xiaomi and a few others filtered brands before hand and Im fine with what I got.
What about the claims of the iwave-r "bipolar ionizer"?
the bi-polar bit will be just regular ionizer but it has a plate thats connected to the postive side. so dirt is attracted to the postive plate. not a new idea it just costs more and doesn't achieve much.
@@tweake7175 I thought that the concept was that this particular bi-polar didn't produce ozone as the cheaper "nonpolar" ionizers do? OR is your comment that ionizers do nothing in the first place?
@@ccvideotech they all produce ozone. Bipolar will simply attract dust to one place, the postive side. Assuming air flow will allow it to settle.
@@tweake7175 How do they get away with saying that it's lab certified to the FDA recs and UL standards to produce zero ozone then?
@@ccvideotech its either not actually tested and its bs advertising, not uncommon for these sorts of things. Or quite likely the standard it past isn't actually zero ozone. Would have to check the standard.
I've tested this type of thermal air clearer. Real science using testing methods usually shows the real facts. I set up different Air Quality Monitors with and without this Thermal Unit in rooms with limited air flow. The Air Quality reading for PM 2.5 and smaller go down to a safer limit per our Clean Air Act standards. The HEPA filters do not perform well with viral components. HEPA filters work best for larger particle sizes (PM10). Viruses and mold spores are less than PM 1.0 Ventilation systems are usually upgraded with ionic or ultraviolet light systems. A good solution to mold and poor air quality in the basement is to install a 200 cfm exhaust fan in your basement - This creates a negative pressure in the basement while ensuring a suitable air flow throughout the house. I've used my air quality monitors in schools, hospitals and other public buildings for comparative study data.
I agree the price for the thermal unit does appear to be too much. But it actually works. I think the price has dropped considerably since this video was presented. The hardware in this device, I've estimated to be less than $50. You may need several units for your home to feel confident that your environment is safe.
The thermal unit I tested had important safety features. I've tested components of this type of thermal system [ 25 watt ] and have seen results that prove this concept is valid. More facts - It only takes a fraction of a second to annihilate a viral spore at this rated temperature. These microscopic viral spores are so small that no accumulation is noticeable when destroyed - I would estimate 100 years.
The EPA typically updates their standards every five years. I believe we need more insight on other airborne hazards in our environment that are not currently being identified by the EPA under the Clear Air Act
I feel confident that what I've mentioned here is valuable information for your consideration.
I use a merv 16 filter in my house which filters particles larger than 0.3um which includes all viruses and smoke.
This device causes particles that are smaller than 1.0um which a 2.5um air particle detector does a terrible job detecting because it is weighing the particles not counting them. So you have to have 10 times as many 0.3um particles to have the same reading as 3.0um particles.
I will stick with my Merv 16 filter.
Lennox Healthy Climate Lennox X6675 20x25x5 Healthy Climate Carbon-Clean MERV 16 Filter
Trying to keep a virus threat to minimal levels in a room has many different techniques. One is filtration so I do the best I can with that. Another is air exchange with fresh air. This is why being outside is so much safer. The problem is the calculations are beyond what is reasonable to figure out the correct air exchange. So studies have shown you can just monitor the Co2 levels.
If you are wondering how often people have taken a breath in a room you do have to monitor everything they breathe out. You just have to monitor one of the things they breathe out. And Co2 meters are now below $50. So if Co2 starts to approach 1000ppm you need more fresh air, really good filtration, or people should wear an n95 mask.
During thanksgiving when I had 26 people in the house I did everything I could with the hvac to bring in enough fresh air but it couldn’t keep up. So I opened a window 6” and turned up the heat. Levels stayed around 900ppm.
I now carry a co2 meter with me. When restaurants and other public places look busy I check the Co2. If it is high I put on a mask. On my last vacation the busses were terrible but the planes were always below 500ppm
If you want more details search for.
CO2 concentration as an indicator of indoor ventilation performance to control airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2
No airfree purifiers for our home! Since we can't add an air filtration system to our HVAC system, we use standalone air purifiers from Levoit that have HEPA filters. They're pretty quiet and the filters are easy to maintain.
Good work Bill buddy
Jus theory,why not bay one and test it if is so popular with almost 0 returns , i belive someone already test it and if what you said is true will be in trouble
Please read my comments. It does work !
They work great if you don’t mind 0.3mu particles in your house which cause a ton of health problems.
I think the problem with testing this is most things create 2.5mu particles and smaller in equal amounts. So we have sensors that are looking for the 2.5mu particles and assume there is a similar amount of 0.3um particles.
If you are only creating 0.3um particles a pm2.5 sensor does you no good. The pm2.5 sensor will show low numbers but there can be 10 times as many 0.3um particles as you want.
If it requires water for this boil.. then that is the filter. It would deposit those "bodies " into the water.
Rainbow vacuum.
If it's just a heater.. then mehh.
It doesn't require water
I have a machine like this, it's excellent, you wake up in the morning with a clearer airway
Another liar who comes here to talk about a fantastic product and then sells another to earn commission, go to work, scoundrel
Haha okay man
Your airway might be clear because it turned those large particles that affect your airway short term into small particles that affect your airway, brain, and heart long term.
I will stick with a merv 13-18 filter that filters out both keeping me healthy short term and long term.
The website says it heats to 200 degreesC via a ceramic heater, then has a cooling plate. It also states that purification takes days and weeks, but surely if you open a window or door you have re-infected the room. At least it is a Portuguese product, with a backstory, and not Chinese. After slagging off the Air Free, does your link to AirCycler have a referral code for your commission 😆
Haha, no I don’t take referral fees
Expensive to buy. Probably expensive to operate. But wait, NO benefits for consumer. LOL I think I will wait for electronic magic wand. ROFLMAO.
They have a basic unity for 100-130$ tho
They require about 25 watts 24/7. Pennies per month cost to run. Read my comments for real fact and my testing verification. I agree it is over-priced.
They cost $2.16 to $10 A month to run. 25wattsX24hoursX 30 days = 18,000Wh at $0.12 per KWhr is $2.16 a month. And you need one per 600sqft
The Floating Dead
Make that show
Lennox Healthy Climate Lennox X6675 20x25x5 Healthy Climate Carbon-Clean MERV 16 Filter
FINALLY!!! Now I get it. Filtered air purifier good. Filter less air purifier bad.
Haha well said my friend
We cook bacon in the oven, no spatters.
Make sure to have a good kitchen exhaust fan for the pm2.5 particles that produces.