Indoor air quality/ HEPA filters?

[Poindexter]

Anyone using these? i got home pretty late last night and heard everyone in the house coughing in their sleep. Dropped about $400 on air filters today, see a difference already, looking to optimize.

BRB with drawings and what I am ass/u/me-ing.

 

[skysong]

Just put some room air purifiers in my house last week. I don't have any smoke issues but there seems to be a lot of dust with the house closed up in the winter. Also cut down on pet allergies. What did you get?

 

[Poindexter]

Attaching a quick sketch of my floor plan, 1200sqft, 30x40 footprint. Its a little washed out in the lower right corner, sorry.

My biggest air leak into the house is under the front door down on the lower level at the foot of the stairs. Upstairs my two biggest outputs other than windows are the vent fan in the upstairs bath and the BK Ashford 30 running in the living room. The stove draws room air, no outside air kit.

I also have a convection loop going, box fan on the floor outside the bedrooms blows cold air along the floor towards the stove. I can see in the popcorn ceiling warm air is drifting from the stove towards the bedrooms, dropping particles on one side of the popcorn but not the other.

I have been reading up a little on air quality anyway since I am in an EPA non-attainment area. Though I have been focusing on outdoor AQ, I have seen a couple references that indoor AQ will measure 50-70% of outdoor pollutants.

So if the outdoor air has say 50 grains per bushel of car exhaust, most homes will have 25-35 grains per bushel of car exhaust inside the house. Wood smoke 20 grains per bushel outdoors, then indoors in homes without wood stoves, wood smoke particulates will likely measure 10-14 grains per bushel. And etc.

Got a couple air filters today. I put a small on rated for 85cf in the office, set in high, closed the door and even 20 minutes later the air in that room is easier to breathe. I got one big one rated for 300sqft that I am trying in different places, but looking for inputs. I guess I need three more of them (@ $250 each, ouch).

For now I have the big one on a dresser in the master bedroom, about 40" off the floor so it is filtering the hot air coming into the MBR just before the wife and I breathe it.

I don't see a lot of point in putting one right by the stove to clean up the intake air for the stove.... Looking for ideas on where to place and what to expect.

Thanks, I think mine are Honeywell brand, they use the A-B-C-D type filters.

 

[skysong]

I'm, also wondering where to place them for optimum benefit. I do have the smaller ones in each bedroom, a big one in an open entry way, on the second floor where most of the air seems to circulate through and a medium in the living room across the room from the stove. I know it's probably pulling it right into the stove, but I can tell the difference in the room on it's way there. I do I have an old Honeywell which I got going again. The rest of the ones I got at Target, Walmart and Amazon. They are all Holmes. Amazon has the large one for $105.90 I had purchased GermGuardian, but had to return it...very plastic smell...don't recommend. We could tell the difference in the air right away also. I was concerned that the added air currents would mess up our heating air flow, but it doesn't seem to have caused a problem.

 

[CenterTree]

We have used the Honeywell large HEPAs for years due to my kids having asthma.

They worked good. A little noisy on "high" setting. Ran them on "low" constantly.

Trouble was, after several years the filters became impossible to find because the manufacturer keeps changing their design. So, now our 3 units are garbage.

So, we bought a different brand (HUNTER, PermaLife) with what is suppose to be a washable HEPA filter. Not sure how that even is possible, but we shall see.

 

[thinkxingu]

My family is currently in the same situation and are wondering what to do. We have two bedrooms (the kids share one), each with humidifiers, so are thinking of adding a combination purifier/humidifier in wood stove (living) room. I'm looking at this one, which gets good reviews, but I could use a little help on where to place it. http://www.bestbuy.com/site/sharp-p...hite/1180495.p?id=1218231412852&skuId=1180495

 

[Poindexter]

So far I haven't moved mine. Big one running in master bedroom, small one in the office.

It seems like somewhere around 24-30 hours run time the air in the whole house is "better" enough that no one is coughing in their sleep- so i am leaving it be.

It looks like I have an inversion setting up right now, we'll see what happens over the next few days if my exterior AQ drops.

 

[thinkxingu]

Just posted about the Sharp KC-860U on another thread, if anyone is looking for an ionizer/HEPA/humidifier. Awesome machine.

 

[maverick06]

I have one and use it all the time. I have it placed near the stove, but that is a large open living area. Mine is "lifetime" heap. I figured it would save money in the long run, been using it for a few years, bought off amazon. I clean it out with the air compressor from time to time. Cant say if its really needed, but I figured it would help keep down indoor air particulates.

 

[DickRussell]

We have used the Honeywell large HEPAs for years ...Trouble was, after several years the filters became impossible to find because the manufacturer keeps changing their design.

Search on aftermarket airfilter suppliers. Just as with toner cartridges for outdated printers, there are outfits out there that can supply filters for darn near anything. You may get lucky.