I wanted to address some of the comments and reiterate that this video is not sponsored by Clean Air Kits or any other company. I decided to feature their products based on my personal experience and belief in their effectiveness. I had no idea this video would be as big as it is! If any of my content is sponsored, I will always clearly disclose that to you. I also don’t want people walking away from this video thinking that HEPA filters in general are useless. I want to reiterate that there are numerous different contexts and settings in which filters are used. The type of filter required varies between them. MERV-13 is sufficient (or even optimal) in many of these. However, as I mentioned in this video, HEPA is necessary in some. For example, vacuums, powered air purifying respirators (PAPR), clean rooms, operating theaters, or nuclear laboratory exhaust. To add to what I said at 31:42: the Exhalaron by Clean Air Kits creates another context in which HEPA filters ARE useful. I’m referring to near-field source control, minimizing the spread of virus from a sick person to a healthy person. This scenario is different from reducing overall particulate counts within a medium/larger room.

@IntegrityMeansAll

Ай бұрын

Can you please recommend an air purifier for a bedroom?🙏

@DennisMathias

Ай бұрын

If you use a system that is 100% clean air it would be a partition. So this all makes sense. I discovered long ago that if I wanted better particulate filtering, just let the filter clog up a bit. More and more particulates with be captured. But the air flow will decrease and the efficiency of the furnace will go down too. I'm thinking that electrostatic air cleaners might be one way to go but then you have the ozone problem. The other alternative is to not allow dirty air anywhere in your home. Plastics and synthetics are volatiles. They emit air borne contaminants all the time for the life of the product. Your presentation is really good and I hope you will continue.

@01mustang05

4 күн бұрын

Ultra-low particulate air (ULPA) is a type of air filter. A ULPA filter can remove from the air at least 99.999% of dust, pollen, mold, bacteria and any airborne particles with a minimum particle penetration size of 120 nanometres (0.12 μm, ultrafine particles). A ULPA filter can remove-to a large extent but not 100%-oil smoke, tobacco smoke, rosin smoke, smog, and insecticide dust.[1] It can also remove carbon black to some extent. Some fan filter units incorporate ULPA filters. The EN 1822 and ISO 29463 standards may be used to rate ULPA filters.[2][3]

@phil2082

3 күн бұрын

You did not adequately articulate quickly the issue: A filter that catches half of all particles ON EACH PASS THROUGH does not only catch half of all particles. It catches particles at a rate much more quickly than the filters which supposedly catch everything the first time through. Because half of all particles are caught per cycle, and because the flow rate is so high, the air filters which move more air are leagues better.

@darkguardian1314

3 күн бұрын

But that’s exactly what people are going to do. It should be placed somewhere at the end of the video. Especially, if they watch KZread vids on a big TV with no comments visible like I sometimes do. Few read comment sections as they have become a toxic cesspool over the years. I have two iHome purifiers for computer and bedroom and it fits my needs. Radon is something I’m concerned with but isn’t as bad in my location.

Homeboys air purifier so strong, his black shirt turned a lighter color mid way through the video.

@TurfSurf

4 күн бұрын

😂😂😂

@CleanAirCommunications

2 күн бұрын

Hahahaha

@nintom

2 күн бұрын

☠ 😂

@rogersockwell

Күн бұрын

Nice one! 🤣 Great to see someone else who leaves snarky and observant comments. I drop 'em all over the place and people don't usually notice.

@user-pp4ve6qo1b

Күн бұрын

@@rogersockwell Well aren't YOU special!!!!

I live in a hot/humid area, where most of the particulate pollution is from the outside environment; and NO2 (nitrogen dioxide) blooms EVERY day, late afternoon, and well into the early morning. Carbon filter is the only easy option to help mitigate the NO2 effects, in my experience. Thanks for this video, and inspiring me to try and make my own device. ❤🙏

Your video saved me from buying an overpriced filter. Invaluable information.

My wife wanted me to buy an air purifier. Me being a pc builder, I immediately thought: I can build this with some pc fans, a case and some filters for way cheaper. Turns out my idea was good al along. I was right! I'm going to send her this video. 😂 Wish me luck.

Dude that's an INSANE video, the amount of research and effort is honeslty crazy. Customer all around the work should look at this video.

@HealthyHomeGuide

20 күн бұрын

I did drive myself a bit crazy while putting together this video. Thank you for recognizing the value in it 🙂

@2adamast

3 күн бұрын

INSANE that CR-boxes are a valid solution after all? What's crazy is that HHG could tell the difference within a day, as both seem valid solutions.

Yes, the surface area of the filters matters. With Biological Safety Cabinets used in laboratories, or laminar flow hoods used in pharmaceutical work, the size of the HEPA filters are enormous in comparison to a household air cleaner. The larger the filter given the same fan & speed setting, the more clean air produced because of decreased resistance to flow. Most household HEPA air filters have minuscule filters. HEPA filters are superior IF the household cleaner is properly designed. Apparently they are not today. HEPA filters can last for many years especially with the usual setup of having a pre filter ahead of the HEPA filter. A pre filter is similar to your MERV rated filter. This is standard in a laminar flow hood, as described in USP797.

@usr01

3 күн бұрын

Austin Airs Healthmate is awesome.

I got one and they really help with the dust and and pollen and it works exceptionally well.

As a moderate allergy sufferer I've used HEPA air cleaners, always Honeywell brand which had/have cadrs of 300 or higher. The units have always sounded like small jet engines but I didn't care because being able to breath was more important to me and after years of using them it's a little harder to go to sleep without the noise. I got noticeable relief from them and never questioned their effectiveness until I watched your video. I have an email into clean air kits and intend to buy to compare one or more of their filter units. You should hit them up for a discount code for your viewers.

@ethimself5064

7 күн бұрын

Been using Honeywell and Holmes larger types for over 20 years and zero issues with air quality. This test is invalid for me

@eljaytu

6 күн бұрын

I use Philips air cleaners during hay fever season and the results are great. After turning one on, it takes just a few minutes before I can breathe again.

@Techlifeandmore

6 күн бұрын

Yeah, last week we changed the filters on our GermGuardian air purifiers and cleaned our air conditioner filters. I am a major allergy sufferer, and most of my family are moderate allergy sufferers. Until we cleaned the air conditioner filters and replaced the air purifier filters, my pallet was itchy and I was sneezing up a storm. After cleaning/replacing the filters, my conditions quickly went away.

@NikoBellaKhouf2

5 күн бұрын

Honeywell makes really good filters

@Irfan_1

3 күн бұрын

​@@eljaytu Guys is 190 cadr good enough for a 1000 cubic meter room/ 30 meters cubed room

Very glad I found this video. Last week I purchased a Levoit Vital 200S-P as the home that I'm moving into has noticeably bad air quality and has shown worryingly high fungal presence in air quality tests. I decided to test it in my current home ahead of time, and after running it in a particularly dusty 168 sqft storage room on the highest setting for 8 hours I can't tell any difference. Not only that, but the machine had the audacity to say that the room had reached "excellent" air quality within 30 seconds of being on. I can't believe how many online reviews are praising this thing. As for a replacement, I'll need to find some more reviews first, but I'm pretty intrigued by the Luggable XXL. Thanks for gathering all this data.

@HealthyHomeGuide

Ай бұрын

I’m glad you found it to be helpful! Air purifiers can certainly help reduce the amount of particulate in the air, but they have limited efficacy against odors. Ventilation is better for that. And source control (removing the smelly material). Air purifiers can be a good temporary bandaid (among other methods) in homes with higher fungal counts, but if your house has a severe mold problem, they can only do so much on their own. If you need more advice, please don’t hesitate to email me.

@gir1258

4 күн бұрын

Sensor is reporting that the air quality is excellent because it’s placed in a bad spot and is just picking up the freshly filtered air. Ideally, you need multiple sensors if your goal is accuracy.

@Irfan_1

3 күн бұрын

​@@HealthyHomeGuideIs 190 Cadr good for a 1000 cubic meters room/ 30 cubic meters room

Great video, thank you for the invaluable info.

Thank you, this is exactly what I was looking for. All the fancy HEPA boxes always seemed like a scam to me as all they doing is sucking air through a filter. This has finally given me an option/approach I can relate to. Thank you! Amazing video, subbed and liked 💪💪

Wow! This was packed with loads of illuminating info, even more than your earlier vids. Thanks so much. Keep up the good work.

@HealthyHomeGuide

2 ай бұрын

Comments like this make the hundreds of hours of research worth it! Thank you 😊

How shocking, using too small of a filter for the volume of air to be purified doesn't work.

"Merv filters leave HEPA in the dust". hehe

@HealthyHomeGuide

2 ай бұрын

Heheh 😉

Thanks a lot for this video! Super insightful!

What a great a thorough video, seriously good work man!!!

@HealthyHomeGuide

Күн бұрын

Thank you!

Very timely. Have been thinking about buying a hepa filtration system. Thanks.

I can't tell you how long I've been looking for a video like this. 🙏🤝

@HealthyHomeGuide

15 күн бұрын

I'm happy you liked it :)

Great video. Thx for sharing your experiences here.

@HealthyHomeGuide

2 ай бұрын

Glad you appreciated hearing about them!

A well-researched rant, Alex! You've hit all the marks here.

@HealthyHomeGuide

2 ай бұрын

That means a lot coming from you, David! Thanks for your help with the face velocity stuff.

Wow this was a great video. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and research. I live in Australia so it’s very expensive to import stuff. For example on clean air kits - choosing the tower of power which is $300 USD, the shipping cost estimate is $215 USD. So you pay 2 thirds of the product price to ship it. It sucks but Australia is a long way away from Missouri! So instead I’m going to watch your diy video and then maybe in a few years there will be a diy version for computer fans. I also don’t think I care how loud it is if it’s performing such an important job. And I can always turn it off when we need quiet.

@HealthyHomeGuide

2 ай бұрын

I’m glad you appreciate the work I put in 🙂 I’m so sorry about that shipping cost. Hopefully the AC infinity fan in my DIY version will ship to you for a decent price. It’s very quiet on the lower speeds. Good luck! I need to find better options for my Aussie viewers.

Wow, SUPER useful info!! I stuck a box fan on the front of a big commercial HEPA filter from eBay and it works great - BUT it heats the room up too much, with the fan on high and it’s noisy. I’m gonna replace the box fan with a bunch of CoolerMasters and maybe buy one of these guys kits besides. Thanks for an incredibly useful video!! 👍👍👍

@HealthyHomeGuide

5 күн бұрын

Glad it helped!

We've all been there. Too many experts don't really understand what we are looking for. Good research. I have smart Hepa filters in bedrooms, otherwise three PC fans CR boxes around the living areas. The CADR of the PCCRB is fantastic for low noise compared to a regular box fan CRB. Plus they are smaller. Currently looking for more than 6 air changes per room per hour, I can usually get double that.

@HealthyHomeGuide

19 күн бұрын

I appreciate that, thank you. You nailed your setup. I love shooting for super high CADR hehe. Especially because I unfortunately don't have an exhaust hood over my stove.

Use both. A merv13 will scrub large volumes to 25% purity and use hepa13 to clean it further. This way hepa is not going to be overwhelmed with particulate

@HealthyHomeGuide

Күн бұрын

If we're talking about in-room particulate purification, I disagree. MERV-13 tends to achieve higher CADR than HEPA at all particle sizes. Logically, looking at the data, why supplement a machine that does it all with an inferior, more expensive machine? If we're talking about near-field source control, then yes, supplementing with HEPA is a good idea.

I see you put tape around the edges of the air purifier you built. Was the hot glue not working well enough?

Great info, thank you.

A giant Rosenthal Box fan style is really amazing and cheaper than anything.

Excellent video and good job presenting such a variety of research in one video.

@HealthyHomeGuide

Күн бұрын

Thank you very much!

This is great. I already have an array of 6 120mm fans for my watercooling setup (2 radiators of 3 fans each). The idea that I could use these as outflow fans for a MERV based air filter is just great. Maybe an excuse to get a 3rd radiator and 3 more fans to make it a 3x3 square.

@HealthyHomeGuide

Күн бұрын

Great idea!

I have multiple of the clean air kits and absolutely love them. whisper quiet.

@HealthyHomeGuide

Ай бұрын

Aren't they great? Simple, quiet, and effective.

Thanks a bunch for this video. Switching to thinking about CADR is such a simple and insightful way to understand why HEPA isn't just better. Before seeing this I just bought a 3rd portable HEPA air filtration unit to reduce allergens for an upcoming visit from my family, but now I can make a more informed choice next time the issue arises.

could you test the efficacy if you add an additional HEPA filter inside a DIY MERV-13 before the fan outlet? Possibly with a stronger fan setup.

thanks a lot! i will build one myself!

Is Levoit a good brand of air purifier? I have the core 200S.

Well done. A lot of work went into this. Thank you. Best presentation ever.

@HealthyHomeGuide

Күн бұрын

I really appreciate that! It did take a ton of research and work.

You can buy particle counters as used in clean rooms. When we had fires a couple of years ago, I used a standard box fan and furnace filter. Used it to clear the smoke from the house. It was very effective. The difference in odor between indoors and outdoors was huge. Avoided the HEPA filters as the goal was to remove large volumes of the smoke particles.

Excellent video, Alex! Nice use and citation of other’s research and data to support the topic being discussed. 👏

@HealthyHomeGuide

2 ай бұрын

I appreciate your support Josh 🙂

Excellent video! Props to all the research you did. What’s the noise level of the DIY box you made?

@user-pp4ve6qo1b

Күн бұрын

No answer means LOUD.

I have two hepa filters in my home that has small rooms. I can't/don't want to have big footprint diy merv filter. Does it still make sense to stick with what I am doing when running those units on low 24/7.

@HealthyHomeGuide

2 ай бұрын

First, I’d find out what the CADR of the HEPA units in your home is and whether it makes sense for the size of your space. It’s almost certainly extremely low if they’re small units and you’re running them on low. If your priority is aesthetics, then stick with what you have. If your priority is clean air, then I’d get something with a higher CADR (assuming I’m correct about the above). By the way, if you watch the whole video, I’m not advocating for DIY units with huge footprints. Check out clean air kits website - they have plenty of units with reasonable footprints like the Luggables. Good luck!

@benjiebarker

2 ай бұрын

i just bought a hepa filter that claims to do 141 cfm CADR, is that good for the bedroom...

@HealthyHomeGuide

2 ай бұрын

@@benjiebarker That means it delivers 141 CADR cfm on the highest (loudest) speed. So if you’re running it on medium speed, it’ll do around half the CADR (70 cfm). Use the sizing methods I discussed at 27:59 to see if it’s right for your bedroom.

Nice, but how it compares with Central HVAC with large HEPA filter?

Thanks for the info. I just ordered two of the CleanAirKits 7 Fan end table units, and I’m confident that they will outperform HEPA filter systems that cost over 600.00 each…. So I’m essentially getting 2 awesome air filters for about a 3rd of the price of 2 of the expensive hepa filter systems, with better performance & cheaper filter replacement costs as well. So thankful to have stumbled onto this video. 🙏🙏

@HealthyHomeGuide

22 күн бұрын

Well said! Thank you for taking the time to fully understand what I’m trying to say here.

Which ceiling height is considered for cadr calculation relative to area? It’s the volume of the room that matters, after all.

Hello! Great video! Did you ever do a CADR test of your DIY solution? It looks like it can be a bit more expensive than CAKs but with the AC infinity fan in there, I have to imagine at a higher speed it has a higher CADR.

@HealthyHomeGuide

17 күн бұрын

Thank you! I haven't done a CADR test of it yet, but The 3D Handyman (youtube channel) said that he may do one for a similar build (same fan and filters). I've been checking his website every week or so but he hasn't posted the results yet. I agree with your theory that it probably can achieve a higher CADR on the higher speeds.

I’ve found my people

@HealthyHomeGuide

Күн бұрын

Welcome!

Do you have any suggestions for wall mountable air purifiers? I have no available floor space in my room and I have cats that would probably scratch through the filters if they can get to them

Great video, big fan of Clean Air Kits and CR Boxes so thanks for getting the word out!

@HealthyHomeGuide

Ай бұрын

It's an honor to do it! Thank you so much.

@JaydoCovid

Ай бұрын

@@HealthyHomeGuide one piece of feedback someone shared with me: some people may take the wrong message that HEPA is a “scam” and shouldn’t be used. I agree MERV based devices are better in most situations, but similar to how Levoit is not technically HEPA and some people are scared by that, some may view this and think HEPAs don’t help, when it’s really, there are cheaper or more effective ways to do this, but there isn’t something inherently wrong with HEPA entirely - agree?

@HealthyHomeGuide

Ай бұрын

I've had several people reach out to me making this same point that you're making, and I've given this a lot of thought and reflection. Here's what I'll say: I don't want people thinking that HEPA filters in general are a scam. So I did several things to help prevent this: I included a section towards the end of the video where I talk about the contexts in which the high single-pass efficiency of HEPA filters is needed, I made a pinned comment explaining that further, and I added "Most" to my title after the fact. I believe it's important to reflect on my messaging, and I have. That being said, I do not regret using the word "scam." Beyond the incredibly deceptive marketing of most HEPA air purifier companies, I DO believe there is something inherently wrong with HEPA in the context of in-room particulate purification. I believe that HEPA filters are too expensive and restrictive for this particular context, and we need to move away from using them here. In order to produce a good CADR with HEPA, you either need a super powerful fan that is far too loud, or a super expensive, giant filter. Those are not viable solutions. In the real world, air quality usually suffers in the end. There is a cheaper, more energy efficient, and quieter option than HEPA at equivalent CADR. Let's talk about THAT - even if we may have recommended HEPA air purifiers in the past to our viewers/clients. Sometimes you need strong messaging to get the word out and help create a paradigm shift. So yes, scam.

Thank you for the very insightful video. Ive been making diy box fan filters for years. I didn't know that the cube configuration was more efficient. And makes sense that pc fans would be good for people sensitive to noise. I like how noisy a boxfan setup is because it drowns out the tinnitus lol.

@HealthyHomeGuide

Күн бұрын

Glad you found it to be insightful! Tinnitus is no fun, I understand lol

thanks for making this video. i'm in the market for a new air purifier and this information is so appreciated. will share with others as well. keep it up!

@HealthyHomeGuide

8 күн бұрын

Aw, thank you! And thanks for sharing it. I will definitely keep it up.

Curious if adding more filters to home AC/central heat would do similar, if it's sized appropriately so the unit is running very often (which is how modern AC should be working when sized properly). It would be like having a big whole home CR box, no?

This is incredible thank you

@HealthyHomeGuide

Ай бұрын

Thanks for watching :)

I’m so grateful for the people that bother calling out BS and letting others know about it! I’m also an avid researcher and SO appreciate the time you spent in putting this video together! We are interested in the clean air kits but we do want the VOC/gases/smell absorption capabilities of carbon filters. I emailed the owner and he said it could be possible to use a carbon sheet filter with the filters they recommend though there would be a little loss in the air flow because of the extra layer of filtration. I could see how the carbon sheet filters would not be as effective as carbon pellets (or even larger carbon filters.) I know the IQAir Health Pro Plus is supposed to be great at this kind of filtration, but I also think I wouldn’t be able to stand the noise level of the highest setting (that is probably where their efficacy numbers are being reported from.) I know you mentioned Smart Air is also quiet but expensive but I’m wondering if that’s the best quiet-ish option for someone that wants effective VOC/gas/odor control?

@HealthyHomeGuide

24 күн бұрын

I’m appreciate that you’re grateful for the work I’m doing 🙂 In case you missed it, I discussed my opinion on carbon filters at 32:09 in this video. To expand on that, I do agree with you that a thin sheet of carbon is unlikely be very effective as an odor reducer for very long (I imagine that it would saturate quite quickly). In general, I don’t think carbon filtration in in-room residential air purifiers is quite at a place where it can be used as a consistently effective, long-term VOC mitigation strategy. Instead, removing the source of the odor or ventilation (dilution with outdoor air) are proven methods that are far more consistent and effective. That being said, air purifiers with larger blocks of carbon can have some efficacy. But again, given that companies don’t tend to provide metrics about the efficacy of their carbon filters, it’s hard to know.

@surrendertoflow78

23 күн бұрын

@@HealthyHomeGuide I didn’t miss what you said about carbon filters and I agree that the sheets are likely not super effective (or at least would just need to be changed very often). Ventilation with outdoor air is not really a great solution for us (and probably also not for many people) and it’s still an important factor for us. I think IQAir Health Pro Plus is one that does genuinely make a difference in that department but I know I wouldn’t be able to deal with the noise level on a setting where it’s really making a difference. 😝 🤑

@HealthyHomeGuide

23 күн бұрын

@@surrendertoflow78 Gotcha! Can I ask why you feel that ventilation (dilution with outdoor air) isn’t a good option for you? When I say ventilation, I’m not talking about opening a window.

@surrendertoflow78

23 күн бұрын

@@HealthyHomeGuide for one, right now we’re dealing with a lot of controlled burns in our area. So outdoor air quality is poor (and most of our summer last summer had air quality that kept us cooped up inside). It wasn’t even this bad last spring so I’m bracing for a hard summer 😷

I might be over reacting to a recent scare that micro and nano plastics are killing us but dont all those filters shed themselves whatever they are made of and that is really dangerous too? For example, HEPA filters made of fiberglass have been shown to shed about 700 fibers in 6 hours of use. This might be well bellow the limits regulators have put for exposure to fiberglass particles but I am still scared of just buying one. Same thing with MERV 13 filters made from different kinds of plastic fibers. I just want to also limit plastic ingestion and wouldn't want it to backfire. Do you think I am over reacting and I shouldn't worry about the potential risks of those filters? Anyone that could offer helpful insight is very appreciated.

@Yoshikaable

Күн бұрын

As long as it's filtering out more than it produces I'm ok with it. But I do understand the concern and it's not wrong to worry

Hi alex, i have a dilemma that i was hoping for your advice on. My home relies on swamp coolers and AC units. These blow air in from outside super fast, and don't have a filter at all on them. I live in the Mohave desert, so its imperative these run almost always. Can i keep up with cleaning the air in my house when those are blowing in dirty air from outside? Should i put a makeshift filter on the swamp cooler opening? What kind of filters can even resist that kind of damp air all the time, And what options do I have as far as the small rooms, should I build one of those diy filters fans you show and put a makeshift filter on the AC units? Im thinking both right? Ive battled mold in my bedroom, and i also grow mushrooms. I dont know if you know what that consists of but basically for the space they grow in and any mycology work I do has to have air cleaner than 0.3 microns. I am purchasing a laminar flow hood for that, but the cleanest air possible for that space at least us needed. Keeping air in the house clean for health reasons can help maximize my success in that area as well, and help the laminars job a bit easier .I do not have a lot of money so diy may be the best option for me. Can you give me any advice on this? What are your thoughts and opinions if you wouldn't mind? Thank you alex!

@HealthyHomeGuide

Ай бұрын

Thanks for the questions! Please email me and I’ll be happy to answer you.

Congratulations Alex on another great video - this one is close to my heart having watched the iterations of DIY filters over the past few years and built quite a few myself. I love your energy here and calling out terrible marketing. Great education like this is greatly needed. Thank you! 💪🫡

@HealthyHomeGuide

2 ай бұрын

Your comments are always very encouraging, thank you 🙂

Do you have one where the Merv and Hepa have the same surface area?

I have a HEPA air filter that I keep in my tiny office. The difference is substantial - which surprised me, because I was highly skeptical I would notice any difference at all. A couple of times I would turn it off and wouldn't notice much difference over time - and figured it wasn't doing much, and I had just imagined a previous difference due to placebo. When I eventually turned it back on, though, after one day I was surprised by how large the gap was. After this happened three times I decided it likely wasn't placebo, but I'd need to take some measurements to be certain. When I kept it in my larger kitchen or studio room, though, I did not notice any difference between keeping it on or off. For those spaces, I will likely pursue other options that prioritize CADR.

@HealthyHomeGuide

Күн бұрын

Well said. That makes complete sense.

I came up with the same idea in 2020 when the California forest fires were raging and ran a whole bunch of tests with an AQI meter to come to the same conclusion that the typical air purifiers are way overpriced for what they do. Glad that more people know about this design now.

@gir1258

4 күн бұрын

Yeah, only thing that saved me was my Austin Air unit. Dropped my bedroom PM2.5, PM1.0, and PM10 readings to near zero

Lennox actually has as 20x20x5 (and other sizes) MERV 16 filter that cost $100. So far it's lasted a long time for me. I don't use it as a room filter but my HVAC is able to fit this thickness just barely and the pressure drop is incredibly low in my testing, and in their airflow charts for initial resistance. So far after about 8 months running 24/7 i haven't seen any real deviation in measured static pressure to indicate it's clogged yet, at 650cfm I'm seeing at most 0.01" wc increase from when it was first installed. If someone wanted to drop $200 for 2 and make a triangle room filter it would probably be pretty good. However after seeing the chart you showed of Merv performance in ultrafine, 12 and 14 actually have still pretty good performance in the middle range and very similar ultrafine performance to merv 16. I'd say it's a really good almost HEPA filter for significantly less airflow resistance, for a home Merv 16 is functionally the same as HEPA.

@HealthyHomeGuide

24 күн бұрын

This is a really well-informed and well-written comment, thank you! Are you talking about the Lennox Healthy Climate filters? Those are absolutely incredible. I actually have a video where I build a simple fresh air intake system around a Lennox Healthy Climate filter. It’d be super cool to test those in an in-room air purification context.

@Jaker788

24 күн бұрын

@@HealthyHomeGuide Yep that's the filter I'm talking about. I'll have to check out that video

This video is absolute king 👑 amazing work.

@HealthyHomeGuide

5 күн бұрын

I appreciate you my dude

So, my brain did not retain everything, but what are your thoughts on the coway Airmega 400 I bought forever ago? I mostly change the filters based off how I am feeling and what AirGradiant is reporting, so, maybe 2x longer than when it wants me to replace them (recommended 1 year). They claim 1 air change/hour 3,120 ft² (290 m²) // 2 air changes/hour 1,560 ft² (145 m²) with a CADR of 285 (Smoke), 358 (Dust), 450 (Pollen), I mostly got it for pollen controll before I fixed all my old leaky doors and windows and it seemed to do a good job of that, I leave it on full speed 24/7 in the area I spend the most time in, my whole townhouse is only ~1,200^ft. If I am only spending on average ~$50/yr for filters and already have the sunk cost, should I just keep on trucking or should I make a CR box and do some A/B testing?

Great resource for finding out what PC fan to use in my tower. Idk how good a non ionizer purifier is, are there diy ozone generators i can stick inside a luggable? I always get winx plasmawave or equivalent (like blueair) to ensure i filter out maximum dust.

@phil2082

4 күн бұрын

Ozone causes cancer anyway. You shouldn't be in the room with an ozone generator going.

wow! and thank you so much! Can you do one on water filter/purifiers? Having a hard time on which water purifier to buy.

@HealthyHomeGuide

13 күн бұрын

Great suggestion. I'll add that to my list.

My assumption is that the denser filters they have limit airflow more so you need more static pressure to overcome it, but that means more noise and more air blow back.

@HealthyHomeGuide

Күн бұрын

Well said.

You have a good soul and smart man, keep the good work bro!

@HealthyHomeGuide

7 күн бұрын

That's one of the best compliments I've received here. I appreciate you!

Anyone know of any decent merv13 filters in Australia?

less is for uncountable differences and fewer is for countable. So there are fewer particles of less diameter

Do the fans have any coil whine?

Thanks

Ageed that pc fans seem like a good diy option. 6x120mm vs a box fan, the box fan is more likely to be noisy for similar air flow. My garage work box fan is noisy even at a low flow.

PM 2.5 how filters how effective is it in removing dust particles, since it is only rated for 2.5micron to 1micron, my room dust particles are mainly fine black soot from cars, what is the size of these pollutants?

@HealthyHomeGuide

10 күн бұрын

As the data shows, CR box type designs with MERV-13 filters maintain their performance across the entire range of particle sizes, from ultrafine to larger.

thank you!

Just bought an xxl luggable, hope it goes well! Im curious if you have seen the 'airfanta' purifier: It's just one dude on twitter selling his design in which used a cr box design with 4 large pc fans (overclocked too I think) and 4 heavily pleated hepa filters. According to the site you linked it has the highest CADR to cost ratio. I bought the CAK anyways bc 1) I like the look of it more and 2)in the US it make sense to go with easily purchased merv filter over proprietary(ish, I think china sells the one he has) filters. This video was amazing btw!

@cleanairkits

22 күн бұрын

At full speed it's same loudness as the HEPAs 15 dB louder than ours. And he forgets the m3/hr to cfm conversion inflating CADR 70%. But at lower fan speed should perform similarly to ours.

@chickynuggers

22 күн бұрын

@@cleanairkits ahh that makes sense, yea the dB's are in 50's and I didn't see the unit conversion. I knew that high of cfm/CADR couldn't be possible and couldn't figure it out but now I know it literally isn't lol.

Awesome video Alex - thanks so much for sharing such useful information! It’s great to know that there are low cost IAQ solutions that are even more effective (and quieter) than the much more expensive commercial products we’ve all been led to believe we need. Such a breath of fresh air!

@HealthyHomeGuide

2 ай бұрын

Great comment! That’s an astute encapsulation of the value that this video offers. Good luck Michael!

Something completely different, but exactly the same: We're talking about home purifiers here. However, I found a Korean Car Cabin Filter with a traditional HEPA, Carbon layer and an H-Tron layer. Many sit in the car for extended periods in bad air conditions. Any thoughts on these? Seems either a new money grab, or truly a forgotten area. Edit: for those trying to find it and it's description, search for iPuri Cabin Filter.

@CleanAirCommunications

2 күн бұрын

Thank you! I searched and searched for a better quality cabin filter and finally gave up and let the people at Valvoline use the one they sell. 😩

@HealthyHomeGuide

Күн бұрын

I have a video about cabin air filters, and I do recommend HEPA in that context. I myself use a pureflow HEPA cabin air filter and I love it.

I subscribed. I enjoy watching researched based videos that use evidence to explain their points. A question I had for you is that box fans and computer fans use axial impellers while a lot of the home air purifiers use centrifugal impellers for the reason being is that they produce a higher static pressure aka suction power. So all of your data is based on filters when they’re clean, but as they begin to accumulate dirt, if the pressure drop of the filter exceeds the suction power of the fans, it will no longer draw as much as through the filter. So, you could a filter that’s used up 50% of its expected life but if it exceeds your fans static pressure then those filters will be prematurely rendered useless.

@CleanAirCommunications

2 күн бұрын

I change my filters more frequently than the recommendation. The difference is small, but it’s important to me to be as efficient/powerful as possible. (MERV-13 filters, that is)

I'm glad I stumbled onto your channel. Thanks for the investigation

@HealthyHomeGuide

Ай бұрын

Happy to do it!

To keep my 3090 cool I put it in a massive high airflow case. I have 6 intake fans and 4 outflow fans for positive pressure in the case to keep dust from heating up the gpu. The i take fans have fine mesh filters, which I clean regularly to keep airflow high. So you’re saying I accidentally built a great air cleaner?

Hello thank you for the video. I got a little nervous that I've wasted money on the HEPA filters. I have winix zero pro that has 470 m3/h on highest setting. I usually let them run on highest or high in general. Should I reconsider into another brand since I'm from Europe and I can't buy the brand you recommended. I usually appreciate how really fresh the air is with HEPA 13 filtration though. I haven't gotten the same feeling from the Marv. I would really appreciate your feedback. Thank you for taking the time to read

@HealthyHomeGuide

10 күн бұрын

I can't post links in comments, but clean air stars, the website I talked about that I linked in the description, has an air purifier selection tool that allows you to search by country.

@dimitaryanakiev8707

10 күн бұрын

@@HealthyHomeGuide I appreciate your reply. I've already checked it and for Bulgaria they are not supporting basically. Can you name any other brand that has a similar mission to theirs? If u can't its cool. Thanks a lot cheers

Thanks you so much for the information and now I am going to get my air a bit more cleaner.

Thanks man 4 a nice work

@HealthyHomeGuide

Күн бұрын

No problem 👍

Your video is packed with information, I suggest taking some info out and make shorter videos that refer back to this. Thank you for all your work

@HealthyHomeGuide

Күн бұрын

Thank you! Funnily enough, I did make a shorter version of this video on my tik tok. Link in bio.

CADR measurement is confusing on the particle size. Especially when it does say a specific size in a graph since how i understand it, it measure Tabacco Smoke 0.09-1.0 um (some sites say 0.9-1.0um), Dust 0.5-3.0 um, Pollen 5-11um. I do wonder if Tabacco Smoke particles is filtered like dust mite allergens of similar size. If not than than CADR might be less usefull depending on your specific allergies. Oh and as you mentioned be sure to get the AHAM measurement standard and not the chinese one.

You're looking good! There have been several videos where I was concerned for you, because, as was said in my Texas home town, "Looks like he was rode hard and put up wet." You look robustly healthy, now (an excellent endorsement for your safe home information). I also went to Clean Air Kit and asked about integrating their system into a new house build. I am building an historically-inspired Spanish Colonial Revival house in Arizona. I am not interested in using up any of my precious floor space with individual room filters; I contacted Clean Air Kits to ask for their help to integrate their designs into a continuous low-velocity whole-house ventilation system. I'll keep you posted about how that works out. Keep up the good work!

@HealthyHomeGuide

2 ай бұрын

Thank you. This is tough for me to admit, but it’s taken some courage for me to release videos knowing that people may think I look unhealthy. But I’m glad you see the improvement and that it serves as an endorsement of my methods! That’s an interesting question! I’m curious to see what the guys at Clean Air Kits have to say in response.

@lindacgrace2973

2 ай бұрын

@@HealthyHomeGuide They recommended a balanced ventilation system (fans extracting as much air as the whole house ventilation fan brings in) all filtered with MERV13 filters; which is easy to do. They are really focussed on the retrofit market, not new construction, and do not recommend adapting one of their systems. I am going to steal one of their good ideas, though, and use black metal mesh to disguise the bright white filters when the filters are visible through vent grates. I'm researching Braun and April Air ERV systems (Zehnder is great - but German engineering costs beaucoup bucks).

I can confirm that the DIY box fan solution does a great job at filtering wildfire smoke. It's also been awesome for my allergies.

So I'm so glad I just found your channel.

@HealthyHomeGuide

5 күн бұрын

Welcome!!

My current living situation isn’t the best but currently making do with finances. I’m living literally right next to a freeway that’s intersecting with another major freeway, and so I’m wondering what type of air purification for my room would be best? Looking for something compact because my room is on the small side and can barely fit my twinsize bed/ computer desk.

@HealthyHomeGuide

Күн бұрын

I'd use a 6-fan brisk box by clean air kits in that scenario.

Thank you!

@HealthyHomeGuide

2 ай бұрын

You’re very welcome!

Im a mechanical engineer. The vendors in HVAC have been trying to convince you of the “medical benefits” of HVAC widegets for at least the 45 years I’ve been in the field. Lmao

You have no idea how much you helped me!!!!!! You are amazing! And yes, I got upset with you too. I have learned a lot. Thank you so much!!!

@HealthyHomeGuide

19 күн бұрын

I love to hear that! I knew this video would upset some people, but I'm glad you ultimately came around.

Clean air kits only draw 6.5 watts. Can they be USB powered? It would save having to use bulky in line transformers that I saw on one of their website images.

@CleanAirCommunications

2 күн бұрын

My Brisk Box with six fans is. Not sure about their other purifiers. Well, Exhalaron can be USB powered or from a portable power bank.

Thank you

@HealthyHomeGuide

Күн бұрын

You're welcome

Is this sponsored content?

@LexitaMai

3 күн бұрын

The description says it is not

@AlanW

2 күн бұрын

@@LexitaMaiThe second half of the video feels like an ad

@CleanAirCommunications

2 күн бұрын

I have videos talking about CleanAirKits and I know a lot of “evangelists” who talk about them unsponsored because we’re so passionate about how helpful they’ve been to us.

@AlanW

2 күн бұрын

@@CleanAirCommunicationsI suppose this is an unfortunate side effect of the current you tube economy where many creators can only support themselves by working for companies personally recommending products. Thank you for the clarification!

@jens5906

2 күн бұрын

As a chemist I know some things about filters and nothing said in this video was factually wrong. These "big" (in comparison to the hepa) screen filters are used in the industry a lot and work really well and in the end it boils down to the surface area of the filter screen that air is pushed/pulled through. hepa filters achieve an actually impressive surface area given their small size, but the diy boxes are like 10x bigger in total. Thus naturally the surface area is huge and therefor the cleaning power. the hepa filters are designed so that every bit of air pushed through is filtered, the diy big box filter doesnt really care about that and just makes sure to clean a lot. If you would have a single source of air in a room and place the hepa filter there the air would be much cleaner than with the diy box because nothing gets around. But usually in your home there are endless sources of airs and you cant put a hepa filter everywhere, so a big box that pushes the "dirty" air around is the better choice. I somewhat question the choice of pc fans, they are great for creating a big pressure difference which is desirable for forcing the air through the filters, but a fan the size of an ac fan or the once you have standing around for hot days would likely be sufficient and with turned down rpm much quieter than these 10pc fans you see on some of the boxes here. A great addition would be, to have bigger particle size filter on the outside walls and inside of the box directly infront of the fan a filter rated for smaller particle size (assuming negative pressure operating mode), this way the smaller size filter doesnt get overloaded with the bigger size particles too fast. Also: It is questionable if everyone really needs this clean air, like your immune system needs some of the harmless seasonal cold bacteria, viruses and pollen to grow strong. My personal opinion on this would be, that if you live close to a street, industry or somewhere wildfires occur get one. If you live 5km away from the closest chimney or maybe you even have a nice and chill forest surrounding your home its probably better not to get one. Lastly picture the hepa filter as a glider plane, its small, leightweight looks good, but the diy box filter is the airbus a380 that actually gets shit done. tldr video seems legit

Alex, I really appreciate this video. I’m planning to build a C-R box inspired by your 16 x 30 and SC fan. I’m thinking about using 16 x 25 filters (same area as 20 x 20) and MERV 14 filters. Please comment re. MERV13 v. MERV14 for this application. Thanks!

@HealthyHomeGuide

2 ай бұрын

Many thanks Robert! 16x25 is a great size. Both MERV-13 and MERV-14 are good options, but MERV-13 may hit more of a sweet spot which balances airflow and efficiency. See the article entitled “What happens to CADR with different grade filters?” on Clean Air Kits site.

@johnzach2057

2 ай бұрын

Just buy filtrette or other high quality filters

I have build CR boxes long before I ever heard of CR boxes. The most dangerous particles are the smallest particles from catalytic converters, air traffic and pesticides 1 -3 nanometer. Our body is not designed to capture these particles, because they did not exist before catalytic converters existed. The best filters for that are the electrostatic charged media filters like car cabin filters or 3M filtrete 2800.

great job

was one of your heapa ones, brand from Levoit , this the heapa I use. just wanna know if I need better. also you seem to have alot of knowlage, I have 2 questions. I need one for air inside, after I have vented out the majority of air, via hose, but some will flow out into room when opens. my use case is 3D print and airbrush painting. Aerosols and volatile organic compounds are produced when using resin 3D printers (in the range of 41 to 45 nm and 161 to 322 mg/g printed respectively) what filter on cr box would I need._??

@HealthyHomeGuide

8 күн бұрын

Levoit air purifiers definitely work, but are noisier and less energy efficient than PC fans + MERV-13. It's your call.

@OOTheBlueAir

7 күн бұрын

@@HealthyHomeGuide thank you. yea I just got worried that it was kinda not.

Your home made filter only needs one or two simple modifications to fan blades and to change the filters in rotation of time per filter to exceed anything you could buy for home use.

@HealthyHomeGuide

6 күн бұрын

Totally agree.

I found the note about charcoal filters interesting - my purifier has no such filter, but I do have use case for odor removal in a small area of my home: by the cat's litter box. I wonder how much an activated charcoal filter would aid in the removal of smell if placed closeby.

@CleanAirCommunications

2 күн бұрын

I know people who have tried this. It lowers the CADR a tiny bit, but definitely feasible.

I had an electrostatic precipitator when I was growing up due to several allergies. I haven't seen anyone talking about those.

@HealthyHomeGuide

19 күн бұрын

Interesting question. Electrostatic precipitators can be effective, but they are also known to produce ozone, which can be harmful. Search "24387032" in google if you're interested in seeing the study that confirms this.