Ionic Air Purifier Ratings: A review and comparison
The ionic air purifier is also referred to as an ion generator and is basically half of an electrostatic precipitator. This means that as the particles enter the air purifier they receive an electrical charge but unlike the electronic air cleaner there is no set of plates with an opposite charge in the ionic air purifier to capture the particles. The implication of this is that the charged particles will then adhere to the walls, carpeting, clothing, or any surface they can stick to. If you are looking for allergy or asthma relief then an ionic air purifier is probably not a good choice unless the air purifier also uses an effective filtration method such as HEPA air filters to capture the charged particles.
Ratings for Most Popular Ionic Air Purifiers:
Car Ionic Air Purifier Review (coming soon)
Ionic Pro Air Purifier Ratings
Oreck XL Tower Ionic Air Purifier
Sharper Image Ionic Breeze Air Purifier Ratings
See how the ionic air cleaners compare to the listing of top rated air purifiers.
An air ionizer uses an electrical charge to ionize air molecules. An ionizer works similarly to static electricity. If you have ever zapped someone on a cold dry day you have experienced the effect of an electrical charge. Negative ion generators have an extra electron so it results in a negative charge to the airborne particle. Negative ionizers are also referred to as anions and are quite common in Asia and becoming more popular in North America. Nearly all air purifiers that feature ionization use a negative ion generator. A positive ion is missing an electron so the particle will have a positive charge. Positive ions are also referred to as cations as they have more protons than electrons.
It’s interesting to note that ionizers are starting to appear in other home products such as computers, air conditioners and refrigerators. We have seen only a limited number of university studies on the impact of ionizers but the results of using a negative ionizer appear to be favorable to the overall indoor air environment. Certain home products such as CRT monitors or TV’s can cause a room to have a deficiency of negative ions and the introduction of negative ions through an ionic type air purifier can bring the room back to equilibrium. The test subjects in the studies reported fewer headaches and generally felt better with the use of the negative ion producer.