Air purifier for burning season?

[markcm19]

Its not March yet but the air is already unhealthy and visibility fairly low. It will only get worse, so investing in some n95 masks, 3m filtrete air con filters, and an Air purifier seems worthwhile for all forced to stay here.

The first are.cheap but air purifiers are rather expensive here. What's a good value model? If possible I'd like to spend under 20k and in sure others will benefit from a discussion on this .

[BrainLife]

From the sound of it, maybe you are better of getting some oxygen tanks to breath from. The big ones can be rented for about 3500 baht.

[Destiny1990]

Can u upload some photos while dinner with ur family wearing ur gas masks?.whising u a great season.

[chiang mai]

IQAir is the gold standard for air purifiers and they are available in Thailand, used in hospitals and clean rooms, pricey though - Swiss made.

 

http://www.iqair.com/international?loc_override=T

[birdingman]

I live in Chiang mai which appears to have the worst air quality. I have a Sharp Ion Plasmacluster. It works well and as long as I am in my condo, I have no problem When going out, I do use the 3M N95 which are great but not comfortable. The nice thing about the Sharp is that the replacement filters are available. I paid 13,200 THB at Siam TV.

[Artben]

A simple answer is any air cleaner will help as long as you are inside.  How much it helps is another story.  Air filters come in 2 basic flavors.  Mechanical and Electronic.

Mechanical filters have to be changed regularly and of those a HEPA filter is the best.  The problem is they are expensive.  Electronic air cleaners have a higher first cost but  generally do a better job as they remove smaller particles.  Which ever you choose be sure it is rated for the cubic feet (or cubic meters) of your home and you MUST keep the doors and windows closed, the AC on 24 hours a day and the AC fan set to constant run.  If you're not willing to do that, save your money. 

[chiang mai]

A cheaper and almost equally effective solution is to buy a package of 3M's Filtrette and install it on the air intake filter of your aircon and leave the aircon run on fan only all day, it's very very effective and produces HEPA grade results - 169 baht from HomePro.

[4MyEgo]

1 hour ago, chiang mai said:

IQAir is the gold standard for air purifiers and they are available in Thailand, used in hospitals and clean rooms, pricey though - Swiss made.

 

http://www.iqair.com/international?loc_override=T

About a month ago I purchased the IQAir with the Hypa-Hepa filter which is one of the 3 filters, no one else has the Hypa-hepa filter.

 

It has made a major improvement in our lives, I only turn it on about a half hour before we go to bed, our bedroom is 48 square metres in size, but this can take up to 85 square metres and can be moved around with ease as its on castors, and has great fan volume and is not noisy on 3 (half way).

 

I did extensive research on the IQAir, it stands out, nothing comes near it, and it did take some convincing for the outlay, but if its going to make your life easier, its worth more, and I cannot breath with smoke in the air.

 

I paid 61,000 baht for it delivered, DO NOT buy it off the net as the warranty won't be covered, you have to buy it from one of their retailers/suppliers, there is nothing that comes near this product, they Hypa-Hepa filter is what will stop the smoke in its track.

 

I do use the M3 N95 mask when I go out at times and can still smell a faint smoke smell, but it is better than any other mask on the market.

 

What made it easy for me to buy the IAQir was to deduct the cost of the filters which comes with the product, that brought it right back, the filters are replaceable in stages, i.e. 18 months, 24 months and 3 years or so, less if you use it less I am told, but I will guarantee you once you have tried this product and smell the air that you have not breathed yet, i.e. when we open our door to go into the main part of the house, we can smell the difference in the air, or when we go into the bedroom, we can smell the difference in the air, sinuses and lungs have never been better, you will be convinced, your health deserves it.

 

Big outlay, but your lungs are worth it, sinuses are worth it, and if you are like me, who gets aggro when there is smoke, you won't anymore, if you want the details of where I got mine, PM me and I will forward them to you.

 

Comes with 3 year warranty.

[smotherb]

Reminds me of an old friend who complained about the noisy airplanes landing and taking off from the airport nearby. Funny, the airport was there when he bought the house.

 

I have a friend in Roi-Et who suffers from COPD; he goes to Cha-Am during the burning season. If I had problems with the air quality, I would certainly consider moving or leaving during the burning.

[markcm19]

Everyone has issues with the air quality whether you notice it or not, these parties are hazardous long term. Higher risk for heart attack and strokes as well which are.seemingly unrelated to the common respiratory/ sinus issues.

 

Everyone should be using 3m.filtrete filters on ac at a minimum and 3m n95 masks when it gets.bad and they are forced to be outside.

[4MyEgo]

4 minutes ago, markcm19 said:

Everyone has issues with the air quality whether you notice it or not, these parties are hazardous long term. Higher risk for heart attack and strokes as well which are.seemingly unrelated to the common respiratory/ sinus issues.

 

Everyone should be using 3m.filtrete filters on ac at a minimum and 3m n95 masks when it gets.bad and they are forced to be outside.

Having suffered a heart attack in 2008 the IQAir HealthPro 250 Air Purifier makes it much easier to breath when the smoke gets a little crazy, good night sleeps are back as well, cannot believe the difference in the "natural" air 

[Destiny1990]

50 minutes ago, smotherb said:

Reminds me of an old friend who complained about the noisy airplanes landing and taking off from the airport nearby. Funny, the airport was there when he bought the house.

 

I have a friend in Roi-Et who suffers from COPD; he goes to Cha-Am during the burning season. If I had problems with the air quality, I would certainly consider moving or leaving during the burning.

Some folks u can't even smoke them out of their homes

[Mitker]

7 hours ago, Artben said:

A simple answer is any air cleaner will help as long as you are inside.  How much it helps is another story.  Air filters come in 2 basic flavors.  Mechanical and Electronic.

Mechanical filters have to be changed regularly and of those a HEPA filter is the best.  The problem is they are expensive.  Electronic air cleaners have a higher first cost but  generally do a better job as they remove smaller particles.  Which ever you choose be sure it is rated for the cubic feet (or cubic meters) of your home and you MUST keep the doors and windows closed, the AC on 24 hours a day and the AC fan set to constant run.  If you're not willing to do that, save your money. 

What is the need to keep the AC running to clean the air?

This is the air filter job. And it has a fan running already to circulate the air.

 

I have several Sharp working during the nasty season. Good job, quite silent and still no need for filter replacement after several years

[JacChang]

9 hours ago, birdingman said:

I live in Chiang mai which appears to have the worst air quality. I have a Sharp Ion Plasmacluster. It works well and as long as I am in my condo, I have no problem When going out, I do use the 3M N95 which are great but not comfortable. The nice thing about the Sharp is that the replacement filters are available. I paid 13,200 THB at Siam TV.

Sharp and Hitachi are the two brands that are rock solid. My Sharp refrigerator of 25 years is still running. But seems nowadays, hard to find this brand as choices.

 

Also there's the Sinus Rinse, you can buy at the local pharmacy store. Works wonderful, use it twice a week, cleans your nose up real well for those with allergies.

[sfokevin]

I have a pair of these

 

https://www.homepro.co.th/product/1020791

 

they came with an extra Hepa filter and HomePro stocks additional Hepa filters...

 

you up can also shop at the Lazada.co.th site 

 

Also... I add a sheet of the 3M Filtrete to the outside of the hepa filter... this I change every two weeks... I don't think it makes it work better but saves on cleaning/replacing the Hepa filter

Edited February 8, 2017 by sfokevin

[elektrified]

8 hours ago, smotherb said:

Reminds me of an old friend who complained about the noisy airplanes landing and taking off from the airport nearby. Funny, the airport was there when he bought the house.

 

I have a friend in Roi-Et who suffers from COPD; he goes to Cha-Am during the burning season. If I had problems with the air quality, I would certainly consider moving or leaving during the burning.

That is what we do. We leave somewhere around the 5-10th of March and return a day or two before Songkran. We go to an island and have a nice family holiday and when we return, we have missed the worst of it. We wear the N95 masks when we go outside until about the end of April.

[connda]

10 hours ago, birdingman said:

I live in Chiang mai which appears to have the worst air quality. I have a Sharp Ion Plasmacluster. It works well and as long as I am in my condo, I have no problem When going out, I do use the 3M N95 which are great but not comfortable. The nice thing about the Sharp is that the replacement filters are available. I paid 13,200 THB at Siam TV.

I've bought N95s in the past but can't wear them and my glasses at the same time.  Same is true for virtually every mask I've tried. If I clip the nose piece lower I can't breath.  Clip it higher and my glasses don't fit on my face.  Catch 22. 

[Destiny1990]

Are we talking about Aleppo or Chiang mai in regard with ur gas masks?

[madusa]

I dont' remember any problem with air quality 20 to 30 years back in chiang mai. Is this a recent problem? Well, recent mean 10 years back at the most.

Is it the slash and burn method they use to clear the land for cultivation?

Someone out there please give me an answer.

 

 

 

 

[cerox]

Hi connda,

 

I wear glasses too. There are two different (or maybe even more) models of the N95 mask. You can go to the 3M shop to have a look.

 

One mask is like a square - I cannot wear it, because you have to clip it behind your ears and then the glasses start to move. But the other mask I use (also N95) is formed like a rectangle - although it might not be correct I wear it with the strips behind my head and it works well, once you adjust it down to your nose.

 

If I wear it often and take the mask off quiet often, I need to change it after 3-4 days, not a problem because buying in bulk (3M shop) you get them for 20 THB each.

[connda]

On 2/8/2017 at 11:12 PM, madusa said:

I dont' remember any problem with air quality 20 to 30 years back in chiang mai. Is this a recent problem? Well, recent mean 10 years back at the most.

Is it the slash and burn method they use to clear the land for cultivation?

Someone out there please give me an answer.

 

 

 

 

The agricultural burning is only a part of the problem.  A major part of the problem is the arson fires purposely started in the mountain forests.  They are started because the locals want to clear the forest under-bush to stimulate mushrooms and to make collecting easier.  It's the widespread, arson set forest fire which really mess up the air.  The local governments can and do control local burning.  Our village leader lets the locals know when they can and can't burn.  But arson?  Uncontrollable with the present manpower and technology.  And 10 years ago it was bad.  I got here in March and the air was putrid. 

[connda]

13 hours ago, cerox said:

Hi connda,

 

I wear glasses too. There are two different (or maybe even more) models of the N95 mask. You can go to the 3M shop to have a look.

 

One mask is like a square - I cannot wear it, because you have to clip it behind your ears and then the glasses start to move. But the other mask I use (also N95) is formed like a rectangle - although it might not be correct I wear it with the strips behind my head and it works well, once you adjust it down to your nose.

 

If I wear it often and take the mask off quiet often, I need to change it after 3-4 days, not a problem because buying in bulk (3M shop) you get them for 20 THB each.

I'll have to check them out again at the 3M shop when I get back to CM.
Thanks!

[markcm19]

Saw some hitachi units around 5000 baht, will those do any good?

[typ123]

After I put 3M filters in my AC unit in my condo, should I run it on fan or cooling mode?  I dont want to draw air from outside and I thought fan draws air from outside and cooling recirculates the air inside.  Does anyone understand this?

[johnoko]

I bought an Air Blue which is a Swedish brand but they have an office in Bangkok. With a hepa filter included

[THAIJAMES]

10 hours ago, SamReg777 said:

You should be very careful when buying an air purifier, most of the 'consumer' brands/models are pretty ineffective. If you want something that really works, have a look at the reviews online. Basically, you really need to spend about $1000+ to get a genuinely effective air cleaner.

That is not correct.   Any air purifier that uses true hepa filters will be effective in reducing air pollution.  You could even attach a hepa filter directly to a fan and get considerable reduction in air pollution.

 

The bottom line is that the job of an air filter is to get all the air in the room through that hepa filter.     Higher priced ones might have better fans or additional filters to take out gases and other impurities.

 

but saying that low end purifiers don't work is not a correct statement. 

xiaomi has one for 4500 baht and it works really well.

[ZeVonderBearz]

I'm gonna revive this here old thread. Having read through it and other threads online it seems the best air purifiers for those on a budget are Xiomi and Hitari. These two offer easily available and affordable replacement filters. 

 

And for those who have a few k kicking around go for the IQAir. 

 

As this thread is two years old now has anyone come across any new products in this time? This goes for the budget, non-budget and anything in-between. 

[THAIJAMES]

Any real Hepa filter will work well as long as you leave it on long enough.  The big factor is how much leakage of outside polluted air comes into the room and the size of the room.   The smaller the room and less leakage from outside polluted air the better your air quality will be.  On heavy pollution days you are better of turning on the filter a few hours before you settle in a room.    I like the Xiaomi filters because they have a PM 2.5 sensor on them.  Although they are not very accurate (the sensor is inside not separate where it can measure the filtered air) its still gives you a good idea of when and how long you should be running your filters.

Edited January 22, 2019 by THAIJAMES

[THAIJAMES]

On 2/8/2017 at 11:12 PM, madusa said:

I dont' remember any problem with air quality 20 to 30 years back in chiang mai. Is this a recent problem? Well, recent mean 10 years back at the most.

Is it the slash and burn method they use to clear the land for cultivation?

Someone out there please give me an answer.

 

 

 

 

I have been here over 30 years.  It was also bad back then, the big difference is that now Chiang Mai has grown tremendously from just the moat area to almost 30-40 km wide.  That means that now its not just the smoke from burning fields but the car pollution makes it much worst.

 

Any time of the year if there is an inversion layer, meaning no blue sky, car smog gets trapped and the air quality can become just as dangerous as the smoke season.

 

Burning comes from a number of reasons:

1.  slash and burn in the mountains by hill tribes to clear forest land for planting.

2.  Corn and other crop farmers burning the fields instead of using composting methods.

3.  Villagers burning forests in order to encourage the growing of a certain mushroom that they can then pick and sell for profit.

4.  Burning of garbage by villagers.

 

The problem nowadays is that the smoke also causes the car pollution to be trapped making the smog in the city much worst.

 

Get one or more air filters, your life depends on it.  Leave if you can in March and early April to escape the danger.

 

Edited January 22, 2019 by THAIJAMES

[sfokevin]

I had the Hatari that HomePro sells for about 4,500 baht... it worked great.. I now have switched to the Xaiomi as I like their digital sensor and that they can be setup on timers via an app... I have few of them thruout the house and set to turn on at different times... The only thing I would recommend is get the largest Hepa type filter you can afford... the smaller ones work but only of you keep them on the high fan speed which can be noisy... I have two filters units in my main lounge set on medium speed st different ends of the room that work fine and are quieter... And most of March will be spend in Hua Hin... ????

Edited January 22, 2019 by sfokevin