Filtering the Air you breathe

[SternWake]

I've always been dismayed at how rapidly dust builds up on my various ventilation fans. In the back of my mind was how much of this dust was making it into my lungs.

My 12v Compressor fridge has a fan on the condenser and here is about 9 months worth of Build up on the fan and fins:

I decided to put an air filter on the fridge air intake under the fridge. It has only been there a few weeks, and yesterday I took out the drawer to inspect my filter, and the thing was gross. Dust bunnies, hair, the white filter material was brown, and this is only a few weeks worth at most!

I had bought some filters designed to be put in the vents of stick and brick houses for the fridge filter, and as I had a bunch of extra, so I made a filter which attaches to my 92MM interior air circulation fan which I've been running at various speeds 24/7 since the filter install.

I took this photo a several days ago showing how much the filter had darkened in under 3 weeks, perhaps closer to 2 weeks.

The amount of dust I would see in front of my brightest lights was reduced significantly.

Yesterday I did some laundry, where I fold all the clothes in my van, and the filter got noticeably darker. Later on I took a leaf blower, and attacked the seats , mattress, with a wood dowel and basically blew out the whole Van with all the doors open with a good wind blowing. I had the filtered fan on its highest speed, and the thing darkened up a few shades in just a few minutes. It is pretty ugly looking. Dirty filters actually filter better so I am leaving it as is, for now.

I mentioned this to a buddy who has bad allergies and he swears by a Ionic air cleaner, so with filter on the brain occurring, I did a little research. These air filters make some pretty wild claims such including health benefits, and odor neutralization.

Anyway here is the model recommended to me.

http://www.amazon.com/Wein-VI-2500-High-Density-Ionic-Purifier/dp/B001GXLH2K/ref=cm_cd_al_qh_dp_t

It comes with a Wall wart/ transformer. I think it is either 12 volts, or 5 volts DC, and claims to use less than 6 watts. I got some feelers out on this but If I can run one of these without an inverter and if it actually does half of what it claims, it might be fairly beneficial in such a lifestyle as ours.

There are ones designed to insert into the standard Ciggy plug too:
http://www.amazon.com/Auto-Mate-Roa..._sim_hg_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=1ZBE2TRCY2R8MS9JR4HJ

http://www.amazon.com/Wagan-EL2022-...sim_hpc_7?ie=UTF8&refRID=0CR590MFWJ3BTGSFAYH7

Any of you use these ionizing air filters or have experience with them?

 

[Suanne]

I tried them about 10 years ago. Airborne particles do collect on them. So, they need to be cleaned regularly. I had to stop using the one in my office (prior to retirement) because one of my co-workers was allergic to the ozone. But, I understand you can get ozone free ionizing purifiers.

 

[Zil]

Ozone is how the ion filters work. There are electric static filters that are very good at cleaning the filtrate.

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

I have a friend that has one in his house (ozone air purifier). I cannot stay more than a half hour without getting nauseous. Might want to try one out before you get it. -- Spiff

 

[SternWake]

Thanks for the input.

I Might have to experiment with the small ionizer sectioning off a portion.

I got a reply that:

'a specialty protected 12 volt converter must be used or it will fail quickly'


I had to make a new filter for my 92mm interior fan, it was just getting too ugly looking.

The new filter, I put the stapled seams on the inside, for a cleaner look, and achieved a better seal around the fan perimeter with a single black rubber band.

I placed a filter temporarily on the outside of my van for my intake fans, It really slows down the fan's flow at higher fan speeds, a good 30%, and is not stealth. Need a black filter media.

 

[SternWake]

One black filter coming up:

http://www.amazon.com/14ALL-Filter-...Filter/dp/B000P7AWO2/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

Stern,

Have you considered the possibility that you are turning yourself into the boy in the bubble?

Regards
John

 

[SternWake]

The property where I park, there is a construction zone on the next property over, meaning lots of dust and noise. As I have good airflow through my van, it is pulling in a lot of this dust. I can park farther away from the source, but on top of loose dirt, and I am still predominantly downwind of the construction zone, and I-5 with 8 lanes of traffic is only about 3/4 a mile away too.

The filter for my fridge intake was fairly necessary as removing the fridge and cleaning the fan and condenser is not a quick and easy job, and ignoring the issue will cause increased battery consumption and decreased compressor life.

The filter on my interior fan was an experiment with the extra filter media left over from my fridge filter, and I was a bit alarmed with how quickly it turned brown. Since I installed the filter there is a marked reduction in dust which collects on interior surfaces, and since I'm breathing this same air, less making it into my lungs.

I do tend to takes things to extremes before backing off and finding a good enough point.

The Ionizer would be the extreme, and I likely will not bother.

The 6 dollar black activated charcoal filter on my intake fans would limit the visibility of the fans, especially at night when I've got lights on inside and fans and light exiting through them is quite anti-stealth. It pretty much screams Occupant.

I leave this window open when driving too, so road dust/ fumes enter the vehicle, right onto my Bed. A filter here limits airflow significantly. It might ultimately be a no go, but stopping dust from entering entirely is certainly desirable. Blocking light from exiting is certainly desirable. I have found other non activated charcoal filter media which is also black and washable, so this might be a better option for when I need this window open and these fans running.

So it all this filtration this more than necessary, yes. I do not suffer from allergies. I got away for years without any air filtration. But now that I do have it, I can see results. Less dust on interior surfaces is a bonus, but less dust breathed into my lungs might be even more advantageous, health wise.

When I used to spends months at a time in Baja, camped on the dirt, and Baja can get very windy, I'd often start hacking up dirt colored loogies, and when going in the ocean my sinuses would be cleansed of some serious dirt impaction. How detrimental to ones health this is is an unknown, but how many miners have died throughout history because of breathing too much dust? I don't want to die slowly cause of some possibly preventable disease. I'd rather get eaten whole by a Great White while pursuing the one activity which makes me feel alive.

A couple filters on already existing fans hardly turns me into the bubble boy.

Though the ionizer certainly comes closer.

 

[SternWake]

The activated carbon filter came, and installed outside my screen, blocks about 95% of all light from entering or exiting my window.

Unfortunately when laid against the screen, it cuts airflow easily by 50%.

It got visibly dirty in one day, at slow speeds.

I was later able to move it about 3/4 an inch away from the screen vastly increasing the surface area the fan could scavenge from, and airflow was much improved, down only about 10% from no filter installed. Got to figure out a way to keep it in place at highways speeds.

The Ionizer/ion generator idea is tabled.

 

[user 423]

Isn't the really dangerous air pollution (hydrocarbons) too small to be filtered out?

 

[SternWake]

I am not expecting my black activated charcoal filter to actually filter everything. At this point, I want it mainly for light blocking, and I want it to stay in place when driving, for convenience. If it stays on at highway speeds, perhaps it will filter some road gunk, but basically I am wanting it for light blockage, and any filtering occurring is just a bonus. The reduced airflow is not really acceptable and I am not sure how much effort I will put into making it work perfectly as I envision. The closer it is to the fan blades the more the airflow is restricted.

It it obviously reducing the dust which makes it into my van. There is much less dust making it onto my flat surfaces since I began filtering the interior air, and on the intake vent, and Much less sneezing. but I like sneezing. It is like a nasal orgasm.

My newest interior air filter is darkening quickly too. I put some carbon filter media in place on it too and it seems to reduce cooking and dirty laundry smells too. So I am going to keep using this as my fan is always running anyway.

 

[highdesertranger]

stern you know there are laws in the peoples republic of kalifornia about dust coming from construction sites. I believe there is an anonymous 800 number. highdesertranger

 

[SternWake]

Yeah, this whole Mcmansion going up next door has really ruined the vibe on this quiet street. So many workers in and out, not enough parking, noise Dust, ranchero music....grrrrrrrrr. They are really cutting every corner they can. They poured a concrete driveway. no rebar, no lathor wire mesh or any form of internal support, just 4 inches of concrete in a form on top of loose dirt. So many other things are just done so badly. Going through the motions of completion without any regard toward function.

Dang second floor looks over where I park.

I gotsta to go on a road trip, or just get out of here entirely.

 

[SternWake]

I'd found a better way to hold the carbon filter away from the window screen for increased airflow, and It stays on at 75 MPH. I really like how it blocks so much light

I found it also sticks nicely to velcro, which opens a few more mounting possibilities.

The interior 92mm fan filter is not filtering everything. A very fine dust is noticeable on the blades, but nothing like before where the blade's leading edges would build up a serious thickness of compacted dust.

Overall there is noticeably less dust build up on horizontal surfaces inside the Van.