Today, I was asked about effective air cleaners, because wildfires have already begun to flare in North America.
Extensive global testing has found that a DIY #CorsiRosenthalBox will outperform almost every commercial HEPA unit while costing less to run.
For the US & Canada, the best source of filters to build one is Costco: Filtrete 1900, 2200, or 2500 models with at least one 20-inch dimension.
These units also help mitigate allergens and infectious aerosols like #Covid and Influenza.
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A quieter alternative to the traditional box fan for a #CorsiRosenthalBox is to mount 5 or 6 Arctic P14 PST computer fans under a piece of cardboard/foam core/poster board instead. (They come in 5-packs.)
It can increase the initial cost a bit, but I feel the ability to comfortably run the unit 24/7 makes up for it.
To power the fans, you need a 12v fan power supply like this:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BBSBV9CF
Mounting screws should be #6-32 x 1-3/4" with #6-32 hex nuts and optional #6 washers.
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If you want to cover the PC fans to keep little fingers or paws safe, you can use PC fan grills, baking tray grills/cooling racks, or gutter guard mesh.
Also, I recommend getting the tallest filters you can, 20"x25"x1" or 20"x30"x1", because the greater the filter area is, the longer they last and the less they restrict the fans' airflow. At Costco, they're even the same price as the smaller 20"x20"x1".
PS: painter's tape works as well as duct tape while being less sticky to work with.
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PPS: if you're in the US or Canada, the least expensive source for the Arctic P14 PST 5-pack is Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HC782D5/
It's cheaper for Canadians to order from that link and pay the additional shipping fees than to order them anywhere I've found in Canada. Same is true of the 12v fan power supply linked upthread.
Costco.ca has the Filtrete 2200 in a 4-pack, Costco.com has the Filtrete 2500 4-pack, and neither site requires a membership to order them online.
You can also get actual appliances now. We have one of these (haven't gotten around to assembling it yet, though):
https://cybernightmarket.com/products/the-nukit-tempest-air-purifier-kit
It's a metal PC-case-like box that holds filters and fans.
(I briefly pondered getting Gamer PC LEDs and RGB fans for it, but $SPOUSE nixed that. And also, I don't know enough about it to keep the cost/airflow ratio low enough.)
@suetanvil @Texan_Reverend thanks for this!
If you have an airborne particulates sensor and a stick of incense, you can see that without the CR box particle counts go up rapidly and can stay in the air for like 18 hours after emission, but with the CR box running, levels are kept low and clear out to nothing within a few hours.
Tip #1: having 2" thick filters dramatically increases airflow.
Tip #2: if you have pets, simply wrap the CR box in a bug screen like you'd use for a window - cut to size and tape that in place over the filter, and they won't damage the it by scratching
@sleepfreeparent @suetanvil Yes, window/bug screen or some garden screens are all great ways to mitigate damage to the filter material from pets and kids.
As to filter thickness, that's true when comparing against almost all brands of 1" filter. However, Filtrete is the exception. Their micropleating allows them to match or exceed the airflow of most 2" filters, which is why they're often a bit more expensive than budget MERV-13 filters on Amazon. Usually better priced than 2" models, though.
Texan_Reverend
Chris [list of emoji]
sleepfreeparent