What is Digg?57 Comments
- FunkyGuy, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4breathe through your nose, it should change the temperature of the air for you, take out some crap from your nose hair, and you wont dry your mouth out. its free too.
now that, that is said. I think its kinda funny this happend, a purifier ruins the air making ozone. we should put all these things in the sky. - Otto, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2"No matter how you dice it, chop it, and fry it up the Ionic Breeze does not have the capability to filter small particulate matter anywhere near the extent that a true HEPA filter can. This is an undisputed scientific fact."
Well, duh. Of course it's not as effective as a HEPA unit. It's not *supposed to be*.
A HEPA unit is loud, you have to buy filters for it, etc. The Ionic Breeze is silent (not quiet, but totally silent), it filters smoke and smaller particles well enough, and it fits my needs better than a HEPA filter fan unit does.
I agree that it's overpriced. I bought mine on a discount, paid a total of $150 for a pair of them. But everything Sharper Image sells is overpriced. This is not news.
The point being made here is that Consumer Reports is overstating it's case.
-They claim it doesn't work: it does. Not as effectively as a HEPA filter, but then again, freakin' duh.
-They claim that it produces ozone: ALL ELECTRICAL APPLICANCES PRODUCE OZONE. The Ionic Breeze is *not* an ozone generator. An Ozone Generator is a completely different type of device made to clean the air in unoccupied spaces.
It's not a matter of Consumer Reports being wrong or idiots or what have you, it's a matter of them making claims that are not only not true, but are not supported by their own results. Yes, it's less effective than a HEPA filter; yes, it produces ozone as a side effect. However CR said that "it doesn't work" and "it's an ozone generator", neither of which are true. - LeegleechN, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2what's this?! Things advertised on late night tv may not work as advertised?! I'm glad consumer reports came out on top, or else I'd /really/ be afraid.
- Jibberish, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Ok, lets look at what ozone is. Ozone(O3) is an unstable for of Oxygen(02). It is considered unstable, because it wants to actively combine with things to get rid of it's extra oxygen atom. This is why Ozone is used in these machines. Ozone will actively combine or oxidize with things floating around in the air and in the case of bacteria, kill them by destroying their cell walls. With odors, it combines with the odor's molecules and makes it so they cannot combine with anything else like the receptors in your nose.
You don't believe me? Well try it for your self by taking something that rusts(oxidizes), put one piece of it at one side of your house away from the ionic breeze, possibly even outside your house. Put the other piece right next to your ionic breeze, and see which forms rust at a quicker rate. (This is an informal experiment, and the results could vary greatly)
Oxidation is really bad for your lungs. Just like the way it kills bacteria in the air, it also harms the cell walls of your cells of your lungs, and nose. This is why it is considered a pollutant.
In my opinion, if you have allergies or own a bar that needs filtering, buy a HEPA filter, because it will always do a better job than an ionic breeze. - LeegleechN, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1jumjum, ozone high in the atmosphere is good, but in the low atmosphre it's a pollutant and dangerous for health.
- brbubba, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I think they were referring to the fact that it generates ozone, ie an ozone generator. No lie in saying that.
The case was dismissed, vindicating CR from any wrong doing. If they had said it doesn't work at all and indeed it did, the suit would have gone forward.
The bottom line is that this device is a cash cow for Sharper Image and they will do anything to keep selling them. And that is where the problem lies to begin with, Sharper Image is misrepresenting their product as a potential competitor to HEPA systems. In addition they claim it can help asthma sufferers but never fully disclosed that it produces ozone which can make asthma worse! I would be curious to hear what a sharper image employee would say about this product if you asked them how it compares to HEPA filters. Something tells me that they wouldn't disclose the fact that it cannot clean as much particulate matter out of the air. - randokam, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Just to add, I do have some friends who use an ionic type of air purifier (not the Ionic Breeze), and they also swear by them... Personally, the ozone thing has always bothered me. In either case, just as Verin pointed out, if you use an ionic air purifier, you need to use it in a well ventillated house. Here's a quote I found from a Washington Post article:
"Any air cleaner that produced ozone amounts exceeding the FDA's 50 ppb ozone limit failed CU's tests. Only the Whirlpool and the Friedrich models passed the sealed-room test."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A45313-2005Apr11_2.html
here's an article that talks about FDA and California State regulations on ozone levels as they pertain to air purifiers:
http://www.cal-iaq.org/o3_fact.htm - Etherdais, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0I'd like to see more research done. I TOLD her that those things probably weren't worth the money.
- randokam, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0I live in an old dusty apartment, and use a HEPA filter sometimes when the air gets noticably bad. For me, it definitely makes a difference. HEPA filters take air in, and send it through a physical filter (looks like a car air filter) that can catch particles less than 1 micron in size depending on which product you get.
Many clean rooms for things like replacing the platters in a hard drive or semiconductor manufacturing will use HEPA filters or similar technology to keep dust and other contaminants out of the air.
Personally I don't think one is that necessary, and I agree with funkyguy that your nose is a great air filter, but if you really need/want an air filter, HEPA technology filters are a good way to go IMO.... - verin, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1I own two of these.
Ozone - used in a room without much ventilation, you can smell it, and if you can smell it, its at about the point where you'll start getting respritory irritation over time. (I noticed I got pneumonia twice). If used over a whole house, like in a large open livingroom/kitchen area, its not significant, and it does reduce unpleasant odors.
Cleaning the air - Consumer reports is full of crap. I've run it in a smokey environment and the change is enormous. And there is no way the amount of gunk that builds up on the collectors is 'not pulling significant particles from the air'. It massively reduces the need for dusting, cuts down on particles kicked up by walking (where most dust gets flung into the air), and I live in Vegas so the pollen count is pretty high, it helps with that. No, its not a heppa unit, that basicly traps everything, but in the process costs a ton of money in filters and electricity and lost sleep due to noise.
Don't put it next to your bed, don't put it in a single close room all the time, and it works great. Every bar and 7-11 should have one, IMO.
Consumer reports probably thinks a kitchen knife is hazardous to your health, since if you left them laying around people would get cut. - mpeters13, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0For people with chronic allergies, nose hairs aren't gonna cut it pops. It's probably easy to say something so flippantly when you don't have allergies to every fscking dust, dander or mold particle floating in the air. Pretty soon, consumer reports will find that everything kills you. The world is going to fsck anyway. I do agree that blasting tons of ozone into your system is unhealthy, but sometimes you have to go with what you can afford. :p But seriously guys, discounting every air filter is just rediculous. Some of these things do work.
In contrast, I'm glad this study was brought forth. Sharper image is charging people up the ass for those things. - VladDrac, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Brbubba, there's more going on here than just pride. Most of these people sincerely believe these things work. Here's an example: I used to have a friend who "always" had migraines. She'd constantly take handfuls of Tylenol several times a day. Seriously.
I told her time and time again that taking that much Tylenol could only GIVE her a headache and could never actually help, but in her mind, it was helping. Even though her migraines never actually went away.
No amount of scientific research or rational argument could persuade such a person. It's dogmatism bordering on religious fanaticism. When confronted by such a person it's best to smile politely and to make as much fun as them as possible. - rockcampbell, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Looks like I'll have to find some other piece of junk to blow my money on.
- KyleGoetz, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0My girlfriend's sister did research on these machines when in med school about 10 years ago, and found that they were hazardous to your health. Whenever we go into Sharper Image, the topic always gets brought up by me or my girlfriend. I, for one, will never be buying one of those machines.
- verin, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0"A person believes what he wants to believe."
Possibly, but Consumer Reports makes measurements that aren't really applicable to most of the consumers. They run them in sealed rooms and try to measure particulate matter in the air.
However, a little common sense will tell you a few things are wrong with this. The gunk that it gathers has to come from somewhere (the air), so its removing something substantial. If particles are being reintroduced, that's another issue entirely, but doesn't mean it doesn't work. And if ozone degrades so easily (it does), then just because something produces it doesn't mean its *necessarily* going to be harmful. Just like kitchen knives, if you leave the all over the place they'll be harmful, but if you take common-sense actions they won't be.
In other words, Consumer Reports tests some things to the point of usability. They obviously expect all air filters to do what the ones in hospitals and submarines do, for some wrong-headed reason.
The advertising is at odds for the real reason people end up using air filters, to cut down on odors, to remove smoke from such environments, to reduce the amount of dust. It does these things.
Its like when C.R. tests vacuum cleaners. Its obvious the engineers don't get why the Dyson is so popular that people keep loving them even when they break down so often. Its like the engineers never actually had to clean a house. - vuzman, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0If it smells funny in the room with the copying machine it's probably ozone. It smells sorta "fresh" at first, but can get irritating when there's too much of it.
- tdkyo, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0For any body praising this report and think Ionic Breeze is Junk while not even owning one can beat the crap of themselves. I own three and my allergies in the house is gone. (I have one dog and two birds) BTW, my house is well ventilated, so I am not worrying about hazard crap from my ionic breeze.
- VladDrac, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0"Consumer reports is full of crap." Yeah, I'm guessing their unbiased scientists and engineers they have working for them could learn a lot from someone with a vested interest like you. Maybe you should teach a seminar/training course: "How to waste a ton of money buying a useless piece of crap but never admit it."
And to those who own them and swear by them, some people also swear by newspaper horoscopes, homeopathy, and séances. You guys are proving an old adage: A person believes what he wants to believe. - darkstar, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1Sounds as if some people are a little angry and embarassed over forking over money for this junk. Oh well, you live and learn, and inhale ozone, and then learn again. How about watching TV Land late at night rather than the infomericals?
- das7282, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0For the people who say that it works and that they don't mind the little bit of Ozone it produces, isn't that like saying you are willing to play Russian Roulette with a .22 pistol instead of a .44 Magnum?
IMO wouldn't it be better to get an air filter that filters out all the junk but DOES NOT produce ozone?... Like a HEPA filter?
You guys sound dumb to me but oh well you know what they say, "There's a sucker born every minute". - Terry2, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Why so down on Consumer Reports? Do you think they are not truly impartial?
- brbubba, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0I love people defending their Ionic breezes. If you own one, of course you are going to defend it. Who the heck is going to admit they got suckered?
No one is is saying the the Ionic Breeze doesn't collect dust, what people are saying is that it is not very effective at what it is supposed to do. No matter how you dice it, chop it, and fry it up the Ionic Breeze does not have the capability to filter small particulate matter anywhere near the extent that a true HEPA filter can. This is an undisputed scientific fact.
If you enjoy your Ionic Breeze more power to you, but for the money there are infinitely better filters out there. And in the end the fact that Sharper Image is so upset over this report should be proof enough that all they are selling is sugar water. - thyarcher, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0In my experience, the Ionic Breeze works great for pulling stuff out of the air. My old apartment would pull in neighbors smoke to the point that I could see it if I would close off a room for a while. It took about 15 minutes to dramatically clear out the smoke. It actually made the apartment livable. I agree that you shouldn't have it in your enclosed bedroom. I tried it, and woke up a couple times with uncomfortable breathing, but otherwise, I don't really have any complaints.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0the usb ones that attach to your computer! lol
- Smoktiludy, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Speaking of air purifiers, what is a good one to use? Sounds like most of them don't work..
- WayneWorld, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0You can not clean air without moving it. These fanless driven fans only putify the air in the general proximity of the unit. Even when the unit is brand new out of the box, it only is 95% effective in capturing mold,dust,pollwn and bacteria. The system does nothing to absorb odors. The smell coming from the unit is part Ozone just covering up the smell.
As the unit cleans the air, the plates become very ineffective in cleaning your air. Just as a dirt computer monitor will stop catching dust as it gets a nice fuzzy coat of dust. The system drastically turns from a 95% effective unit to 30% or less.
My buddy suffers from Asthma and some of my friends have general allergies. They all installed in their homes Whole-Home HEPA purification systems. These bad boys suck up and clean up to 99.97 particles (bacteria, mold, viruses, pollen, dander, dust mites, hair) and also use a carbon filter to obsorb the odors/smoke.
They purify the air in 3000 sq ft home in about an hour and run with the existing HVAC system in the home. The system just hides in the attic, basement or closet. Nothing taking up living space in the home. Another prop about the system, you dont have to touch it for 2 years to clean the filters.
Ok, I should call these people and get a job as a sales man.. ;)
- FuLouZero, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0I own one of the $500 Models with Germocidal protection, I leaves a pleasent scent and really cleans the air.After cleaning the bar the white towel was completly black from what it took from the air. Problem is if you don't cleans often its next to impossible to clean. You also get a headache for the first 2 or 3 days guess because youir body not use to the ozones.
- Smoktiludy, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0lol thanks for the hygiene tip.
- sciencehead, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Some are upset at the public reports of a product that is counter-productive. The truth is Ozone is bad for you. Ionic breeze works at removing particle matter from air only because it generates Ozone. It may not be an "Ozone Generator" but it generates Ozone, so technically you can't deny that it is an Ozone generator. This is a point I don't care to bicker about this further. The Ionic Breeze is capable of dramatically increasing Ozone levels in the air. If some levels produced were found in the natural environment there would be serious public warnings. If you use it and like it, great, keep it to yourself. There is no need to express you limited point of view to people whom are already skeptical and weary of pseudo-scientist tell me because it does something, anything, as well as create 'a little' Ozone that it is a good product. Initially similar arguments were made for DDT, Asbestos and many others. I am not saying the Ionic Breeze does damage equal to DDT, I am saying that people also defended DDT as some of you are now defending the Ionic Breeze. You know what is quieter then the ionic breeze and doesn't create any ozone at all???
The lack of an Ionic Breeze. - snarkyman, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0It's Interesting that Consumer Reports has never lost a lawsuit filed against them for a rating product poorly. It's also interesting that user experience seems to contradict Consumer Reports.
Those late night commercials are funny - "Ionic Breeze is America's most trusted brand for air purifiers". Is that the best they could do? - FlyingAvatar, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0They *most definitely* create o-zone. O-zone is the smell that you find right after a thunder storm. Stick your nose in your Ionic Breeze, same smell.
What is the reason to think Consumer Reports is full of crap? They do scientific testing, and really have nothing to gain from this whatsoever. Their role over the last few decades has been to prevent people from wasting their money.
Now, I am not saying that the Ionic Breeze does nothing. I've seen a few in action, and really I find the smell of ozone pleasant. However, especially considering the potential safety hazards, I find it sad that they can successfully charge $300+ for an air ionizer. It's not a new technology (my dad has one from the 70s) and none of their models could possibly cost more than $10 to produce. Selling them at even $100 would be robbery, $350 is just insane. - Jibberish, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0**oops**
"...unstable form of Oxygen(O2)..." - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Exactly how harmful is the ozone? What can it do to you?
- napalm, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0So the Ionic Breeze doesn't work the same as HEPA filter? Duh.
Consumer Reports, eh? Is this the same organization that broke the shocking revelation that SUVs when cornered aggressively have a tendency to roll over? Who would have thought that a vehicle with a high center of gravity and relatively narrow track width could roll over if cornered aggresively at high speed! Well duh, I thought a Suburban was supposed to drive like a Porsche.
"In other words, Consumer Reports tests some things to the point of usability. They obviously expect all air filters to do what the ones in hospitals and submarines do, for some wrong-headed reason."
Good point. That reminds me of the time someone asked a group of people for advice on buying a computer system. Guy was going to college and he had $2000 to spend on a laptop and a desktop for light schoolwork. Everyone that gave him advice had him buying some kind of super gamer system when all he wanted was a simple, reliable system to do schoolwork on.
For the record, I neither own nor would pay the asking price for an Ionic Breeze. - Vwsurfbug1, on 08/13/2008, -0/+0I live in a very spacious apartment, above a smoker. I can only smell the smoke once in a while in my downstairs coat closet, and under my master bathroom sink, but I can only assume that some of his smoke is getting into my apartment, and into my lungs (especially on the weekend when he is home all day smoking). I know this, and this alone...The crap that I have to scrub off of my Ionic Breeze is BLACK...I mean really BLACK. Maybe it is from the smoking neighbor, but I will tell ya what, I think it is working based on the gunk that comes off of it. I do not notice an Ozone smell, and I am happy so far with the unit. I am not saying it is better than anything, or worse than another...I am simply saying that to me, I think it works...and well at that. Oh, I didnt buy it from an info-mercial, and I did not spend anywhere near $300.00 for it. SO THERE! lol
- napalm, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0^^
I'd take the nice computer; it'll collect about as much dust in the case as the Ionic Breezes would. - stuffedstich, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0i would never buy one anyway. TOO freaking expensive. Lets see: Nice computer or 2 SHarper image ionic breezes to clean my air?
- Otto, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0@brbubba:
So my TV is an ozone generator, then?
When you're speaking about air cleaning products, the terms "Ozone Generator" have a very specific meaning. An Ozone Generator is a product that uses ozone production as it's primary means of cleaning the air. It spits out a ton of ozone, which bonds with crap in the air to oxidize it and thus pull it out of the air. Such a device is meant only to be used in unoccupied spaces. After you shut it off, and wait a bit for the ozone to clear out, you have fresh, clean air.
So them using the term "ozone generator" when speaking of an air cleaning product that uses other methods is, in fact, a lie. It is not an Ozone Generator. It doesn't generate ozone as its primary means of cleaning the air.
And just because the case was dismissed doesn't vindicate CR of any wrong doing. It just means that SI probably couldn't show them to have done anything wrong. The fact of the matter is that they DID say it doesn't work at all. It's right there in freakin' print. They were wrong. They are wrong. They are STILL wrong. What is legal is not what is right, you know.
And SI *does* disclose that it produces a small amount of ozone. There's a sticker on the damn thing that says so. It says so on the box. It's not like they covered anything up here. It produces levels that are under the federal standards for such production, so it's perfectly safe as far as the federal government is concerned.
I agree that they don't say it's not as good as a filter system. But then they don't say that it *is* as good as a filter system either. Mainly they push the fact that it is fanless and therefore silent. Seems pretty obvious that a fanless unit wouldn't push as much air, I'd think. - bobetr, on 11/27/2008, -0/+0i always thought it was unhealthy because its gets your body used to purified air so when you go outside your super screwed because your system isn't used to the 'dirty' air. but apparently I'm wrong. or am i right on a deeper level?
- brbubba, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Otto:
First of all you have yet to show me the exact passage where they call it an ozone generator. Second of all this is the english language, an ozone generator generates ozone. It does not refer to how much or how little it generates, just that it does. Not once do they compare this to a commercial ozone generator nor imply such.
In addition saying something is ineffective is not the same as saying it doesn't work. Again, I want to see an exact passage that says, consumer reports concludes that the ionic breeze does not work at all.
And lastly, the court of law is a vindication because Sharper Image no longer has any recourse in the matter. And if, as you say Sharper Image didn't have any proof, why would they launch the lawsuit to begin with? That would be the most damaging thing, that they needlessly sue people without proof because they don't like what they are saying. Either way they lose both in the legal system and in the court of public opinion.
Also those levels stated by the EPA are over a definitive time period, not meant for 24 hour continuous use. Meanwhile sharper images attitude about all of this is to stick their heads in the sand and pretend it doesn't exist and then cover their butts with fine print and disclaimers.
If you disagree with consumer reports thats fine, but you can't honestly sit here and defend sharper images behavior in all of this. - dosware, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Extinguish a match next the vertical intake slots of one of these- you'll note that the "sucking area" of the purifier is quite narrow. And it generates little suction power at that. So how can it clean an entire room?
Well, it can't! There is no way one of these 300-500 hundred dollar gizmos can circulate/purify even a small area. Ironically, my 2 Ionic Breezes just collect alot of random dust at their bases (yes, I was dumb enough to have purchased two- now they are my little lab experiments).
Go for a true (and noisier) HEPA purifier if you really want to clean a room. I bought 2 Whispure models from Whirlpool- and they actually do work as advertised. - adman77, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0I've had 2 Ionic Breezes for a little over a year now. They were expensive. They seem to work but the problem is I have to say "seem to". Never have been sure. After reading all the Diggs I'm still unsure and concerned about the ozone. Is it under the acceptable level or over it? Also, not only do the collector blades get dirty as a function of the unit (I expect that and clean them regularly) but the outsides of the units get really grungy looking. I try to keep the outsides clean but it's not easy. A real pain. Any brilliant ideas?
- almarc11, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0The technology used in the Ionic Breeze is proven technology that has been used for a long time in other household air cleaners as well as in industrial application. I have an electrostatic precipitator built into my heating/air conditioning system that works the same basic way as the Ionic Breeze. The difference is that my system has many many times the collection area as the "Breeze", and since it uses the the central circulating fan, lots of air moves over the collection plates. The Ionic Breeze moves very little air and has only a very small collection area. In addition, the adds you see on TV show someone cleaning the collection plates by just wiping the outside plates. The collection plates need to be cleaned in between as well, or else the effectiveness will be greatly diminished. Many coal fired power plants use this technology to remove tons of coal ash. So the "physics" do work. But in the case of the "Breeze" the implementation is sorely lacking. It just doesn't move enough air or have enough collection area to make it effective.
Basically the "Breeze" is a piece of expensive junk that is not worth messing with. The ozone produced by the unit might give the impression that it is cleaning the air since ozone has a distinctive smell. But this is just an illusion. - WayneWorld, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0This is true. However, the Ionic breeze does not move no where enough air (CFM) to make a real difference in the home. To make a home clean, the tested system (ionic, electrostatic, UV, or HEPA) must exchange all the air in the home once every hour or 1 ACH (air change per hour).
The Ionic breeze doesnt even come close to that AAFA recommended number. Also, the OZONE guard is a band-aid solution to their crippled product.
Granted, I believe the Inoic Breeze was very effective in bringing more Americans and people around the world more aware of the importance of clean air in the home. Now we just need to provide them a solid solution. HEPA. Go to Ready.gov to find out more about HEPA. - hormonal, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Hey guys, why don't you all just quit the bickering and do a little homework, you are all obviously working on old information, check out medicinenet.com/61972
- GrizzlyBear06, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0 So lets take a look at what is being contested.
1. "It produces Ozone." Yup. Look at the medicinenet site posted above and you will read another study that says that the amount of ozone produced by an Ionic Breeze Quadra, when used in a large office and not a small bathroom, is 10 ppb below what the FDA considers as safe for medical devices. Don't use it in an enclosed area. That has already been addressed. If you want to know what is funny is that your CRT TV, Printer, Computer Monitor and a bucket load of other stuff around your house produce as much or more Ozone, especially the CRTs. For those who don't know, it stands for Cathode Ray Tube. If you don't know how to be safe around high voltage devices then don't mess with these guys. The voltage in certain areas is high enough to restart your heart if your not careful and simply unplugging it doesn't release the charge. The Ionic Breeze may have a decently high voltage but it has a very low current.
2. "It doesn't circulate air." Not very much but it does create a little breeze. If you have one then you may have noticed that it does move a little air. If you don't have one and you have no idea how it works then please do say something like "NO FAN, CAN'T WORK" If you are worried that it doesn't do enough, turn on a fan. All it needs is for air to be moved around. The fan may create a little extra noise but it will help.
3. "Sharper Image lost its' libel suit." So? O.J. Simpson got off clean. The Judicial system is good but not perfect. As far as I am concerned, this means diddlysquat. I would have to do my own research and read the reports.
From what I have learned The Ionic Breeze puts out enough Ozone to be hazardous in a bathroom. If you have one and you are uncomfortable with it then sell it, open a window, turn on a fan or turn it off for a while. The Ozone will dissipate. Ionic Air Purifiers are only dangerous to those who don't know better. It is similar to selling a gun to someone who knows how to load it but doesn't know which way to point it. - freemdoom, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0they don't "suck up" anything cause there's no damn fan! Get a Friedrich. Ugly as hell but it works.
- GrizzlyBear06, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Well that was weird.
- GrizzlyBear06, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0 So lets take a look at what is being contested.
1. "It produces Ozone." Yup. Look at the medicinenet site posted above and you will read another study that says that the amount of ozone produced by an Ionic Breeze Quadra, when used in a large office and not a small bathroom, is 10 ppb below what the FDA considers as safe for medical devices. And that is at max contamination. Don't use it in an enclosed area. That has already been addressed. If you want to know what is funny is that your CRT TV, Printer, Computer Monitor and a bucket load of other stuff around your house produce as much or more Ozone, especially the CRTs. For those who don't know, it stands for Cathode Ray Tube. If you don't know how to be safe around high voltage devices then don't mess with these guys. The voltage in certain areas is high enough to restart your heart if you're not careful and simply unplugging it doesn't release the charge. The Ionic Breeze may have a decently high voltage but it has a very low current.
2. "It doesn't circulate air." Not very much but it does create a little breeze. If you have one then you may have noticed that it does move a little air. If you don't have one and you have no idea how it works then please do say something like "NO FAN, CAN'T WORK" If you are worried that it doesn't do enough, turn on a fan. All it needs is for air to be moved around. The fan may create a little extra noise but it will help.
3. "Sharper Image lost its' libel suit." So? O.J. Simpson got off clean. The Judicial system is good but not perfect. As far as I am concerned, this means diddlysquat. I would have to do my own research and read the reports.
From what I have learned The Ionic Breeze puts out enough Ozone to be hazardous in a bathroom. If you have one and you are uncomfortable with it then sell it, open a window, turn on a fan or turn it off for a while. The Ozone will dissipate. Ionic Air Purifiers are only dangerous to those who don't know better. It is similar to selling a gun to someone who knows how to load it but doesn't know which way to point it. - Otto, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0wayneworld: It does move air, just not particularly quickly. Turn it on, stick your hand in front, you can feel the breeze,
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