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There are many filtering systems that are used by air cleaners. Different brands and models use different systems and filters in order to clean air. One type of system that is less effective are the Ionic Breeze air cleaners. These air cleaners are proven to not be able to clean the air as effectively as a system that uses electrostatic technology or an system that uses a High Efficiency Particulate Air filter. The Ionic Breeze air cleaner is a unit still on the market to be aware of because of its inefficient function. The air cleaner is not able to remove as many particles from the air as an air cleaner that uses HEPA or electrostatic technology.
The Ionic Breeze is supposed to trap the airborne particles in the air as they pass through stainless steel blades that carry an electric charge. The particles and chemicals in the contaminated air are to be infected with a charge when passing through them. This charge will then attract to the opposite charge of the blades, making the particles stick to the blades. The user then should wipe down the blades so that the particles do not build up on them. The contaminated air is drawn into the cleaner through the back vent and is blown out of the unit in the front. The systemdoes not posses a fan like most units to move the air through. Instead, the air is moved through the unit with the force of the electrostatic blades. The air is supposedly pulled through the unit due to the positively and negatively charged ions being attracted to each other. This makes the unit completely silent since there is no motor or fan; however, the air is not efficiently drawn into the unit. With the air not circulating as planned, it is not cleaned as effectively as an air cleaner that uses a motor and fan to draw air through the unit.
Although the Ionic Breeze sounds technologically safe and like it should be just as effective as an air cleaner equipped with an electrostatic medium, this is not the case. The Ionic Breeze was tested by Consumer Ratings and received a “poor” rating due to its inefficient ways of absorbing particles from the air. These air cleaners were tested in a small office with all doors closed. This is the perfect environment for any air cleaner to be able to clean the air effectively. However, this test proved that the Ionic Breeze air cleaner was only able to remove 30% of the particles in the air. The 30% of particles that were removed were particles that were found in the air prior to it entering the air cleaner. There was still 5% of the air found in the room that did not go through the air cleaner and was still contaminated with particles.
Most air cleaners that are equipped with a normal HEPA filter are able to eliminate 99.7% of all particles in the air that are 0.03 microns and larger in size. The Ionic Breeze was proven to be very ineffective when compared to a normal air cleaner. It also was found by the Consumer Ratings that the air cleaner omitted harmful ozone when it operated due to the electrostatic plates present in the unit. The admission of ozone into the air can sometimes be toxic if enough enters the air in a small room. The Ionic Breeze air cleaners were proven to be the worst and least efficient air cleaner that was tested. The unit was tested three times in different situations and still was given the “poor” rating by the Consumer Ratings.
Although the Ionic Breeze seems to be the perfect unit with its quiet and low maintenance parts, it is one of the least effective air cleaners on the market today. The unit was proven to not be able to absorb as many particles in the air as a regular air cleaner. Although the Ionic Breeze air cleaners may seem to be quiet they has been proven to be ineffective when cleaning particles and fumes from the air.
