Hi folks! I wanted to address a recurring question about why this design doesn't have activated carbon: Despite the claims some companies make, no air purifier is particularly effective at removing odors/gases. Air purifiers are designed to remove particulate, not gases. Some air purifiers have activated carbon in them, which can capture SOME odors/gases in smaller quantities and for shorter periods of time, but then they saturate and are ineffective. And by the way, you need a big, heavy block of carbon to actually capture a significant amount of gas. A thin carbon prefilter won't do much. There's a reason why air purifier companies don't share metrics about gas removal. It's not nearly an exact science. For reducing odors/gases, source control (removing the source of the odor/gas) is best. If that's not possible, ventilation (bringing outdoor air inside) is the next best, to dilute the concentration of the indoor odor/gas. Best way to do this is with an energy recovery ventilator (ERV). Think about it. It's intuitive - what's the best way to freshen a stuffy, smelly house? Fresh air. Also, here’s a minor improvement to one of the steps in the video: it would be easier to find the center of the coroplast square by drawing diagonal lines from corner to corner and marking where they intersect: ☒. You don’t need to buy the T-square if you already have a straight-edge that can measure 2 feet.
Hello! Now that it's 10 months later, is there anything else you would change about this design? I've noted: 1. The way to find the center 2. 16x25x1 instead of 16x30x1 filters 3. Possibly using pc fans (I'm doing the ac infinity because I want a higher amount of airflow available during fires and I don't have a lot of free time to make the cutouts fit) Edit: I have had this for a month and it's great! I would recommend tying down all 4 corners and adding foam weather sealing to the shroud. My filters were not perfectly straight or level so this helped fill the gaps.
You should weigh the filters after assembly and weigh them agin when you go to replace them to see how much particulate theyve removed. Would be a cool stat to see
A note about noise measurements: Because it's a log scale you can't do straight arithmetic for either addition or subtraction. You must first take the antilog of each number, subtract, then take the log. For example: 62 dB minus 29 dB background is still 62 dB, because the difference is so small it doesn't even register. If you had 36 dB and subtracted 29 dB, the net noise of the fan is 35 dB.
I built the typical 20 X 20 box fan based system using a Merv 13 filter. What a huge improvement in my indoor air quality with this simple setup. Can’t remember the last time I had to take a Zyrtec or had a sneezing fit. I’m in Florida the pollen capital of America. Looking at your setup I can’t wait to get started building mine. I want the quiet, better efficiency, and a longer period between filter changes. Thanks for making this video and including a parts list.
Hot glue and different form factor. You’ve really contributed something to the air cleaner discussion on RUclips. I think your method is what I’ll use going forward.
@@HealthyHomeGuide I made mine a month ago and it's changed how I feel in the shop. I didn't realize how itchy I was until I started aggressively filtering the air.
@@HealthyHomeGuidewhich MRP rating filter did you use..300-2800...higher numbers indicating that the filter can capture more microparticles, such as pollen, pet dander, smoke, bacteria, and viruses. Some say that the best filters have an MPR between 1,500 and 1,900. However, it's not recommended to use filters that are too strong, as they can increase energy costs, reduce airflow, and make heating and air conditioning less effective.
This is the only video that mentions an EC fan. The noise reduction is a huge deal, thanks for that. PSA - Costco has great prices on Filtrete (3M) filters.
Absolutely, I have no idea why other creators tend not to take this into account! Great tip about Costco - I have one right nearby. I might have to make a trip there hehe. Or buy online.
LOVE your design, clean looking, quiet, doesn't take a lot of space, affordable and best of all, it doesn't take various/miscellaneous tools (that most of us don't have anyway!) Thank You 🙂👍
I am so happy i found your page! I didnt want to spend so much money on these air purifiers. My cats are causing my daughter to have extreme allergies and i feel like this BIG air purifier will be such a big help for us! Thank you so much!!!
I am in the middle of a ferocious dust storm in West Texas. How I wish I already had this built! (Rest assured, I will soon)! Thanks for a very elegant, quiet, long-lasting, and economical filter option.
Nice attachment method! Note the AC Infinity Cloudlift S12 is expensive. It's better because of the EC motor and fine control, but that comes at a cost. For less cost an array of PC case fans is less expensive, uses even less power, and can be built with an even smaller footprint depending on configuration. Airflow is difficult to accurately measure without the proper tools. The only way I've been able to do this is with a flow capture hood on the outlet with anti-swirl grid, not any type of anemometer. An anemometer is good for velocity/throw at a distance, as it includes entrained air. In an extreme example, consider how you would measure the flow of the Dyson purifiers. They rely on entrainment to create a jet of air, yet have low particle removal (despite high filtration). The best performance test is an aerosol drawdown measurement of CADR. Takes a bit of time but can be done accurately enough even with a $40 meter if you are willing to take a video of it and transcribe the readings.
Thanks David! When it comes to fans, the phrase "you get what you pay for" is even more true than usual. The AC Infinity Cloudlift S12 delivers enough airflow (it's rated at 1807 cfm) to properly purify the air, and because it's robustly constructed, it does so quietly. Of course, yes, that comes at a $159 price tag, unfortunately. There are certainly cheaper DIY air purifiers than mine, but my point in the video is that they're too loud, among other issues. PC fans are definitely intriguing to me - I suppose you'd need multiple PC fans in a single air purifier in order to move enough air. I appreciate your point about the nuances of airflow measurement. Your CADR method sounds really intriguing! For the purposes of my experiment in this video, I think my method (anemometer, measuring average airflow across the entire fan surface across multiple trials) is sufficient for comparing the box fan and the AC infinity fan.
@@HealthyHomeGuide Personal cooling fans are tested using a method that captures velocity at a distance and converted to a flow. That's fine for an application where total air movement is needed, but it doesn't reflect the air moving through only the fan housing, so it overstates the value. The only manufacturer that seems to measure the flow through the fan housing itself is Honeywell's turbo floor fans. If you want to "calibrate" your test method using velocity, use the HF-910 floor fan which has a flow through the housing of 1050 CFM. I've confirmed that with a flow capture hood mounted to it. It's also a whole 2-3 db quieter than box fans and ends up moving more air through a CR box. Bit of a pain to construct. Most people remove the stand/legs and mount the round fan in a round opening.
@Elfstrom Fascinating! Thanks for the measurement tip. As for the Honeywell fan, that could work for some, for sure. Personally, I was aiming for more noise reduction compared to box fans than 2-3 dB, and more robust construction/higher static pressure motor. I also just don’t feel right about using a cheap fan made of soft plastic in an application like this, but I acknowledge it could certainly work.
@@David.Elfstrom Got any data on efficiency (highest cfm/watt) in the ranges demonstrated in this video? Also, isn't 3db increase a doubling of sound? I would choose low operation cost and quiet over saving a few dollars. Agreed?
@@DK-vx5co With general ventilation filters & a box fan the CADR/W is going to run about 5 Smoke CADR/W which is definitely into ENERGY STAR territory. Using a PC case fan array boosts it WAY up to 28 Smoke CADR/W, extremely efficient and quiet. PM2.5 CADR can be measured with low-cost optical particle counters, and the PM2.5 CADR/W will be ~ 30% higher than for smoke CADR/W in both types. I haven't tested using the more efficient fan shown in the video, but I expect it to be in-between box fan and PC case fan array efficiency (it's a wide gap to fill!) Yes, a 3 dB increase is a doubling, though our brain/ears don't perceive it as a doubling.
I assembled my first air filter based on these plans today. It was my first time playing with a glue gun, cutting coroplast, and tying square knots. Overall it was a good experience and I can see making more in the future. The basic principles make sense so I feel up for experimenting with it. I used the same fan and 16 inch wide filtrete filters, though the tallest 16 inch wide ones Costco had were a third smaller at 16 by 20 and Merv 14. On the bright side I was able to get four Merv 14 filters for $45. On speed 1 I can forget the fan is on. I've seen some coroplast reviews saying one batch was much flimsier than another, and I may have gotten a flimsier batch as it was bending easily even before I added the fan to it, but resting on the filters and having the clothesline to stabilize it seems to work well enough. I may need to tighten the rope more. Getting the rope/clothesline through the narrow slits on the fan and tying it was the hardest part for me and I ended up using tweezers to pull it through. I might just unscrew the cage so I can get my hands in both sides of the fan cover next time. I'm much more used to zip ties. I might experiment with either a 2nd layer of coroplast or a sheet of 3/8 inch pvc, though I really like the overall simplicity of it as it is.
I’m glad you had a good overall experience! I hadn’t heard of coroplast batches varying in terms of their malleability - that’s useful to be aware of. Let me know how zip ties end up working for you if you try them. I couldn’t get the fan blades to avoid them but maybe you’ll have better luck.
@@HealthyHomeGuide I ended up using a zip tie to cinch the rope tighter around the knot and now the fan no longer sags. drive.google.com/file/d/1L0TQDb7OzZ5TlFNMmHVQZICqbYpkLCaA/view?usp=sharing
@@HealthyHomeGuide Not so far. I'm waiting for another fan to arrive. The current one worked well once I tightened the rope using the zip tie which I then trimmed to get out of the way. Had I tightened the rope better to begin with it may not have been needed. I think the rope looks better than a zip tie would, and with the way I have it now the zip tie is only visible when taking the fan out of the filter box.
Many years ago I remember chloroplast being a packaging material at a supermarket here, in the milk section. you could take as much as you could carry.
Very awesome build, my man. I plan to build this very soon, but unlike your completed product I do believe that I am going to use some tools and make an outer case to drop the whole thing into, you know, to cover up those ole ugly filters. I'm thinking just a 5-sided, somewhat ornate wooden box with the top (where the fan expels air) open. For airflow on the filter sides I'm just going to drill a cool pattern of like 200 x 11.11mm holes per 4 sides, smooth them out with a sandpaper rod. After the whole box is sanded, stained and shellacked I think I'll be left with something that won't be too ugly to sit in the living room. Maybe making like 4 similar boxed won't be too much work (1 for living room, 1 for dining/kitchen area, 1 each for 2 bedrooms). I dunno, maybe that's a bit ambitious but as of right now that seems like what I need. I've a fairly big house, open floor plan.
Cool design and I hadn't thought of that advantage of hot glue. My box fan isn't nearly that loud though. I've got mine near my bed and six feet away I'm reading 35 dB (on low) - 50 dB (on high). Lasko 20" from Walmart.
You can prolong the life of the filters by adding a pre-filter to catch large-particle dust, made of fine mesh window screen or nylon Noseeum netting that can be vacuumed or removed and washed.
Yup! I was actually planning on doing that with aesthetically-pleasing thin fabric. Maybe someday. Although it’s a whole thing learning how to create a fabric sheath that fits over an air purifier.
@@HealthyHomeGuide White noseeum netting worked well. I just tacked on rectangles of it with Scotch magic tape. It holds well enough to suck onto the filter and stay in place when I vacuum it, or peels off easily enough to remove it for washing
I like how approachable this design is. I could see using it in my attic and crawlspace as I clear out old insulation and try to minimize dust, along with inside the rest of the house when renovating. Your videos make me want to start playing with glue guns and coroplast, which I'd never considered before. I got my first home air filter in 2020 as a covid ICU nurse, The Bedroom Machine by Austin Air. It's pricey at $1000 now, but the $500+ filters which are a bit fancier than HEPA are rated to last 5 years in residential use. It's quiet and the low hum on medium speed serves as white noise while we sleep. One problem is that it's too pricey for me to get multiple of them and it would feel like a waste to put one in a dusty attic. I eventually got a $200 coway airmega for our guest bedroom and another for our living room since they were well reviewed. Lately I've noticed a bigger difference in air quality from bringing in fresh air so I'm working on doing more of that now, while continuing to filter what I can. I finally ordered a Broan AI ERV along with larger inline filters and am looking forward to getting it installed over the next month or two.
Your comments are always great! So glad to hear that you feel this design is approachable - it should be PERFECT for insulation/dust capture given its high airflow and the particle sizes in question. I love Austin Air. I had a Healthmate a while back - they’re cheaper at $715 USD right now. Nice, yeah! I feel that ventilating with humidity controlled/filtered fresh air is the most impactful way to improve IAQ (that plus dehumidifying in warmer months of course). My air purifiers that are close to my ERV supply barely get dirty, it’s crazy. So cool to hear that you ordered the Broan AI!
IQ Air MultiGas with Hyper HEPA purchased in 2006 to neutralize paint, varnish, wood stain and varnish VOC's of a new home build along with toxic reclaimed water mist from choosing a lot on the 18th Fairway of a Golf Course downstream of a leaching dioxin (2, 4-5 DT aka Agent Orange) Superfund Site that was never completely remediated.
Just built mine with a few modifications. Used a sheet of clear acrylic for the top. Cut the opening so that the fan sits on top of lid. I used foil tape to keep the filters connected. Added a line of foam tape to the top of the filters. Love the fan and remote. I think that’s the key.
Nice, that sounds like it could work! Although since the fan is resting on TOP of the clear acrylic, just make sure the fan isn’t pulling air from above the acrylic (unfiltered).
Just bought the fan but was also thinking about resting the fan on the lid. Did you test to see if it’s pulling air in from above the acrylic? Thank you!
Great video, built one using all the techniques you shared…same filters and hot glue; however, while searching for the fan I found an AC infinity the same size and motor, but configured as an exhaust fan AC Infinity Airlift (AC-ALS12). It has an attached shroud that covers the filters with no fabrication. Thanks for the “how to” with the detailed instructions!
Thanks a lot bro for sharing this priceless info. for all the ppl that have mold sickness problem i recomend some natural antihistaminic products:quercentin with bromelain,butterbur,stinging nettle root extract,zeolit,natural carbon pills and psyllium husk take 2000 mg/day of the first 3 products mentioned above if the problem is very bad every morning with some peanut butter.also try to reduce eating histamine foods like pineaple,mango,pickles etc. good health to everybody!!!
I love this walkthrough and very insightful information. I have to wonder if there is a different fan out there though. The AC s12 is $170 on amazon, plus the Filtrete branded filters are $130 for a 6 pack since I can't find a 4 pack. I guess the reality is what it is for the cost if filtering air but dang thats a lot. Never mind the rest of the items you need. I'm checking out other similar types of fans. But the great thing about the AC is the 10 speed and remote. The others are mostly 3 speed for around $50.
Do you live in the US? At the link in my description, there's a 4-pack of filters for $71. If not, my apologies. As for the AC infinity fan, it is expensive, yup. But it is definitely the quietest fan i've tried.
I may do this. Might get some sticky paper in white from a crafts store like Hobby Lobby or Michaels. That would cover the corners to make it a bit more presentable.
I just made purchase for the filter and fan. Coroplast can be bought locally. Hopefully I am not gonna fail this project. And hopefully this works better than commercial ones as I need clean air for my pregnant wife. (With multiple dogs in the room, pray it’s gonna reduce the amount of bacteria)
I wonder does anyone have any video that did a CADR test for pull / push air flow 🤔 if anyone know any video that does a deep test on it, please let me know 🙏🏼
Good luck! It will reduce the amount of dust, which should indirectly reduce the amount of bacteria. For concerns about bacteria, microfiber mopping is best. I'm working on a video about that.
@@HealthyHomeGuide is it possible if you could do a test for pull and push airflow setup? I was thinking the same setup but a pull airflow instead, it would then trap large particle like furs in the air filter rather than having the fur exposed on the outside of the filter which potentially be circulated into the air again if the power is being turned off.
For air purifiers, I feel the fan should be blowing upwards, for two reasons: 1.) If you blow air downward into the box, there's a lot of turbulence that reduces the air flow rate. 2.) By pulling air through the filters before it hits the fan, the fan will stay cleaner.
Looks like we in Canada can only get a battery powered version of this Cloudlift fan. Also, 16 x 30 filters are hard to find. Seems like the most common are 16 x 25.
Hi, first, thank you very much. Like others wrote, very nice effective design. But the big plus is this very quit fan. On y list meanwhile will take my big noisy black one until I buy this one you have. Again thank you very much.
We're using the Winix Zero 4 Stage Air Purifier - AUS-1050AZBU in my bedroom in Melbourne Australia. I like it shows air quality indicators like blue for good, orange for okay and red for bad. And auto night mode.
@@HealthyHomeGuide I'll go a diy version this summer like yours because we have lots of wildfires and planned burnoffs in Australia each year. So wildfire smoke is a big issue for us here. I'm sounding like a prepper now but I work from home so I want to be some from poor air quality all year round.
@MatthewBayard hahah I’ve been sounding like a prepper too. We’re just informed about the very real environmental health hazards in 2023, right!? In Vermont USA we’ve definitely had wildfire smoke as well. I work from home too.
It's also significantly better than this DIY model at purifying the air. You made a good choice. But for larger particles the DIY option is good, but it's going to miss most/all the smaller particulates.
You should've gone a few steps further and made a 2 solid wall housing with 2 slots for filters on opposite sides, so you can avoid having to rebuild this over and over. This way, you just swap the filters out by sliding them out.
We use AlexaPure- I don't like having to vacuum the mesh filter and then having to change out the two other filters in it every few months. I'm excited about trying out your design!! I have a few people in my house that suffer from allergens and asthma and I think your filters will help a whole lot in keeping our hair clean! Question: What are your thoughts on EdenPure air purifiers?? **Thank you for your time and doing the countless of hours of research and placing in Layman's terms for us!! **
Nice build instructions. One question though. Would it not be better to turn the filters around an have the airflow through the filter from the inside out, this way capturing all particles inside the box? Maybe you need to close the box at the bottom as well then using a piece of coroplast.
Thank you! For air purifiers the fan should be blowing upwards, for two reasons: 1.) If you blow air downward into the box, there's a lot of turbulence that reduces the air flow rate. 2.) By pulling air through the filters before it hits the fan, the fan will stay cleaner.
nice project!! Have you thought up any ideas for your next version? Maybe a rubber or foam seal around the top where the fan and box meet, I know it's probably not a big issue but would seal any gaps nicely with the weight of the fan or maybe a carbon filter to neutralise odours? Just some ideas, either way thank you for the video and all the research you've done on this! Keep up the great work
Great design, I see for any Costco members that now through Feb 25th you can get the 4 pack of 3M MPR 2500 MERV 14 filters 16x25x1”for $50. About 5 inches shorter than the design here, but a higher filtration level. Was wondering what brought you to use the AC Infinity fan? I am wondering if the Dreo 11” air circulator would also work with this design (if it can be removed from its pedestal). Could save some cost there without sacrificing on noise control.
Awesome tip with the Costco MERV-14 filter deal! Fantastic question. I actually have two Dreo fans and they’re the best circulation fans I’ve ever owned by a long shot. Unfortunately, the power for Dreo fans plugs into the stand itself, so even if one was able to remove the fan from the stand, it couldn’t be powered. The power for AC infinity fans comes right out of the fan motor itself. That was one reason I used AC infinity. The main reason was that AC infinity fans are the quietest and most powerful I’ve tried. Also, AC infinity seems to have the best reputation among fan companies if you read hundreds of reviews across different sites. They’re expensive, and they’re robust. Honestly, I like Dreo fans even better. I wish Dreo could be more feasibly used in this application.
I've been using the BlueAir Pure 411 (for 161 sq.-ft rooms) and Pure 211+ (550 sq.-ft) for the past 3 or 4 years. The design is excellent, and the filters are reasonably priced compared to most other brands ($22 and $64, respectively, with the subscription plans). If you want a purchased solution, I recommend these. However, it looks like they've discontinued selling these models, as they have new, next-gen ones out. The comparable ones, which seem to be the Pure 511(?) and the 313i+ have similarly priced filters (~$20 and $42). They do seem to have a common enough issue of the fan "dying", which is unfortunate for an otherwise great product. But the one that died on me, I opened it up and replaced it with a computer fan, and it works fine. I've been trying to noodle on making my own kind of DIY solution, but it's difficult to get specs on decent fans that aren't box fans and aren't over-built or over-designed for the purpose. But I do like what you've done here. I was thinking having all four sides wouldn't be necessary for most rooms. And then you could have the other sides be more "attractive". Or even put the fan sideways instead of upward, and use the top surface as a little shelf or table. The struggle seems to be finding the right fan(s). Something like the Lasko 10" BeezeMachine (claims 390 CFM, 35 dB) is fairly reasonably-priced, and circular, but it's a little large at ~12" dia. overall (for what I'm planning). It has only 2 speeds, but I think that's all I really need. Cheers!
... The Vornado "160 Compact Air Circulator" might be a good fan, as well-- 227 CFM @ 33dB, and only about 7.5" dia.-- as long as it can make enough pressure to pull air thru the filter.
Thanks for the thoughtful comment. The benefit of having all four sides of the air purifier be made of filters is that it increases the surface area of the filtration surface, which makes it easier for a fan to pull air through, increasing airflow and efficiency. My experience with fans is that you get what you pay for. Generally, cheaper plastic fans aren't made to pull air through filters because they aren't designed for the increased static pressures, and don't generate as much airflow. They also tend to be annoyingly loud. I'm personally not comfortable running a cheap fan 24/7 in an air purifier. But that's just me - others may find success. I understand budget constraints as well. Experiment :)
I've really enjoyed your videos and style of delivery. I'm looking at making something like this for my bedroom as I suffer from allergies and would like to see if this helps me during the night. This kind of form factor is too large for the smallish bedroom I've got. How could I make an effective device with somelike like a 6" or 8" fan?
Thank you! Clean air kits does make some air purifiers that have a thinner footprint. You could either get one of those, or use it as inspiration to build something similar. Good luck!
My thoughts on activated carbon filters can be summarized by this quote from an article by HVAC engineer Joey Fox: "Carbon filters can potentially be effective if sized properly. However, air cleaners rarely provide equivalent outdoor air delivery rates for the carbon filters. They also become saturated over time and would then become ineffective. Unfortunately, many portable air cleaners do not provide clear information on the longevity and effectiveness of their carbon filters. While carbon filters are a harmless feature, they may not necessarily deliver the desired results. Additionally, carbon filters do not remove particulate matter which includes airborne diseases. Therefore, they have no impact on addressing health concerns related to viruses or other particulate matter. In general, when dealing with VOCs and odors, the most effective approach is through ventilation by supplying fresh outdoor air to the space."
@@HealthyHomeGuide pretty much I agree with you. However when the outdoor air is polluted with forest fire smoke, charcoal filters help absorb gas pollutants. It’s not as effective as filters that are designed for a specific family of toxins but helps. Especially since houses are not air tight and smoke seeps inside. Charcoal filters are not like mechanical filters, gas absorption is random , which means running air over and over will gradually reduce the toxins. At least while the charcoal is still effective. For those people sensitive to the gaseous toxins, every little bit helps, especially if you’re trapped inside a house or restricted to a couple rooms within a house. We don’t mind changing out charcoal filters as needed. Just looking for ideas
What square foot area would you judge this would provide service? This seems to be information provided with most filter systems. I have 2200 square foot condo two floors. I am thinking I would need two systems. I am truely impressed with the concept. I just ordered the components looking forward to the assembly. Thanks for sharing your design.
@@HealthyHomeGuide great! Can you share the link here, please? Thanks! I wanted to make changing filters as easy as possible. Was considering 3DHamdyman kits, however, they’re made from PVC. Thoughts?
Hi, I appreciate your approachable method. I've got one of those noisy box fans blowing on my woodstove and am looking for a quieter alternative. The box fan is powered by a thermostatically controlled power cord. This "works" because I leave the box fan turned on speed-1 and the thermostat triggers power once the woodstove is up to temperature. When the stove cools down, the fan shuts off. I love the setup but hate the fan! I'm wondering if the AC Infinity fan will retain its speed setting if the power is cut as I've described. Having to manually turn on or adjust the fan to a desired speed each cycle will not work for me. Thanks again!
You might be able to slightly improve the efficiency by moving the chloroplast in line with the fan blades. It should theoretically reduce unwanted vortexes. I don’t know how much efficiency you get, but I know it’s a technique PC fans use.
@@HealthyHomeGuide I don't know if the fan blades line up with the outer ring holding the fan together. If that was the case I would just cut the chloroplast so that the fan can sit on top of it on the outer ring. No string but the fan is poking out the top more. I don't know if it is structurally strong enough to hold the fan on the outer lip, but it would have the advantage of being easily removable. Could make thing easier to adapt to different filter sizes by making different sized chloroplast squares with the same cutout.
You can also do as I said putting the fan so it can sit on top of the chloroplast but also make a shroud for the fan extending to the tips of the blades. You can see this in computer fans and some traditional fans like the Masterforce 14” DC Shroud Fan. I learned quite a bit about fans from the Major Hardware channel. Good stuff there with experimenting with different 3D printed PC fans. The same principals apply to larger fans.
I tried something like that and the fan had to rest above the coroplast, which caused it draw in some air without passing it through the filters, unfortunately.
Nice idea, thanks for sharing. Question though - do you know if this fan type will work good to collect dog hair? My A/C unit is inside a bedroom closet (poor choice from prior owner 🙄) and dog hair tends to collect in this room where the unit is located, so I would need something with strong suction to pull the hair as the unit is also pulling air. Any info or suggestion will be appreciated.
If turned on a high fan speed, this unit does generate some suction, but in general, air flows fairly slowly through it given how large the filter surface area is (4 large filters). The exhalaron by clean air kits generates some suction - it might be worth asking them this question. thanks!
Love this video and the "Most HEPA Air Purifiers Are A SCAM (There's A Better Option)" that was enlightening (thanks for that!) and I got convinced to make your DIY Purifier until I saw that the fan isn't sold in Europe. Do you know of any alternative?
I found your vid while looking to buy a hepa air purifier to help with allergies.. I think your setup seems much better and your help vs merv filter was really insightful.. But I can't find any of those merv filters in south africa.. And also no ac infinity fan in my area
I'm sorry about that. This type of setup can work with other filters/fans - good luck! If you find some decent ones where you are, could you let me know?
for those of us not as handy it's too bad someone just doesn't make a plastic housing with slots for the filters and the top holding the fan with a lip overhang and a bottom piece as well .. just a put the frame together slide in the filters mount the fan and plug it in ... i'd pay for that model for sure ! ....
For air purifiers the fan should be blowing upwards, for two reasons: 1.) If you blow air downward into the box, there's a lot of turbulence that reduces the air flow rate. 2.) By pulling air through the filters before it hits the fan, the fan will stay cleaner.
For air purifiers the fan should be blowing upwards, for two reasons: 1.) If you blow air downward into the box, there's a lot of turbulence that reduces the air flow rate. 2.) By pulling air through the filters before it hits the fan, the fan will stay cleaner.
I have a box fan that I have taped filters to, but it's far too loud so I never use it. I have a small HEPA filter that I use in my bedroom. I would like to have a filter in my dining room / kitchen area but the box fan is too loud (both standalone, and with the filter attached). I'm searching for proprietary HEPA filters like the one i have for the bedroom but I've been doing more research into alternatives that use generic MERV air filters and might be leaning towards that now. I like that the filter is an off-the-shelf component instead of a proprietary form factor. And a lot of the designs even can accommodate off the shelf fan replacements if your fan dies. These 4-filter box designs I think are too big for me, floor space in my apartment is valuable. My question is why are box fans always so loud?? Even on low setting, it's so loud and isn't even moving a great amount of air to justify that noise.
I can't stop thinking about this now. Surely there's a market for quiet box fans. Why are they so loud?? Can't someone make a company that produces quiet 20x20 box fans?
interesting that the corners of box fans can have air flowing in the reverse because the exhaling force is concentrated towards the center and the filters add resistance. something to remember.
For what it's worth, my design in this video doesn't use a box fan. The AC infinity fan is quieter. But more expensive. But yes, I totally agree with you about liking that the filter is an off-the-shelf component instead of a proprietary form factor. And I've also wondered how in the world there isn't a quiet box fan. I would really love to design a quieter one but I think it would require an immense amount of research and engineering.
I love this set up. I just loojed at the fan. It's $169 from the link you provided. WOW, I need an expensive option. That's expensive. There's no way to inexpensively do great air purification. What is the benefit of making this set up, which I'm willing and able to do, versus buying an air purifier that does the same? Is it less expensive than a ready made type that does an equal job?
Hi folks! I wanted to address a recurring question about why this design doesn't have activated carbon:
Despite the claims some companies make, no air purifier is particularly effective at removing odors/gases. Air purifiers are designed to remove particulate, not gases. Some air purifiers have activated carbon in them, which can capture SOME odors/gases in smaller quantities and for shorter periods of time, but then they saturate and are ineffective. And by the way, you need a big, heavy block of carbon to actually capture a significant amount of gas. A thin carbon prefilter won't do much. There's a reason why air purifier companies don't share metrics about gas removal. It's not nearly an exact science.
For reducing odors/gases, source control (removing the source of the odor/gas) is best. If that's not possible, ventilation (bringing outdoor air inside) is the next best, to dilute the concentration of the indoor odor/gas. Best way to do this is with an energy recovery ventilator (ERV). Think about it. It's intuitive - what's the best way to freshen a stuffy, smelly house? Fresh air.
Also, here’s a minor improvement to one of the steps in the video: it would be easier to find the center of the coroplast square by drawing diagonal lines from corner to corner and marking where they intersect: ☒. You don’t need to buy the T-square if you already have a straight-edge that can measure 2 feet.
How about a link to the Coloplast fan please .
have you had to change the filter yet? if so, how long did it last?
@@danielkaylor8395 link in the video description
Fan: AC Infinity CLOUDLIFT S12 (not Cloudline)
A chalked line can be snapped then you don't need a straight edge or pencil
Hello! Now that it's 10 months later, is there anything else you would change about this design? I've noted:
1. The way to find the center
2. 16x25x1 instead of 16x30x1 filters
3. Possibly using pc fans (I'm doing the ac infinity because I want a higher amount of airflow available during fires and I don't have a lot of free time to make the cutouts fit)
Edit: I have had this for a month and it's great! I would recommend tying down all 4 corners and adding foam weather sealing to the shroud. My filters were not perfectly straight or level so this helped fill the gaps.
You should weigh the filters after assembly and weigh them agin when you go to replace them to see how much particulate theyve removed. Would be a cool stat to see
Great idea. I'll do that for the next one I build!
A note about noise measurements: Because it's a log scale you can't do straight arithmetic for either addition or subtraction. You must first take the antilog of each number, subtract, then take the log. For example: 62 dB minus 29 dB background is still 62 dB, because the difference is so small it doesn't even register. If you had 36 dB and subtracted 29 dB, the net noise of the fan is 35 dB.
Ah, thank you David.
i wish i knew what this meant lmao..
😄 me too no idea what he's talking bout
He's just saying for noise measurements, you can't simply subtract one number from the other by the way the math works.
@@growersplus IIRC 20dB is 10x louder than 10dB. Every 10 is a x10 scale change in volume, not a +10.
I built the typical 20 X 20 box fan based system using a Merv 13 filter. What a huge improvement in my indoor air quality with this simple setup. Can’t remember the last time I had to take a Zyrtec or had a sneezing fit. I’m in Florida the pollen capital of America. Looking at your setup I can’t wait to get started building mine. I want the quiet, better efficiency, and a longer period between filter changes. Thanks for making this video and including a parts list.
Happy to do it! Thanks for your comment :)
Living on the west coast with all the wildfires right now, this will be incredibly useful!
Absolutely! I was hoping that people would use it for that.
Hot glue and different form factor. You’ve really contributed something to the air cleaner discussion on RUclips. I think your method is what I’ll use going forward.
Nice. I’m still using my air cleaner and it’s proven effective.
@@HealthyHomeGuide I made mine a month ago and it's changed how I feel in the shop. I didn't realize how itchy I was until I started aggressively filtering the air.
@@gte717v that’s awesome to hear that it’s protecting you.
@@HealthyHomeGuidewhich MRP rating filter did you use..300-2800...higher numbers indicating that the filter can capture more microparticles, such as pollen, pet dander, smoke, bacteria, and viruses. Some say that the best filters have an MPR between 1,500 and 1,900. However, it's not recommended to use filters that are too strong, as they can increase energy costs, reduce airflow, and make heating and air conditioning less effective.
@@HealthyHomeGuide
How about FILTERBUY brand??
Hello Alex, I stumbled upon your video after buying air purifier without any understanding. Thank you for the eye opening and informative videos. 🙏
Happy to help! Welcome.
This is the only video that mentions an EC fan. The noise reduction is a huge deal, thanks for that.
PSA - Costco has great prices on Filtrete (3M) filters.
Absolutely, I have no idea why other creators tend not to take this into account!
Great tip about Costco - I have one right nearby. I might have to make a trip there hehe. Or buy online.
They go on sale several times a year.
Wow, Adrian Brody is not only a great actor but also makes really helpful instructional videos.
😂 That’s one celebrity comparison that I don’t mind one bit!
and he has a pretty hot gf! Well done sir!
You earned a sub and saved me money and time and frustration i had to go with corporate air purifiers
Awesome!
LOVE your design, clean looking, quiet, doesn't take a lot of space, affordable and best of all, it doesn't take various/miscellaneous tools (that most of us don't have anyway!) Thank You 🙂👍
Glad you like it 😊 well said!
Just got finished building this purifier and I like everything about it! Thanks for the tutorial. Shoe laces work really well for tying down the fan.
That's great to hear! I'm still using mine :)
Very clever. Sometimes the best designs a the most basic ones. I am definitely going to give this a try!
Agreed! Thanks very much.
Totally agree
I am so happy i found your page! I didnt want to spend so much money on these air purifiers. My cats are causing my daughter to have extreme allergies and i feel like this BIG air purifier will be such a big help for us! Thank you so much!!!
Glad I could help!
I love when I stumble onto a highly contested sub community
I am in the middle of a ferocious dust storm in West Texas. How I wish I already had this built! (Rest assured, I will soon)! Thanks for a very elegant, quiet, long-lasting, and economical filter option.
I appreciate that you understand what I was trying to do here. Good luck!
Nice attachment method! Note the AC Infinity Cloudlift S12 is expensive. It's better because of the EC motor and fine control, but that comes at a cost. For less cost an array of PC case fans is less expensive, uses even less power, and can be built with an even smaller footprint depending on configuration.
Airflow is difficult to accurately measure without the proper tools. The only way I've been able to do this is with a flow capture hood on the outlet with anti-swirl grid, not any type of anemometer. An anemometer is good for velocity/throw at a distance, as it includes entrained air. In an extreme example, consider how you would measure the flow of the Dyson purifiers. They rely on entrainment to create a jet of air, yet have low particle removal (despite high filtration). The best performance test is an aerosol drawdown measurement of CADR. Takes a bit of time but can be done accurately enough even with a $40 meter if you are willing to take a video of it and transcribe the readings.
Thanks David! When it comes to fans, the phrase "you get what you pay for" is even more true than usual. The AC Infinity Cloudlift S12 delivers enough airflow (it's rated at 1807 cfm) to properly purify the air, and because it's robustly constructed, it does so quietly. Of course, yes, that comes at a $159 price tag, unfortunately. There are certainly cheaper DIY air purifiers than mine, but my point in the video is that they're too loud, among other issues.
PC fans are definitely intriguing to me - I suppose you'd need multiple PC fans in a single air purifier in order to move enough air.
I appreciate your point about the nuances of airflow measurement. Your CADR method sounds really intriguing! For the purposes of my experiment in this video, I think my method (anemometer, measuring average airflow across the entire fan surface across multiple trials) is sufficient for comparing the box fan and the AC infinity fan.
@@HealthyHomeGuide Personal cooling fans are tested using a method that captures velocity at a distance and converted to a flow. That's fine for an application where total air movement is needed, but it doesn't reflect the air moving through only the fan housing, so it overstates the value. The only manufacturer that seems to measure the flow through the fan housing itself is Honeywell's turbo floor fans. If you want to "calibrate" your test method using velocity, use the HF-910 floor fan which has a flow through the housing of 1050 CFM. I've confirmed that with a flow capture hood mounted to it. It's also a whole 2-3 db quieter than box fans and ends up moving more air through a CR box. Bit of a pain to construct. Most people remove the stand/legs and mount the round fan in a round opening.
@Elfstrom Fascinating! Thanks for the measurement tip.
As for the Honeywell fan, that could work for some, for sure. Personally, I was aiming for more noise reduction compared to box fans than 2-3 dB, and more robust construction/higher static pressure motor. I also just don’t feel right about using a cheap fan made of soft plastic in an application like this, but I acknowledge it could certainly work.
@@David.Elfstrom Got any data on efficiency (highest cfm/watt) in the ranges demonstrated in this video? Also, isn't 3db increase a doubling of sound? I would choose low operation cost and quiet over saving a few dollars. Agreed?
@@DK-vx5co With general ventilation filters & a box fan the CADR/W is going to run about 5 Smoke CADR/W which is definitely into ENERGY STAR territory. Using a PC case fan array boosts it WAY up to 28 Smoke CADR/W, extremely efficient and quiet. PM2.5 CADR can be measured with low-cost optical particle counters, and the PM2.5 CADR/W will be ~ 30% higher than for smoke CADR/W in both types.
I haven't tested using the more efficient fan shown in the video, but I expect it to be in-between box fan and PC case fan array efficiency (it's a wide gap to fill!)
Yes, a 3 dB increase is a doubling, though our brain/ears don't perceive it as a doubling.
Thank goodness I found your channel while researching for air purifiers! I’m making my own now.
Nice :)
I assembled my first air filter based on these plans today. It was my first time playing with a glue gun, cutting coroplast, and tying square knots. Overall it was a good experience and I can see making more in the future. The basic principles make sense so I feel up for experimenting with it. I used the same fan and 16 inch wide filtrete filters, though the tallest 16 inch wide ones Costco had were a third smaller at 16 by 20 and Merv 14. On the bright side I was able to get four Merv 14 filters for $45. On speed 1 I can forget the fan is on.
I've seen some coroplast reviews saying one batch was much flimsier than another, and I may have gotten a flimsier batch as it was bending easily even before I added the fan to it, but resting on the filters and having the clothesline to stabilize it seems to work well enough. I may need to tighten the rope more. Getting the rope/clothesline through the narrow slits on the fan and tying it was the hardest part for me and I ended up using tweezers to pull it through. I might just unscrew the cage so I can get my hands in both sides of the fan cover next time. I'm much more used to zip ties. I might experiment with either a 2nd layer of coroplast or a sheet of 3/8 inch pvc, though I really like the overall simplicity of it as it is.
I’m glad you had a good overall experience! I hadn’t heard of coroplast batches varying in terms of their malleability - that’s useful to be aware of. Let me know how zip ties end up working for you if you try them. I couldn’t get the fan blades to avoid them but maybe you’ll have better luck.
@@HealthyHomeGuide I ended up using a zip tie to cinch the rope tighter around the knot and now the fan no longer sags. drive.google.com/file/d/1L0TQDb7OzZ5TlFNMmHVQZICqbYpkLCaA/view?usp=sharing
Interesting, thank you! Did you try using a zip tie to fix the coroplast to the fan instead of using a rope?
@@HealthyHomeGuide Not so far. I'm waiting for another fan to arrive. The current one worked well once I tightened the rope using the zip tie which I then trimmed to get out of the way. Had I tightened the rope better to begin with it may not have been needed. I think the rope looks better than a zip tie would, and with the way I have it now the zip tie is only visible when taking the fan out of the filter box.
@@NurseAcrobat That makes sense, thanks!
I really like that the chloroplast can be changed out to fit available filters. I get mine at habitat stores very cheaply.
Yup, me too!
Many years ago I remember chloroplast being a packaging material at a supermarket here, in the milk section. you could take as much as you could carry.
Amazing design and easy to replicate
Love to hear it :)
Very awesome build, my man. I plan to build this very soon, but unlike your completed product I do believe that I am going to use some tools and make an outer case to drop the whole thing into, you know, to cover up those ole ugly filters. I'm thinking just a 5-sided, somewhat ornate wooden box with the top (where the fan expels air) open. For airflow on the filter sides I'm just going to drill a cool pattern of like 200 x 11.11mm holes per 4 sides, smooth them out with a sandpaper rod. After the whole box is sanded, stained and shellacked I think I'll be left with something that won't be too ugly to sit in the living room. Maybe making like 4 similar boxed won't be too much work (1 for living room, 1 for dining/kitchen area, 1 each for 2 bedrooms). I dunno, maybe that's a bit ambitious but as of right now that seems like what I need. I've a fairly big house, open floor plan.
Sounds like an awesome design!
Cool design and I hadn't thought of that advantage of hot glue. My box fan isn't nearly that loud though. I've got mine near my bed and six feet away I'm reading 35 dB (on low) - 50 dB (on high). Lasko 20" from Walmart.
You can prolong the life of the filters by adding a pre-filter to catch large-particle dust, made of fine mesh window screen or nylon Noseeum netting that can be vacuumed or removed and washed.
Yup! I was actually planning on doing that with aesthetically-pleasing thin fabric. Maybe someday. Although it’s a whole thing learning how to create a fabric sheath that fits over an air purifier.
@@HealthyHomeGuide White noseeum netting worked well. I just tacked on rectangles of it with Scotch magic tape. It holds well enough to suck onto the filter and stay in place when I vacuum it, or peels off easily enough to remove it for washing
Would like to see this demo’ed!
Isnt window screen made with fiberglass?
You can also buy window screen in aluminum
Gotta compliment you on your looks, plus I've learnt something🤗
I like how approachable this design is. I could see using it in my attic and crawlspace as I clear out old insulation and try to minimize dust, along with inside the rest of the house when renovating. Your videos make me want to start playing with glue guns and coroplast, which I'd never considered before.
I got my first home air filter in 2020 as a covid ICU nurse, The Bedroom Machine by Austin Air. It's pricey at $1000 now, but the $500+ filters which are a bit fancier than HEPA are rated to last 5 years in residential use. It's quiet and the low hum on medium speed serves as white noise while we sleep. One problem is that it's too pricey for me to get multiple of them and it would feel like a waste to put one in a dusty attic. I eventually got a $200 coway airmega for our guest bedroom and another for our living room since they were well reviewed.
Lately I've noticed a bigger difference in air quality from bringing in fresh air so I'm working on doing more of that now, while continuing to filter what I can. I finally ordered a Broan AI ERV along with larger inline filters and am looking forward to getting it installed over the next month or two.
Your comments are always great! So glad to hear that you feel this design is approachable - it should be PERFECT for insulation/dust capture given its high airflow and the particle sizes in question.
I love Austin Air. I had a Healthmate a while back - they’re cheaper at $715 USD right now.
Nice, yeah! I feel that ventilating with humidity controlled/filtered fresh air is the most impactful way to improve IAQ (that plus dehumidifying in warmer months of course). My air purifiers that are close to my ERV supply barely get dirty, it’s crazy. So cool to hear that you ordered the Broan AI!
IQ Air MultiGas with Hyper HEPA purchased in 2006 to neutralize paint, varnish, wood stain and varnish VOC's of a new home build along with toxic reclaimed water mist from choosing a lot on the 18th Fairway of a Golf Course downstream of a leaching dioxin (2, 4-5 DT aka Agent Orange) Superfund Site that was never completely remediated.
I have built this type of filter before but never thought to blow in , much better idea :).
Hot glue better idea than tape too.
Thank you sir, sterling work here, greetings from Merseyside UK 🇬🇧
You are very welcome! I love to hear that folks from the UK are watching.
Thank you. Building mine as I type.
I love to hear it! Mine are still running to this day.
LOTS OF LOVE FROM INDIA
I appreciate you!
You might want to burn the ends of the clothes line with a lighter so the ends don't unrove (an old sailor trick).
Just built mine with a few modifications. Used a sheet of clear acrylic for the top. Cut the opening so that the fan sits on top of lid. I used foil tape to keep the filters connected. Added a line of foam tape to the top of the filters. Love the fan and remote. I think that’s the key.
Nice, that sounds like it could work! Although since the fan is resting on TOP of the clear acrylic, just make sure the fan isn’t pulling air from above the acrylic (unfiltered).
Just bought the fan but was also thinking about resting the fan on the lid. Did you test to see if it’s pulling air in from above the acrylic? Thank you!
This is the most smart DIY air filter that I ever saw. Thank you for sharing your witsdom.
That's very kind, thank you.
Excellent how to! Thanks very much!
Wishing you great success on your media adventures.
Great tutorial and very convincing. Nice work sir
Many thanks, I appreciate that.
hell yeah, just subscribed! You saved me from buying a new HEPA filter today. Glad I found your channel. Many blessings!
I love to hear that, thank you so much!
Great video, built one using all the techniques you shared…same filters and hot glue; however, while searching for the fan I found an AC infinity the same size and motor, but configured as an exhaust fan AC Infinity Airlift (AC-ALS12). It has an attached shroud that covers the filters with no fabrication. Thanks for the “how to” with the detailed instructions!
Thanks for the info! Glad you found this video useful.
that looks like a great fan to use for this application. What size filters did you use to mate to the fan shroud?
The same ones Alex highlighted in this video (3M 16x30 1” merv 13)…made a very simple and neat looking setup.
@@kayandclay1979 So all you had to do was assemble the filters, right? Nice
Yes, just followed the steps As Alex described, other than the Airlift AC-ALS12 exhaust fan.
Great design! I'm glad I was already subscribed to your channel! Thank you for the new better design and your research!
You're very welcome! I'm glad you dig it. Thank you for being subscribed.
This is brilliant! I want to build one now..
Just seeing this video, Amazon owes you some money cause the price on that fan spiked $30 around the time you released this video.
Damn right.
Supply and demand algorithms. If any product suddenly changes in demand the price gets adjusted in real time..
Thanks a lot bro for sharing this priceless info. for all the ppl that have mold sickness problem i recomend some natural antihistaminic products:quercentin with bromelain,butterbur,stinging nettle root extract,zeolit,natural carbon pills and psyllium husk take 2000 mg/day of the first 3 products mentioned above if the problem is very bad every morning with some peanut butter.also try to reduce eating histamine foods like pineaple,mango,pickles etc. good health to everybody!!!
I love this walkthrough and very insightful information. I have to wonder if there is a different fan out there though. The AC s12 is $170 on amazon, plus the Filtrete branded filters are $130 for a 6 pack since I can't find a 4 pack. I guess the reality is what it is for the cost if filtering air but dang thats a lot. Never mind the rest of the items you need. I'm checking out other similar types of fans. But the great thing about the AC is the 10 speed and remote. The others are mostly 3 speed for around $50.
Do you live in the US? At the link in my description, there's a 4-pack of filters for $71. If not, my apologies. As for the AC infinity fan, it is expensive, yup. But it is definitely the quietest fan i've tried.
Now make a mini version with a solar powered laptop fan and cut Merv 13 filters for use in bedrooms.
I love that idea!
Actually, you don't need to measure to find the center of a square, you just need to trace the diagonals, it will be more accurate!😃
If you don’t want to measure, draw diagonal lines, instead. It would give you the same center.
Thank you very much, my genius YT friend!! 💗😂💗
I live in Brazil and finding appropriate air filters to build this has been difficult
I may do this. Might get some sticky paper in white from a crafts store like Hobby Lobby or Michaels. That would cover the corners to make it a bit more presentable.
Nice!
Very well done in every aspect. Great job.
Aw, thank you!
Is there an alternative to the AC infinity fan? It appears to be out of stock at the moment.
Just found it at AC infinity with 10 percent off and actake10 takes another 10 percent off, with free shipping. paid $161
It seems to be back in stock.
I just made purchase for the filter and fan. Coroplast can be bought locally. Hopefully I am not gonna fail this project.
And hopefully this works better than commercial ones as I need clean air for my pregnant wife. (With multiple dogs in the room, pray it’s gonna reduce the amount of bacteria)
I wonder does anyone have any video that did a CADR test for pull / push air flow 🤔 if anyone know any video that does a deep test on it, please let me know 🙏🏼
Good luck! It will reduce the amount of dust, which should indirectly reduce the amount of bacteria. For concerns about bacteria, microfiber mopping is best. I'm working on a video about that.
@@HealthyHomeGuide is it possible if you could do a test for pull and push airflow setup? I was thinking the same setup but a pull airflow instead, it would then trap large particle like furs in the air filter rather than having the fur exposed on the outside of the filter which potentially be circulated into the air again if the power is being turned off.
For air purifiers, I feel the fan should be blowing upwards, for two reasons:
1.) If you blow air downward into the box, there's a lot of turbulence that reduces the air flow rate.
2.) By pulling air through the filters before it hits the fan, the fan will stay cleaner.
Looks like we in Canada can only get a battery powered version of this Cloudlift fan.
Also, 16 x 30 filters are hard to find. Seems like the most common are 16 x 25.
Hi, first, thank you very much. Like others wrote, very nice effective design. But the big plus is this very quit fan. On y list meanwhile will take my big noisy black one until I buy this one you have. Again thank you very much.
I’m glad you appreciate the design ☺️ good luck!
Previously I just put a filter on the side of a box fan. This looks a lot better.
Thank you!
I love the design. Only thing it’s missing is a uvc light. It should be too hard to add one to the bottom.
We're using the Winix Zero 4 Stage Air Purifier - AUS-1050AZBU in my bedroom in Melbourne Australia. I like it shows air quality indicators like blue for good, orange for okay and red for bad. And auto night mode.
Thank you! Looks really cool. It’s always interesting to me to hear what countries other than my own are using as far as healthy home tech.
@@HealthyHomeGuide I'll go a diy version this summer like yours because we have lots of wildfires and planned burnoffs in Australia each year. So wildfire smoke is a big issue for us here. I'm sounding like a prepper now but I work from home so I want to be some from poor air quality all year round.
@MatthewBayard hahah I’ve been sounding like a prepper too. We’re just informed about the very real environmental health hazards in 2023, right!? In Vermont USA we’ve definitely had wildfire smoke as well. I work from home too.
It's also significantly better than this DIY model at purifying the air. You made a good choice. But for larger particles the DIY option is good, but it's going to miss most/all the smaller particulates.
@@santiagodracoThey just need to add a charcoal filter for that. It will trap smaller particles that. There is also good panels that are 3 in 1
Ugh I wish I had seen this before I built mine 😭😭
Build another. Put the old one in different room.
You definitely earned my subscription. Great videos, man!
Awesome, thank you!
Great video! What do you think about ionizers and/or UV lights to remove mold spores?
You should've gone a few steps further and made a 2 solid wall housing with 2 slots for filters on opposite sides, so you can avoid having to rebuild this over and over. This way, you just swap the filters out by sliding them out.
That's definitely the dream. Just a ton more labor initially.
We use AlexaPure- I don't like having to vacuum the mesh filter and then having to change out the two other filters in it every few months. I'm excited about trying out your design!! I have a few people in my house that suffer from allergens and asthma and I think your filters will help a whole lot in keeping our hair clean! Question: What are your thoughts on EdenPure air purifiers??
**Thank you for your time and doing the countless of hours of research and placing in Layman's terms for us!! **
Nice build instructions. One question though. Would it not be better to turn the filters around an have the airflow through the filter from the inside out, this way capturing all particles inside the box? Maybe you need to close the box at the bottom as well then using a piece of coroplast.
Thank you! For air purifiers the fan should be blowing upwards, for two reasons:
1.) If you blow air downward into the box, there's a lot of turbulence that reduces the air flow rate.
2.) By pulling air through the filters before it hits the fan, the fan will stay cleaner.
this dude is amazing
Genius.
Thank you :)
nice project!! Have you thought up any ideas for your next version? Maybe a rubber or foam seal around the top where the fan and box meet, I know it's probably not a big issue but would seal any gaps nicely with the weight of the fan or maybe a carbon filter to neutralise odours?
Just some ideas, either way thank you for the video and all the research you've done on this! Keep up the great work
Thank you, and good question! I have a few ideas. Stay tuned ;)
the air purifier I use is a Winix C535 the only thing I don't like about it is there is a light I cannot turn off on it
Put a piece of tape over it
Great design, I see for any Costco members that now through Feb 25th you can get the 4 pack of 3M MPR 2500 MERV 14 filters 16x25x1”for $50. About 5 inches shorter than the design here, but a higher filtration level.
Was wondering what brought you to use the AC Infinity fan? I am wondering if the Dreo 11” air circulator would also work with this design (if it can be removed from its pedestal). Could save some cost there without sacrificing on noise control.
Awesome tip with the Costco MERV-14 filter deal!
Fantastic question. I actually have two Dreo fans and they’re the best circulation fans I’ve ever owned by a long shot. Unfortunately, the power for Dreo fans plugs into the stand itself, so even if one was able to remove the fan from the stand, it couldn’t be powered. The power for AC infinity fans comes right out of the fan motor itself.
That was one reason I used AC infinity. The main reason was that AC infinity fans are the quietest and most powerful I’ve tried. Also, AC infinity seems to have the best reputation among fan companies if you read hundreds of reviews across different sites. They’re expensive, and they’re robust.
Honestly, I like Dreo fans even better. I wish Dreo could be more feasibly used in this application.
I've been using the BlueAir Pure 411 (for 161 sq.-ft rooms) and Pure 211+ (550 sq.-ft) for the past 3 or 4 years. The design is excellent, and the filters are reasonably priced compared to most other brands ($22 and $64, respectively, with the subscription plans). If you want a purchased solution, I recommend these. However, it looks like they've discontinued selling these models, as they have new, next-gen ones out. The comparable ones, which seem to be the Pure 511(?) and the 313i+ have similarly priced filters (~$20 and $42).
They do seem to have a common enough issue of the fan "dying", which is unfortunate for an otherwise great product. But the one that died on me, I opened it up and replaced it with a computer fan, and it works fine.
I've been trying to noodle on making my own kind of DIY solution, but it's difficult to get specs on decent fans that aren't box fans and aren't over-built or over-designed for the purpose. But I do like what you've done here.
I was thinking having all four sides wouldn't be necessary for most rooms. And then you could have the other sides be more "attractive". Or even put the fan sideways instead of upward, and use the top surface as a little shelf or table. The struggle seems to be finding the right fan(s). Something like the Lasko 10" BeezeMachine (claims 390 CFM, 35 dB) is fairly reasonably-priced, and circular, but it's a little large at ~12" dia. overall (for what I'm planning). It has only 2 speeds, but I think that's all I really need.
Cheers!
... The Vornado "160 Compact Air Circulator" might be a good fan, as well-- 227 CFM @ 33dB, and only about 7.5" dia.-- as long as it can make enough pressure to pull air thru the filter.
Thanks for the thoughtful comment. The benefit of having all four sides of the air purifier be made of filters is that it increases the surface area of the filtration surface, which makes it easier for a fan to pull air through, increasing airflow and efficiency.
My experience with fans is that you get what you pay for. Generally, cheaper plastic fans aren't made to pull air through filters because they aren't designed for the increased static pressures, and don't generate as much airflow. They also tend to be annoyingly loud. I'm personally not comfortable running a cheap fan 24/7 in an air purifier. But that's just me - others may find success. I understand budget constraints as well. Experiment :)
I've really enjoyed your videos and style of delivery. I'm looking at making something like this for my bedroom as I suffer from allergies and would like to see if this helps me during the night. This kind of form factor is too large for the smallish bedroom I've got. How could I make an effective device with somelike like a 6" or 8" fan?
Thank you! Clean air kits does make some air purifiers that have a thinner footprint. You could either get one of those, or use it as inspiration to build something similar. Good luck!
The fan shown in the video is the *Cloudlift* S12, not the Cloudline S12, correct?
Correct, yes. I noted this in the description.
@@HealthyHomeGuide awesome - clearly missed the correction.
Will build this
Thank you.
Happy to help!
I've been thinking of making one of these with a dessicant inside to act as a filtered dehumidifier.
I really like how simple you have though this out. I was curious if you had thought of using PC fans on the top vs other?
Thank you! A subsequent video I released titled "Most HEPA air purifiers are a scam" discusses PC fans in this application :)
Suggestion on adding charcoal filters to this? It’s easy to buy replacement charcoal filters like Winix ones. Looking for ideas
My thoughts on activated carbon filters can be summarized by this quote from an article by HVAC engineer Joey Fox:
"Carbon filters can potentially be effective if sized properly. However, air cleaners rarely provide equivalent outdoor air delivery rates for the carbon filters. They also become saturated over time and would then become ineffective. Unfortunately, many portable air cleaners do not provide clear information on the longevity and effectiveness of their carbon filters.
While carbon filters are a harmless feature, they may not necessarily deliver the desired results. Additionally, carbon filters do not remove particulate matter which includes airborne diseases. Therefore, they have no impact on addressing health concerns related to viruses or other particulate matter.
In general, when dealing with VOCs and odors, the most effective approach is through ventilation by supplying fresh outdoor air to the space."
@@HealthyHomeGuide pretty much I agree with you. However when the outdoor air is polluted with forest fire smoke, charcoal filters help absorb gas pollutants. It’s not as effective as filters that are designed for a specific family of toxins but helps. Especially since houses are not air tight and smoke seeps inside. Charcoal filters are not like mechanical filters, gas absorption is random , which means running air over and over will gradually reduce the toxins. At least while the charcoal is still effective. For those people sensitive to the gaseous toxins, every little bit helps, especially if you’re trapped inside a house or restricted to a couple rooms within a house. We don’t mind changing out charcoal filters as needed.
Just looking for ideas
What square foot area would you judge this would provide service? This seems to be information provided with most filter systems. I have 2200 square foot condo two floors. I am thinking I would need two systems.
I am truely impressed with the concept. I just ordered the components looking forward to the assembly.
Thanks for sharing your design.
Thank you! A more recent video of mine called "Most HEPA air purifiers are a scam" discusses sizing methods at 27:59, if you're interested.
Keep up the good work, bro
Will do 🙂
thanks man
Happy to help
Did you recommend that glue stick, cuz it’s the least toxic adhesive?
Once it dries, yes. But to be honest, I now use low VOC tape as my adhesive because it's a bit easier when doing filter replacements.
@@HealthyHomeGuide great! Can you share the link here, please? Thanks!
I wanted to make changing filters as easy as possible. Was considering 3DHamdyman kits, however, they’re made from PVC. Thoughts?
Hi, I appreciate your approachable method. I've got one of those noisy box fans blowing on my woodstove and am looking for a quieter alternative. The box fan is powered by a thermostatically controlled power cord. This "works" because I leave the box fan turned on speed-1 and the thermostat triggers power once the woodstove is up to temperature. When the stove cools down, the fan shuts off. I love the setup but hate the fan! I'm wondering if the AC Infinity fan will retain its speed setting if the power is cut as I've described. Having to manually turn on or adjust the fan to a desired speed each cycle will not work for me. Thanks again!
Great video and design! Is there any reasons in particular you used 16x30x1 filters instead of 16x30x2?
Thanks! I couldn’t find 3M filtrete filters in the 16x30x2 size.
You might be able to slightly improve the efficiency by moving the chloroplast in line with the fan blades. It should theoretically reduce unwanted vortexes. I don’t know how much efficiency you get, but I know it’s a technique PC fans use.
Thanks for the suggestion! I’ve heard of this technique and am trying to think of a feasible way to employ it with this fan.
@@HealthyHomeGuide I don't know if the fan blades line up with the outer ring holding the fan together. If that was the case I would just cut the chloroplast so that the fan can sit on top of it on the outer ring. No string but the fan is poking out the top more. I don't know if it is structurally strong enough to hold the fan on the outer lip, but it would have the advantage of being easily removable.
Could make thing easier to adapt to different filter sizes by making different sized chloroplast squares with the same cutout.
You can also do as I said putting the fan so it can sit on top of the chloroplast but also make a shroud for the fan extending to the tips of the blades. You can see this in computer fans and some traditional fans like the Masterforce 14” DC Shroud Fan. I learned quite a bit about fans from the Major Hardware channel. Good stuff there with experimenting with different 3D printed PC fans. The same principals apply to larger fans.
You could have sandwiched the plastic between the 2 halves of the fan housing, placing the fan properly in the hole. No messing with clothes line.
I tried something like that and the fan had to rest above the coroplast, which caused it draw in some air without passing it through the filters, unfortunately.
FANTASTIC!!!!!
Great video!
Thank you!
Nice idea, thanks for sharing. Question though - do you know if this fan type will work good to collect dog hair? My A/C unit is inside a bedroom closet (poor choice from prior owner 🙄) and dog hair tends to collect in this room where the unit is located, so I would need something with strong suction to pull the hair as the unit is also pulling air. Any info or suggestion will be appreciated.
If turned on a high fan speed, this unit does generate some suction, but in general, air flows fairly slowly through it given how large the filter surface area is (4 large filters). The exhalaron by clean air kits generates some suction - it might be worth asking them this question. thanks!
Seems elegant, thanks for sharing your work. Any recommendations for replacement fan that would be available in Europe?
I think another alternative to using clothesline you can use shoe laces, wouldn't need the screwdriver to push the cord through.
Nice suggestion! That could work. You’d need to pull them very tight of course.
Any reason you chose the clothesline over something like a ziptie? @@HealthyHomeGuide
I just subscribed, too. I really appreciate this.
Thanks for the sub!
Love this video and the "Most HEPA Air Purifiers Are A SCAM (There's A Better Option)" that was enlightening (thanks for that!) and I got convinced to make your DIY Purifier until I saw that the fan isn't sold in Europe. Do you know of any alternative?
I found your vid while looking to buy a hepa air purifier to help with allergies..
I think your setup seems much better and your help vs merv filter was really insightful..
But I can't find any of those merv filters in south africa.. And also no ac infinity fan in my area
I'm sorry about that. This type of setup can work with other filters/fans - good luck! If you find some decent ones where you are, could you let me know?
for those of us not as handy it's too bad someone just doesn't make a plastic housing with slots for the filters and the top holding the fan with a lip overhang and a bottom piece as well .. just a put the frame together slide in the filters mount the fan and plug it in ... i'd pay for that model for sure ! ....
I'm working on figuring out if I can make one to sell :)
Any reason for air flowing in istead of out through the filter? It would be cleaner to have the dirt inside the unit.
For air purifiers the fan should be blowing upwards, for two reasons:
1.) If you blow air downward into the box, there's a lot of turbulence that reduces the air flow rate.
2.) By pulling air through the filters before it hits the fan, the fan will stay cleaner.
Would it not filter better with the fan in the “pull” direction?
For air purifiers the fan should be blowing upwards, for two reasons:
1.) If you blow air downward into the box, there's a lot of turbulence that reduces the air flow rate.
2.) By pulling air through the filters before it hits the fan, the fan will stay cleaner.
Drawing two lines from opposite corners finds the exact center. No need to measure
Thank you. I noted that in a pinned comment.
I have a box fan that I have taped filters to, but it's far too loud so I never use it. I have a small HEPA filter that I use in my bedroom. I would like to have a filter in my dining room / kitchen area but the box fan is too loud (both standalone, and with the filter attached). I'm searching for proprietary HEPA filters like the one i have for the bedroom but I've been doing more research into alternatives that use generic MERV air filters and might be leaning towards that now. I like that the filter is an off-the-shelf component instead of a proprietary form factor. And a lot of the designs even can accommodate off the shelf fan replacements if your fan dies. These 4-filter box designs I think are too big for me, floor space in my apartment is valuable.
My question is why are box fans always so loud?? Even on low setting, it's so loud and isn't even moving a great amount of air to justify that noise.
I can't stop thinking about this now. Surely there's a market for quiet box fans. Why are they so loud?? Can't someone make a company that produces quiet 20x20 box fans?
interesting that the corners of box fans can have air flowing in the reverse because the exhaling force is concentrated towards the center and the filters add resistance. something to remember.
For what it's worth, my design in this video doesn't use a box fan. The AC infinity fan is quieter. But more expensive. But yes, I totally agree with you about liking that the filter is an off-the-shelf component instead of a proprietary form factor. And I've also wondered how in the world there isn't a quiet box fan. I would really love to design a quieter one but I think it would require an immense amount of research and engineering.
Could draw lines from opposing corner to corner in an x shape to find center. Where lines meet will be center
Yes indeed. I made a pinned comment mentioning that.
This is fantastic, thank you! Your video says “a/c Infinity Cloudline S12”. Do you mean “Cloudlift”?
You're welcome! Yes, I meant Cloudlift - I have the correct product linked in the description.
This fan is out of stock. Do you have any other recommendations?
I love this set up. I just loojed at the fan. It's $169 from the link you provided. WOW, I need an expensive option. That's expensive.
There's no way to inexpensively do great air purification.
What is the benefit of making this set up, which I'm willing and able to do, versus buying an air purifier that does the same?
Is it less expensive than a ready made type that does an equal job?
I recommend watching my video "Most HEPA Air Purifiers Are A Scam" if you haven't yet. That should answer your questions!