[vash13]

Since we are getting into forest fire season, what are people's suggestion on which brand, size of purifier, what time of filtration and layers is required to filter out smoke etc.

[sonick]

From my research the Blue Air 211+ seems to generally be highly rated, got solid results in a CBC marketplace study. There's questions about it not being true HEPA and it generating ozone (which you can turn off) but seems like it is still pretty effective despite not being HEPA compliant, just a certification technicality.

Just ordered one from bestbuy a few days ago.

[GLOW]

slightly relevant in relation to filters

i have an old sharp unit and the thing is the replacement filters always cost as much as the unit itself (not sure if still the case). I just buy 3M sheets and cut to suit from HD. probably not ideal but they do catch shit b/c when i replace them they are disgusting :lol

[punkwax]

https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/honeywell-hfd322c-airgenius-5-air-cleaner-odour-reducer-with-permanent-filter-0435969p.html#srp

Bought myself one of these today. $60 off currently. We have them in the bedrooms already so this will reside in the living room.

I didn’t even realize it wasn’t HEPA. Maybe I should’ve grabbed this one: https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/honeywell-hpa164c-true-hepa-allergen-remover-with-true-hepa-filter-0435474p.html#srp

[StylinRed]

Copy pasta

If you guys are considering air purifiers

You may want to consider the Rabbit Air brand
https://www.rabbitair.com/

They were top of the charts in all the review sites I checked out with their minusa2 model, and they just came out with a new model, the A3 which has won some awards already

The thing is so sensitive, even on normal setting, and it purifies rooms larger than its rated for so quickly, someone fried some bacon without the vent turned on? The A2 clears out the stench in minutes (unless u like the smell o bacon)

And now that the A3 is out, the A2 is slightly cheaper

I will add to Sonicks post above, Blue Air is a really well rated purifier too, I've got one of their tiny cylindrical units for my bedroom, you can't hear it at its lowest setting

[mk1freak]

I use an Austin.
Best filter I've had.
https://www.austinair.ca/collections/hepa-air-purifiers-available-order-today/products/healthmate-junior-hm200-air-purifier

It's a pricey replacement filter(haven't done one yet ~300) but it lasts up to 5 years. Bought during the smoke last time and its been going strong since. Kids and I have bad allergies so when I get home it's a dam godsend.

Got a couple airbutlers in other rooms as well but im finding I have to replace the filters on those more often just to keep up to the cleaning power of the austin.

For a mickey mouse solution, go to one of the hydroponic stores get a 200 dollar carbon canister (with prefilter) and a 100-150 inline fan for extra smoke cleaning power. Best part of this is you can recharge the canister by putting it in direct sunlight for a certain amount of hours. Loud af though (I've done this when smokes been really bad)

[StylinRed]

Here's wire utters review site

I totally forgot about Coway too they've always bee highly rated, but during the forest fire season I couldn't find any, even at scalper prices

https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-air-purifier/

Edit: also breathe quality's list
https://breathequality.com/best-air-purifiers/

[supafamous]

I'm a big fan of the Coway AP-1512HH - had it for a few years now. Looks nice, runs quiet, auto mode works well. Filters are pretty cheap and last a fairly long time. Services a large area too - I have it handle a 600sf area (living, kitchen, dining) and it works just fine.

Also have the Blueair 311 for my bedroom - works fine as well.

[Teriyaki]

I have seasonal allergies, and got the Winix from Costco. Highly rated, and comes with a whackton of extra filters so you're set for quite some time. More if you don't run the thing 24/7 and don't need to replace the filters on their "recommended timeline"

https://www.costco.ca/winix-c535-air-purifier-with-true-hepa-filter-set.product.100573046.html

The sensor has been pretty good. I sneeze or something around it and it'll ramp up almost immediately.

[inv4zn]

^The Winix is in store for a bit cheaper, I saw it yesterday in Richmond for I think $139.99.

I bought 3 of these, based off of nothing other than HEPA & price. Haven't received them yet so no review.

https://www.costco.ca/cuckoo-air-purifier-with-additional-true-hepa-filters.product.100758109.html

[SpeedStars]

I have the Winix as well albeit an older model. Helps out with allergies and if you rip a fart it kicks in right away. My only peeve on this is that the light sensor is not very sensitive. It has to have direct light on the sensor for it to properly work in auto mode. Otherwise it's great and relatively quiet.

[HonestTea]

Gonna pickup the Winix as well.

[underscore]

Don't forget to grab a bunch of filters for your regular HVAC (if you have it) and swap those frequently as well.

[fliptuner]

I just use my lungs :awwyeah:

[Mr.Money]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x39EebkKpPo&ab_channel=GearNut


this shit works too if you don't care to spend a ton of money on air purifying, Market place Watch on CBC did this and it worked better than some cheap walmart brands that said they were air filters.



if you're fan is slightly larger or smaller you can mark and cut to size with a blade knife than just Duck tape the fuck out the sides so u get a perfect seal......tons of dust will gather on it so u notice it is working.



Downside it isn't removing odors 100%...you need a Carbon filter what most expensive air cleaners have and it does an insane job removing cooking,smoke smell....but don't expect it to get rid of Weed smell cause that stuck on my fucking carbon filter even after washing it underwater....After airing it outside in fresh air an entire day i popped it back my sharp air purifier and smelled the room out a 2nd time not so strong.

[eclipseman]

^The Winix is in store for a bit cheaper, I saw it yesterday in Richmond for I think $139.99.

I bought 3 of these, based off of nothing other than HEPA & price. Haven't received them yet so no review.

https://www.costco.ca/cuckoo-air-purifier-with-additional-true-hepa-filters.product.100758109.html

Darn, I picked up two of these for $154.99 yesterday in Coquitlam...wonder if I can get an adjustment.

[donk.]

^ spends time driving to costco, waiting in returns line, to save 30$

Maybe the rumors are true, revscene aint a bunch of ballers

[Klondike]

I've got a new Honeywell HPA300 and a Honeywell Enviracaire 13540 from '95.

Great filters, cuts down on the sneezing and we the HPA300to blow cold clean air upstairs

[unit]

i have a blueair 411+ for the bedroom and a coway for my living area.

i thought abt the boxfan thing but its just too unsightly to put that thing in the living room lol. in a pinch i think it's a great solution

[eclipseman]

^ spends time driving to costco, waiting in returns line, to save 30$

Maybe the rumors are true, revscene aint a bunch of ballers

Once you have kids and a family, you'll learn.

[winson604]

Grabbed a couple Levoit's for the 2 bedrooms we mainly use. Still researching a bigger one for the main floor approx 700 sq feet of open space.

[inv4zn]

Those box fans with filters that get thrown around in every single one of these discussions...IMO that should be a last last resort if there's some sort of unforeseen event going on and everyone is hoarding purifiers.

Like my wife ain't gonna give a shit I saved $50 when I bring that thing home and plunk it in the living room being loud as hell and ugly as sin.

[sonick]

Those box fans with filters that get thrown around in every single one of these discussions...IMO that should be a last last resort if there's some sort of unforeseen event going on and everyone is hoarding purifiers.

Like my wife ain't gonna give a shit I saved $50 when I bring that thing home and plunk it in the living room being loud as hell and ugly as sin.

Yah, I am a grown ass adult. Maybe if I was the age when I first joined RS would I consider the box fan with filters.

[vash13]

Grabbed a couple Levoit's for the 2 bedrooms we mainly use. Still researching a bigger one for the main floor approx 700 sq feet of open space.

Which Levoit models? I ended up getting a Coway for the main living space and still figuring out for the bedrooms.

[Liquid_o2]

I have a Levoit pur131 air filter and really like it. The only problem is they don't seem to carry the replacement filters in stores anymore and they cost like $60 bucks for one replacement on Amazon. Complete ripoff.

I'm thinking of picking up another that uses more affordable filters that I can find locally.

[winson604]

Which Levoit models? I ended up getting a Coway for the main living space and still figuring out for the bedrooms.

I ended up getting the LV-H132 as it scored better than the 200 based on research I did. Like many purchases I researched it to death and was overwhelmed with options and finally just chose this model. Seems perfectly fine for the size of the bedrooms I'm using them in and it felt like I was splitting hairs comparing models in the $100-$150 price point for a regular size room. The 300 model had a lot of great performance reviews but it was significantly more money and seemed unnecessary for my needs.

Coway looks good, consideration for main living area down the road.

[Alpine]

For those with a Costco membership, I've found the Winix C535 model to be the best value. $154.99 and it comes with 2 years of HEPA filters. Sized for about ~300 sqft.

[whitev70r]

So often, smoke from forest fire is accompanied by hot weather and when you can't open the windows or screen doors ... that's the double whammy. Maybe even worst than just a heat wave. I remember there was a stretch last year ... it was just awful! Even at nights, you can't go out for a walk.

[Teriyaki]

Can you imagine if we had forest fire smoke like last year, combined with the heatdome heatwave we just got? Slap me dead.

[underscore]

^ that's known as "August" in the interior.

[Alpine]

For those with a Costco membership, I've found the Winix C535 model to be the best value. $154.99 and it comes with 2 years of HEPA filters. Sized for about ~300 sqft.

And just like that, it appears to be sold out. Dropped by Production Way Costco today, none available. Checked the website, and it was pulled off sometime today...

[Hakkaboy]

I have the Costco Winix as well, and leave it on 24/7 on the 3 fan setting out of 4 (not auto) and plasmawave turned off.

Quite enough to sleep in and moves a decent amount of air

[TypeRNammer]

I have the Costco Winix as well, and leave it on 24/7 on the 3 fan setting out of 4 (not auto) and plasmawave turned off.

Quite enough to sleep in and moves a decent amount of air

Depending on your home, make sure you vacuum the first cover before the filter.

I have to vacuum mines every couple of days as it picks up tons of dust

[Liquid_o2]

For those with a Costco membership, I've found the Winix C535 model to be the best value. $154.99 and it comes with 2 years of HEPA filters. Sized for about ~300 sqft.

I went to Costco on the weekend and didn't see any. Only smaller Germ Guardians. I also looked on the website and couldn't find that model. Do you know of any stores that carry them?

[Alpine]

I went to Costco on the weekend and didn't see any. Only smaller Germ Guardians. I also looked on the website and couldn't find that model. Do you know of any stores that carry them?

Nope. I think it’s gone for now. I’m looking at the blue or cuckoo options now…

[blkgsr]

for those with forced air and can run the fan independently, what filters are you using?

i ran new wiring and installed a nest this year for the very purpose of being able to just run the fan when i want to and this is a prime example of when i plan to do it.

[Mikoyan]

1500 3m. Dunno about your forced air system, but my fan mode is a gentle circulation. Not too forceful at all.

[Liquid_o2]

I picked up a Winix d360 from Home Depot yesterday - just in case. 90 day return policy, I want to see what the forest fire situation is going to look like over the next few months.

I was looking at the Honeywell HPA 160 that is on sale right now at London Drugs, but it seems that it is better fit for a bedroom. The Winix seems more appropriate for my living room/kitchen/dining.

[SkunkWorks]

Richmond Costco had a few Winix C535 when I went this afternoon.

[vash13]

If anybody is looking for Blueair Purifiers, they are back in stock on their website. It's cheaper than Amazon and Home Depot. Bought a couple 411+ Auto for the bedrooms.

[unit]

i bought mine from modern alchemy. it was cheaper than amazon and a canadian company.

https://www.modernalchemyair.com/

[MG1]

I have a dusty house, so broke down and bought one today at Willingdon Costco. The thing costs nearly as much as the filter for my Sharp. About a dozen or so left.

[Liquid_o2]

Picked a C535 at Richmond Costco this morning. They had a whole stack available.

Going to return the D360 to Home Depot and save myself $80 bucks plus a years worth of filters :fuckyea:

[JDMDreams]

I got the Cuckoo one from Costco, I'm looking into the replacement filters, they are like $50 each on Amazon, does anyone know of there's any cheaper options? Or am I stuck with OEM. They say each filter is supposed to last 6 months if you use it 10 hours a day. Do you guys actually change the filters or just dust them off and reuse them. I'm not sure if the machine will detect it though...... As it has some filter change warning.

[Teriyaki]

I got the Cuckoo one from Costco, I'm looking into the replacement filters, they are like $50 each on Amazon, does anyone know of there's any cheaper options? Or am I stuck with OEM. They say each filter is supposed to last 6 months if you use it 10 hours a day. Do you guys actually change the filters or just dust them off and reuse them. I'm not sure if the machine will detect it though...... As it has some filter change warning.

Black electrical tape over the light. Ta-da. Fixed.
Honestly, I think the manufacturer recommended filter replacement timelines are way too aggressive. Filters will probably continue to do their job just fine if you do a little bit of maintenance on them once in awhile. It's not like they disintegrate magically after 6 months.

[donk.]

I work in hvac, and im not going to use any filtration system

[whitev70r]

Just stepped out and it smells quite smokey ... what is happening? No signs of forest fire smoke in Metro Van, no forecaster mentioned it.

[Traum]

Just stepped out and it smells quite smokey ... what is happening? No signs of forest fire smoke in Metro Van, no forecaster mentioned it.
The exact same thing happened to me right before dinner. Because dinner was about to happen, I didn't bother trying to find out, and only closed the windows facing the side where the smokey smell was coming from.

Went out for a walk after finished doing dishes, and I couldn't smell anything that resembled smoke again. So I am guessing that it must have been just one of the neighbours making dinner on their BBQ.

[whitev70r]

^ we neighbours or live in the same hood?

Yah, after a couple of hours, things cleared up so strange but it was distinctly smokey air.

[blkgsr]

Richmond Costco had a few Winix C535 when I went this afternoon.

unit costs $169 and comes with 2 filters

2 pack filter preplacement.....$114

UUHH??

[roastpuff]

That's 2 years worth of filters though, as one filter is good for about a year. About $50 per filter isn't abnormal, my Blue 411 was similar.

[pastarocket]

It looks like the smoke from the wild fires is heading into the Lower Mainland starting Saturday morning.

https://www.citynews1130.com/2021/07/30/smoke-south-coast-wildfires/

[MG1]

It can't be worse than last time, could it?

[inv4zn]

Fuck my wife was all worked up about this last night and she had all the windows closed all day.

At night I was suffocating in the bedroom so I cracked open a window and she flipped out showing me air quality indices and how the Dyson fan we have shows outdoor air quality as "FAIR" (oh the horror).

Being a good husband I put the air purifier next to the couch and slept with the balcony door open lol. It honestly isn't that bad this year (so far), last year was horrific.

[GLOW]

other than a reddish hue of light i didn't notice much

[MG1]

My Dyson indicates outdoor as “excellent,” lol. It’s a cool hot model. I crank up AC before going to bed and turn it off after a couple hours. The Dyson keeps the room nice and cool. I have to set it on “ night mode,” because it gets too cold.

Of all the electronic gadgets I have, the Dyson has been the most useful. Remote control via iPhone is the icing on the cake.

[inv4zn]

My Dyson indicates outdoor as “excellent,” lol. It’s a cool hot model. I crank up AC before going to bed and turn it off after a couple hours. The Dyson keeps the room nice and cool. I have to set it on “ night mode,” because it gets too cold.

Of all the electronic gadgets I have, the Dyson has been the most useful. Remote control via iPhone is the icing on the cake.

Yup, as insane as their prices are we are thoroughly enjoying ours as well. We have the one with the little screen, and every now and then I'll fart in front of it and see the graph for VOC shoot up, much to my wife's anger.

[MG1]

other than a reddish hue of light i didn't notice much

Sunset was great the last few evenings. Red sun due to smoke. Just enough smoke to create a spectacular sunset, but not enough to affect breathing.

[hi-revs]

Still waiting for some real smoke to test out my air purifiers. Smoke hasn't been bad in Van at all this year

[JDMDreams]

Yea it's just been a faint whiff of camp fire smoke, not too bad since there's a breeze

[mk1freak]

Just came back from a trip to Edmonton with mother who has breathing difficulties due to dust, air particles, and smoke so I was looking for a portable battery powered hepa and smoke etc capabilities to use on the ride and settled on the westinghouse ncco portable.

https://www.walmart.ca/en/ip/westinghouse-1804-patented-medical-grade-ncco-technology-portable-rechargeable-air-purifier-that-killseliminates-viruses-bacteria-dust-pet-hair-allerg/6000200077789

I'll say it does the job really well in the car.
During the ride through the Thompson region she had no problems breathing once I started it up(she did cough on pit stops when outside the car.)
Best part is the adapter/charger cord is usb ended(with power plug) so I plugged it into a spare USB slot in the ride and when car was off the unit was still on working off battery.(there is a power button tho)

Is the ncco a gimmick? Idk but I do know that it helped moms breathe easier while we drove through the smoke.
It also got rid of the long drive smells. You know what I mean, food and people breathing with recirculated air etc.)

Not gonna lie I farted once or twice(maybe more) but because I had it beside me on the center armrest no one in the car noticed lmao.

I'm impressed with the unit. I was planning on returning anything I got afterwards but this one Ill be keeping.

[inv4zn]

was planning on returning anything I got afterwards but this one Ill be keeping.

:badpokerface::rukidding::seriously:

[mk1freak]

:badpokerface::rukidding::seriously:Lol to be clear I meant anything I got that didn't do the job would've been returned anyways.
The car ones they had on Amazon :fulloffuck:

My expectations of this one actually doing what it's for, impressed me. I'm happy I got it.

[Presto]

Last night was hazy when we went to visit Coquitlam, but Langley wasn't too bad. We woke up this morning to the smell of smoke, and felt the dryness in our throats. I saw that Canadian tire had filters and box fans in stock so that I could set up an air-purifier. It's been running in the living room for about 20 min, an the AQ has already improved significantly (PM2.5 17ug/m vs 46ug/m in bedroom).

Balcony:
https://i.imgur.com/VTs77BS.png

Living Room:
https://i.imgur.com/UUHaUDu.png

Air from hallway:
https://i.imgur.com/q3o32UL.png

EDIT: added readings

[320icar]

Where do you live? Even 2018 and the last few years when the smoke was bad I never felt any symptoms. Hell could even go running. Everyone’s different I guess

[StylinRed]

The airs been horrible the last few days wdym 320 :O

Got all my air purifiers going full blast but I can still smell it, thankfully they're new filters too

[supafamous]

Where do you live? Even 2018 and the last few years when the smoke was bad I never felt any symptoms. Hell could even go running. Everyone’s different I guess

Central Park Burnaby - last year I could feel it when I was outside but today it was ok. My air purifier hasn't kicked in all day - either the house is sealed tight (it's a new build) or conditions aren't as bad as last year (where it did kick in some times).

[MG1]

My app connected to the over priced, piece of shit, Dyson air purifier showed very high outdoor Baqi, but normal inside.

The Winix in the media room is in normal mode. Not red or orange, just blue LED.

I smelled the smoke as soon as I woke up this morning. Hazy as fuck outside and I have all the windows open. Nothing close to what it was like a few years ago. Apparently Vancouver is now the worst place in the world for air quality.

I don't get it. I did cough a little after being out and about. I decided not to garden today. Wishing for rain. Nature's way of cleansing the earth. Wash the evil away...........

[AzNightmare]

Saw this in the morning and was like... Nope. Staying home today.

https://i.imgur.com/WxmsYQy.jpg https://i.imgur.com/Gps6bc0.jpg

[donk.]

Here we go again :rukidding:

Anyone else have their balcony door open because they like the smell?

[Traum]

Hey, people love summer BBQ, right? So why wouldn't we want to enjoy breathing in that smokey BBQ smell? :pokerface:

I was out running chores in Richmond today, and there were noticeably more people wearing masks than what I've been seeing lately.

[EvoFire]

It doesn't smell too bad, but the visuals are definitely bad. I had enough air filters for when I lived in TH, but I think I need to buy more for next year cause the windows are leakier in this old house.

[blkgsr]

was pretty bad in coquitlam yesterday. kept the windows and doors closed until later at night and had the small air purifier going in the bedroom all day

much better this morning after a little wind and even a light rain shower over night

[68style]

I went out all day yesterday, meh, no big deal. Just not pretty to look at.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BB-HPSTCAAE5ly-.jpg

[GLOW]

kind of makes me think of BBQ tbh...

[sonick]

Saw this in the morning and was like... Nope. Staying home today.

https://i.imgur.com/WxmsYQy.jpg https://i.imgur.com/Gps6bc0.jpg

https://media.giphy.com/media/lvlLuc2zhi39C/giphy.gif

[Presto]

Another superbad day for smoke!

https://firesmoke.ca is a interesting site to see all the fires that are burning and where the smoke is floating.

We have our box fans and filters running full blast, and it's doing a quantifiably good job at keeping the air clean. PM2.5 outside is 130ug/m3 vs 5.2ug/m3 inside.

[MG1]

Outstanding.............. because of this rain, the BAQi is at 89 right now in Burnaby.

Temperature of 9º C, Humidity of 95% PM2.5 at 5, PM10 at 5, and NO2 at 8. WOW!!!

Nothing like rain to wash away all the evil. Breathe in deeply................ high on life right now