Choosing a safe air purifier for your bird is one of the most important decisions you’ll make. Your cleaner needs to be effective and safe for your avian friend as well as the humans who live with it. Here are 5 features to steer clear of in a purifier.
Ozone Generators— Ozone is a harmful gas that can cause irritation of the lungs and breathing problems particularly for those who already suffer from such as asthma, emphysema, and other respiratory ailments. It is particularly harmful to children and seniors. And with the sensitive respiratory system of birds, it is not a good choice for birds.
With all of the health problems it can cause, this technology has not been found effective at removing pollutants until the levels are extremely high. It can also cause toxic by-products such as formaldehyde to be produced when it combines with certain indoor pollutants. Bottom line is you don’t want it in your home or office.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) states, “…ozone is generally ineffective in controlling indoor air pollution”.
Ionizer— This type of cleaner pulls air in and uses electricity to charge the particles that are then attracted to a collector plate in the unit. The problem is that sometimes these particles escape.
When inhaled these charged particles are more likely to get stuck to the lungs. That is exactly what you do not want happening with your bird or humans either. It is also believed that this type of technology also produces some ozone. Why take a chance on any of this with your life or your bird’s?
Plastic Housing— An effective cleaner should be able to run 24 hours a day to keep up with the dust, dander, feathers and other pollutants that your bird produces 24 hours a day.
Once the motor heats up, it causes the plastic casing to heat up as well. This often results in noxious fumes being off-gassed into the air. Birds are particularly vulnerable to odors and gases, and these fumes could prove fatal to your pet. Steel casing prevents this type of off gassing.
One Filter— One filter cannot possibly eliminate both particulate and gaseous pollutants. And a unit with one filter is guaranteed to need frequent filter changes. This means the air quality will suffer each time you are performing maintenance, and the unit is not filtering the air. It also means added expense to operate the unit with minimal effectiveness because it can not adequately remove all that you need it to.
A better choice would be a cleaner that contains both a filter for both gaseous and particulate pollutants. Carbon filters a well known for their ability to remove gases, odors, and chemicals. And HEPA or high efficiency particle arresting filters are the best at removing particles. A purifier with both types of filters will give you the total coverage that is needed.
One-Sided Intake— It unit that can only pull air in from one side seriously limits its flexibility of placement in your room. A better choice is a unit with 360 degree intake. This would allow you to place it anywhere in the room with only about a 6 inch clearance necessary for it to function efficiently.
