Do-It-Yourself $25.00 Air Purifier

Allergy sufferers will love this!

I started running two of these DIY purifiers last night, and I'm noticing a difference already. Less sinus inflammation and less throat irritation. Our furnace has been running constantly, and although I change the furnace filters frequently, I know there's a ton of dust floating around.

Here's the instructional vid:


There's a local discount store that always has these cheap Lasko box fans on sale for $12- $14.


I'd rate them 5 stars. I ran 2 of them 24\7 last summer and they're still kicking. They really move air too. One of them finally crapped out
after about 5 years.

I got a 4-pack of 20 X 20 Super-Allergan filters locally for $49.00


Curiously, this comment was left on the YT video. Interesting!

The most deadly, toxic unhealthy air is gaseous level pollution - at the molecular level, millions of times smaller than a micron. The only way to effectively get it out of the air is to trap it with a clean liquid like water. So you don't even need to buy the hepa filter; simply drape a damp towel over the fan intake side for 10 minutes, quickly rinse and repeat a few more times and your room will be drastically cleaner - even at the molecular level. The fumes will be trapped in the water held by the cloth. Cheap as potatoes air filtration.

a reply to: ColeYounger

Funny I been running mine for a month now, I'ma still mess up, I got to drink diet pop to stop the symptoms my sinuses are giving me
great job though on posting this I used to put a filter in a air mask it did wonders. Right now I'ma running that filter thru a squirrel cage fan from a microwave oven still no help
Must be the parasites in my system. Diet pop is like a neuro toxin so it must take out the parasites.
merci beaucoupe for sharing

Amazing idea.. I've been looking into humidifiers to help with my sinus problems but this is a much better idea.. going to try this out today. Any say on where the best place to put one? Middle of the room or does it not matter?

a reply to: raypsi13

I can relate. I've had long lasting sinus infections in the past. Borderline chronic.

We have an old three-story house, and the dust on the top floor is terrible. I put one of the fans on medium setting with the filter on it last night. I have the other fan in the main floor living room.

I was almost shocked this morning at the difference in air quality. The airborne dust is way, way down.

originally posted by: PrincessofSwords
Amazing idea.. I've been looking into humidifiers to help with my sinus problems but this is a much better idea.. going to try this out today. Any say on where the best place to put one? Middle of the room or does it not matter?

I would think the middle of the room would be a good location. I'm moving the fans around slightly. On the top floor, I've
got it near the air vent, so it's cleaning the air as it comes from the furnace. I've got a good furnace filter, but this is like a one-two punch with the added filtering!

I have bad hay fever allergies and home air purifiers such as this help a lot. I used to get 3 or 4 sinus infections annually. however I quit smoking 16 months ago and I haven't had a sinus infection since.

Great DIY stuff by the way. S+F for you

I don't have allergies, but I had put something like this together last year for dehydrating some beef.

Made a darn fine jerkey...

but I just wanted to chime in, it burned out my box fan after a few days. It was an older, steel fan that had been my fathers- I was bummed to see it go.

a reply to: ColeYounger

I'm in a small apartment, I couldn't tell you where the air comes in but I can assure if there's a filter it's filthy. This is going to do wonders, I'm so excited to go to the store today! the other day I caught a glimpse of dust particles in a beam of light... it looked like a Galaxy of stars so I will definitely let you all know how well it works!

I like what Dane Cook said in "My Best Friend's Girl"... "The beauty in selling air purifiers is that you can't prove they don't work!" lol

a reply to: ColeYounger

Thanks for this! I bought an air purifier about a month ago and they are not cheap. My wife has horrible allergies and I really didn't have a choice, at least I thought I didn't. This fan trick is basically all they are and would definitely work.
My purifier has a giant round omnidirectional filter in it that I know isn't going to be cheap when I go to replace it. They run about 40 - 50 bucks.

I'm going to make a one of these puppies and put one in the living room. Between that, and the diy air conditioner I want to make, I'm going to be redneck pimping for sure!

originally posted by: Bone75
I like what Dane Cook said in "My Best Friend's Girl"... "The beauty in selling air purifiers is that you can't prove they don't work!" lol

Ah, but you can prove they work.
Indoor Air Quality Meter:


P.S. Dane Cook isn't funny.

Good find OP. It gives me some ideas. I have a bunch of computer fans which do not take much juice. I know they sell that Hepa material, I think I saw it in the hardware store. It was the washable kind if I remember.

You would need to hook up a little transformer or maybe just make one to fit in your computer tower.

I have a special filter in my furnace that takes out particles, but it needs to be washed about once a month and vaccumed or brushed every couple of weeks for best efficiency. It is the only filter on my furnace, if I had a big air filter before this to trap most things it would be a lot easier.

You know, we should have a DIY forum for things like this, with a good way of finding what you want to find in it.

a reply to: rickymouse

You know, we should have a DIY forum for things like this, with a good way of finding what you want to find in it.

That's a capital idea! Are you listening, mods and admins?

originally posted by: ColeYounger
a reply to: rickymouse

You know, we should have a DIY forum for things like this, with a good way of finding what you want to find in it.

That's a capital idea! Are you listening, mods and admins?

Cole, one of the reasons I clicked on your thread was because it said 'Do-It-Yourself'. I like to think of myself as a DIYer and those are the youtube videos I find myself watching 75% of the time.

Great idea Ricky!

a reply to: ColeYounger


I forgot to add:

I fasten the air filter to the fan with zip ties. Just push a couple of them through the filter, poking a tiny hole, and loop them through the fan grid. Works perfect.
These:

a reply to: raypsi13

Got a lot of problems with mine too. What finaly put it to rest was sinusrince (no affiliation or anything to this myself). 1 time a day to keep on going and 2 times when in problems. My son did very well with it too. Give it a try.

www.walgreens.com...=prod2598807-product

a reply to: rickymouse

You know, we should have a DIY forum for things like this

I would be really like that! We should complain for several years and make it happen!

I have chronic non-allergic rhinitis (sinus pain and frequent sniffles) and I've always wondered how much of a difference an air purifier would make. Anyone similar have experience with improvement? I think I'll give these a try instead of forking out way too much money for a 'real' one. Plus, anyone can always use a few of those lasko box fans. One fell onto cement out of my 2nd story window and kept kickin'.

DIY forum would be really cool, as long as it remains practical and doesn't turn into pintrest.

a reply to: raypsi13

Try cleaning your sinuses with diluted iodine like povidone iodine

Works for me, just dilute it a little

You'll be little sore for 2 days but good as new later

Also you can't do this too often, iodine overdose

I don't really get the point of this. I have central ac, and that's what those filters are for. Why would I use a boxfan, when my a/c vent already has a place for this filter, and a fan to run it through? I can see this being handy for people who don't have central ac/heating, but isn't that pretty rare?

I use the ultra allergen filters, it works well for about 40 days, then drops off in ability to effectively clean out the apartment. I always replace them within 90 days, and much sooner if for one reason or another I'm feeling a bit run down. If that's the case, replace filter, let it run for a couple of hours, and then flip it back to auto. I'll be sure to feel a bit better the next day no matter what the underlying issue was.