Ozone (O3) is a 3-atom form of oxygen and is a normal trace element in our atmosphere. Ozone is a different chemical than common oxygen (O2) which supports life. Like many substances, ozone is beneficial to life but can also be harmful in excessive concentrations.
Like many household appliances, electronic air cleaners produce ozone when they operate. The amount of ozone produced varies among models.
Ozone is formed when an electric discharge passes through the air and there are many natural sources of ozone. For example, ozone is formed naturally by lightning and is also formed as a by-product of some electric motors and appliances. Ozone is created by air passing through an electrically charged field.
How electronic air cleaners work
Small particles of dust pass through the charging section of the air cleaner and receive a positive electrical charge from a series of tungsten wires. These charged particles then pass by the negatively charged collector plates, which attracts them like a magnet. The particles remain on the collector plates until they are washed away during periodic cleaning of the collector cells.
Can you smell the ozone produced by the electronic air cleaner?
Sensitivity to the smell of ozone varies quite a bit among people. Some people can smell levels at .02 ppm but most people notice the smell of ozone at .03 ppm which is well below the FDA standard. The smell of ozone is not an indicator that the level is above normal, or even near the recommended limit set by the FDA.
Do electronic air cleaners work?
Electronic air cleaners do work. But like all air cleaners and air filters they have their positive and negative characteristics. Many people are very satisfied with their performance and would recommend them to anyone.
4 comments ↓
How does one test the level of ozone in their home. The smell of ozone in our home seems high.
Ozone test kits are available from many online stores. I have never used one so I can’t recommend any particular one. Just do a search on your favorite search engine and you will find something.
Here are some Ozone Concentration ranges to consider.
Up to .045 ppm is OK
.045 to .075 ppm is Moderate
.075 to .105 ppm is Unhealthy
over .105 ppm can be Very Unhealthy
There’s good info here. I did a search on the topic and found most people will agree with your blog. Keep up the good work mate!
I’m Out!
Ozone is a pollutant, so hopefully people do not think that creating it is a partially good thing.
The world is creating too much ozone as a whole and the effect is not localized.
Meeting FDA standards does not mean something is OK. The FDA standards are often weak. An example of another weak FDA standard is for lead content in consumer goods (thank goodness for California’s better standards!)
There is no way that an ozone generating cleaner will become a feature of my house.
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