Just wanted to get some feedback on what others are using in their homes as air purifiers in order to catch some of the dander that comes off both my cockatoo and cockatiel. I am just trying to cut down on the dust in my house.
I have a Winnix in each room, they are inexpensive for their capacity. Get a purifier rated for a much larger room as cockatoo dust is quite taxing and will clog up a filter quickly. I recommend a HEPA filter with a washable pre-filter as the pre-filter will trap most of the dander. You can vacuum out most filters even if they are not washable and it will extend their life.
DO NOT get a filter that creates ozone. They are suppose to purify the air, but ozone will kill a bird if the concentration is high enough. Some filters labeled as "ionic" rely on ozone (which is unstable) to charge particles.
Nothing is so strong as gentleness, Nothing so gentle as real strength.
BE2Cassie Moderator Chained to the Computer
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 10,790
Wrentham, MA
A few years back I bought an air purifier for Cassie's room. The filters cost over $30 each when I got it. I soon found out that the filter only lasted a few weeks. I started vacuuming them to try to get a bit more time between changes. Less than a year after buying the systems they stopped making them. Within months after this they stopped selling the filters. I took one of the old filters and cut out the center. It has a hard plastic frame. I now buy furnace filters and cut them to size, pop them into the frame and they fit great. Because these filters are only like $25 for the larger size I can cut it in half and get two filters. Oh and the best part is the filter last much longer than the original.