Advice on Air Purification

[Jared]

Hi everyone,

I'm a longtime lurker, but this is my first post.

We currently have 3 birds: 2 budgies (Ella Mae and Lil Blue) and a red-bellied parrot (Radar). After lots of thought, we have agreed to foster a 12-year-old male CAG (Gandalf) with the intent to adopt. We love African species and have always wanted a grey, but the dust has always worried us. My non-feathered family consists of myself and my wife, our two children (10 and 6) and our lab (Brennan). We all have the usual seasonal allergies, and we get pretty congested if we don't vacuum, sweep and dust at least every other day because our lab sheds a lot. Getting a grey wasn't even a consideration in our old house, which was about 850 sq ft with carpet. However, we built a new home in October that is two-stories, 3,000 sq ft, open concept, and has wood floors everywhere except the bedrooms. So now we think we are ready to bring a grey into our home.

With that in mind, I still think an air purifier is a good idea. However, due to our open concept I'm not sure how many I need or where to put them. Below is a picture of our floor plan. The birds are kept in the breakfast area. I was thinking about putting a standard model Austin Air purifier in the living room or breakfast area, and then adding smaller purifiers to the bedrooms as needed.

So this is my plan. Any advice you have is appreciated.

Thanks,
Jared

 

[iamwhoiam]

Welcome to AA. Great floor plan. Looks like a nice house. Your plan for adding the purifiers sounds good. One in breakfast area or great room depending on square footage the purifier covers and then one in each bedroom that is being used. I currently have 4 air purifiers running in my house. 2 in the large living room/dining room area and one in each bedroom.
BTW, post some photos of your other birds when you get a chance and good luck with getting the CAG.
Cute red-bellied parrot. I'm a big fan of red-bellies.

 

[rocky'smom]

@JLcribber

 

[Jared]

Thanks for the reply, compliment, and warm welcome. I went ahead and ordered an Austin Air Healthmate standard to get us started.

Here's a little introductory info about myself and our birds. I am 29-years-old and just earned my Ph.D. last year in wildlife biology. I am currently a zoology professor specializing in exotic species introduced via the Florida pet trade. Although I love animals, I'm a thorough believer that many animals just shouldn't be allowed in the pet trade. It is for this reason that we adopt all of our pets (even our dog and boas and lizards that live at my school) rather than contribute to the trade. But enough about me, here are the pics you requested.

Note: the pictured grey is the one we are considering adopting. The Jenday (Echo) was a temporary foster fid.

 

[Jared]

More pics (and one snake). Sorry if I'm going overboard.

 

[Laura729]

Adorable photos and congrats on your new foster (and potential new family member)! Awesome that you adopt - I volunteer with a sanctuary for many animals that are victims of the exotic pet trade (legal and illegal), and it's important that people learn about it, so it's great you are helping with this.

 

[Jared]

I'm back. We got Gandy and the Austin Air all set up, but I can't tell if the purifier is doing much. If anyone has an Austin Air, does it remove dander and other particles that you can visually see? The particles appear to just be settling to the floor. If anything, the output of air is increasing their dispersal distance.

Gandy
(The 2x2 is just being used until his new one arrives.)

 

[Tyrion]

Great pics

 

[Jaguar]

Check the prefilter in a few weeks... you will see it

This is what I get in my cheapie purifier with just two itty bitty cockatiels. The larger things like feathers might settle on the floor or surfaces, so you'll still need to vacuum and dust regularly.

 

[Jared]

Wow! That's a lot. Maybe we should have gone with a macaw (kidding).

You mean I still have to sweep! This thing should clean the cage for me for what it cost (only slightly kidding).

 

[Jaguar]

Now you just need a Roomba... I've got one on my wishlist too

 

[Laurul Feather Cat]

Larger, heavier particles will settle to the floor and yes, it will blow around stuff still in the air to a larger circumference than before the purifier because more air is moving in the room. But it will make a big difference in the amount of particles in your air and you will see that on the prefilter and main filter when you change them and clean them. So wear a mask when handling the filters so you don't dose yourself with all those allergens.

I have asthma and am allergic to cats, guinea pigs, rats, ferrets, rabbits and just about any other furred animal except small dogs with short hair. At the time I discovered this, my wife and I were breeding cats and had 27 of them. And six budgies..... But the hepa air cleaners saved my lungs and made it possible to keep my pets. Wonderful inventions...

 

[Gimby]

Ive never heard of Austin brand. I, myself have severe allergies to certain dog dandruff. My allergies as a child were so severe I had to get allergy shots weekly. Today, I do not get shots but I have to take a daily a singulair pill for my allergies, 2x spray of Qvar inhaler, nasonexbfor my nose and for emergencies (when my airway starts to close due to dandruff) I have a rescue inhaler called ventolin. Where am I going with this? .. I recently had to take over my family business which is none other than a dog grooming shop. I use a HEPA brand air purifier and I have absolutely no problems what so ever and we have up to 40 dogs a day 5 days a week in this shop. Absolutely no issue with my allergies when the HEPA is on. Ive had allergies all my life and Ive always had a HEPA. They're expensive but worth every penny and they last. I whole heartedly recommend HEPA over any brand. HEPA makes air purifiers for certain sq footages so you would buy according to the sq ft of a rm. I would place a purifer in the rm the birds are located in on an opposite wall so the air is not hitting the birds and making them cold and you can buy a purifer for ea bedroom that is ok but I wouldnt go crazy placing a purifer in every room. In my house we have 1 purifer in the den with my macaw, 1 purifer on the main floor with my other 3 birds, and the other on the 2nd floor.

 

[Gimby]

Now you just need a Roomba... I've got one on my wishlist too

Roomba is absolutely AWESOME! I love my Roomba I can't imagine life without it!

 

[Pipsqueak]

They are selling small air purifiers at ALDI this week, maybe big enough for a small bedroom.