Analog Air Purifier?

[mpire]

I have some box fans with 20" filters taped to them, which works pretty good in the shop but in the house its too loud, and I have been told it does not look pretty enough.

I want to buy an air cleaner/purifier for inside use to help with dust. Lets say around 1000 square feet and under.

The only real requirement is that I don't want any electronics.

NO wifi, NO bluetooth, NO digital display, NO Touchscreen.

Just a real on/off switch. I want the option to provide it electricity from a wall switch and have it come to life without having to touch it, pretty much just like the cheap box fan with the 3 setting knob.

This requirement is proving to be far harder to satisfy than expected.

If you have any ideas, lay them on me.

 

[PossumDog]

I have had an amaircare purifier for 20+ years. I thought it was expensive at the time but can't argue with the longevity. Three filter layers with the innermost being HEPA. No electronics, just a variable speed knob.

I just checked and of course mine is a legacy product, no longer made. Most of theirs today have electronic push buttons, but I did find one style that just has a switch:

HVACQuick - residential

residential products

www.hvacquick.com

HVACQuick - Amaircare Roomaid HEPA Air Purification Unit

 

[dogdog]

The Costco winix brand is very popular and effective but they are touch button .

Sharper image have a really good one as well also touch buttons. Not on/off

The Honeywell is another brand I think they had a round one that is really good and real heavy duty 4 stage filters . Don’t find it on their website any more .

 

[rlitman]

...The only real requirement is that I don't want any electronics...

For anything good, that's a deal breaker right there. You're overthinking this, assuming that some steam powered relic is the way to go. Electricity isn't cheap. The good air filters not only deliver clean air, but also don't waste power.
Simple box fan designs for the shop move a lot of air, which is great when you have a lot of dust you need to collect right now, but are both loud and terribly wasteful when run 24x7, which is what an indoor air filter is made to do.

Good indoor air filters have brushless variable speed motors that run at about as high an electrical efficiency as it gets in a motor. The 3-speed shaded pole motors you find in box fans run at well under half that efficiency at full speed, and the efficiency drops off a cliff by a factor of 2 to 4 by the time you switch it to low speed. Low speed is where a smart modern air filter really shines.

And you don't get to use low speeds without electronics. The electronics include a laser particle counter module that controls the blower speed, lowering it to ultra-quiet mode when you don't need more than that, and raising it as needed.

NO wifi, NO bluetooth, NO digital display, NO Touchscreen.

Ok, I'm on board with not having an air filter that spies on you, but I think if that's your only issue, consider that bluetooth and WiFi add under $1 in manufacturing costs, so one option is to just get something with them and don't use the feature. Of course that only makes sense if the buttons on the unit allow you to set it up (I'm looking at you, glass dash car makers). But there are plenty of smart air purifiers out that that have no WiFi, bluetooth or screens.

I have a few Winix 5500 models I'm quite happy with (no app support). The 5510 seems to be the current generation, and you just don't need to use the app.

I also have a Coway Airmega, and like it too. The AP1512-HH is the cheaper model without app support (what I have), and a good auto mode that slows down when it doesn't need to run like crazy. And it's sensitive too! I have a popcorn machine on my outdoors enclosed porch. When my wife pops corn out there, within seconds of her opening the front door, the Coway two rooms away speeds up as it picks up on the smell.

 

[carlaisle]

Just because it comes from the factory with electronics doesn't mean the electronics need to remain. Find one that meets your aesthetic and functional requirements, verify that it can still function after a lobotomy, and wire around the gizmos to suit your taste.

 

[PCMusicGuy]

I think you might be a good candidate to use PC fan based air filters.
Check out the CleanAirKits Luggable XL-7 or XL-7 Ultra and the AirFanta 3Pro.

 

[racecougar]

I expect the OP has it figured out by now (this thread is from '23). Either way, he/she hasn't been to this site for months.

 

[BobnCO]

Probably got rid of his computer!