This Cheap Homemade Air Purifier Really Works
If you don’t live in a fire-prone area, air purifiers used to be the sort of odd household appliance you might come across when visiting friends who have furry pets or those who took the pandemic very seriously ( air purifiers alone won’t protect you from COVID). -19 ). But now that most of the United States has been covered in wildfire smoke for more than a month , they are becoming a hot commodity. Unfortunately, a decent air purifier can cost you at least $200. Luckily, you can make your own by spending four air filters and other things you might already have at home.
We’ve covered how to make a simple and cheap air purifier , but desperate times call for desperate measures. In this post, we’ll teach you how to move up a notch and do a little more to get through the end of days.
How to make a DIY air purifier
We will be making a Corsi/Rosenthal air purifier (named after the scientists who created it ). The fans will last as long as the air filters last, which is estimated to be about six months under normal conditions, but shorter during haze (EPA says ” several weeks “). You will have to replace the air filters and repeat the process if you decide to try again.
Materials you will need:
- Any 20″ square fan (keep box if buying) if you are using it at home, make sure it is made after 2012 to avoid the risk of fire.
- 20″ MERV 13 air filters . (This is the EPA recommended filter for homemade air purifiers .)
- Lots of wide masking tape or duct tape
- Any box that is at least 20 inches square (so you keep the box taller)
- Scissors
Follow the steps
There are two ways to make a Corsi/Rosenthal air purifier. The fan can be directed either towards the ceiling or to the side like a conventional box fan.
First glue the four air filters as shown in the video. Whichever side you plan on laying on the floor (the base) is the side you want to put the cardboard on (because there will be no airflow for cleaning). Make sure the arrows on the side of the air filter point towards the inside of the box. Try not to leave room for air to enter, otherwise “uncleaned” air will enter the fan.
Second, tape the box to the base and fan of the box on the left side. Again, make sure that there are no gaps when gluing.
And thirdly, cut out the shroud that will be above the fan to limit only the round part for blowing air. According to Rosenthal , this will close gaps in the corners and cause the fan to blow air more efficiently, making your homemade air purifier work better. Glue it and make sure there are no gaps left.