Blog Tag: HEPA filtration

Asthmatics suffer from airborne allergens more often than people with just normal allergies to pollen, ragweed, animal dander, etc. For many asthmatics a small level of dust or airborne particulate can trigger an asthma attack and the only relief comes in the form of an inhaler or other quick acting medication. 

Allergy sufferers can take a number of over the counter medications to help relieve symptoms especially the runny nose, irritated eyes and general stuffed head feeling that are very typical. Being in an environment where they amount of allergens can be reduced will significantly help reduce or eliminate the typical reactions associated with allergy sufferers. 

Pure Air Systems has been making HEPA based, fan powered air filtration systems since 1985. For over 39 years people around the U.S and overseas have been able to use these high performance air filtration systems from general duty air particulate removal to surgical suite operations and everything in between.  The ability to use these systems with standard forced air ducted heating/cooling systems has enabled thousands of allergy sufferers to have almost complete relief when they are in their homes or offices. The HEPA filters are commercial grade and certified at 99.99% at 0.3 microns and larger. The three stage filtration system also includes a dual layer ring panel filter and carbon media filter for odors and gases.

For asthmatics, the PAS line of HEPA systems has proved to be one of the few HEPA based air filtration systems that can both  reduce the levels of airborne particulate while also pressurizing an entire house, office area or large room. This highly effective system has shown to significantly reduce the need for or use of inhalers for the area being actively filtered. Pure Air Systems also makes portable units that can handle an individual room or small area. These are perfect for a child’s or adult’s bedroom or small house or condo. 

For more information on the complete line of HEPA and Carbon based air filtration systems please go to our website at:  https://www.pureairsystems.com   or call us on our toll-free number at: 800-869-8025.

Pure Air Systems has been in the Air Filtration business since 1985 and has successfully kept its position in the HEPA based air filtration market by continuing to make advancements in its product line.

Since its’ beginning, Pure Air Systems has pushed the envelope in bringing HEPA based air filtration technology to the residential and commercial markets. It was the first company to develop the partial by-pass concept allow us to attach very large, fan-powered true HEPA systems to any forced air ducted heating/cooling systems.

In the later part of the 1990’s we were one of the first companies to use the new variable speed drive, ECM motors from GE. These motors were digitally controlled and they were rated 120/240 v 50/6h0Hz. So we could sell our filtration systems anywhere in the world. This opened up a whole new market for Pure Air Systems.

In 2001 we began working on the HPS portable HEPA unit. This small HEPA system used a four-speed EBM combination blower/motor and had a 12″ square housing that was 21″ long. It was designed for Laboratory applications as well as small rooms and offices. This was the first portable to use a scanned HEPA filter rated at 99.99% at 0.3 microns. It also included a carbon media filter like all of our other systems utilized.

The addition of the ECM motors also allowed us to develop some digital speed controllers that would give our customers the ability to use the systems in a stand-alone configuration and control fan speed from 1% to 100% in 1% increments. This opened up the door for applications where customers wanted to control the air flow for positive and negative room conditioning or where the application required a specific volume for proper ventilation or contaminant capture.

Pure Air Systems continues to use all metal housings for their Air Filtration systems and these powder-coated housings are designed to last up to 20 years and longer. We still have systems in the field that have been running since the late 1980’s.

For more information on the complete line of HEPA and Carbon based Air Filtration systems please go to our website at:  https://www.pureairsystems.com or call us on our toll-free number at: 800-869-8025.

HEPA filters have been around since the development of the Atomic bomb in New Mexico in the 1940’s. Originally designed to remove radioactive alpha particles to protect the engineers at Los Alamos, HEPA media or paper is extremely dense and has the ability to trap sub-micron sized particles at levels approaching 99.9995%. In the case of the technicians in New Mexico, these filters were life savers.

In 1985 Pure Air Systems was formed to provide true HEPA based air filtration to the residential market. The initial unit, model 600H, had a 12″ x 12″ 10″ high metal framed HEPA filter the fan was powered by a  1/3 HP induction motor. The unit would produce up to 600 CFM of HEPA filtered air.

The initial marketing for the product was challenging as HEPA was not a common filter media used in the residential market in those early years. The market grew as more people demanded by whole-house filtration and wanted to get away from the standard furnace filters that really did nothing to remove the levels of harmful sub-micron particulate in the air.

Fast forward to 2016. PAS now offers 7 different HEPA based air filtration systems ranging from the new HPS portable units up to the 2000HS unit that can move up to 2,000 CFM. In addition, PAS now uses the newer ECM variable speed motors that allow for use in any country around the world. These are 120/240 v 50/60Hz magnet driven motors that also adjust for the increased pressure drop across the HEPA filters as they load up with particulate. These motors are also more efficient and offer variable speed control to their owners.

Today, Pure Air Systems has filtration systems in every area of the market including, the commercial, institutional, medical, food, beverage, industrial, electronic and residential. All of the units come standard with one prefilter, one HEPA unit and one carbon filter. They can be reconfigured to have only carbon media or or two carbon filters and one HEPA filter.

For more information on the complete line of products please go to our website at: https://www.pureairsystems.com  or call us on our toll-free number at: 800-869-8025.

For the past two years I have been using 3D Printers to develop prototypes and promotional items for a wide variety of individuals. From High School students to entrepreneurs and small businesses, we have designed and printed objects from promotional key chain fobs to new guitar pics and hand held water filtration devices. The ability to utilize 3D printing makes this process possible.

Since its inception in 1985, 3D printing has made huge advances in the quality, types of materials, software and ease of use ( for the technically inclined) along with prices under $1,000.00 for some printers. We have tried a number of printers, all under $3,000.00 and have settled in on the Open Source printer designs. These are made to print in over 25 different materials including ABS, PLA, HIPS, Nylon, Poly Carbonate, Laybrick, Laywood, Bronze, Brass, Copper and other new materials. This allows us the ability to create some very unique prototypes and limited production products for 1/100th of traditional fabrication techniques.

Pure Air Systems, Inc. a company that designs and builds HEPA based commercial grade, fan powered air filtration systems. Their newest portable unit entry into the medical market required some unique design concepts including the use of 3D printing to create some component design that would have been very difficult in the aluminum materials used in the balance of the unit. Most of the 3D print models are created in Solid Works, CAD, or Auto Desk Inventor. And, whenever possible we use STEM engineering High School students to do the 3D modeling to give them an opportunity to work with real-world problems and the clients like it as well.

As more companies begin to look to 3D modeling to create and re-design products the ability to introduce 3D printing or Additive manufacturing into the mix becomes a reality. The innovation compression cycle for 3D printing is one of the fastest I have ever seen. And, as Pure Air Systems discovered, this technology can bring prototyping costs and time down to a few weeks rather than a few months.

For more information on the complete line of HEPA based air filtration systems go to our website at: https://www.pureairsystems.com or call us on our toll free number at: 800-869-8025.

I recently had an opportunity to assist a young man who designs drones or UAV’s as a part time business venture. These drones are capable of flying by themselves to pre-determined locations simply by programming their flight paths by the use of a computer program.  These drones have inertial guidance, sonar, GPS positioning and a GoPro3 camera. They can take pictures at any time, any where even in low light conditions. A multi-use, automated ( or fly by wire if necessary) Unmanned Aerial Vehicle that can be your eyes in the sky for businesses and consumers alike.

In 1985 when Pure Air Systems was formed, the use of HEPA filter technology was relegated to the electronics industry and the medical markets. The use of HEPA filters, a very expensive, high end filtration device was introduced to the consumers market shortly after PAS was formed. Like drones, few home owners owned or even what HEPA filters did and how they worked. The home owners could not see a need for them and felt that current filter technology in the form of electronic air cleaners were adequate for keeping dust and dirt from floating around in their homes. It wasn’t until the early 90’s that people became aware of the negative health affects from airborne allergens and pathogens that were smaller than 1 micron; too small to be captured by the then antiquated electronic air cleaners.

Once the public was made aware that their allergies and respiratory dysfunctions were due to particulate and organisms that were too small to see with the naked eye but could be captured by HEPA filters, the growth of HEPA filters into the home market exploded.  As the public became more aware of the capabilities of HEPA filters and HEPA systems they better understood how these filters could and would impact their lives.  Like drones, HEPA filters have become a part of our lives and the more we know about their capabilities and positive aspects of using them, the more we become comfortable with the technology.

For more information on the complete line of HEPA and Carbon based air filter systems please go to our website at: https://www.pureairsystems.com or follow us on Twitter or call us on our toll-free number at: 800-869-8025.

The problem with any new product development that requires electrical wiring is the design and construction of the wiring harness. The part of the product that carries electricity from the power source to the various working components and allows for product execution by the customer or user of the device. While digital controls, chips and control boards all have their parts to play in the operation of the product electrical wire with connectors and connector boards are still an essential part of the product.

One of the challenges with designing any piece of equipment is the dual challenges of keeping the design simple for assembly as well as for maintenance. This is easier said than done as one often looks only at the fabrication process and forgets the customers have to disassemble the unit for maintenance and repair.  Wiring is an issue as you need to make sure you use push on connectors rather than soldered or snap in connections should the customer have to move or remove a piece of the system for repair.

Pure Air Systems has been manufacturing fan powered, commercial grade, certified HEPA and Carbon based air filtration systems since 1985. The design of the systems has changed over the years and while more digital components are now used, basic electrical wiring is still part of the overall operational design. The use of the variable speed drive ECM motors required more digital speed controllers and boards than before. However, the need for small 24 volt transformers also  required wiring from the transformers to the boards and to the inlet power cord.  Again, design of the harness was crucial to the overall assembly and operation of the unit.

It never ceases to amaze me how something as small as a screw or connector or the correct length of a piece of wire can totally alter the design of a component. If a capture device can not be used because of access to it with a tool during assembly then the capture device ( screw ) will have to be replaced with something else. And, that something else needs to have the same strength to secure the component as the previous screw. Small things make a big difference.

In re-designing the HPS portable unit for the new APPAIS Class II Medical Device, the wiring harness had to be significantly modified to allow for the rotation of the EBM blower/motor 180 degrees and a shift of one inch to the right. This change made the current harness too long and difficult to work with when the blower/motor was installed in its proper position.  This change to the wiring harness was small compared to the major re-design of the housing. That discussion is for another blog.

For more information on the complete line of HEPA and Carbon based air filtration systems from Pure Air Systems, please go to our website at: http://.pureairsystems.com. You can also follow them on Facebook or Twitter and always call them on their toll free number at:  800-869-8025.

This set up line for a joke is iconic.  Anybody who has ever heard a joke or told a joke knows one of these “three guys walk into a bar” type jokes. As soon as someone starts to use this style of humor you automatically think of one you heard recently or like to tell. And, sometimes you can guess the punch line even before the joke is told….making this type of set up a powerful memory trigger .

For many people these “trigger” or ” anticipation” moments are not of the humorous type but based  more on fear or concern. For example, take someone who has severe allergies to pollen, ragweed, grasses, etc. When Spring approaches and they start to see flowers blooming and trees and grass growing they anticipate that they will start having the typical allergy symptoms of itching eyes, running nose, sinus pressure and and all around crappy feeling.

Sometimes just watching the news at night and seeing the projected pollen count for the next few days can trigger an emotional response that almost mimics the physical symptom response. This person knows that even with the over the counter allergy medications or shoots from the allergist, as long as the grasses and trees are growing they will suffer.

Allergy medications tend to make people groggy and have difficulty concentrating on anything. This is why for most allergy sufferers the best solution to minimizing the suffering is to stay indoors preferably with the air conditioning running. And, when possible use some form of air filtration or air purifying device to assist  in removing the airborne allergens and particulate.

Pure Air Systems has been making HEPA and Carbon based air filtration systems since 1985 and has thousands of its systems installed in homes, hospitals, commercial buildings, high tech manufacturing and specialty applications. For many of the homeowners the HEPA systems significantly help to minimize or eliminate that allergy “trigger” so the individual can be comfortable not suffer even when they watch the news and the ever climbing pollen count projections.

For more information on the complete line of HEPA, Carbon and air filtration products available from Pure  Air Systems please go to our website at: www.pureairsystems.com

There is no end to the amount of discussion on the health issues related to smoking.  Everyone either knows someone who smokes or is a smoker. Today most public buildings don’t allow smoking as do offices, hospitals, schools and churches. In fact the only places you can smoke is outside, in your own home (maybe) and in bars that still allow smoking.

If you live with a smoker or work in an environment where smoking is allowed you know the challenges of getting smokers to quit or smoke less. Smoking is more addictive than the majority of illegal drugs. And the cost of smoking in dollars for health care is enormous. In addition, smoke from cigarettes and cigars will coat the walls, ceilings and HVAC duct work with a nicotine substance in any home or office building over time.

If you are around a smoker in your home or office and you inhale the smoke for a continued period of time you will in essence have the same lung damage as the smoker himself. It is for this reason that smoking is prohibited in so many places.

Cigarette and cigar smoke contain hundreds of chemicals many of which are considered carcinogens. Breathing in these chemicals over time can create significant health problems. In addition you have a constant odor problem with smoke which tends to cling to everything, including your hair and clothing.

Some of the health issues include OCPD, respiratory dysfunction, eye infections, lung cancer to name a few. It is important therefore to minimize your contact with cigarette smoke. If you live with a smoker they need to smoke outside. If you work with a smoker and he or she won’t quit, you need to find another position in the company or find another job.

Cigarette and cigar smoke is very small. The amount you see with the naked eye represents only 35% to40% of the smoke coming off the cigarette. The rest is less than 10 microns and much is it is less than 1 micron in size. It is this smaller size particle that remains in the lung linings and mucus membranes and is not expelled when you breathe out.

Due to the nature of cigarette and cigar smoke it is not easy to remove this contaminant with general duty air filters or even ventilation. Pure Air Systems has been selling its HEPA and Carbon based filtration systems for smoke removal since 1985. HEPA filters will capture over 99.99% of the smoke that it sees. The carbon media will adsorb much of the nicotine odor.

While the majority of our HEPA systems for smoke removal were installed in restaurants, bars, and bingo halls, a large number have been sold to homeowners. These systems are attached to the return air side of the HVAC system and will capture all the cigarette smoke and odor that is pulled into the system through the return air grills in the home.

If you are really serious about the air you breathe in your environment then you need to get some serious filtration systems that will actually remove the harmful smoke particles and odor.

For more information on the complete line of HEPA an Carbon based filtration systems offered by Pure Air Systems, go to our website at: www.pureairsystems.com