Extra Collector Plates $30

Many people request consumer reviews of the ionic air purifiers. Ionic Pro is an example of the air purifier "ionic" problem: anything electronic can be called an ionizer. Consumer Reports magazine has blasted the ionizers as a class, creating much confusion as to which ion generating models are implicated.

Consumers are ambivalent about the "Pro", with three-star-and-change ratings at Amazon.com and epinions.com. Serious reviewers love to criticize ionic air purification products, which continue selling despite well publicized attacks by Consumer Reports.

I think ozone free ionizing technology, using hydroxyl radical ion clustering, is very promising. Batch-mode criticism of a class of machines is unwarranted. IonicPro air purifier, or another ionizer with significant ozone, should not be the standard bearer of the entire ionic group.

Here is significant evidence of marketing's triumph over engineering: elegant looking air purifying products which do not perform well.

Ionic Pro vs Ionic Breeze

Ionic Pro

Ionic Pro ionic air purifier is a reverse-engineered Breeze "knockoff" selling for 40% of the price. This is the most successful of a list of look-alike competitors copying ionic-electrostatic technology, with market penetration including Wal-Mart and Target.

Unfortunately for its rating score, the Ionic Pro ionic air purifier shares most of the faults of its mentor. Like the Ionic Breeze, it is manufactured in China based on American design. Unlike the Breeze, this ionizer costs as little as $114.95

Ineffective at purifying air and employing ozone for odor removal, the tower-styled ionic air purifier circulates purified air through a room without noisy motors or fans. Users can feel a slight breeze, which proves it moves some purified air.

Using a positive-charged wire ionizer to electrify particles and then attracting them toward negatively charged collection plates, the air purifier creates measurable airflow.This silent air movement, known as the Zenion effect, would produce a Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR) which, being generous, I estimate at around 20.

For comparison, Honeywell 50250, reviewed here, moves and purifies about 12 times as much air at a similar cost. The large, rotund Honeywell lacks the Pro's sharp "tower" styling, which many buyers find irresistible.

Here is where the problems start with the Ionic Pro ionic air purifier.

Claimed to clean rooms up to 500 square feet, a removable collection grid with 3 small steel plates collects dust particles as small as 1 micron.

That sounded good, let's buy one.

Whoa! 500 square feet? Just walk into Wal-Mart with a hundred and fifteen bucks and get about the same coverage as $500 Blueair 501 or Friedrich C-90B?

From the point-of-view of an Ionic Pro review, this seems like a preposterous claim. But the Ionic Pro ionic air purifier produces ozone, which can last long enough to drift far away from the machine, oxidizing odors. Users like air with an ionic fresh smell. Ozone covers indoor odors by numbing the sense of smell, as much as by air purifying.

Hey, hype marketing is just free enterprise at work.

Yeah?

What about the missing decimal point in "as small as 1.0 micron?" Stated on the company's website and propagated across the web, I thought this was an error at first. (Premium air purifiers remove particles down to .1 micron). Then I found Sharper Image claiming .5 micron.

This is low performance air purification in every respect! The dust which collects on the plates, impressing so many, is just the big stuff that a good vacuuming would remove. More points lost for the Ionic Pro ionic air purifier.

For my new readers: HEPA spec, which I consider adequate, is 99.97% of particles at .3 micron. Ninety percent of all particles are smaller than the HEPA's most penetrating particle. I urge anyone unfamiliar with this terminology to look at the articles under the Technology and Indoor Air buttons on my navbar. Before making an air purifier choice, know this: filtration at 1 micron makes a good vacuum cleaner, not an air purifier.

Odor removal and VOC chemical capability derive from ozone emissions.

Hey Dude. Try to maintain your objectivity.

OK, Ok, I'm cool.

The control panel, conveniently located on top of the ionizing tower, has a power button and four status indicating Light Emitting Diodes (LED). Many users complain about the bright blue light at night, with several descriptions of makeshift tape-and-cardboard light deflectors on the web. LED displays indicate selected power level and whether the Ionic pro air purifier's collection blades need cleaning.

Ionic Pro Air Purifier

Here, finally, is a good point for the Ionic Pro ionic air purifier: if the user forgets to clean the blades, a red light comes on and the machine powers itself down. This innovation should be included on every electrostatic model, because they loose efficiency as plates get dirty. Real dirty electrostatic plates can arc and start fires.

The Ionic Pro does not use filters; the blades are easy to clean by wiping with a damp cloth. To keepit working, clean the dustcollection blades every three to fivedays.

Collection blades must be bone drybefore reinsertion, accomplished with the Pro laying sideways.If you use aslightly damp paper towel to clean the blades, squeeze most of the moisture out first. Then the collection blades will becompletely dry within a couple of hours.

Another Ionic Pro positive point is the sturdy construction of these plates, some other units have fragile or sharp collectors.

Internal ionizing wires need cleaningafter eight to ten days. This is also easy, just grab the handle and raise the "Wire Cleaning Mechanism" threeto four times. This will stop a humming noise caused by particle build-up on the charging wire. Some long term users report that using a q-tip to reach through the grill to clean the wires improves performance.

The manufacturer says to avoid placing the ionizer near soot, fireplaces, oil lamps, candles, or flammable vapors. I sure hope you have already removed all of the above from your breathing-space. The company wisely ships in black only, to minimize soot staining of the plastic case, which plagues other ionizers made of light colored materials.

Just about every air purifier must avoid moisture, and the Ionic Pro ionic air purifier is no exception: avoid wet areas, basements and baths.

As is usual with electrostatic models, after a couple months annoying sparking and crackling noises may develop when plates and wires are not kept crystal clean.

Ozone Spoils Ionic Pro

Many first-time electronic air purifier users notice a fresh new scent after installing ionics. Visitors may smell, and mention, the improved odor. This "fresh air smell" is the main rallying point for vendors and supporters of Ionic Pro type ionizers.

This "scent" is ozone, a strong oxidizing agent, and the topic of a section of its own on this site. The principal fact consumers should know concerning ozone is that it persists a long time in indoor air. It builds up in indoor air.

In technical language: the half-life of ozone in air is approximately 72 hours (3 days). Many defenders of ozone air purification misquote this critical fact, using the ozone decay time in water (half-life about 30 minutes) as evidence of safety.

If you are not familiar with this problem, please review the safety issues of ozone, rather than accepting vendor assertions claiming "safe levels." Ozone emissions take 8 points off the Ionic Pro score.

Many ionizer-electrostatic air filtration units crowd or exceed the 50 ppb medical device limit for ozone emissions. In a Consumer Reports laboratory test of the ionizer-electrostatic group, the Surround Air XJ-2000 produced the most ozone, 319 ppb, followed by the IonizAir P4620 at 168 ppb, the Ionic Breeze at 48 ppb, the Ionic Pro CL-369 at 33 ppb and the Brookstone Pure-Ion at 26 ppb.

Ionic Pro emits less ozone than some competing units, add 1 point back on to the Ionic Pro review score.

This is a positive ion generator: pos-ions are the ones implicated as dangerous in the original ions and health research. Higher voltages are present which mean more Electromagnetic Field (EMF) strength, also cited in research.

The Pro measures 29 by 10-1/2 by 9 inches and weighs only 10 pounds. The Ionic Pro's styling, convenience, economy, and portability get high review ratings.

With no filter costs and few complaints about bent collector plates, this air filter is an economical device. Drawing 15 watts, the electric bill is negligible. Some users report damaged units after electrical surges: a surge protector might be a good investment. The three prong plug is intended for use in fully grounded outlets.

The company is in the business of selling low cost ionic purifiers.

By designing the product in-house, outsourcing production, minimizing overhead and using frugal marketing techniques, they deliver a reasonable facsimile of a top selling product at a very low price.

One way to compete on price is to lower warranty claim costs. A 1 year limited warranty with a 14 day implied-consent arbitration agreement protects the maker, not the buyer.

Customer support by Internet and toll free phone has a poor reputation. This is not unique, it's part of most cost-reduction packages. If you still want this unit after reading my report, I suggest buying at Wal-Mart where returns are always welcome.

As a better alternative ionizer-based system, I use and recommend the high-tech Sharp Plasmacluster series. See the ozone-free Sharp Plasmacluster FPN60CX, "best ionic air purifier" on sitemap.

Each of ten factors gets up to 10 points, 100 is perfect and very unlikely. Below 70 is not recommended.

1. First do no harm; minimal out gassing, no airborne ozone.

Score: 3 of 10, as little ozone from purifier as ionizer competitors.

2. Serious gas and odor removal by purifier from air is a requirement if health benefits are expected: Units with real carbon VOC capability rank higher.

Score: 2 of 10, pro ionic purifier-ozone airborne chemical removal?.

3. Quality construction; case, gaskets, seals, and precision fitting eliminate bypassing and assure high efficiency at filtering sub-micron particles.

Score: 1 of 10, 1 micron? not .1 micron?

4. The design maximizes the lifespan of each filter stage by allowing independent filter replacement. Ideally this is combined with electronic filter monitoring.

Score: 10 of 10, no filter, nice clean light reminder.

5. Unit has long filter life, low maintenance requirements, and reasonable operating costs.

Score: 10 of 10, Ionic Pro air purifier has achieved the builder's low cost goal.

6. Purifier produces low noise levels and meaningful air flow rates relative to noise.

Score: 6 of 10, low purifier air movement, crackling noise reported frequently.

7. Manufacturer has a track record, with many units in the field and a reputation for supporting what they sell. Warranty period and average service life are long.

Score: 4 of 10, obscure vendor, weak warranty.

8. Purifier is an air cleaning value in terms of price/performance ratio. Every price range should be included, “models above $1,200 are best”, while true, is not useful to most consumers.

Score: 7 of 10, costs much less than competition.

9. No dirt; aircleaner and manufacturer should be devoid of class-action suits, high returns, recalls, consumer complaints, and legitimate negative consumer reviews.

Score: 6 of 10, knockoff startup.

10. Purifier of air is stylish, portable, comfortable, and convenientfor consumer use.

Score: 7 of 10, many find viewing Ionic Pro ionic air purifier's blue "night light" very annoying.

Air-Purifier-Power Rating for Ionic Pro ; 61