Re: Sharp FP-P35CX and Smoke Seepage

A Reader writes:

Hi Ed,

Thank you for your website.

It's helped.

You make no mention of the non-plasmacluster option from Sharp.

The Sharp FP-P35CX (~150 at amazon).

I find the unit attractive, and like the fact that the prefilter is washable.

I'm also considering the cheaper honeywell 17000, but that requires prefilter purchase now and again.

My wife and I live on the second floor of a two-story apartment building, and our neighbors below us smoke in the house.

They are extremely heavy smokers.

We smell very subtle hints of smoke.

It's nothing like second hand smoke from someone in the room with you, but If I can even subtly smell it, I'm positive the particles are there. I feel like it comes through the duct work, possibly even the floors themselves.

I'm ready to bite on this sharp for it's true hepa filter, low power use, quiet nature and price.

I also like the fact that it's not an ionizer or a plasmacluster.

I see no other option that's as cheap and quiet while still performing well.

Can you comment on this model or offer any other advice for a $200 max price range?

Ed's Reply

You have presented one of the worst air cleaner scenarios possible;

1. Continuous toxic source which cannot be removed,

2. Limited control over premises,

3. Insufficient financial resources.

The only thing that may be missing is factor four:

4. Serious health issues among occupants.

Second hand smoke seepage is a major problem for top of the line air purifiers. For the under $200 price, you will have very few options.

First, I recommend thorough study of the problem, starting with my page Activated Carbon Filters

Also see Dangers and Effects of Thirdhand Smoke

Smoke infiltrates through cracks under doors, in conduits for plumbing and electrical lines, and is fan forced through common HVAC ducts.

Tobacco poisons last indefinitely, accumulating in indoor environments. Smoke residuals are more than particulates, seepage and odors consist of over 4000 volatile organic compounds.

These VOCs saturate furniture, carpet, latex wall paint, and attach to house dust.

It is gas phase chemicals in tobacco smoke that cause the odor.

These will go right through a HEPA filter, like Sharp's FP-P35CX.

You will see FPP35CX falsely advertised as "Sharp Plasmacluster FP-P35CX Air Purifier."

As you note, it is not a Plasmacluster.

FPP35CX not only lacks the plasma-ion oxidizers, it has only a screen prefilter and HEPA. There is zero odor/chemical control - no carbon!

From the User Manual: FP-P35CX "is designed to remove air-suspended dust, but not harmful gases."

Again, many vendors will advertise "3 levels of filtration," when there are only two.

FP-P35CX is a good value, with long lasting filters, excellent noise emissions and low energy bills. It is better than the Honeywells, and far better than the many cheap Hunters, Holmes, Bionaires, and ect, in the under $200 price class.

For starters, I assume your apartment is a minimum 700 square feet. With CADRs of Dust 150, Smoke 147, and Pollen 155, FPP35CX is suitable only for the bedroom, no more than 160 sq. ft.

You will need some form of odor and chemical control to do any good against your smoker's emissions.

Sharp FP-P40CX, with active Plasmacluster oxidizers and some carbon would be a better choice. But that machine runs near $300 with tax/shipping.

The Plasmacluster oxidizers are safe when used by informed persons.

But to stay under $200, you'll need to go the do-it-yourself route. None of the department store brands offers any real carbon at this price.

Methods to reduce the cost of carbon are discussed in Sharp Carbon Filter Bag Refill and Homemade Carbon Filter.

An economical method is to purchase bags of vapor phase gas adsorbents, activated carbon and zeolite, and place them near the seepage source.

You could sew your own carbon bags and fill with carbon from sources cited in the Sharp carbon article linked above, and place them behind AC vents or anywhere you smell the odor.

I am working on a project - a home built carbon "donut" bag to add carbon to any round Honeywell - but it is not ready for publication.

I think it would be easier to use a vertical Honeywell, like 50250, rather than the lateral-filtered Honeywell 17000, for a carbon bag experiment.

Do not expect any Honeywell, especially the budget-minded 17000, to be quiet.

You could buy the FP-P35CX, and then add a cheaper machine purchased second hand, substituting a carbon bag for the fouled or cheap HEPA-type filter.

Another project in the works involves building a carbon bag to substitute in the very inexpensive Holmes HAP-242, Honeywell HHT-011, or other horizontal desktop air cleaner.

See Cheap Air Purifier - Holmes HAP-242

Toxic chemicals smell bad for a reason, to warn us to move away.

So I think Sharp FPP35CX is OK, but it won't solve your entire problem, why not try some do-it-yourself?

Good luck,

Ed