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Recommendations on Air Purifier for 2010 12-Core Mac Pro

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macrumors 603
Original poster
Jan 8, 2009
5,281
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I just moved to a new place in Boston, the bedrooms are the only rooms with wall-to-wall carpeting and the previous occupants had dogs. I've cleaned the rugs numerous times, but twice in the month since I've been here my Mac Pro has been loaded with dust.

I need recommendations on HEPA based air purifiers to ensure the system fans and components aren't ruined. I've never had to before so I've spent some time researching, yet there are so many I have no idea.

Any recommendations would be HUGELY appreciated! Thank you so much.

(it's a 14' x 20' bedroom, about 280 sq ft)
 
Austin Air HealthMate Jr

We have several of these Austin Air units in our home. Three "juniors" and two full size.

We use them to improve health, but my Mac Pro enjoys the benefit of cleaner air.

Before deciding on these units I did quite a bit of research into competing brands and models. Austin Air came out ahead on total cost of ownership over a 6-year period.

These have been great for us, but may be overkill for you. If it's just a basic dust/dander issue, consider getting some vent dust filter material and placing it on the front of your Mac Pro.

We use the material in our home's heater vents and I doubt it will cause appreciable restriction of airflow into your Mac Pro. You may be able to find similar material at the local hardware store for ~ $2/sqft.

Probably worth it to at least try the filter material before spending way more on a standalone HEPA!
 
Would people recommend ionic air purifiers? It seems like they might charge any particulates that they don't catch and that would make it stick more to the inside of the computer. Furthermore, I'm not sure that they're as effective as HEPA models.
 
12dylan34 said:
Would people recommend ionic air purifiers? It seems like they might charge any particulates that they don't catch and that would make it stick more to the inside of the computer. Furthermore, I'm not sure that they're as effective as HEPA models.
Click to expand...

If I had more time just now I would explain all of the reasons why, but the short answer to your questions is, "No, I do not recommend ionic 'purifiers'!" :eek:
 
Have you considered employing a professional to deep-clean and shampoo the carpeting and curtains?

Get every piece of the furniture in storage and let loose the professionals with their wet-cleaning kit. That should dramatically reduce the amount of dust produced.

A short-term solution would be to get some PC dust filter product and temporarily attach it to the outside front of the case but ultimately you need to remove the dust at source.
 
I have one of these Filtrete Air Purifiers I use in my hobby room. It does a nice job and I'm always impressed by how much stuff it pulls out of the air as evidenced by the dirt on the filters. Unfortunately the filters are impossible for me to find locally and online prices are obscene.
 
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Old Muley said:
Unfortunately the filters are impossible for me to find locally and online prices are obscene.
Click to expand...

Old Muley, take a look here for FAPF03 filters at 1/3rd the price seen on Amazon — maybe that helps?

I'm not affiliated with this online vendor. They came to mind because I get custom sized heater filters from them at a great price.
 
steveOooo said:
IUseless this airfree purifier - I have it near the mp - tbh I have no idea if it really works - all I know is my sneezing has let up plus I'm sure it's doing some good as my bed is quite close to the mp

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...ASIN=B000V8JOMQ&linkCode=as2&tag=stacutmed-20
Click to expand...

Well, that's different.

I checked out the mfg's site to learn more about how this unit functions. Looks like it's primary target is airborne pathogens — supposedly killing them with 400°F heat inside a ceramic core. Probably works on a number of organisms (note that certain nasty mold spores will survive, and I'm sure there is a reason why autoclaves operate at over 1500°F for sterilization...)

While the unit may be effective at killing pathogens (I dunno), it's not really doing anything to reduce the number of particles — the mfg even states that the particle count going in/out is essentially constant.

For the OP, who is trying to reduce the airborne detritus sucked into his MP, I would recommend a different solution — one that actually traps particles!
 
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Yes it does produce some heat - so it doesn't suck up dust, incinerate it and then pump out dust free air? (Which would be more beneficial?)
 
If you're a bit DIY, something like this could do the job http://www.instructables.com/id/Activated-Carbon-Air-Filter/

I've got a fireplace in my house so ash particles is a bit of an issue and I'm also looking at air filters.

Actually my last MP's power supply fried because tiny dust particles accumulated, which had attracted salt from the air, and short circuited the thing. Not a good experience - I'm talking lightning bolts and a clap that would give some ppl a heart attack.

A filter on the front of the machine like those stick on solutions looks good. Be sure to do the research - I think kitchen exhaust fan material could be a cheap option for you and I've constructed one of those myself. You want to be sure what material you use however is not going to break off little bits and end up inside the machine. Ultimately though this is a last line of defense and it would be better to preemptively minimize the dust in the air before it gets to your machine.
 
steveOooo said:
Yes it does produce some heat - so it doesn't suck up dust, incinerate it and then pump out dust free air? (Which would be more beneficial?)
Click to expand...

Sorry, but nope. It's sucking up particles (dead or alive), trying to cook whatever is alive (incapacitating or killing it, if it works), then blowing everything back into the room.

One downside is that the unit indiscriminately heats up everything that passes through the ceramic core — PBDEs, VOCs, pesticides, and all of the other things that people seldom realize are common in dust and indoor air. Typically, heating up these substances leads to greater toxic effect.

It would be much more effective to prefilter the air (multi stage to remove larger particles, absorb VOCs, etc.), then cook it to kill any remaining pathogens. So if used in tandem with a HEPA unit it might form a worthwhile duo. There are HEPA units that take that approach using a built-in UV stage...

Also, to actually "incinerate" the dust passing through your unit, it would require waaaaayyyyy more heat than you're observing, and you wouldn't like what comes out! :eek:
 
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