An aviary air cleaner needs to be a good fit for the birds and the people. Here are 5 features that will be good for both.
Self-sustaining—Whether your aviary has one or 20 birds or more, you need an air purifier to remove the pollutants that have the potential to cause health problems for you and the birds. Being able to rely on it to do the job without a lot of fuss over it from you is invaluable. The minute you stop filtering the air, the air quality suffers as pollutants are allowed to hang around and accumulate.
Since filtration is not an instant process but requires time to effectively remove the pollutants, you and your pets will be forced to breathe air that is less than healthy until the cleaner catches up.
Continuous Cleaning—The importance of this feature cannot be over emphasized. Since the slightest movement by birds or people can stir up light-weight particles, effective filtration must be continuous.. It is the only way air quality can remain healthy. In order for the unit to be able to operate 24 hours it will need a split capacitor motor. Check the technical specifications to make sure the unit you’re considering has one..
Fresh Air As Only By-Product—Units that emit any amount of ozone and/or ionized particles continue to be questionable by bird lovers.. Both of these filtration methods continue to be controversial. Different studies yield different results about how much or how little of either of these by-products cause potential health problems.
Why take a chance on by-products that may be risky? There’s no reason to do that when HEPA filtration has a known track record of being safe. It’s so safe that hospitals use it to keep their air healthy.
Multiple Filtration Stages—Since particulates in the bird room come in all shapes and sizes, the filters in the cleaner should closely match the sizes that it will need to remove. A cleaner that contains only one filter should be avoided at all costs. Relying on a single filter means that you will either stop filtration in order to clean the filter or increase the cost of running the unit by having to replace the filter frequently. Neither of these are good choices.
Visible particles should be trapped by large and medium size filters that are placed closest to the outside of the unit. These should be the first line of defense in the unit because they are relatively cheap. It will also save you money because the pre-filter can be changed cheaply and will save the more expensive microscopic filter from filling with particles that the cheaper filter can trap.
HEPA or high efficiency particle arresting filtration is both safe and effective. In order for it to be designated as such, it must have shown that it can remove 99,997 out of every 10,000 airborne particulates that are .3 microns or greater.
And lastly, there should be a filter that can effectively eliminate gases and airborne chemicals. Otherwise, you will need 2 filters—one for particles and one for gaseous pollutants. Having both types of filters in one unit will save space, money, and maintenance.
Rugged Construction—Birds explore things that they are curious about with their beaks and feet. Taking this into account before you make a decision will save you money and possibly heartbreak.
Steel is tough and can withstand the attention that strong beaks and claws can dish out. Cleaning is also easy. Particles can be removed easily by vacuuming it, and anything not removed easily with the vacuum can be wiped off with a damp cloth.
The other advantage with still is that, unlike many plastics, it will not off gas noxious fumes should the motor heat up the case. This is a huge advantage since birds are highly sensitive to gases and odors.