A parrot that is healthy is going to create dust, and some types of parrots will create more dust than others. But you can still keep the air healthy with the right air purifier. Here are 5 features that assure effectiveness in a cleaner.
Multiple Particle Filters—Dust is made up of hundreds of particles of different sizes. So it makes perfect sense to have a variety of filters to trap them. There are 3 best filters to have. A large and medium size pre-filters should be the first line of defense. These are fairly inexpensive but are quite effective at eliminating things in your air that you can see.
A HEPA or high efficiency particle arresting filter is designed to trap the invisible pollutants that can hide because they are so small. To be designated as such it must be able to remove 99,997 out of every 10,000 particles as small as .3 microns in size.
Examples of some of the invisible solids this type of filter can remove include bird dander but also other more normal household such as mold and mildew spores, bacteria, and viruses that often travel from one host to another by attaching to airborne solids.
The Ability To Operate 24 Hours—Pollutants don’t take a break and your filtration system shouldn’t have to either. Filtering the air continuously is the best way to keep dust and other pollutants low. That means you and your avian friend can literally breathe easy because the air quality is kept healthier.
A split capacitor motor in the technical specifications or the owner’s manual is the best indication that the unit is designed to run continually. Without this feature it is likely that you will only be able to filter the air for part of the day, which means letting pollutants build to unhealthy levels the rest of the time.
Steel Housing—The casing of a purifier that operates 24 hours a day every day is going to feel the heat from the motor. Many units with plastic casings get hot; and then they frequently off gas fumes from the plastic. You don’t want this to happen anyway, but odors such as these can cause grave problems for birds. A purifier made of steel helps you avoid this problem.
360 Degree Intake—You want the room where your pets are housed to be all about them. If a cleaner has to be placed in a certain position in the room, it gives you and your avian friends less flexibility. There are some units that must be placed (don’t laugh) in the middle of the room to work effectively. That’s crazy!
Instead, opt for a cleaner that can pull air in from all sides. This feature gives you the most flexibility for where you will be able to place the unit. 360 degree intake means it can operate effectively with only 6 inches of clearance from any surface. So basically it can be put in a corner and still clear the air effectively.
Low Maintenance—Owning birds is a big responsibility. And the last thing you need is a cleaner that you’ve got to take care of. Choose a purifier that has low maintenance which does not need you to interrupt filtration to do it.
Stay away from cleaners that require you to unplug it while you wash, spray, recharge, or clean the filter. Vacuuming the outside of the unit while it is still operating is the most it should need you to do.