Should I carry my air purifier to Finland ?

[dewdrop22]

My elder son is autistic and suffers from breathing problems . I take his meds and all the stuff required whenever we travel out of country . Recently we got this room air purifier http://go-clair.com/ recommended by his GP which has helped alleviate his breathing problem to a certain extent. Do I have to carry this all the way to Finland when we move there ? Is there any alternative air purifier brand you can suggest .Something with a single filter under $200 .Similar to this one which can be switched on 24/7 and cleaned using a vacuum cleaner ? I heard the air in Finland is clean and except for mold problem there isn't much to worry about but I'm just expressing my concern . I have never been out of my country except for vacations and now with a child who needs special attention all the time I just tend to get paranoid .

[Upphew]

You talk about $, coming from USA? Does that purifier work with 220V and can you change the plug?

[Rosamunda]

We used an air purifier when we first came here because my kids reacted quite strongly to the birch pollen deluge in the Spring. if I remember correctly it was a particularly bad year for birch pollen. Luckily we didn't need it so much after that. We bought it here and it wasn't very expensive but I don't remember the brand or the price. I think it would be a good idea to bring your own as long as it works on 220v.

We also used a humidifier in the winter (and still do sometimes) as homes can get very dry which might also cause breathing problems (or eczema in our case).

[AldenG]

I see three models on the go-clair site, and they all claim to operate on 110-240 volts and 50 or 60 Hz. The photos show a standard 12-volt input port.

So to use your current power supply, you should need only an inexpensive adapter plug that is readily available after you move. Or you could buy any power adapter in Finland with a standard 12-volt, 1-amp output. Heck, you could even run the thing in your car with a separate but readily available power adapter.

[dewdrop22]

We used an air purifier when we first came here because my kids reacted quite strongly to the birch pollen deluge in the Spring. if I remember correctly it was a particularly bad year for birch pollen. Luckily we didn't need it so much after that. We bought it here and it wasn't very expensive but I don't remember the brand or the price. I think it would be a good idea to bring your own as long as it works on 220v.

We also used a humidifier in the winter (and still do sometimes) as homes can get very dry which might also cause breathing problems (or eczema in our case).

Oh yes bird pollen ,pet dander etc can lead to lot of allergies as well .Thanks for the input.

Like you mentioned just to be on the safer side we are planning to bring the Clair air purifier which we are using presently. From what I can see online most of them aren't as advanced as this one and we just don't want to take chances. I called the customer care and asked them whether I can use mine in Finland . They mentioned I have to just use a simple plug adapter since mine is the US model. They also said since they have both the 110 and 220 v model we can place an order when we move to Finland and shipping is free . So for now the issue is sorted . Gonna carry one from here and order the rest from the same website once we move to Helsinki.

[dewdrop22]

I see three models on the go-clair site, and they all claim to operate on 110-240 volts and 50 or 60 Hz. The photos show a standard 12-volt input port.

So to use your current power supply, you should need only an inexpensive adapter plug that is readily available after you move. Or you could buy any power adapter in Finland with a standard 12-volt, 1-amp output. Heck, you could even run the thing in your car with a separate but readily available power adapter.

Thanks for the input. We are using the Clair TD1866 so I doubt I can use that in a car maybe the other model listed on that website would be more suited for cars. We had the same doubts regarding the power supply so just spoke to the customer care at Clair and they also mentioned I'll just need a simple travel plug adapter .

[oland]

Oh, this is the first time I heard about put air purifier in cars. Is this Clair that energy saving?

Plus, if your son is autistic, why do you move to Finland after all? Well, Finland, you know...

[Upphew]

Oh, this is the first time I heard about put air purifier in cars. Is this Clair that energy saving?

No, but 12V and 1A is small enough that car can supply it.

[dewdrop22]

Oh, this is the first time I heard about put air purifier in cars. Is this Clair that energy saving?

Plus, if your son is autistic, why do you move to Finland after all? Well, Finland, you know...

My husband landed a short term work assignment in Helsinki that's the reason we'll be moving to Finland next year. I think my son will do fine .. Can I ask why you sounded so skeptical ?

I am surprised you don't know about car air purifiers. Its common practice to use both room and car air purifiers from where I come .I guess the Clair air purifier must be energy saving because the power consumption is barely over 2 Watts. I haven't noticed any effect on our electric bill though I keep it switched on high mode 24/7.

[Tiwaz]

I am surprised you don't know about car air purifiers. Its common practice to use both room and car air purifiers from where I come .I guess the Clair air purifier must be energy saving because the power consumption is barely over 2 Watts. I haven't noticed any effect on our electric bill though I keep it switched on high mode 24/7.

Over here sky tends to be blue.
As in, no smog. Thus, little interest or use in any air purifiers. Humidiers are more common but not often seen either.
Which means that if there are any parts you have to replace often, or your purifiers decides to kick the bucket, you are going to have interesting time finding replacement of have to order one from abroad.

Better assume that effectively 90% of what is common over there is not common here.

[dewdrop22]

I am surprised you don't know about car air purifiers. Its common practice to use both room and car air purifiers from where I come .I guess the Clair air purifier must be energy saving because the power consumption is barely over 2 Watts. I haven't noticed any effect on our electric bill though I keep it switched on high mode 24/7.

Over here sky tends to be blue.
As in, no smog. Thus, little interest or use in any air purifiers. Humidiers are more common but not often seen either.
Which means that if there are any parts you have to replace often, or your purifiers decides to kick the bucket, you are going to have interesting time finding replacement of have to order one from abroad.

Better assume that effectively 90% of what is common over there is not common here.

I thought it was common practice to use air purifiers in Finland.I'm sorry if I came across as being ignorant. It was my Swedish neighbor who told me bout the mold problem in Finland so I presumed humidifiers weren't a good option because they increase moisture which will encourage more mold to grow . Also cleaning a humidifier is a very time consuming task the reason I was inclining towards using an air purifier because they get rid of mold spores as well and are easy to clean . No need to wash just need to vacuum them and low maintenance because I don't have to replace anything just the filters once a year and I'll order them online.

[Upphew]

I thought it was common practice to use air purifiers in Finland.I'm sorry if I came across as being ignorant. It was my Swedish neighbor who told me bout the mold problem in Finland so I presumed humidifiers weren't a good option because they increase moisture which will encourage more mold to grow . Also cleaning a humidifier is a very time consuming task the reason I was inclining towards using an air purifier because they get rid of mold spores as well and are easy to clean . No need to wash just need to vacuum them and low maintenance because I don't have to replace anything just the filters once a year and I'll order them online.

You don't vacuum HEPA filters, you wash them. When outside air is cold it contains only a tiny amount of water. Then you bring that air in and heat it. Relative humidity drops. 15% isn't nice, it is waay too low and you'll see and feel it. So yeah, too humid environment can increase mold growth, but too little will not be nice either.

[Tiwaz]

I am surprised you don't know about car air purifiers. Its common practice to use both room and car air purifiers from where I come .I guess the Clair air purifier must be energy saving because the power consumption is barely over 2 Watts. I haven't noticed any effect on our electric bill though I keep it switched on high mode 24/7.

Over here sky tends to be blue.
As in, no smog. Thus, little interest or use in any air purifiers. Humidiers are more common but not often seen either.
Which means that if there are any parts you have to replace often, or your purifiers decides to kick the bucket, you are going to have interesting time finding replacement of have to order one from abroad.

Better assume that effectively 90% of what is common over there is not common here.

I thought it was common practice to use air purifiers in Finland.I'm sorry if I came across as being ignorant. It was my Swedish neighbor who told me bout the mold problem in Finland so I presumed humidifiers weren't a good option because they increase moisture which will encourage more mold to grow . Also cleaning a humidifier is a very time consuming task the reason I was inclining towards using an air purifier because they get rid of mold spores as well and are easy to clean . No need to wash just need to vacuum them and low maintenance because I don't have to replace anything just the filters once a year and I'll order them online.

Upphew explained the humidity matter. They are only used during winter months when air tends to be dry. Don't presume.

But your idea of trying to live in mold house with use of air purifier is in foolishness same as having your house on fire and instead of putting out a fire you start building expansion hoping to outbuild the fire!

House where mold is found, not as common as all the noise might make one think, needs to have the cause of mold found and fixed. After which air purifier once more becomes obsolete. You don't try to purify air, you fix the house. Else your purifier will eventually be overwhelmed and repairs at that point are punitively expensive.

[dewdrop22]

I thought it was common practice to use air purifiers in Finland.I'm sorry if I came across as being ignorant. It was my Swedish neighbor who told me bout the mold problem in Finland so I presumed humidifiers weren't a good option because they increase moisture which will encourage more mold to grow . Also cleaning a humidifier is a very time consuming task the reason I was inclining towards using an air purifier because they get rid of mold spores as well and are easy to clean . No need to wash just need to vacuum them and low maintenance because I don't have to replace anything just the filters once a year and I'll order them online.

You don't vacuum HEPA filters, you wash them. When outside air is cold it contains only a tiny amount of water. Then you bring that air in and heat it. Relative humidity drops. 15% isn't nice, it is waay too low and you'll see and feel it. So yeah, too humid environment can increase mold growth, but too little will not be nice either.

The Clair air purifier we use doesn't need any washing . The filters have to be vacuumed just once a month . That's the reason I mentioned vacuuming of the air purifier.Yes I agree very little humidity can also pose a problem but at the moment we aren't thinking too much about mold .We are more concerned for our son who is dealing with severe breathing issues .

[dewdrop22]

Upphew explained the humidity matter. They are only used during winter months when air tends to be dry. Don't presume.

But your idea of trying to live in mold house with use of air purifier is in foolishness same as having your house on fire and instead of putting out a fire you start building expansion hoping to outbuild the fire!

House where mold is found, not as common as all the noise might make one think, needs to have the cause of mold found and fixed. After which air purifier once more becomes obsolete. You don't try to purify air, you fix the house. Else your purifier will eventually be overwhelmed and repairs at that point are punitively expensive.

I don't want to come to any conclusion right now . I feel like I'm speculating about possible issue before relocating . I agree with you it might be matter of misconception . Last week we hosted a family from Greece who presumed all Americans were obese, fat and had only cheeseburgers for meals ..

Right now I'm just apprehensive because I've a sick child to take care and its a big move for the family .