Air Purification and Water Purification Units From America's #1 Manufacturer
Please Note: Due to the manufacturer's Internet marketing policy, their name, product name or product images cannot be displayed on independent representative's web sites. This information may be requested by contacting JeffOtto.com (please specify the model you are interested in) or by calling customer service at 800-743-8852.Contents:
General instructions, maintenance, and troubleshooting
Cleaning and maintenance of air filter / air purifiers
Getting to know your air filter / air purifier
Other uses for your air filter / air purifier
General Instructions, Maintenance, and Troubleshooting
This section is intended to give you the general knowledge to be confident and comfortable in working with and placing the air filter / air purifier systems. Every air purifier that leaves the factory has an owner's manual which has more precise information pertaining to its respective model. Please consider this section as an overview to the owners manual. Please read and digest this information and familiarize yourself with your owner's manual.
Unpacking: Units are shipped via U.P.S., truck line, or air freight. Unpacking and testing the machines immediately is extremely important to detect any problems due to manufacturing or shipping damage. Remove the unit from its shipping carton and inspect the inside as well as the outside of the unit for physical damage. If any damage or problems are noticed that are not easily correctable, immediately contact the shipping company if you feel that it is shipping damage or call your distributor for any manufacturing problems. Familiarize yourself with the owners manual and determine if there is any packing material placed internally. Remove all packing materials.
General testing: Plug the unit into a 110 volt AC outlet and turn the power switch to ON. If the air filter / air purifier does not operate, check to make sure the rear lint screen or filter is fully installed so it depresses the safety switch. The unit will not operate unless the safety switch arm is depressed. If the unit still fails to operate, check the fuse located on the back of the machine. Call your distributor if any of these procedures fails to operate the machine. Operate the fan control knob, making sure that the fan is adjustable and operates properly. It is not uncommon for a new fan to operate stiffly for a short period of time. It may even be necessary to give the fan a slight push to begin its operation. If the fan hits the front grill (shipping damage), push the whole motor back to bend the motor mount into its correct position. To obtain low fan settings it may be necessary to turn the fan to a high level and slow it back down. Operate the ozone purifier control and verify that the ozone output is adjustable. If no ozone is being produced, follow the instructions below:
Check for arcing on the ozone plate: if there is arcing, the plate must be replaced. It cannot be repaired. Arcing is often caused by lack of servicing, a hairline crack or fracture in the plate. Cracking can occur if the plate is not completely dry when reinstalled after cleaning.
An electrical connection has become loose or disconnected.
An electrical component has failed. The unit must be returned to the factory to be repaired if this is the case.
If the unit is equipped with a "radio frequency" ion generator it can be tested with a voltage testing apparatus (contact your distributor). For our purposes, we refer to it as an "ion tester". Remove the lint screen from the back of the unit. Depress the safety switch manually and carefully insert the bulb end of the tester into the machine so it is very near the ion antenna. The bulb will glow if the ionizer is functioning. The brightness in which the bulb glows has nothing to do with the strength of the ionizer. If the bulb glows at all, the ionizer is working.
Unit placement: Placing a air filter / air purifier properly is crucial for success. For best results, follow the general instructions listed below:
Place the unit close to the source of pollution.
Place the unit near a cold air return if possible. If not, direct the air filter / air purifier so it will blow towards a cold air return. For best results with this method, the furnace fan should be in a constant "On" position.
Place the unit in the area most heavily used by those requesting pollution control.
Do not let the fan blow ozone directly on a person, pet, or plant.
See individual owners manuals for specific information and application instructions.
Cleaning and Maintenance of your Air Filter / Air Purifiers
Rear lint screen: The screen should be kept dust and debris free to provide maximum air flow through the air purifier. Visible dust present may be vacuumed periodically depending upon conditions. The cleaning of the screen is determined by need and the environment in which the air filter / air purifier is placed. If vacuuming the screen does not work well enough, remove it from the machine and soak it in warm soapy water, scrubbing lightly. Rinse the screen off and dry completely before reinstalling. DO NOT PUT ANY PLASTIC FRAMED LINT SCREENS IN THE DISHWASHER. Reinstall the lint screen making sure the safety switch is depressed.
Ozone plates: When the ozone control no longer produces enough ozone to be effective in its intended application, the ozone plates should be cleaned. Plates will need to be cleaned as often as the environment dictates. More pollution will result in more frequent cleaning. Some environments can foul ozone plates in as little as two weeks. Others may only need cleaning once a year. To clean the ozone plate, unplug the purifier and remove the lint screen. Remove the ozone plate(s) by grasping the leading edge of the plate and pulling straight out. If this is the first time the plates are being removed, there may be a small portion of adhesive holding the plate to prevent movement during shipping. Carefully break the adhesive free or cut it away with a small knife and them remove the ozone plate(s). We suggest using common dish soap and warm water to clean the ozone plate. Support the plate in the palm of your hand in such a manner that the ozone plate won't crack or break. Scrub the screened area as well as the ceramic with a stiff brush. Rinse the plate and DRY COMPLETELY. Rinsing the ozone plate in rubbing alcohol before drying works well to remove any residual films left on the plate.
Front grill: Remove the front grill and wash in warm soapy water, dry, and reinstall. The grill can be put in a dishwasher if the dishwasher does not use extremely hot water or a hot air drying cycle that can deform the plastic.
Cleaning the air filter / air purifier: Clean the unit inside and out with a damp cloth. Do not start the machine until the unit is completely dry inside. If the unit has taken on odors or has residual manufacturing odors, it can be quickly self-cleaned: simply remove any protective packaging from the unit, put the fan control on low, ozone purifier level(s) on high and place the operating unit back into its shipping container and seal it. The air filter / air purifier will self-clean in about an hour.
Reducing maximum ozone output: If considerable reduction of ozone is desired, remove any ozone plate from the system.
Getting to Know Your Air Filter / Air Purifier
Unit placement: Placing the air filter / air purifier is crucial for success. For best results follow the general instructions listed below:
Place unit as high off the floor as possible, or at least 5 feet.
Place the unit near cold air return if possible. If not, direct the unit so it will blow towards a cold air return. For best results with this method, the furnace fan should be in the "On" position so as to circulate the activated oxygen throughout the entire house. Once the general "cleanup" has been accomplished, the fan switch can be returned to the "Auto" position.
Place the air filter / air purifier close to the source of pollution, or in the area most heavily used by those requesting pollution control.
See owners manual for more specific information and application instructions.
Controlling O3 output: The use of "activated oxygen" or ozone (03) is how Nature controls odors, pollutants, chemical gases, mold, mildew and bacteria. In fresh non-polluted country air the ambient level of ozone is high enough to control most of our indoor air pollution problems. In order to be effective, we need do no more than recreate these natural outdoor levels of ozone inside.
The air filter / air purifier unit in your home is designed to permit the adjustment of ozone levels according to need. When turning on the machine initially, acquaint yourself with the smell of ozone. Turn the "Purifier" knob to the extreme clockwise position and the "fan" knob to the extreme counterclockwise position. You are now breathing pure ozone. The rule of thumb is this: Let your nose be your guide. If you are able to easily detect the smell of ozone in the air of your home then you may have the "Purifier" knob set too high. Additionally, if you experience any irritation to nose or eyes you most certainly have the "Purifier" knob set too high. If this is the case, turn down the "Purifier" knob. Set the "Fan" knob as high as possible, but not so high that the noise becomes objectionable.
The scale on the "Purifier" knob should also be used in determining which setting to use. On our 3,000 sq ft model you have three scales. These correspond to how many "ozone plates" are installed in the machine. The inner most scale is for when you have the quarter plate (114) installed. The middle scale corresponds to one full plate and the outer scale to two full plates. The numbers are a guide to what setting to use for the open area in which the machine is installed.
If the machine is installed near the cold air return of your furnace and the fan is turned to the "On" position, use the total square footage of your house as a guide. Keep in mind that in the beginning a higher than normal setting may be needed until the odors and other pollution problems in your home are alleviated. At that point you can set the machine to a lower setting to maintain optimum air conditions. Also, during hot weather a higher than normal setting may be required because the ozone will be consumed more quickly. If you turn down the "Purifier" knob as far as it will go and you still smell too much ozone, remove one of the plates. If there is still too much then install the 1/4 plate.
Remember how the air smells fresh or sweet after a thunderstorm? Then you get the idea of what it should smell like in your home. That is the smell of ozone and that is why we call the Air Filter / Air Purifier - "A Thunderstorm in a Box".
Controlling ion output: There is no control for ion output, nor is there any need. Our 3,000 sq ft model produces approximately 4000 negative ion and 3000 positive ion per cubic centimeter. Research has shown that this is an optimum ratio for homes and businesses. Ionization is nature's way of removing dust particles and pollen from the air by charging those particles so they attract more particles. They continue to form larger particles until they are too heavy to remain airborne and precipitate out of the air. The ozone then finishes neutralizing any germs left in the dust. Additionally, the 3,000 sq ft model ionizes the air in a 60 foot radius of the machine allowing it to treat your whole house. This is the only machine on the market that can make such a claim. Walls, floors and doors do not prevent this ionization from taking place unless they are of metal construction.
Other uses: The Air Filter / Air Purifier has several uses other than just purifying your air:
1) Remove odors (cigarette smoke or otherwise) from your automobile.
Empty ash tray.
Vacuum the entire interior thoroughly.
Place the unit in car. Close all windows but leave both back windows open about 1/4 inch.
Set "Purifier" and "Fan" knobs on the Air unit to the extreme clockwise position & let the unit run for an hour or two.
After the unit has run for an hour or two and the vehicle is thoroughly saturated with 03, start car and turn on the car fan to "high". Set the air ventilation to "re-circulate". This will purge the duct work of any contaminants.
After about 20 or 30 minutes turn off car and ventilation but continue to operate the Air Filter / Air Purifier for another hour or two.
Depending on the severity of the problem, one or two repeated applications may be necessary.
When finished, open the windows and let vehicle air out.
2. Remove musty smell or odors from closets (and clothes), basements, or other rooms.
Place unit in closet or room to be treated. Close all doors or windows.
Set "Purifier" and "Fan" knobs to extreme clockwise positions.
Leave unit on as long as necessary to accomplish task. One to two hours for closets, longer for larger areas. If clothes are tightly packed they must be separated in order for the ozone to circulate freely around them.
When finished open doors and/or window to allow ozone to dissipate. Ozone will dissipate naturally in 20-50 minutes even in the absence of pollution.
3. Deodorize and sanitize the duct work in your A/C system. fungus, bacteria, molds and mildew growth).
Make sure you have a clean air filter in your cold air return.
Set "fan" switch from "Auto" to "On".
Place the unit directly in front of cold air return. Set "Purifier" to maximum and "Fan" to minimum.
Go to vent farthest from the cold air return and sniff for ozone. You will probably not be able to smell any ozone for several hours, sometimes days, depending on the severity of contamination. The ozone is consuming and being consumed by the pollutants in your duct work system.
When you can smell ozone coming out of the farthest vent the contamination has been oxidized and thus eliminated. Return the machine to its normal location.
4. Deodorize and sanitize your shoes.
Set "Purifier" to maximum and "Fan" to minimum.
Place or prop up shoes directly in front of unit so air flows into them & one to five minutes of this treatment should be all that is required.
Final notes:
Most people will see real and measurable improvements in that time. However, the improvements are often very subtle. If your house is larger that 2500 square feet, or if you have a split zone heating system you may need more than one air filter / air purifier. Sometimes it takes a few weeks for noticeable effects to manifest themselves. The more severe your indoor air pollution problems are the faster you're likely to see results. If you don't notice results right away don't be discouraged. They will come in time.
Whatever you do, don't turn the machine off! If the ozone level gets too high, turn it down. If it is still too high, pull out one of the plates or install a quarter plate. If you turn the machine off, you loose all the benefits of ionization. This machine is designed to run 24 hours a day, year in and year out. It costs about 3 cents a day to operate and should last 10-15 years without any major part replacements.
Don't be afraid to move the machine around and experiment with it. However, please be mindful of the precautions and suggestions. There is certainly no need to be concerned about the safety of ionizing the air in your home or business. In all the thousands of medical studies conducted since the 1920's nowhere are there any ill effects associated with the levels of ionization that the Air Filter / Air Purifier produces. In fact, the positive benefits are far too numerous to report in this short overview. If you are interested in learning more about ionization and its effects, there is an abundance of reference material available.
As stated earlier, our 3,000 sq ft model is designed to produce ozone levels in concentrations found naturally in fresh country or mountain air. Ozone in these concentration has been proven to be extremely beneficial and effective in dealing with a wide range of indoor air pollution problems. However, in confined areas this device is capable of producing higher levels of ozone, causing possible eye or nose irritation. Therefore, it is advised that you exercise caution when setting the "Purifier" level. The potential for abuse does exist.
Use your nose as a guide. Remember that ozone in the very low doses found in nature is all that is needed to accomplish most tasks. More is not always better. If you do use the machine to treat especially severe odor or chemical problems, be sure to let the ozone dissipate when you're done.
It must be further emphasized that this machine is not marketed as a medical device. Our air filter / air purifier merely reproduces the natural constituent of outdoor air indoors. It is Nature's process for controlling pollution, bacteria, fungus, mold and mildew growth. Our modern life styles and buildings do not permit this natural control to occur. If you find you experience relief from odors, allergies, hay fever, asthma, bronchitis, sinus headaches, irritability, fatigue, depression or any of a number of other symptoms associated with "sick building syndrome" then you have experienced the benefits of living in an unpolluted environment.
Maintenance is practically nonexistent with this machine. There are no filters or parts that need regular replacement. An occasional rinsing of the lint screen on the back of the unit is all that is needed. The ozone plates need to be washed, rinsed, and dried maybe as often as once a month. More likely they will only need it two or three times a year, depending on the severity of your indoor air pollution problems.
