Questions about air purifiers for one bird

[dryeyes]

Hi all,
I recently moved house and have been wanting to get a tiel for a long time and now I'm in the position to do so have been doing research and such after reading about bird fancier's lung which has got me very weary about the risks so came here to ask people who know what they're talking about.

I see people recommend getting a air purifier and have been looking around, watching some reviews on youtube etc and so far have seen some products thrown around but not necessarily the context around birds specifically and how many they have or their exposure per day etc etc. Like is one bird in a medium bedroom size room okay to have a smaller purifier taking into account I work from home most of the time in the same room? I'd be sleeping in a separate room, if that helps. I don't know if I'm allergic but have hayfever and had asthma as a kid, though it sometimes comes back if I get sick and it goes to my chest.

I had originally set myself a budget for around 100GBP so was looking at a Levoit 300 or the mini one that's slightly cheaper but have seen some recommendations for discontinued products, some really expensive units and all the information is a little overwhelming. I could probably stretch my budget if product X was significantly better than product Y and was cheaper to run but I really have no idea and almost just want to buy the Levoit to not have to think about it anymore, even if it is officially not HEPA but would do the job?

 

[Jcas]

Hello! I’m not a doctor so I can’t give advice for whether or not a bird would be bad for your health but here’s what I do know: I share a room with three birds. I have occasional asthma type flare ups, but am not triggered by the birds ( that’s just me, some people are allergic). I vacuum and dust the room daily and run an air purifier 24/7. I use a medium sized, medium priced air purifier unit. It is made by Honeywell but I don’t know if that brand is available where you live. I really don’t think the high priced brands are so much better to be worth the hefty price tag. I also buy bulk, off-brand replacement filters and I think they work just fine. Maybe not quite as good as the brand name ones but still get the job done.

If possible, you might consider spending some time around a cockatiel at someone’s house or a breeder, rescue, or pet store to see if they cause any allergic symptoms or flare ups. Best of luck with your decision and if you do get a cockatiel I hope you remain a part of this excellent forum! We would love to see your new baby!

 

[DonnaBudgie]

Bird fanciers lung (a type of hypersensitivity pneumonitis) is pretty rare and normally occurs in people who are around a lot of birds for a long time. That said, an air purifier is always a good idea with dusty birds like cockatiels. I have 19 budgies and severe asthma and allergies. I have Honeywell HEPA filters in the living room where 10 of them live. They do an excellent job of removing dust and debris from the air. Try to buy the largest capacity air purifier you can afford because the bigger they are the better they work in removing dust.
Your bedroom should be a bird free zone if you're concerned about bird dust. I don't think you will have a problem with one cockatiel and an air purifier. Position the air purifier close to the bird's cage to try to catch the dust before it floats around the whole room.

 

[dryeyes]

Bird fanciers lung (a type of hypersensitivity pneumonitis) is pretty rare and normally occurs in people who are around a lot of birds for a long time. That said, an air purifier is always a good idea with dusty birds like cockatiels. I have 19 budgies and severe asthma and allergies. I have Honeywell HEPA filters in the living room where 10 of them live. They do an excellent job of removing dust and debris from the air. Try to buy the largest capacity air purifier you can afford because the bigger they are the better they work in removing dust.
Your bedroom should be a bird free zone if you're concerned about bird dust. I don't think you will have a problem with one cockatiel and an air purifier. Position the air purifier close to the bird's cage to try to catch the dust before it floats around the whole room.

thanks for the advice - out of curiosity, which Honeywell did you go with? I heard good things about Winix, one being the A231 and the other 5300-2 which are around 50% more than what I wanted to spend and then the HPA830WE being almost double the Levoit. I am a little conscious of energy consumption being run 24/7 so was hoping for a middle ground between my initial spend, the cost to run and the actual effectiveness of the unit in reducing the risk of exposure, it's a little hard to find the numbers but I assume that the higher the output the higher the power.

 

[JjEjFjF]

If it wasnt already mentioned, you do not want a purifier with the ionic feature. If the one you chose does have this feature, make sure it can be turned off. Another thing to consider is the price of replacement filters. Some filters will far surpass the price of electric consumption.

 

[rheashard2]

According to my allergist I am very lucky. I am not allergic to my name or SS#. Everything else is positive. So knowing that I have a CAG. They're a very dusty bird, especially when molting. I'm in same room with her most of time. The room is sm-med size. I have a air purifier in that room. Air purifies list estimated energy consumption. It can be stated as hourly or yearly rates. That can aid in your choice. Consider the area size you want to use it in. That will be your starting point. Agree w having a bird free area.

 

[dryeyes]

According to my allergist I am very lucky. I am not allergic to my name or SS#. Everything else is positive. So knowing that I have a CAG. They're a very dusty bird, especially when molting. I'm in same room with her most of time. The room is sm-med size. I have a air purifier in that room. Air purifies list estimated energy consumption. It can be stated as hourly or yearly rates. That can aid in your choice. Consider the area size you want to use it in. That will be your starting point. Agree w having a bird free area.

haha luckily my allergies aren't that bad, though i am weary about triggers after developing an intermittent skin condition a few years back which was brought on by tattoo ink believe it or not.. and yes! i had imagined myself keeping the birb in the office and taking him/her downstairs when i spend time there (which isn't so often atm) but not in the bedroom as it would be so much cleaning and dusting. i did find a website who had done purifier reviews and estimated yearly electricity costs + filter costs and the Winix 5300-2 appears to be a good middle ground so i can probably stop fixating on which unit to buy and focus on prepareing myself accordingly

 

[rheashard2]

You may decide to keep the bird away but... Birds come to believe that you as a willing pet must be in same room with them.

 

[DonnaBudgie]

thanks for the advice - out of curiosity, which Honeywell did you go with? I heard good things about Winix, one being the A231 and the other 5300-2 which are around 50% more than what I wanted to spend and then the HPA830WE being almost double the Levoit. I am a little conscious of energy consumption being run 24/7 so was hoping for a middle ground between my initial spend, the cost to run and the actual effectiveness of the unit in reducing the risk of exposure, it's a little hard to find the numbers but I assume that the higher the output the higher the power.

I have Honeywell HPA5300B
Its about $250 on Amazon. No ionic feature. I order replacement filters imported on Amazon for much less than Honeywell brand. No problems. The one size smaller unit is about $200. I wouldn't skimp on size because air moving capacity matters.