Smoking Indoors: My Ozone/Ionizer Results

[numbersix]

As some of you may know, I've been working my darndest to smoke indoors without upsetting the family. My wife has been tolerant, but I know a solution must be found or I will be in the basement. I decided to try one of these and I thought I'd just share the results...
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004FGNTYE/ref=oh_details_o06_s00_i00
This particular unit is great in many ways, very powerful for my large living room. However...
even though it only ran over night for about 4 or 5 hours, my two girls (ages 8 + 10) would complain the next morning that their lungs hurt. Both would start coughing as soon as they got downstairs and within 5 days my youngest got a respiratory illness and was home sick for a few days. And I will admit, it would make me cough too sometimes.
Ozone is considered a dangerous gas by the EPA but I hoped running it over night would be the solution. The timer would have it run from 11PM to 3AM. I figured by the time we all got up by 7AM, it would be fairly clear.
After my girls complained, I reduced the time and the setting (from Med to Low), to no avail. Bottom line: If you don't have kids or a delicate respiratory system, this could be the ticket for some, but for the sake of my daughters, I am returning my unit.
It does leave the room smelling fresh, but make sure you have a unit large enough and from my limited time with it - it needs to run at least 4-5 hours over night and then a little during the day to really kill any left over odor from smoking.

 

[quaffer]

I knew that those can cause issues, but never heard a first-hand account of it happening. Thanks for the information.

 

[photoman13]

They put one of those in the apartment next to me last January because someone died next door. My roommate and I both got sick from it. I definitely wouldn't be using one of those! Who knows if it has long term affects on people.

 

[chops]

Are there any that just clean the air/remove particles from it rather than adding gas to it? It may not 'smell' fresh but the air would actually be fresh.
I had no idea there were ozone units like this and that they could get us sick. Glad I read this post!

 

[spartan]

Would it help if you opened a window while running it at the same time?
I didn't know that these things actually emmited a dangerous gas lol. Sounds Scary.

 

[numbersix]

Would it help if you opened a window while running it at the same time?
I didn't know that these things actually emmited a dangerous gas lol. Sounds Scary.

Leaving the window open would probably help the gas level, but reduce its effectiveness as well (and with the temps being in the 20s at night, not really possible for me).
From my research prior to buying, the level of harm caused by these things is not proven. It's very unclear - so I thought if it's running only when no one is in the room and for as little as possible - maybe it would okay.
But when my little girl got sick, I felt like a terrible father. All that said, if I didn't have kids, I might have kept it. I didn't notice any problems myself except for a mild cough once in a while - but it was a cough that is exactly like when you're is outside on a very cold day and take a deep breath.
But long term who knows...

 

[hawk60ce]

Wish reviews were better. I'd drop $900 if there was a 30 day return warranty or whatever to see if it worker well so i could smoke in my basement.

 

[taerin]

Just put a space heater, a computer, and a good light in the basement and make it your man-cave. Easiest solution! Boy I wish I was allowed to smoke in the basement.

 

[ghost]

This is very interesting. This is also the only first hand account I've ever heard of issues with those purifiers. I've never used them myself, but I also don't have kids.
As a basement guy, I have to say I get great results with just a fan and an open window. Even in winter, I have a baseboard heater to keep warm while the window is open. I also just bought one of the Lampe Bergers today to see if it will enhance the whole operation. Just make sure if you're banished to a basement room that you keep the walls and carpets clean and you should be good to go. Good luck!

 

[hawk60ce]

My basement is finished and is used as a room by more than me. Although it is considered my man cave and i make the decisions for down there, my wife and step son are asthmatic and have allergy and breathing problems. my man cave:

 

[baronsamedi]

I wish I had a basement. You just don't see basements in Texas. Even if I could smoke in the house, I wouldn't right now because we may be selling in the near future.

 

[numbersix]

Thanks for the input rothnh - I will be checking out the RabbitAir.
Hawk - that is a man cave for sure. Nice!
My basement is unheated, so opening a window in winter is not an option (right now it's more of a store room than anything else). Actually, before we raised our house, we only had a crawl space, so having a basement is better than nothing. ::

 

[fireman03]

I am totally bummed to hear this. I was very much considering on buying that unit. Thanks for the scoop Six.

 

[colorduke]

Nice setup you got there Hawk60ce.

 

[yaboofive]

Has anyone herd of the PuriFan? The local B&M had them all over the place. i always liked the way they looked.

http://www.purifan.com/

 

[checotah]

Not many basements here on the West Coast. Am planning on escaping to Hawk's place, whether he knows it or not, if things turn bad here. Will apparently have to bring my own single malt, but can survive on the Maker's Mark, if I have to.
Seriously, nice "cave", Hawk.

 

[cigrmaster]

six, that is too bad. I had a unit in my pool hall for 20 years that we ran from 1 am until 11 am and no one ever coughed or complained the next day. Hell sometimes we would turn it on early even when customers were still in the place and no one ever noticed. I wonder if commercial grade ones are different than ones for the home, or it could be just the size of my place which was 4500 sq ft.

 

[numbersix]

I think it's because my girls are young and they have delicate lungs. I didn't notice any problems at all except the occasional cough, and those were infrequent and barely worth a mention (like I say, just like breathing in cold air).
If I didn't have kids, I would probably have kept it. I loved the smell - the air smelled fresh.

 

[fnord]

Six:
Sorry to hear about the adverse effect it had on your young ladies. We have a small unit that does an amazing job refreshing our home. You're right, of course. The air does smell fresher.
Fnord

 

[cigrmaster]

six, you should lock them in a closet and pump smoke in so their lungs toughen up. Hell I grew up with everyone and their mother smoking cigarettes, cigars, pipes in the house. I got used to it.