Four weeks ago I bought a room ionizer, made by Dezac Ltd, Cheltenham, that
is supposed to create all kinds of positive ions and at the same time grab
(filter out) particles circulating the room. Above the t & g ceiling
paneling is fibreglas insulation of which particles are circulating-- sun
rays show just how much, and I'm inhaling the stuff! Instructions that came
with the ionizer warn about all the dust that will be accumulating on the
table where it's standing, but after four weeks in use, there isn't any dust
at all. Can I assume it isn't functioning properly?

"MB" wrote in
:

Instructions that came with the ionizer warn about all the dust that
will be accumulating on the table where it's standing, but after four
weeks in use, there isn't any dust at all. Can I assume it isn't
functioning properly?

It certainly seems suspicious - I gave up on them because mine covered
about a quarter of the room in filth, and it was my bedroom! Gawd knows
where it came from. Maybe I wasn't breathing it, but I couldn't bear seeing
it.
I think a neon screwdriver might indicate something, IIRC it will flicker
if brought close enough, but not very quickly or brightly.

mike

In article ,
"MB" writes:
Four weeks ago I bought a room ionizer, made by Dezac Ltd, Cheltenham, that
is supposed to create all kinds of positive ions and at the same time grab

Negative ions, usually.

(filter out) particles circulating the room. Above the t & g ceiling
paneling is fibreglas insulation of which particles are circulating-- sun
rays show just how much, and I'm inhaling the stuff! Instructions that came
with the ionizer warn about all the dust that will be accumulating on the
table where it's standing, but after four weeks in use, there isn't any dust
at all. Can I assume it isn't functioning properly?

Does it have a row of needles pointing outwards?
Hold a mains neon screwdriver near these, and it should glow.
You might even feel a very slight breeze coming off them.

Don't open the unit up -- they normally have a something like
a 10 stage voltage multiplier to crank mains voltage up much
higher. The exposed needles will be current limited to a
harmless level, but the intermediate circuitry may well not
be.

--
Andrew Gabriel

The screwdriver test: it did indeed light up, but I don't understand why
there's no dust accumulated if the ionizer is supposed to be filtering;
there's no movement of air (it failed to pass a lighted match test at the
openings of the four needles). Thanks, though, for the feedback.

"MB" wrote in
:

The screwdriver test: it did indeed light up, but I don't understand
why there's no dust accumulated if the ionizer is supposed to be
filtering;

Has it got some anti-dirt device; if it works and doesn't cover the area in
black muck, it should be better known

mike

If by "anti-dirt device" you mean something removable that can be cleaned--
no, it's a sealed unit.

"MB" wrote in
:

If by "anti-dirt device" you mean something removable that can be
cleaned-- no, it's a sealed unit.

I just wondered; some have a sorta grounded plate, etc, but I've never seen
one that eally captures the dirt.

I'm a bit of a martyr to me tubes, and as they clearly (except yours!)
precipitate rubbish, and one which would also collect it would be nice.

But I don't really want a big air treatment plant.

mike