Air purifier in the cham room: worth it or just another thing to clean?

[benjamindavis]

I keep my veiled in a screened enclosure in a spare bedroom here in Denver, and between the misting schedule and the live plants the room stays pretty humid. I've been thinking about adding a HEPA air purifier nearby, partly for dust from the substrate and feeders, partly because the room gets stuffy with the window closed all winter.

What I'm unsure about is whether it actually helps in a humid reptile room or just ends up as a moldy filter I have to replace constantly. I'm also worried about the airflow pulling too much humidity out of the enclosure or drying the screen side out unevenly. I don't want to spend money on something that fights my misting routine.

Has anyone run a HEPA purifier in the same room as their chameleon? Did you notice any change in dust, smell, or humidity, and where did you place it relative to the cage?

 

[ehdee6]

I've not used an air purifier, but I do run this small dehumidifier in the room. It has a washable air intake filter I clean once a month, and notice it makes a difference. I'm also going to try and run a bigger dehumidifier/filter this winter to see how it goes.

Anything to help circulation in a reptile room helps IMO. An purifier will definitely help, and if it's too humid try starting with a small dehumidifier. I basically live in a rainforest, so need the dehumidifier in the winter to compensate.

 

[nightanole]

Id only run an air purifier with "pet hair and dander" and pollen season. As ehdee6 eludes to, increased air circulation will lead to less mold growth ect. The increased circulation will make things not damp, and well all that evaporated water is going into the air, which is increasing the room humidity.

What some of my buddies have done is retrofit the hepa to just filter out the chunky's. So they will just get those cheap almost see through fiberglass 1" thick filters meant for the furnace, and just use that. It will cost hella less electricity and vastly increase the airflow. It wont get rid of any micro particles, but will get rid of any pet hair and dust like the stuff that collects in your computer fans.

 

[charlotteevans]

Fellow Denver person here, and the stuffy closed-window room in winter is exactly my situation too. I'd be cautious about the purifier pulling room humidity down, since the airflow across a screened enclosure can dry one side faster than the other. The point about retrofitting with a cheap furnace-style prefilter to catch dust and hair without choking airflow makes sense for our dry climate. If you do run one, I'd aim it so the exhaust doesn't blow straight at the screen. Curious whether you'd try measuring humidity at both ends of the cage first.

 

[johnbrown]

Measuring humidity at both ends of the cage before adding anything seems like the right first step, especially with Boise winters keeping windows shut. The prefilter idea appeals to me since a full HEPA would cut airflow and add electricity cost for dust and hair that a cheap furnace filter already catches. I'd also keep the exhaust angled away from the screen so one side doesn't dry faster. Curious whether the dehumidifier approach or the purifier made the bigger difference for the stuffiness.

 

[MissSkittles]

I keep my veiled in a screened enclosure in a spare bedroom here in Denver, and between the misting schedule and the live plants the room stays pretty humid.

What are your humidity levels in general? Veileds need a lower level between 30-50%.