Photo: elena.tres (Shutterstock)
Unless you live in a fire-prone area, air purifiers used to be somewhat of an odd home appliance you might encounter when visiting friends who have furry pets or those who took the pandemic very seriously (air purifiers alone won’t protect you against COVID-19). But now that much of the United States has been covered in fire smoke for over a month, they’re becoming a hot commodity. Unfortunately, air purifiers can run you at least $200 for a decent one. Luckily, you can make your own for the cost of four air filters and things you might already have laying around at home.
We covered how to make a simple, cheap air purifier, but desperate times call for desperate measures. In this post, we’ll teach you how to step it up a notch and go a bit extra to survive the end of days.
How to make your DIY air purifier
We’ll be making the Corsi/Rosenthal air purifier (named after the scientists who created them). The fans will last as long as the life-span of the air filters, which is estimated to be about six months for normal events, but shorter during smoke events (the EPA says “a few weeks.”) You’ll have to replace the air filters and repeat the process if you decide to give it another go.
Materials you’ll need:
Follow the steps
Try this DIY indoor air purifier to get cleaner air
There are two ways to make your Corsi/Rosenthal air purifier. The fan can either be pointing up toward the ceiling or sideways, like a normal box fan would.
First, tape the four air filters as shown on the video. Whichever side you plan to lay on the floor (the base), is the side you want to place the cardboard (since there will be no air coming in to get purified). Make sure the arrows on the side of the air filter are pointing inside of the box. Try to leave no space for the air to come in, or you’ll have “unpurified” air coming into the fan.
Second, tape the box to the base and the box fan on the side that is left. Again, make sure no gap is left when taping.
And third, cut out a shroud that will go over the fan to limit only the circular part to blow air out. According to Rosenthal, this will close the gaps at the corners and make the fan blow air out more efficiently, which will make your DIY air purifier work better. Tape it and make sure to leave no gaps.
