A few dads from the Twitter clean air community formed CleanAirKits in November 2022 as we realized PC fan Corsi-Rosenthal purifiers were a double step in quietness and efficiency over available air purifiers. We wanted to champion a transformative pandemic mitigation tool for homes and classrooms. We thought the best way to expand access to this technology beyond a couple dozen DIY hobbyists was to start small-scale manufacturing.
In 2023 we shipped kits and pre-assembled filters containing about 30,000 PC fans, enough to protect 33,000 people to ASHRAE 241 40cfm/person target. The first technical milestone was bringing slip-in friction-fit filters to the whole product line, doing away with taping hassles that sometimes meant CR box filters were never changed.
Next, we submitted the Luggables and Luggable XL to Intertek for the first ever official AHAM AC-1 CADR testing of Corsi Rosenthal boxes. This supplied invaluable data to the community about how DIY PC fan MERV13 purifiers perform for standard Smoke, Dust, and Pollen particulate sizes at optimal ratios of PC pressure fans to filter area. Each SickleFlow fan reaches ~45 cfm DUST CADR when paired with 1 sq ft of Filtrete MPR1900.
- Luggable 5-Arctic: DUST 189 cfm
- Luggable 5-SickleFlow: SMOKE 170, DUST 218, POLLEN 236 cfm
- Luggable XL: SMOKE 259, DUST 323, POLLEN 370 cfm
- Exhalaron: DUST 70 cfm
- Exhalaron Ultra: SMOKE 79, DUST 88, POLLEN 104.4 cfm
See our FAQ for the full Intertek test reports.
Over the summer we debuted the Exhalaron double-barrel HEPA to serve both tabletop and on-the-go niches. As the first quiet tabletop purifier approaching 100cfm, Exhalaron has a unique capacity to intercept substantial portions of breaths nearby. We submitted the assembled Luggable and Exhalaron lines to Nemko for FCC and UL507 certification. We received preliminary approval this fall, with quarterly factory inspections to commence in January. This opens the door to states and institutions that require UL certification for air cleaners.
In October, we conducted ground-breaking experiments around concerns that PC fans did not have enough throw to circulate a large room. We unexpectedly discovered that a Luggable XXL with top and side fans circulates a 600 sq ft space more uniformly and efficiently than a strong upward throw large HEPA. And when normalized for noise, the XXL kit does it for half the price of the economy HEPA brand!
We continue to improve our laboratory setup to more closely replicate AHAM AC-1 results. In November we used this to discover CADR performance with our PC fans is pretty flat across a wide range of Filtrete grades from MPR1085 to MPR2500. This result gives our customers and the DIY community freedom to pursue the best filter deals they have access to across a much wider selection of filters.
Finally, we wrapped the year with introduction of the economy Brisk Box taped PC fan purifier, the first PC-fan kit to hit the coveted $99 price point.
This was a ton of work, taking up most nights weekends and vacations as this is a moonlighting effort by the partners. We'd also like to thank our efficient paid assemblers for their hard work maintaining a diverse inventory and putting together kit after kit! We're proud to see PC fans have reached wide acceptance as the preferred quiet air cleaner for long-term use in noise-sensitive environments!
