Not another ioniser! (A British made one.)

Any time I've tried buying one on eBay the listings have either been pulled or the price went into orbit.

Big Clive

Would love to see you take apart one of those anti-static ionizers: https://staticcontrol.descoindustries.com/SCSCatalog/Ionizers/Benchtop-Ionizer/963E-Benchtop-Air-Ionizer/963E/ My work has a ton of these for static control but I've never opened one up.

You can carefully scrape the tips with the edge of a knife. The main thing is that the needles must be left sharp. Another option is to replace them with new needles or retrofit a carbon fibre emitter onto the end of the existing needles. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKCUJ89Vvi8

Big Clive

Is a chemical or an abrasive the best way to clean the pins after several decades of rust has accumulated on them please?

Andrew Donaldson

I have considered that, but the 120v vs 240V thing is an issue. It might require a low power transformer to step 120V up to 240V to keep the multiplier section realistic.

Big Clive

Has reminded me that I must dig out my black pyramid ionizer (purchased from Innovations I think). Strange how things become popular again.

Andrew Donaldson

Have you thought about designing an ioniser PCB for sale in your online store? It looks like it would be a simple, rewarding project. Available as either just the bare board or as a kit.

It is a new word for me, so I didn't know that is what you call the electronized air around an ionizer. As far as ozone, I can't imagine shooting relatively low energy electrons at O2 would have nearly the effect of UVC Photons from a light bulb you've previously shown

Did you use high frequency diodes? The classic 1A 1N4007 can't recover fast enough for high frequency operation. You have to use one rated for switchmode style applications like a 1N4007UF.

Big Clive

Sorry. People do sometimes ask serious questions like that from time to time and I err on the side of caution.

Big Clive

I didn't even think about the word corona in the video. Ionisers do have a small corona discharge at the needles. Enough to make a trace, but not health impacting quantity of ozone.

Big Clive

I had no idea. I guess I don't remember him using the word when taking apart previous ionizers; though I imagine you'd notice words you hear a lot more often. Thanks

Corona means crown. It is used to describe something that surrounds something else, like the corona around the sun, and the blue corona around the ionizer needles. The virus is crown shaped so it got its name that way.

Mark Trombley

I love ionizer vids. It's just something I never knew existed and now know way more about than I need.

I rewatched the video to count, just because I can. It seemed like you said it more often, but I think I was just picking up more from everyone else talking about it. 5:00, 5:05, 9:15, and 17:43.

You have taken a part a number of interesting ionizers, and even some fakes. They are pretty interesting, I don't think I remember them being that popular here in the US. Though off-subject, have you counted how many times you say carona in this video? Is that an actual word for the ionized air around the unit?

Dagnibit! Hate it when my jokes fall flat... :P

Scott Miller

You could mount a lamp holder in the middle of the arch and that would leave options open.

Big Clive

It stripped electrons from the air. Probably still effective at dust precipitation, but considered less desirable.

Big Clive

Some ionisers use a high frequency driver to allow faster charge pumping and allow smaller capacitors.

Big Clive

It may end up as a project.

Big Clive

Lungs are very good at expelling most fibres. The problematic ones like asbestos are very unique in their action of progressively breaking down into thinner and thinner shards until they are at microscopic levels.

Big Clive

I have an archway in the room I'll be working in for the next few weeks, do you think one of these would be effective if I got one of these and mounted it facing down on the lower edge of the archway? I'm amazed at the effects of hayfever I'm feeling at home as I'm used to working elsewhere, I wonder if it would help.

Matt Tester

So... The ionizer you made backwards... Did it spontaneously create dust in the air?

Scott Miller

These are fun videos, thanks Clive. I sort-of wonder how easy it would be to up the frequency for more <i>charge pumping</i>. Thing is it's got to suck and blow, can't just be a switch, at least I assume not. A totem pole / half bridge at least. Maybe it's a good time for some modelling.

Mike Page

Hmm, "…  caused by much thinking about the current situation  … ": prompts a quote from the Bard: "Me protesteth she doth thinketh too much." Or some such-he was always in his cups and never made much sense.

It doesn't mind how many ioniser videos you make, I never get bored of them!

elias

The order of your videos doesn't bother me! I'm just happy you're making them. Thank you for the great content, I've learned quite a lot over the last couple years!

Hospitals all use ionizers today, but not like that. Google Smoke Eater to see similar devices

Bill Kerr

I'm not sure you'd want ionisers in hospitals right now with a lot of patients on oxygen...

In 1990 I bought a Maplin ioniser kit, I will have to dig it out and repair it, it seem to go off the boil after about 4y John

John Harrison

Are we ever going to get plans or a kit for a positive/negative set that collects dust?

Mark Trombley

Dust collector, I saw something like this years ago hanging on a room light Some sort of largish tube with a hanging tray to collect the dust A small hammer device to dislodge the dust High voltage to create a dust magnet and causing a flow of air. Might be an interesting project, cheaper to run compared to Fran's Hepa filter --Waffle warning-- It has been on my mind since our bathroom gets coated in what must be someones tumble dryer exhaust, we have a few nursing homes near us. the one we go and visit makes quite a mess in the carpark. I think one day there will be concern that we breath in fibres that do not breakdown in the lungs. We a quite shocked how much fine dust we get out of our Dyson 7 John

John Harrison

Half a year ago i tried to build a ioniser but somehow the diodes failed. (I wanted to have it powered by a ccfl converter so i could power it on 12v) i put multiple diodes in series so i have enough to withstand the voltage of the ccfl converter x sqareroot of 2. They died anyways... i think it might be because they were not avalanche rated. Do you know any diodes that don't cost much are avalanche rated and don't have a high voltage drop (like those cheap 15kV ones that drop almost 20v)?

Leon Schutte

Clive I for one do not get tired of any of your subject matter. In fact it took a few demonstrations of the capacitive dropper for me to latch on to it for example

Michael Thompson

BTW, this same type of device is used in bars (if smoking is allowed) to capture smoke particles. This is the type used in hospitals. they don't want viruses sticking to every surface.

Bill Kerr

I'm building and experimenting with powered ionizing filters now. Using some bipolar ionizer units I stumbled on to (messaged you about some time back) air passes through a prefilter, then a small DC blower, over ionizer needles, through two aluminum mesh filters (one +, one -), and finally through a HEPA filter. If one of us gets sick I'll put it in that room. Otherwise just catch springtime allergens. Air flow will be kept low but always moving. I've built a couple voltage multipliers trying to get one to work well with our US 115VAC. Doesn't really work. May build one with a 12-0-12 transformer as first stage just using the priamary and center tap to get something like 220. There are other solutions. I had a Sears brand Ionizer years ago with a 7500V transformer, small fan, and + charged plates to capture dust. No needles. Air was directed over a series of charged what looked like nichrome wires The plates could be removed and put in the dishwasher when dirty. Lost that in a divorce (along with a sailing yacht, house, etc). If you ever see one, get it (Sears ionizing filter. not ex-wife). If I can sort out an economical and easy way to build this I'll post it. There are very likely to be people who must care for very ill folks at home. In that event it would be good for them to be able to make or buy a device that might keep them from becoming infected themselves.

Bill Kerr

I'm churning lots of ioniser thoughts in my mind at the moment. Including chandeliers.

Big Clive

I don't really mind that it's another ioniser video - atm, any video is a good distraction!

Chloe Cresswell

Hmm. Could an ionising chandelier project video be in order... for scientific reasons of course :D

Aww. What's Fran got against them?

Big Clive

Fran REALLY doesn't like Ionisers.

Neil Tonks

I love ioniser videos!

Between you, Fran, and Dave, I can just feel the ions inside my brain!

AESFTW