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DIY box fan filters – Corsi-Rosenthal box

cleanaircrew.org · added Aug 2023

Type
DIY box fan filters, Corsi-Rosenthal box, air filter
Keywords
Top five keywords for this document are: DIY, box fan filters, Corsi-Rosenthal box, air filter, MERV13.
Practices
Inexpensive air filtration
Read the source

Summary

The Corsi-Rosenthal box is a cost-effective DIY air filter made from MERV13 furnace filters and a box fan that can help clear indoor air from airborne virus particles, wildfire smoke, pollen, dust, and more.

Key points

  • DIY box fan filters can help clean indoor air from airborne virus particles, wildfire smoke, pollen, dust, and more.
  • The Corsi-Rosenthal box is a cost-effective and efficient air cleaner.
  • The box fan filter can be built using a box fan and MERV13 filters.
  • There are various modifications and designs available for the box fan filter.
  • The box fan filter has been used in classrooms and homes to improve indoor air quality.

Also known as a Corsi-Rosenthal box, this DIY method of building your own air filter with MERV13 furnace filters and a box fan are an easy and cost-effective way to help clear indoor air from airborne virus particles, wildfire smoke, pollen, dust, and more!

If you can seal a box, you can build one (or 100!) of these!

Note: quickstart wildfire guide here

How to clean the air from wildfire smoke

Image / Video Gallery

This gallery includes photos of builds, creative modifications, instructional images, as well as videos. Click through tags below to load more.

crbox blank background

UC San Diego 250 box for classrooms!

in the classroom

safety and style - contact paper

preschool helper

robot box fan filter

Boxes with stands

A Fourth Grader Explains How to Build a DIY Corsi-Rosenthal Box Air Cleaner

bright colors and casters - tall boy

round fan

air flow in through filters, up out of fan

how portable filters work with HVAC

5 filter screens and casters

Turntable design!

Tutorial para armar un PURIFICADOR DE AIRE ARTESANAL

CBS: Homemade air purifiers help protect against COVID

Building a Corsi air box for the first time: timelapse

PlayHow to Make a DIY Air Filter | Ask This Old House

How To Improve Indoor Air Quality

Video: How to effectively ventilate classrooms using fans, HEPA filters or Corsi-Rosenthal box fans and monitors

Cleaning indoor air properly greatly reduces infections by airborne viruses, like COVID-19. This video explains it all very well!

Start here

A Variation on the “Box Fan with MERV 13 Filter” Air Cleaner Article by Jim Rosenthal

Read about it in WIRED: https://www.wired.com/story/could-a-janky-jury-rigged-air-purifier-help-fight-covid-19/

Construction Guide:

More details, including filter brands to avoid, here: encycla.com/Corsi-Rosenthal_Cube (by Philip Neustrom)

(hint: Filterbuy MERV-13, prevalent on Amazon, have not tested well)

Illustrated Guide

by Amanda H @ughberta

The Fan Shroud

An optional part of a box fan filter is the fan shroud, or covered fan corners. Covering corners of a square box fan closes gaps and improves efficiency of the fan. See Jim Rosenthal’s article about it here. Use cardboard or duct tape.

Testing to optimize fan shroud size. David Elfstrom found a 13.5 to 14.25 inch diameter opening to work best with a Utilitech brand fan. Lasko fans work best with a 15 inch fan shroud.

shroud size for box fan air filter

Choosing filters

David Elfstrom advises “keep an eye out for local sales on the 20x20x1 or 20x25x1 Filtrete 1900 and box fans”

You can order a full set of high-quality MERV13 filters to make this air purifier here: https://www.texairfilters.com/filters-for-box-fan-and-merv-13-filters-air-cleaner

These 2 inch deep filters (compared to typical 1 inch) provide greater surface area for filtration, better air flow, quieter operation, and longer filter life.

(hint: Filterbuy MERV-13, prevalent on Amazon, have not tested well- two people have independently compared with particle counters and come to the same conclusion about sub standard performance) – update – this appears to be resolved.

The Filtrete Store on Amazon features a discounted filters + tape bundle, just add your box fan. These are the recommended Filtrete 1900 MERV13 filters.

Performance

The Corsi-Rosenthal box (single filter tested, full cube would be even better!) performs very well! It is the most cost effective air cleaner on Marwa Zaatari’s chart!

From Bill Bahnfleth, Chair – ASHRAE Epidemic Task Force

The CR box is not specifically referenced in ASHRAE guidance, but they are completely consistent with guidance about upgrading filters and using portable air cleaners to improve clean air delivery rate where needed. You can certainly quote me on that.

source: https://twitter.com/WBahnfleth/status/1469454061225316353?s=20

Bottom line – Use of DIY air cleaners with MERV 13 or better filters that are well constructed is consistent with ASHRAE’s requirements for effectiveness and safety and can help to mitigate airborne exposure that causes Covid-19. 7/7

December 11, 2021 source: https://twitter.com/WBahnfleth/status/1469781099043864583

CR Boxes in Johns Hopkins “Ventilation: Vital Tool to Reduce Spread”

They’re also listed in the Johns Hopkins “Ventilation: Vital Tool to Reduce Spread” paper here : https://t.co/IBbba4jXtg pic.twitter.com/qgTCPW1YB6

December 11, 2021 source: https://twitter.com/MarinaC_Dyb/status/1469469896664829952?s=20

Round Fan alternate design

Not all parts of the world have box fans available. This international team has worked out an alternate design using a round fan!

Travel DIY Air filter

Modification: Screen as “prefilter”

This modification, adding fiberglass screen material, can keep pet hair out of filters and prolong their useful life, with barely noticeable flow reduction!

FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions

New comprehensive FAQ page here!

Also, tons of details and FAQs in this excellent comprehensive thread by Lazarus Long.

Video: Box Fan Filter build tutorial – Spanish

source: AleHSalcedo2

Video: A Fourth Grader Explains How to Build a DIY Corsi/Rosenthal Box Air Cleaner

source: @gbignami

Watch more videos

Mass production!

Check out how Rosie @BkPhilanthropy assembled and distributed 100 air filters!

Download the printable PDF of the insert they included with the filters!

Dr. Prather with UCSanDiego

Brown University

Students unite to take a hands-on, DIY approach to improving air quality

An event hosted by Brown’s School of Public Health brought students together to build low-cost, highly effective Corsi-Rosenthal cubes as air filters that will augment existing filtration systems at Brown.

www.brown.edu/news/2021-11-19/diy

Common concerns addressed

Developed by @amandalhu, this interactive PDF addresses common points of confusion around air filters.

Rebuttal Matrix for Advocates of Air Filtration in Schools Based on Common Barriers

Find more tweets about this:

Box fan filter#corsirosenthalbox#CorsiRosenthalBoxes#CorsiBoxCorsi Rosenthal box

In the news:

3M scientists: This Corsi-Rosenthal box movement is legit

Scientific American: We Need to Improve Indoor Air Quality: Here’s How and Why Upgrading buildings’ ventilation, filtration and other factors would not only decrease COVID transmission but also improve health and cognitive performance in general

CBS News: New air purifiers filter at least 90% of COVID-carrying particles, researchers say

WIRED: Could a Janky, Jury-Rigged Air Purifier Help Fight Covid-19?

DIY Air Filters For Classrooms? Experts Are Enthusiastic — And A Citizen Scientist Makes It Easy

Smithsonian Magazine: The Homemade Air Purifier That’s Been Saving Lives During the Covid-19 Pandemic. Made from everyday items found in hardware stores, the Corsi-Rosenthal box is a testament to the power of grassroots innovation

UCSD students, staff build filtration boxes to prevent spread of COVID in classrooms

NBC News: What to do if a family member tests positive? How to ‘Covid-proof’ your home. The best strategy for avoiding the Covid virus is to make indoor air as much like the outdoors as possible, experts say.

Brown University: Students unite to take a hands-on, DIY approach to improving air quality. An event hosted by Brown’s School of Public Health brought students together to build low-cost, highly effective Corsi-Rosenthal cubes as air filters that will augment existing filtration systems at Brown.

UCDavis: The Corsi-Rosenthal Box: DIY Box Fan Air Filter for COVID-19 and Wildfire Smoke