Since writing about the CritterZone Air Purifier a couple of weeks ago, I’ve received several inquiries and comments from readers that I think need to be addressed, since others may have similar concerns. I’ve taken all of the comments directly to the company and have received responses that I would like to share with you.
First, several people asked if the CritterZone makes a noise. Yes, there is a very low noise, like a soft hissing sound. It is a “white noise” sound and so far, it hasn’t changed or increased since I’ve been running my units.
The other — and more frequent — question I’ve received is about the odor that results from running the CritterZone. The unit doesn’t add any fragrance to the air, but when it’s running, it does change the smell of the air in the room. I think it smells like fresh air, and fresh air does contain ozone, so that is what you are smelling. This has alarmed some people, because ozone in the air we breathe is not a good thing (ozone high up in the atmosphere is a good thing, we want it there, just not down here.)
Some readers sent in links to information about ozone generators, asking if the CritterZone is in fact an ozone generator. I took the questions directly to the owner of the company, Bill Converse, and he told me explicitly that the CritterZone, even though the technology does produce a tiny amount of ozone as it works, is NOT an ozone generator. Ozone generators produce significant levels of ozone and are used to mask strong odors, like in fire restoration situations and other industrial applications.
The CritterZone is UL qualified as a non ozone generator. Non ozone generators must produce no more than .05 PPM of ozone. The CritterZone produces less than .01 PPM of ozone. According to Bill, “The reason that people smell what they perceive as ozone, is because ozone has an olfactory threshold of .0005 PPM, so you smell what you think is ozone, however it is below 20% of the allowable level for non ozone generating devices and our product is therefore not an ozone generator.”
Some people, especially people with asthma, are very sensitive to ozone. A few readers who purchased the CritterZone have reported sensitivity after running the unit. Just a reminder, CritterZone offers a 30-day money back guarantee, so if you do have sensitivity to it, they will be happy to let you return it for a full refund. Also, keep in mind that the CritterZone has a switch that allows you to run the unit on three different levels – low, medium, or high. Adjusting the level may alleviate the sensitivity.
I’ve found the company to be very responsive to all of these questions. If you have any further questions or concerns, please let me know or feel free to contact CritterZone directly. You can reach their technical support at 612-235-4911 extension 2.
DISCOUNT CODE STILL AVAILABLE
You can still take advantage of the $10 off discount code! When ordering at critterzoneusa.com just enter the promo code HAUSPANTHER at checkout and get $10 off each unit you purchase. The discount code does not have an expiration date and you may use it on multiple purchases.
as far as the ozone smell goes, i’ve found it to be noticeable, but there’s definitely a world of difference in the intensity of the smell depending on they setting. i’ve been fairly impressed with its performance so far. we have a big glass sunroom off the back of our house which usually stays pretty warm because of the sun shining in. we also have 2 litter boxes on the sun porch, and because it’s usually so warm out there, it can end up smelling pretty funky despite daily scooping and regular cleaning. that’s where we’ve put ours, and it makes a world of difference in the smell when we open up the door onto the sunroom when we get home at the end of the day.
I have a couple of areas where there have been repeated “accidents” on the carpet. I’ve steam cleaned multiple times, used enzymes, sprays, powders – EVERYTHING! The carpet really needs to go, but until I can get to that project, the CritterZone is the only thing that has truly eliminated the odor in the offending areas.
I bought one based on hauspather’s recommendation, and I can honestly say it’s been one of the best investments I’ve ever made. Yes, there is a slight odor, but it smells like fresh air to me as well, and I find it to be pleasant. I live in a modest condo, and have two litterboxes [4 indoor cats] in my bedroom/bathroom area out of necessity. This has nearly eliminated any odors in the area. I’ve tried just about everything out there, and nothing has come close to managing odors the way CritterZone has. I can’t make a strong enough recommendation for the CritterZone.
I bought 4 and so far I am pleased. The noise and smell were kinda annoying at first, but now I do not notice it at all. And I feel it works on smell. I also have a sunroom and when the windows are closed, it can get a funky smell..since I plugged in my Critter Zone, there is no smell.
Thank you so much, Kate, for summarizing the big questions about the Critter Zone units! I was finding it difficult to round up some of these very answers and your follow up post has been very helpful.
I got one to help with odor caused by an anxious cat who occasionally sprays. It helped a lot. Then I spilled duck fat on the baking stone in my oven, which created an unbelievably acrid stench. I put the CritterZone in the kitchen, hardly daring to hope it would make much difference, but it did, in just a few hours. After about three days, you would never know there had been a problem. I love this thing.I will leave it running on the lowest setting near our most-used litterbox, and will move it if and when (and there often seems to be a “when”) a problem arises.
Thaks for the new information. I am bothered by the smell and figured it was somehow due to charged particles. I’m probably going to have to return mine.
Wow, what a timely note about the Critterzone. I received mine yesterday and sent an e-mail this morning to the company regarding the strong smell it is generating. To me, it smells VERY stongly of chlorine. I had it running for a few hours in my bedroom and had to shut it off and hope the room aired out enough for me to sleep. It gave me a headache. I do not have asthma or severe allergies. I purchased it to help with the sometimes wet dog smell that occurs, any lingering scent from accidents, and just overall air quality in a room with no windows. I am awaiting the company’s response to the e-mail, but I will be very disappointed if I have to return the product. What is an equal alternative in effectiveness that others have seen, but without the smell? I was hoping to eventually get one for my litter box room. 🙁
What about the shipping to California issue?
Yes! This! It was never addressed as long as I was watching the previous comments (though I got sick of waiting and gave up.)
I live in CA and I want to know why it’s not shipped here. Even if people have been able to get them there is a reason why it wouldn’t be shipped here and no one has answered that.
I’ll be sticking to REAL fresh air for now.
Hi,
They now ship to California. That’s where I live, I ordered one and received it about 3 weeks ago.
I’ve received my CritterZone (haven’t begun using it yet, mostly because I can’t quite decide which room needs it most!), but the thing that struck me immediately is how TINY it is. I expected it to be much larger. That it’s so small is kind of exciting. I can’t wait to give it a try!
Interesting — thanks for the additional facts!
I prefer the units’ smell to the air fresheners I’ve been plugging into the wall. The huge litterbox, cleaned daily or more often is in the office closet, but somehow no matter where I was downstairs I could smell the thing. Now, no smell until I fully open the door. Have another two in high “smell” areas and the house now has a very neutral smell (I’m a windows open as often as possible type of person), even in the warmest room that gets all the afternoon sun and napping cats and dog. No more perfume or animal smells!
I have had mine for three weeks now. I sent a message to the company with two questions and received an reply the next day, which I consider outstanding customer service. The scent is definitely ozone-y but IMHO beats the smell of kitty by-products. I have two litter boxes near my front door. Upon coming home from work, I used to open my door to mild to extreme funk. No more since I installed the CritterZone. One of my questions asked about the lack of UL approval. I prefer that any electrical appliance or device that is constantly running have this approval.The info I got from Mr. Converse is slightly different from what you posted. He wrote, “Because the product is such a new type and does not exactly fit the existing U/L standards we are neither recognized or accepted. The design will of course satisfy either of the most likely standards to be used and we expect to have our recognition shortly. We routinely produce products to international standards and expect no delay with this one after the proper standard is determined.”
I am very happy with my CritterZone and will keep it.
There was a suggestion to use one unit in the room with the litter box(es), and potentially an additional unit elsewhere. The question I have is this: if there are no filters, what happens if fur, litter dust or other particulates get into the unit? Will this cause malfunctions, since a fan is used to circulate the charged air?
Hi there, Nancy.
If you live in a particularly dusty environment or have a lot of hair in the air, you may need to open the unit up and brush it off occasionally. The fan is only used to clear out the plasma chamber but not necessarily deliver to the room.
Hope that helps!
–CritterZone Customer Service
It makes a HUGE difference. I was surprised how small it was (guess I didn’t read the measurements). The sound is minimal…and the same regardless of which setting it is on (a bit odd, so you don’t really know what setting it is other than the position of the switch). I’d definitely buy another for the other end of the house, but their a bit pricey, so I’ll just move mine around and then try to find a central location where it’s still effective.
Thanks for all the great info. You’re the best! My first CriterZone is on its way and with six cats, I’m hoping this unit will finally do the trick!
I ordered the unit and just got your post about questions and concerns. I have also noticed an odd smell, it’s a metallic smell. It can get strong even when it is on the “low” setting. I am planning to call the company directly to discuss, but it isn’t a very pleasant smell maybe I’m just extra sensitive to smell as I’m asthmatic? It’s just a really odd and unpleasant metallic smell in the air. Disappointed since I think I’ll have to return it 🙁
I can’t find any information on how large an area this treats. I’ve had air purifiers in the past and they are the best! i’m interested in this one but not if I can’t get more information. I called customer service but just got a “leave a message” mesage.
I ordered one a few weeks back, it says that it treats an area of 300 square feet.
One unit treats 800 sq. feet
i have 2 units running in my home now since taking advantage of the Hauspanther promo. yes, i notice an odor but it is better than the various animal smells! as to noise, yes i consider it a low white noise that wasn’t really noticable until reading about it then listening for it. not unpleasant at all, especially if you have your radio or tv on. so far (2 weeks) i am very happy with my purchase.
Very happy with mine too. I replaced 3 Hunter air cleaners with 3 Critter Zones and my electric bill dropped by $20 this month! The air in my home is cleaner and odor free. Kate, thank you for the recommendation and discount.
I contacted them about returning my unit, due to the smell and was asked to try out a “new and updated” version with less of a smell. I was told that I would get a new unit and a label to ship back the other. I told them I was happy to try it out. It’s been almost 2 weeks and NOTHING. I just tried calling them and they said they’d call me back, but still no return. I’m starting to feel like they are playing a game and wanting my 30 days to run out as far as the money back guarantee, right now I’m very unhappy and I JUST want to return the thing because I cannot deal with the metallic smell. This is getting more and more disappointing!
Hi Kimberly,
I’m sorry to hear about your experience. Have you been contacted by our company since this time? If not, please email me at aleisha@critterzoneusa.com, and I’ll make sure we help you out right away.
I previously posted March 21, 2013 at 9:28 am
I received a response from the company the following day: “Thank you for the information regarding your experience with our product. The CritterZone Air Purifier releases charged ions into the air to activate the natural breakdown of odors in the air. This process takes place naturally with or without the CritterZone unit. The Air Purifier expedites this natural process. Every situation is different in regards to the time it may take to clean the air. Factors that can affect this are the size of the area, the amount of particulates or odors in the room, and the setting of the unit at high-medium-low. In a room with lower odors, which may be the case in your situation, we recommend the low setting. This will minimize the amount of charged ions being released. This will help to ensure the room is kept in balance with regards to the ionization process. The smell you are encountering could be from a couple of things. First, if the unit is on too high of a setting, you may be smelling the charged air. Turning the unit to low should help to alleviate this. Second, as the ionization process takes place, the natural chemical reactions may create a different scent . This can exist until the process fully breaks down all of the odors in the room. This should dissipate within about 48 hours, however, each application is different. Third, the size of the room can be a factor. The Air Purifier is designed to clean an 800 Sq. Ft. room. If the room is fairly small, utilizing the low setting can help.
Our recommendation is to try the unit on the low setting for a couple of days and see if this corrects the situation. If you are not satisfied with the result, we can either exchange the unit to see if it malfunctioning (this is not common but with all electronics things can happen), or we will always honor our 30 day money back guarantee.”
I have been running it on LOW since day two of ownership and the smell is maybe a bit dimished but still strong. I do not run it at night due to this and the extra noise. It can become like white noise, but I still find the high frequency of it irritating. Still, the smell is worrisome. It overpowers all other odors, that is for sure, but smelling like a headsplitting chemical is not better. I will be contacting the company again and may pursue returning. I am curious as to another poster mentioning they now have a new and update version….
Hi Lanie,
The response to our product has been overwhelmingly positive, but it looks like there may be some questions about how it works, etc.
There is some fantastic science going on here. That’s what makes the product work so well!
The CritterZone creates active ingredients that give the air the ability to clean itself, just like outdoor air does. Those active ingredients start creating chemical reactions and breaking down contaminants. Depending on the area and the situation, those reactions can give off different odors as the air works to clean itself.
Here’s the cool thing… any smell you might notice right away is a sign the machine is doing what it is supposed to be doing — improving your air quality by breaking down particles that cause odors.
So how long will it last? Well, it really depends on what the air quality was like before you plugged in the CritterZone. If your home/office/car is like most people’s, you probably have lots and lots of smells and unwanted particles floating around. For some CritterZone customers, this may be the first time in years (or ever) that they have had the air thoroughly cleaned, so it may take some time.
The chemistry involved with all the reactions from everything found in the air in a pet owner’s home can be daunting. However, as the air gets cleaner, those reactions slow down.
When purification happens in nature, it happens rapidly. Compared to massive changes happening with outdoor air, the reactions created by the CritterZone are of course smaller in scale, so that process happens at a slower pace. That’s why some users may notice different smells or reactions to the product. If that happens, switching the machine to low will let it work more gradually.
This scientific process is AMAZING, but it can be hard to visualize sometimes. We hope this information sheds a little light on some of the complex processes that go into cleaning up the air in your home when you use a CritterZone.
Sincerely,
CritterZone Customer Service
The smell never did improve and I did end up exchanging my unit for what CritterZone called their previous model. I have been using it over a year. The main reason I did not return it is that by the time I received the exchange and tried it out, my time had run out for a refund. The older version did not produce any smell. It is quieter, but still makes noise. Sometime it sounds like the fan is dying. High or low it sounds no different. I leave it on hoping it is doing something for what I paid, but my moderately sized room still gets the mild wet dog smell that does not leave. If it is helping at all with odors, it is not noticeable. Maybe the original version was doing something, but the “clean” air it produced was toxic and never dissapated to something near normal. The room it was used in was not tiny and was not overly odiferous to start with. Maybe I needed to move out for at least a month! 😉 I wish everyone the best with this product, but I cannot recommend it.
I smell a distinct metalic scent, which the brochure indicates could happen – especially in rooms where it’s combating other scents.
If I stand near it, it definitely makes me feel “strange”… so I’ve placed it in an area which I do not frequent.
Very pleased with the results of 1 day of use. Will be interested to see how it works out during hotter weather!
Has anyone ever tried using it directly on urine stains on the carpet? I read that if you put it face down on a urine spot on te carpet it will eliminate odor.
Based on the Hauspanther review (thanks for the additional information Hauspanther, it was very helpful!) , and reviews from other pet sites, I purchased one of these units. It arrived yesterday. As noted in a review I saw somewhere, it is very small, but don’t let that put you off. That evening I put the unit in the large south facing room which has a high ceiling. We put our houseplants in this room in the winter, spreading down a large sheet of plastic to protect the carpet in front of the windows. For some reason, some of the cats have taken to peeing on the plastic, among the pots, in places we can’t get to easily or at all because of the plants in the way. We also have a litter box in that room. By the end of winter, the room takes on a definite “ode de litter box” aroma. We haven’t gotten all the plants outside yet, and the smell is still pretty strong. This room is a tough test for the Critter Zone. But even after an hour or so, I could notice a distinct difference in the air quality in the room where I placed it. I kept checking over the course of the evening, and the air continued to improve in the whole room. I was running it on the “low” setting.
Yes, there is a certain smell, metallic sort of, which is stronger at first, but lessens over time. Even at its strongest, its better than smelling like you are standing in a litter box. I am sensitive to perfumes, and I would rather smell this than the perfume-y air fresheners, which don’t last long anyway. I moved the unit to a different part of the room, closer to the litter box, and let it run over night, on low. I expected it would clear the air in this room and today I’d move it to the family room which also has some funky smell. Well, when I got up, I noticed a distinct difference in the smell in the rest of the house! Even from the far corner of the sun room, the unit was cleaning the air in the kitchen and family room. I was amazed.
The real test will be this evening, when I get home from work, and walk in the house. Recently I’ve been hit with a cat pee odor, especially if the air conditioner has not been running. I’m hoping tonight, after Critter Zone unit has been running all day, I will smell nothing. So far, I’ve been really impressed.
There is a spot on the carpet where one of the cats occasionally likes to mark. I have lots of products I’ve used on it, and can get it to the point I can’t smell anything, but clearly they can. I plan on trying the Critter Zone spot treatment tip over the weekend.
So, so far, its been worth the money, and my house smells a whole lot better.
Wow! From the reviews, the CritterZone sounds magnificent! I have a rescue kitty who cannot quite help himself from peeing over the side of the litter box, which is enclosed in a spacious wood chest that I’ve had to line with plastic due to his litter box habits. I keep up with it for the most part but I’d love to have the CritterZone to make sure guests don’t ever smell it!
Ok, I haven’t tried it, but after reading all of these comments and questions, I’m concerned about the “smell” it produces. All of these questions and responses have to do with humans. What about animals? Cats are very sensitive to smell, and asthma! They are my #1 concern. And having this thing plugged in at their level, or near their litter boxes, is of real concern to me. Can the company or anyone please comment on the health hazards to them? Are data sheets available? Are there any endorsements from naturopathic vets? Those would be a requirement for me.
I’m also wondering if it can be used in conjunction with existing air purifiers?
And is it only for indoor use? My entire back yard is a “catio”, and the patios have cat furniture and litter pans in concealed wooden structures. As you know, cats “perimeter mark”. Mine still mark the doors and windows, even though they all can come and go inside and outside as they please, fully contained. Would a Critter Zone work if it’s plugged in on the patio?
Thanks.
I haven’t read any mention of the Critterzone’s other attributes which I’m interestedin. The promo reads ” An all-natural process that virtually eliminates odors, bacteria and other pollutants such as mold, mildew, E-coli, Staph, Salmonella, Listeria, and more. It safely and naturally kills germs in the air and provides a surface of protection to PREVENT germ and mold growth”. Does anyone care to give a review about this?