The lower part of the grid unit that is removed for cleaning started sparking after it may have been excessively flooded with water. It seems to be near where one of the two connection pins insert from underneath. Attempts to blow or heat dry the lower part of the unit have failed to improve the situation. Attempts to remove the four screws at the bottom do not allow removal of the plastic piece that covers the bottom part of the grid to help dry out the inner part of this area. This whole unit appears to be unable to be easily taken apart.
Hi there,
I know you are probably getting frustrated by now. A little more patience please.
Now this is going to sound off the wall, but it will tell you whether or not water it the cause of the problem. I've had success doing this on many types of equipment and flooding.
Freeze it. Put it in the freezer, along with a fresh ice tray. when the ice tray is frozen, pull the unit and try it.
If it still exhibits the same symptoms, water is not causing it.
If the problem disappears, it still needs some drying time.
Comment me back after the freeze.
Thanks for being so patient
Mike
Hi Recmd,
That is great news about the freeze. It is a water problem.
There should be a notable changeFreeze again
Right after the freeze, then try blowing in with compressed air. The ice will blow away.
Right back into the freeze before it gets warm
Air again. You get the picture.
Do this three or for times
Then try running it (after the air)
hope you can read this.
Mike
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Hi sir...When you cleaned your cleaner, you must be gentle with it. Wipe down with a lightly moist cloth or paper towel. make sure you dont shove any grime between the metal cleaning grid and the plastic holding it all together. that can cause lots of problems. Your air purifier probably wont start because of an auto shut off safety feature. Be sure that everything is in its proper place.. make sure hte front grill is fastened on correctly as well as the back grill. if those are not secured properly the unit will not start. also, check that your collection grid is placed all the way inside the unit and wait for the click noise that indicates that its locked in place. at that point the unit should turn on and you can get air..
thank u
rate me
Just spray it with WD40 (penetrating oil) it repels water but doesn't conduct electricity
Press a paper towel into any joints where there is ANY possibility of water. Water can stay inside an area for months if there is no air circulation. Any trapped water would prevent air circulation. The paper towel will wick the water out. This practice is used on fine electronics that were damaged in floods.
Unless I missed it, you don't have any information on the unit listed. Make, model & serial numbers might help a lot. Serial numbers can affect which unit to look at because they change methods in a production run sometimes and change their specs at a certain serial number. I wouldn't think of throwing it away until ALL other posibilities are exhausted. Those things aren't cheap!!!
If you have a digital camera, see if you can send me a picture or two of the problem area. I'll see if I can come up with something that will help you.
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I work with electronics alot at work and the most common problem we run into is water/moisture damaged equipment the way we take care of it is by getting some denatured alcohol from the local pharmacy, its around $15 for about 16 ounces or so. We then will soak the equipment in it for about 1 hour to clean and break free any material that may have developed on it. After that we take compressed air to blow off the excess and then we let it dry for around 3 hours. Then we reassemble the equipment which about 85% of the time it works as good as new.
A metallic object or part is getting touched to the grid as due to this its giving a spark after cleaning.as its not adjusted properly and needs to be readjusted.or the coating on the grid is gone rubbed off and thats creating the spark.just check out and make it proper.
I have had this same problem. The purifier plate (removable) is damaged within the unit. You need to replace it. Mine looked perfect but after replacement the sparing stopped. You have the same problem.
Hi!
You have to dry it well. It seems like moisture is still present somewhere causing faulty isolation.
Being that it so heavily water damaged, and the fact that you did not let it completely dry before plugging it in. Most likely irreversible damage had been caused. The only viable option is replacement. If you need further assistance let me know, also please take a moment to accept and rate my solution accordingly.
Thank you,
Lee
Right, which means you should replace the whole unit as you damaged it with water.
Thanks,
Lee
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You cannot treat parts of this appliance with water, because oxide formation can cause shorts, and discharges.
That is what happened in your case.
Sharper Image closed down, therefore you cannot even find parts (see Sharper Image Bankrupt)
Call
CLICK HERE to the FiXyA online manula for your unit.
You can browse through the pages (upper right) and find your unit filter IS designed to be cleaned and/or soaked in water and mild detergent. (page 9)
Since you are experiencing arcing in the collector/filter chances are good that during cleaning you have damaged the plastic insulation, and when the filter is in place, there is arcing present.
From the Manual:
Do not use towel, sponge, abrasive or sharp objects to clean the collector grid. Collector plates are fragile and covered with plastic insulation that could be easily damaged.
Inspect the collector grid closely for missing insulation, and cover with an insulating epoxy.
Thank you for using FiXyA - A FixYa rating is appreciated!!
If you look closely at the blades, see if you can determine the offending blade - then remove it!
SEE HERE SOLUTION # 3 - where other users had this problem, and their not-so-technical solution.
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Hi,The problem is the unit was emersed in water and is not designed to be,The information to put in the dish washer was incorrect and is stated on the site as well as in the book,The unit is now infused with water and the only way to corectly dry it would be to place in the oven,set to the lowest setting or about 100 deg. temperature for about 18 hours or longer if needed,(this will allow for the unit to dehydrate completely.if this does not work,(the grid is unrepairable and will need replaced)
Here is the new sharper image website http://sharperimage.com/?page_id=223
Also,
You are probably aware that the ionizer uses a very high voltage to function. If you have used a cleaner of some kind on it, you could have made the grid sensitive to moisture.
remove the grid and wash it thoroughly in distilled water to remove any residue that stayed behind, then dry it in warm air before reinstalling it.
I will continue to add info
Clarification
This statement was not made "immersing this grid in water is forbidden in the manual and website"
This statement was "the unit was immersed in water and is not designed to be"
Explanation (the unit should not be soaked for a long period of time)
This was "The information to put in the dish washer was incorrect and is stated on the site as well as in the book"
Explanation (The unit was not designed to be dishwasher safe)
(It is to fragile for the dishwasher)
This was as well "(the grid is unrepairable and will need replaced)"
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Something has to be shorting out the grid. if its liquid, let it dry for days or weeks. if not water, you'll have to remove the residue atleast.
YOUR FUSE, CIRCUIT BOARD, OR POWER SUPPLY HAS SHORTED OUT. YOU WILL HAVE TO GET A VOLT METER OR OHM METER TO FURTHER DIAGNOSE THIS PROBLEM
If your grid is sparking and it's is already dried out, then you have a short in the grid. This will take electronical test equipment to pinpoint the exact problem. There is a faulty resistor or another part that has to be replaced.
USE A HAIR DRYER
USE A HAIR DRYER
I WOULD STILL USE A HAIRDRYER.
CHECK OUT THIS LINK TO HELP SOLVE YOUR PROBLEM
Ihttp://www.airpurifierrepair.com/ProductDetails.aspx?ID=34&ProductId=591S
When you wipe them off grid with a damp cloth (cause you don't want to get it too wet), the grids must dry for 24 hours before re-installing them, or it WILL damage the unit
THERE IS A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT AGAINST THIS COMPANY FOR THIS PRODUCT!!!!!1
After paying several hundred dollars for these machines that are later discovered to be producing dangerous levels of ozone
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The sparks are caused by small pieces of lint that are spanning between the two plates of the collector grid.
Put the grid in the dishwasher and let the dishwasher wash and dry it. That should remove the very fine pieces of lint.
Whatever you do, do not bend the plates, or break the very fine ionizer wires within the cell.
I used to design these, so please reply back any other questions.
Note, I didn't design this particular unit, but I have designed equipment like this before.
Is the popping and arcing truly coming from the cell? These things run several thousand volts of power, and will arc much like lightening. It doesn't take much of an edge to cause the arcs to occur.
Are the cell plates nice and straight? If the is any bowing of the plates, an arc can occur.
Look for lint on the ionizer wires as well as the plates. And I am talking micro fiber sized lint here. If the arc is always at the same place, then look for lint buildup, or carbon tracking paths if it's arcing across an insulator.
Let me know what you find.
Water is not the problem with the cell. You've proven that with what you've done, so stop wasting our time trying to solve that.
I suspect that it's either a carbon tracking path or cracked insulator.inside the cell. Again, does it arc between two plates out in the open, or a plate and a wire, or is it near a plate support, or the end cap of the cell, across the insulator?
I'll see if I can figure out who manufactured this unit for Sharper Image.
My only comment is, that if the cell is of metallic (aluminum) and plastic construction,it is impervious to water, and washing in a dishwasher of soaking in a sink with a cleaning solution will not be a problem. We used to soak collector cells in a special detergent solution for 24-36 hours to remove tobacco smoke residues.
The special detergent solution was one that was neutral to aluminum, and did not contain surfactants that caused what we all know as sheeting of the water on surfaces (sheeting keeps glassware from spotting. Remember the commercial?).
The issue with the unit in question has nothing to do with water or absorbed moisture, provided the cell is manufactured as described above, and I have not seen any that were not (other than ceramic insulators, rather than plastic.). Sitting in the open for 12-18 hours should dry ot out, unless the cell is being deluged in a rainstorm.
For those who have never worked on or been around equipment like this, please check your references a little closer and understand the reasons for the cautionary statements that may be found in the owner manuals. In the industrial environment, units such as this have built in water wash systems to wash collected grime from the cells. Know what your talking about before you comment and confuse.
These collection cells are not made to be repaired.
Several things to look for -
1) Cracked insulator, which I believe is plastic on these cells.
2) Carbon tracking on the insulator, impossible to clean off well enough to make usable again
3) Lint or dirt, creating a high voltage path
4) Wash residue which allows a high voltage tracking path, and leads to a carbon track (above.).
None of this is good news, and the only thing to recommend is close visual inspection of the cell. Make sure when the cell is washed that it drains in such a way so that water does not path across the insulators as it dries.
The use of detergents or soaps that have surfactants (the stuff that keeps glasses from spotting in the dishwasher) is a problem for cells because it leaves a tracking path for high voltage.
Let me know what you find and I'll help you more.
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Sparks shouldn't be present in a air purifier!
That means you have a short which is most likely in the fan motor and causing sparks!
Have you contacted the manufacturer to see if you can even buy a replacement motor or grid? If not you could break it, replace the motor and marine tech (Fiberglass Glue) it back together but I doubt you'll find a compatible motor!
It's a shame that a lot of things today are built to withstand repair with painstaking accuracy.
Hope this will help you with your loss!
Good Luck
Please give us a detailed description of the grid and it's components listing exactly what the problem is again!
If there's an electrical problem that could injure you or someone else please stop immediately and seek professional help!
Has this helped FixYa?
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Going on a limb with this one. If you can not get the piece taken apart, then put it in a very warm spot for about a week to let it dry out. (hint if water can get in then it can evaporate) The only thing bout that is when you plug it in do not do it inside because of risk of fire.
It will sparks, the possible problem on it is the wet surface of the voltage while you clean it,, make sure to find it,, because it can cause short circuit
A sensor and detection methods are provided for detecting nitric oxides
(NOx) in an exhaust gas based upon ion mobility spectrometry (IMS)
technique. An ionization chamber having an interior electrically
conductive shell receives exhaust gas. A spark electrode having a
needle tip extends into the ionization chamber. A shutter grid is
coupled between the ionization chamber and an ion drift tube. A
substantially continuous spark discharge is established between the
electrically conductive shell and the needle tip of the spark electrode
for ionization of the exhaust gas. Negative NO2 ions are
kept inside the chamber by biasing the electrically conductive shell
and the shutter grid at a negative voltage. Then a positive pulse is
applied to the shutter grid to cause the shutter to open for negative NO2 ions to exit into the ion drift tube. The IMS sensor is small-sized, low-cost, robust, and reliable. 
1.
An ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) sensor for detecting nitric oxides
(NOx) in an exhaust gas comprising: an ionization chamber for receiving
the exhaust gas; said ionization chamber includes an interior
electrically conductive shell; a spark electrode having a needle tip
extending into said ionization chamber; a shutter grid coupled between
said ionization chamber and an ion drift tube; means for establishing a
substantially continuous spark discharge between said electrically
conductive shell of the ionization chamber and said needle tip of the
spark electrode for ionization of the exhaust gas.
2. An IMS sensor as recited in claim 1 includes a voltage source
coupled to said electrically conductive shell of said ionization
chamber and said shutter grid for biasing said electrically conductive
shell and said shutter grid at a negative voltage.
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Hi and welcome to FixYa,
Offhand would suggest invert the whole thing and use a can of compressed air. Attach the small tube/nozzle to finely direct the air to specific areas.
Pls post back result(s). Good luck and Thank you for using FixYa.
Since the arcing still exist even in the absence of water, then it could either be:dirt/dust/foreign material (lint) exist that provides for a 'jumpoint' for the spark/arc;
breakdown of insulator, a possibility is that the non-conductive insulator has lost its feature/characteristic and therefore allow the arcs. A possible way to prevent the arc is to modify the unit by adding an insulator such as fishpaper or laminated sheets specifically for this purpose. A temporary insulator which will also serve to verify this possibility is inserting between the 2 arcing points a small piece of acetate or transparency.
Have you considered adding a layer of insulation on the arcing areas? A spray of lacquer or quick dry paint might just do the trick.
Cheers.
An better/alternative brush on type insulator would be "corona dope".
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Hi!
Check out for any loose wires and also check whether water hasn't entered the transformer core(a large copper coil attached to mains power). For more details check the user manual from the link---
http://www.fixya.com/support/p517037-sharper_image_hybrid_gp_si724_air/manual-21690/page-2
You have to locate the "blade" that is causing a short (usually can see it sparking; if not, reset it (turn it off then on) in a dark room and locate the problem area (this is how I figured it out). If you can locate the offending "blade", simply tear it out of the base where the spark is occurring, fold it back against itself so the metal does not contact anything other than itself (and is no longer contacting the base where the sparks occurred).
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It sounds like the water is still present somewhere deep in the system causing a false ground path to the grid. Try drying it out (like everyone else said), but in different positions. Ex.: 2 days while laying on its side, 2 days upside down, etc.. This could be caused by something as small as a half of a drop of water connecting to ports that shouldn't be connected and causing a false path as stated before.
Welcome to Fixya! This is a Very tricky Machine to Diagnose and Repair when you are not right there with it. In my Professional Opinion, I would Scrap it and get a New One. Once you remove the Panels they Never work the Same and Cannot be Trusted.
The water has caused a short ,which has deterioid the insulation be very careful if you try to find it yourself.
If you can tip it leave it on its side for a few hours to allow it to dry out. then you should be able to do what you need to do and go from there
If you can't get it apart to dry it out. make sure it is unpluged and turn it upside down and let it sit like that for about a day so that water comes out then try it.. good-luck ray
Put it up in theattic for a few days
If you need further help, reach me via phone at https://www.6ya.com/expert/dan_73bbd84fe1d95b61
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The problem has been isolated to the grid, because when I put in a grid from a second unit, the first unit works fine. The grid was left upside down for more than 1-2 days, and it has been more than a week since the problem developed. It has also been on its side for at least two days during this time. It may be true that there is still moisture somewhere inside the grid, but it seems it would have dried by now. At this time it has the same pattern when I test it; it starts to spark, then goes into the drying cycle, than after awhile begins to spark again, then light comes on saying, "attention required" (and unit is not functioning at that point). Would entertain offers to repair grid for $50 or $60 not including shipping.
I followed the suggestion of buying a can of air and blowing out the lower part of the grid. I especially focused on blowing into the lower receptacles where the two connector pins insert on the under side of the grid, all to no avail, even after letting the grid sit for a day or two. I now think the main problem may have to do with one of these connections where the pins insert on the under side of the grid, since the sparks are visualized above the area where the pin on the front inserts (these pins are both on the left as you face the machine-- the electric discharges are visualized at the bottom of the grid units through the grill). So far none of the suggestions have helped. The solution of junking my unit or grid is not a solution I need to pay for, since I could have done that without any advice.
I think it has had enough time to dry in a warm environment already.
If you read my comments carefully, it is not in the unit or fan motor, it's coming from the grid (I already proved that) and Sharper Image is bankrupt and not doing service.
I don't have access to an IMS sensor and the link for a manual gives further links to purchase manuals of different air purifiers for more money than this grid unit is worth.
I put the grid through a dishwasher cycle, since it was suggested by an expert claiming to have helped design this grid that the cause of the electrical cracking was lint between the grid plates. On closer inspection, I did see some possible lint, so I took the suggestion and put it through one wash cycle and two drying cycles. The result was a very clean looking grid, but virtually no change in the function of the grid, still the same popping and crackling.
I don't think the fuse, circuit board, or power supply is in the grid, therefore I don't see how an ohmmeter could help.
I was able to manage getting it into my side door freezer by taking out some shelves. I left it for a few hours. The problem was the condensation from being in the freezer. It immediately went into the drying cycle, but without the crackling at first, then later when it finished the drying cycle, the popping and crackling began again. I then tried to dry the bottom more thoroughly with a space heater, but this did not do anything. I cannot entertain any suggestions of a highly technical nature or that require special equipment. Unless someone has direct experience with this particular grid, and has seen this problem and knows what can be done to correct the problem or is willing to allow me to send it to them to be fixed, I think I have reached my end point and plan to ask for a refund since nobody has come up with any solutions that have worked.
Already tried compressed air, see above.
An expert has stated that immersing this grid in water is forbidden in the manual and website, and that the advice to run it through a dishwasher cycle was harmful. The initial immersion was accidental by a cleaning person against my advice. I did hear at one time that immersion of this grid was not recommended. On the other hand I have looked carefully at my instruction book, and I can find nothing forbidding immersion of this grid in the book. The Sharper Image site is now not providing links to manuals. I would appreciate confirmation with a current reference to a link to a website regarding this information. As to the advice to leave it in an oven for 18 hrs. at temp. 100 degrees, unfortunately my oven is nowhere near large enough to accommodate this grid, but I will check around.
Directions for cleaning say to use a detergent and rinse with water. We've never used any other detergent than the same one repeatedly, and it only developed this problem this one time. To say that one cannot use water to rinse this unit goes against the original directions form Sharper Image.
The link to the website simply brings up the current Sharper Image website which does not have any links to manuals that I can find. I have used only one detergent since I have owned this unit, and rinsed with water as the original Sharper Image directions suggest, and the problem developed this one time after possible immersion of the base of the unit. Repeated freezing and blowing it out was not successful in correcting the problem. My impression was that with every freezing there was a large amount of condensation of ice which turned into water with warming. My impression was that there was so much moisture that it prevented any crackling until it switched over to the drying cycle, then the popping and crackling reappeared after the unit became dry. The unit is too long (23")to fit into any domestic ovens I have access to. Again, if there is any expert who knows this unit is fixable for a reasonable price or who wants to purchase it from me for a small price plus shipping, I'll gladly send it to you.
Thanks for the link to the manual on the Fixya site. It is an exact duplica of the hard copy I have here at home. It talks about rinsing, but says nothing about immersion. We have never used any abrasive or sharp objects on the grid, and only used the cleaning tool provided with the unit. Because of the close proximity of the metal sheets of the grid, it would be very difficult to visualize all the surfaces to see if one part is damaged.
I think all the blades are fixed and not removable in this unit.
It was suggested I needed to replace the purifier plate. If it's not in the actual grid, this would not be the problem, as the problem was isolated to the grid, not the main unit. Since the grid appears to not be able to be easily taken apart, I wouldn't attempt to try to repair it on my own.
The last posted solution of using denatured alcohol sounds like it would be contingent on being able to take the grid apart, which is not possible according to my latest information. I was directed to a website by one of the experts which I think is called AirpurifierRepair.com and I was told that the FDA and the EPA has some kind of restraining order on them to prevent them from repairing any Sharper Image air purifiers and fining them if they try to do this, because of possible harm the Sharper Image products may cause to people with asthma from ozone, etc. On the other hand the Sharper Image people tried to make the point that the Consumer Reports people used inappropriate methods to gather their information, possibly sampling the air too close to the machines to do the ozone readings in rooms or spaces which were smaller than designated for the machines. Personally, I have always felt the air was fresher and purer with these machines. My understanding is that most all negative ion generating air purifiers also put out some ozone, which is normal after a thunderstorm, so I tend to disagree with the positions of Consumer Reports, and I think these presumed accurate measurements and findings may have opened the door to inaccurately overstating the actual possible low risks of using these units, especially when used appropriately. The other thing I was told by this repair person was that, to his knowledge, this Grid could not be readily taken apart and they probably would have recommended replacing it rather than to repair it. Unless someone has a strong contradictory argument to the last stated opinions by this repair person who repaired and refurbished these units professionally, I think I have reached the end of attempting to get this unit functioning and will bring this process to a close, especially because the time investment is not profitable in bringing about a reasonably quick resolution to the problem.
The WD-40 was tried in the areas around the popping and crackling and was a complete failure, nothing changed. Sorry guys, I'm done.
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