About Greenwave Dirty Electricity Filters
Greenwave filters target erratic surges and spikes of dirty electricity (electrical “trash”) flowing along circuit wiring in homes and other buildings. The main purpose of the filters is to reduce the level of high frequency electromagnetic fields (EMFs) that radiate from building wires into rooms and other spaces where people spend time.
Learn details about Greenwave dirty electricity filters below, including what dirty electricity is, how Greenwave filters work, key features of the filters, tips for estimating filter needs, how to measure filter performance, and more.
What is Dirty Electricity?
Dirty electricity is a form of EMF pollution that has become increasingly common in homes and buildings. It consists of erratic micro surges and spikes of electrical energy traveling along power lines, circuit wiring, and power cords—areas where only “clean” AC electricity should be. Dirty electricity is also known as electrical noise, line noise, power line EMI (electromagnetic interference), and microsurge electrical pollution. It radiates potentially harmful EMFs (electromagnetic fields) into spaces where people live, work, learn, play, and more.
The rapid growth of dirty electricity over recent years is largely due to the widespread use of modern electronic devices, energy-efficient equipment and lighting, alternative power systems, and more. Devices such as digital electronics, smart appliances, computers, TVs, video game systems, solar power installations, electric vehicle (EV) charging stations, etc. often require manipulation of standard AC electricity. These manipulations involve changing voltage and current to suit operational needs, which interrupts the smooth flow of electricity and generates harmonics and high-frequency voltage transients—key components of dirty electricity.
Once generated, dirty electricity SPREADS!
It can travel throughout a building’s electrical system and even to other buildings via power cords, circuit wiring, power lines, and other means. As it moves along these pathways, it emits high frequency EMFs that may couple with our bodies, potentially leading to adverse health effects. Reported symptoms associated with exposure to dirty electricity include headaches, fatigue, brain fog, sleep disturbances, anxiety, and conditions such as cancer, diabetes, ADD/ADHD, and more.
In summary, dirty electricity is an often-overlooked form of EMF pollution created by the way modern electrical devices modify electricity when operating. Its presence in homes, schools, and workplaces raises growing concerns about its possible impact on human health and wellbeing.
How Do Greenwave Dirty Electricity Filters Work?
Greenwave filters plug into electrical outlets and multi-socket power strips. They utilize capacitive technology (capacitors) to target high frequency voltages present on the hot wire in electrical circuits. As these frequencies pass through a filter, they are shorted out, which creates a bit of “dirty” current. This current is shunted (sent) primarily to the circuit’s neutral wire, back toward its source. The dirty electricity on the hot and neutral wires in the circuit then cancel each other out to a certain degree. This helps reduce the level of high frequency dirty electricity fields that radiate off the wires into rooms.
Key Features of Greenwave Dirty Electricity Filters
Easy to use!
Simply plug the filters into electrical outlets and multi-socket power strips to target the dirty electricity (EMI) present on circuit wiring. By mitigating the EMI on electrical wiring, the filters help reduce the level of chaotic dirty electricity fields that radiate from building wires into rooms.
Built-in outlet for plug-through convenience
Greenwave filters include a built-in outlet at their base. You can plug most electronics and other devices into the filters when you need an outlet to access power.
Safety certified and environmentally friendly
Greenwave dirty electricity filters meet rigorous electrical safety standards (e.g., UL, CE, and/or SEMKO). They are also RoHS compliant. RoHS regulations limit or ban the use of specific hazardous materials such as lead, mercury, cadmium, and phthalates in electronic and electrical equipment/products.
Available with a Type A, Type B, or Type E/F plug
Filters for the United States, Canada, Mexico, Japan, and some other countries are available with a 3-prong Type B plug (standard) or a 2-prong Type A plug. The 3-prong model includes a built-in outlet that can accommodate both 3-prong (Type B) and 2-prong (Type A) plugs. The 2-prong model includes a built-in outlet that can accommodate 2-prong (Type A) plugs.
Filters for Europe come with a plug that is compatible with the Type E and Type F sockets common throughout much of Europe. They include a built-in outlet that can accommodate both Type E and Type F plugs.
SPECTRUM 2500i
3-Prong Filter
(U.S., Canada, Mexico, Japan)
SPECTRUM 2500i
2-Prong Filter
(U.S., Canada, Mexico, Japan)
SPECTRUM 2500-EF
European Filter
How Many Filters Do I Need?
For best results, we recommend installing filters throughout your environment. The number of filters needed will depend on the size of the building or space where you want to install them (e.g., number of rooms and square footage) and, more importantly, on the concentration of dirty electricity sources in each room. It will also be influenced by the amount of “external” dirty electricity entering your electrical system from the power grid via utility supply lines and other means.
Below are ESTIMATES of the number of filters needed for various spaces. If you need more help determining your filter needs, please contact us at [email protected] or 1-800-506-6098.
How Many Filters Do I Need?
For best results, we recommend installing filters throughout your environment. The number of filters needed will depend on the size of the building or space where you want to install them (e.g., number of rooms and square footage) and, more importantly, on the concentration of dirty electricity sources in each room. It will also be influenced by the amount of “external” dirty electricity entering your electrical system from the power grid via utility supply lines and other means.
Below are ESTIMATES of the number of filters needed for various spaces. These estimates are for houses in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Japan, and some other locations with 60 Hz, 100-127 V electrical service.
Decrease these estimates by ONE THIRD to ONE HALF for houses in Europe and other locations with 50 Hz, 220-240 V electrical service.
If you need more help determining your filter needs, please contact us at [email protected] or 1-800-506-6098.
| Type of House | Number of Rooms |
SQ FT | Number of Filters Needed (Estimate) |
| 1 Bedroom House | 4 – 5 | 700 – 1,000 | 8 |
| 2 Bedroom House | 5 – 7 | 1000 – 1,400 | 12 |
| 3 Bedroom House | 6 – 8 | 1,400 – 1,800 | 16 |
| 4 Bedroom House | 7 – 10 | 1,800 – 2,800 | 20 |
| 5 Bedroom House | 8 – 12 | 2,800 + | 24 |
These estimates are for houses in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Japan, and some other locations with 60 Hz, 100-127 V electrical service. DECREASE these estimates by ONE THIRD to ONE HALF for houses with 50 Hz, 220-240 V electrical service.
| Type of Apartment/Condo | Number of Rooms |
SQ FT | Number of Filters Needed (Estimate) |
| Studio Unit | 1 – 2 | 300 – 500 | 4 |
| 1 Bedroom Unit | 3 – 4 | 500 – 800 | 7 |
| 2 Bedroom Unit | 4 – 6 | 800 – 1,200 | 10 |
| 3 Bedroom Unit | 5 – 7 | 1,200 + | 12 |
These estimates are for houses in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Japan, and some other locations with 60 Hz, 100-127 V electrical service. DECREASE these estimates by ONE THIRD to ONE HALF for houses with 50 Hz, 220-240 V electrical service.
| Type of Individual Office |
Number of Rooms |
SQ FT | Number of Filters Needed (Estimate) |
| Executive Office | 1 | 150 – 300 | 3 |
| Standard Office | 1 | 100 – 150 | 2 |
These estimates are for houses in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Japan, and some other locations with 60 Hz, 100-127 V electrical service. DECREASE these estimates by ONE THIRD to ONE HALF for houses with 50 Hz, 220-240 V electrical service.
| Classroom | Number of Rooms |
SQ FT | Number of Filters Needed (Estimated) |
| Standard Classroom | 1 | 750 – 900 | 6 |
These estimates are for houses in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Japan, and some other locations with 60 Hz, 100-127 V electrical service. DECREASE these estimates by ONE THIRD to ONE HALF for houses with 50 Hz, 220-240 V electrical service.
HOUSES
1 Bedroom House
4 – 5 rooms
700 – 1000 square feet
8 Filters
2 Bedroom House
5 – 7 rooms
1000 – 1400 square feet
12 Filters
3 Bedroom House
6 – 8 rooms
1400 – 1800 square feet
16 Filters
4 Bedroom House
7 – 10 rooms
1800 – 2800 square feet
20 Filters
5 Bedroom House
8 – 12 rooms
2800+ square feet
24 Filters
APARTMENTS & CONDOS
Studio Apartment
1 – 2 rooms
300-500 square feet
4 Filters
1 Bedroom Apartment/Condo
3 – 4 rooms
500 – 800 square feet
7 Filters
2 Bedroom Apartment/Condo
4 – 6 rooms
800 – 1200 square feet
10 Filters
3 Bedroom Apartment/Condo
5 – 7 rooms
1200+ square feet
12 Filters
INDIVIDUAL OFFICES
Standard Office
100 – 150 square feet
2 Filters
Executive Office
150 – 300 square feet
3 Filters
CLASSROOMS
Standard Classroom
750 – 900 square feet
6 Filters
How Much Do Greenwave Filters Cost?
The cost per filter depends on the total number of filters ordered.
United States, Canada, Mexico, Japan +
| 1 – 4 filters | $40.00 per filter |
| 5 – 9 filters | $36.50 per filter |
| 10 or more filters | $33.25 per filter |
Europe
| 1 – 4 filters | $60.00 per filter |
| 5 – 9 filters | $58.00 per filter |
| 10 or more filters | $56.00 per filter |
Measuring the Impact of Greenwave Filters
The effectiveness of Greenwave dirty electricity filters can be easily measured using a plug-in EMI (dirty electricity) meter, such as the Greenwave Broadband EMI Meter. Simply plug the meter into electrical outlets to measure the level of dirty electricity present on nearby wiring BEFORE and AFTER installing filters. The meter is also an excellent tool for identifying sources of dirty electricity in your environment and guiding the installation of dirty electricity filters. It can help you determine the best number of filters to install in each room and where to place the filters for optimal results. It can also help you identify potential problems (such as resonance) that can occasionally arise during installation.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Dirty electricity is ONE of four different types of EMF pollution now common in homes and other buildings. The best tools for measuring dirty electricity are an oscilloscope or a plug-in EMI meter (also known as a line noise meter or microsurge meter). Most consumer level meters for measuring the other three types of EMF pollution (i.e., AC electric fields, AC magnetic fields, and RF/wireless radiation) are generally NOT well suited for measuring dirty electricity. This is often a point of confusion for people who attempt to use these tools to measure the effectiveness of dirty electricity filters and other DE mitigation strategies and don’t see the results they expect.
Filter Instructions
Below are links to installations instructions for Greenwave dirty electricity filters. Our GUIDE TO DIRTY ELECTRICITY also includes helpful tips and protocols for measuring dirty electricity and installing plug-in dirty electricity filters — DOWNLOAD GUIDE NOW.
INSTRUCTIONS
Filters for the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Japan
Satisfaction Guarantee
If you are not completely satisfied with Greenwave filters, you may return them to Greenwave International within 60 days of purchase for a refund or credit. A 5% restocking fee may be imposed for returns, unless the return is due to a manufacturer defect in the product or a shipping error. For detailed information about Greenwave’s return policy and filter disclaimer, refer to our terms and conditions.
Special Considerations
Greenwave filters mitigate dirty electricity, NOT other common types of EMF pollution.
Greenwave filters are designed to mitigate the dirty electricity (high frequency voltages) flowing along the electrical wiring in homes and other buildings. They do NOT filter ambient radio frequency radiation (i.e, wireless technology radiation) from the air. Similarly, they do NOT mitigate the 60 Hz electric and magnetic fields associated with conventional AC electricity.
Greenwave filters can help resolve equipment interference problems, but not always.
The primary purpose of Greenwave filters is to mitigate traditional EMI noise present on circuit wiring so that less high frequency dirty electricity fields radiate into rooms where people spend time.
The filters can be effective in resolving equipment interference issues if the frequency (or frequencies) causing the problem are within the frequency range targeted by the filters and are on the hot wire in a circuit (as opposed to a grounding conductor or elsewhere). If you purchase Greenwave filters to remediate an equipment or audio interference issue and they do not resolve your particular problem, you are welcome to return them for a refund.
Capacitive dirty electricity filters are not always compatible with solar energy systems and the storage back-up units they use.
Use of Greenwave filters is NOT recommended in homes or other buildings with totally OFF-GRID solar power (or wind power) systems. Use of Greenwave filters in environments with solar energy systems that are tied to the power grid is usually OK. If you’re grid-tied system includes batteries for storing power, you’ll need to unplug Greenwave filters during power grid outages, or in other words, at times when the ONLY source of power available to you is that which stored in your batteries.
We recommend checking with your solar provider to determine whether your system will be compatible with capacitive loads. Let them know how many filters you want to install and that each capacitive plug-in filter will draw approximately 1 Amp of power.
Capacitive plug-in filters can be INCOMPATIBLE with generators used to provide electricity during power outages or at other times.
Greenwave filters and other dirty electricity filters that utilize capacitance technology should NOT be used in buildings being powered by a generator (for example during power outages). If you have a generator to provide electricity during power outages or at other times, UNPLUG dirty electricity filters while the generator is operating to avoid possible damage to your generator, filters, and/or other equipment, appliances, and systems in your environment. The filters can be plugged back in when your home or building has returned to grid-supplied power and your generator is no longer running.
Plug-in dirty electricity filters emit a localized AC magnetic field.
Many appliances and other devices that run on electricity (including many dirty electricity filters) emit a localized AC magnetic field when operating. These localized magnetic fields can be strong right next to the devices that creates them, but decrease in strength very rapidly as you move away from those devices. The AC magnetic field emitted by a Greenwave dirty electricity filter typically extends only 3 – 6 INCHES from the filter. Within 6 inches of a filter (12 at most) you are usually outside of its localized magnetic field entirely. With this in mind, it’s generally best to install the filters at least one foot from places where you stand, sit, or lie down for extended periods of time.
Capacitive plug-in filters should NOT be used in outlets that are part of electrical circuits with known or suspected wiring errors.
Certain kinds of wiring errors cause elevated AC magnetic fields in homes and other buildings due to the net current they create in affected circuits. Examples of such errors include improper neutral-to-neutral and neutral-to-ground connections, as well as improperly wired 3-way (and 4-way) light switches.
Whenever equipment, appliances, or other loads of ANY kind are plugged in and operating on circuits with certain wiring errors, AC magnetic fields will radiate from electrical wiring into rooms. The more loads that are running on these circuits, the higher the resultant magnetic fields can be. Loads that are ON and running all of the time can result in elevated magnetic fields all of the time.
Capacitive filters that plug into outlets have to allow a small amount of electrical current to flow through them (approximately 0.5 – 1 Amp) in order to mitigate the dirty electricity present on the circuit wiring. When they are plugged in, they are always “ON.” Like any other electric or electronic device that draws current through a circuit with wiring errors, capacitive plug-in filters can contribute to elevated AC magnetic fields that radiate from wires of affected circuits.
For more details about reasons for NOT using capacitive plug-in filters (and other devices) when wiring errors are present, refer to pages 38 – 39 of our Guide to Dirty Electricity.
TYPES OF EMF POLLUTION
— Dirty Electricity
— Wireless Radiation
— AC Electric Fields
— AC Magnetic Fields