Air Duster Alternative Ditches Cans, Chemicals

by 02/23/12 7 Comments

Canned Air chemicals

Canless Air System CEO John Scherer. Photo: Canless Air System

For years, gas dusters have been marketed under the name “compressed air,” when in actuality, the keyboard-cleaning canisters are packed with environmentally harmful chemicals that, if inhaled, can cause brain damaging effects.

Plus, when finished, empty gas canisters often wind up in landfills.

John Scherer, CEO and founder of the O2 Hurricane, thinks he’s found the solution to both problems. Taking the greenhouse gases like difluoroethane, trifluoroethane and tetrafluoroethane out of the equation, The O2 Hurricane uses actual air to dust crumbs from tight spaces, among many other uses like fanning fires, Scherer says.

“Of course you couldn’t do that that with canned air,” he says. “You would explode.”

The device takes a couple hours to charge, but once it’s locked and loaded, can run for 18 minutes straight at 160 MPH. Unlike gas dusters, the O2 Hurricane won’t freeze up or spray out liquid gas if used upside down or sideways. Traditional air dusters freeze up after 20 seconds of continuous use, Sherer says, but it’s impossible for the Hurricane to freeze, spraying nothing but the air we breathe.

The gas in compressed canisters can also produce a cheap, harmful high if inhaled. Since the name “compressed air” is commonly used, users have wrongly attributed the high to nothing but natural air. However, the gas inside is much denser than air and has caused cases of paralysis and even death.

“Canned air is so bad with all of the chemicals that are in it, but up until now, people have had no other option,” Scherer says. “With this [product,] kids can’t huff it. There’s no dangers to anyone.”

The O2 Hurricane is available on the company’s website and costs $80.

Christina Caldwell

Christina Caldwell

Contributing Writer


  1. Ronda Martin Pearson

    posted on February 23rd, 2012 at 9:33 pm

    This is the project I am overseeing and Launching.....Check it out! Product will be made available in March!

  2. Pamela McConnico Williams

    posted on February 25th, 2012 at 8:53 pm

    can't wait to see it in action.

  3. Ferris Duvall

    posted on February 25th, 2012 at 8:57 pm

    So cool!

  4. Linda Desole-Wood

    posted on February 25th, 2012 at 9:04 pm

    I would like to know more about it!

  5. Robert Morse

    posted on February 26th, 2012 at 12:32 am

    At $80.00, its ridulous! especially in this economy! I'm a disabled vet, I don't go around throwing away money on things that are just grotesquely over priced, especially when there are better alternatives! A cheaper alternative is a refillable arosol can. the one in the link below, goes for $6-$10. ive seen it carried at home depot, target, walmart, harbor freight, and michaels. The one I'm suggesting isn't the only one, there are many versions by various makers, FYI, I have no affiliation with any of these products in any size shape way or form, and It serves me not to suggest this alternative, I just know of something better and cheaper. The ones I use I got from one of the harbor freight tools around the phoenix az area 8-10 years ago, and I use them in my shop and on my computers, and they work just fine! My mother-in-law uses them for her arts and crafts, and recharges it on her little mini air compressor for her airbrush that she does nails, and arts and crafts with. When it does run out of air, no problem, you can use a standard shop air compressor, bicycle pump, tire pump etc...and be spraying again in seconds, not hours. It doesn't have the 2 hour down time. Uses the air we breath. Doesn't "freeze up" (unless you put like dry ice in it or something.lol). Interchangeable tips. Sprays liquids too, I use one to spray my house plants with, and others for painting projects. I cant say what the mph of air coming out of it is, but I'm pretty sure it can do greater than 160! esp since it hurdles liquids fast enough to be used as a spray can for paint! and air has way less friction than liquid, So for the price of this thing, you can buy 8 of these, and doing 8 different tasks!

  6. Robert Morse

    posted on February 26th, 2012 at 12:47 am

    http://www.kaboodle.com/reviews/reusable-refillable-aerosol-spray-can

  7. Nicolas Chew

    posted on March 2nd, 2012 at 12:31 am

    80 bucks! in this economy make it around fifteen to thirty and you've got a deal its good on long term because it saves u money and reduces energy and greenhouse emissions by alot but it's still very pricy.

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