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.