Air Purifier GO!

See larger image Honeywell Quiet Clean Air Purifier ()

• Washable reusable filter means no filters to buy

• A high volume tower design

• Several models to choose from

The Honeywell QuietClean line of air purifiers come in a good handful off different sizes, with your usual choice of feature options. However; rather than focusing on each specific model, I'll focus on the line as a whole because there are a few things that make these air purifiers unique.

What Makes the Honeywell QuietClean So Different?

The first item worth making note of, is that they are all your classic tower design. It's a vary popular design style because they take up very little floor space and are in fact quite attractive to look at. Even so, almost without exception, all tower air purifiers are ionic air cleaners.

Small & inexpensive compact model

A Non Ionic Tower Air Purifier

That is that they don't use a standard filter. Ionic air cleaners use static electricity to attract air particles to a set of metal plates that then have to be wiped or washed off. So then whats so different about the Honeywell QuietClean filter system?

They Use a Standard Non Hepa Filter

Whats different is that these aren't ionic air purifiers. Instead they use a standard non hepa filter to screen the particles from the air that pass through them. You see ionic air cleaners, particularly the smaller models simply lack the ability to process large volumes of air.

Smaller Size With a Larger Air Volume

So you get the benefits of a smaller inexpensive tower unit, with the secondary benefit of a larger volume of air being processed than an ionic unit of the same size would handle. So then whats the catch? The catch is that these unique tower models don't use hepa filters.

They Capture 99% - Not 99.97%

Instead they use a standard washable filter to capture air particles. Even so they do capture 99% of the dust and pollen that pass through them, compered to 99.99% of the particles that a standard hepa filter will capture. Just the same, you have to be very careful when reading the numbers that are provided for these units.

Be Careful When Reading the Numbers

For instance, the main company website for the Honeywell QuietClean line boasts that these filters will capture all air particles down to 1.0 micron. Does that number sound familiar? Well be very careful because one decimal point can make huge difference.

What a Difference a Little Decimal Point Makes!

Don't confuse 1.0 microns with 0.1 microns, which is the particle size that the best air purifiers on the market capture. You see 0.1 micron is actually one-tenth the size of 1.0 microns. Also the CADR numbers for all these Honeywell towers are extremely low as well.

See larger image Ionic Pro 90IP1RCMB1 Compact Air Purifier with Bonus Car Ionizer (Kitchen) List Price: $129.95 USD Used from: $69.00 In Stock Release date June 30, 2006.

• Easy push button operation

• Extra collector plates $30

In any war as the saying goes, “the truth is the first casualty”. So you may have found out by now that an unbiased review of the Ionic Pro air purifier is just hard to come by. The reason is simple and that is that tower ionic air purifiers in it's $115 to $150 price range make up a hotly contested market.

What's the Real Truth About the Ionic Pro Air Purifier?

So the shots go back and forth, with each reviewer comparing it to one or another machine in its size and price class, each one with his or her set of questionable figures and statistics. Depending on whether or not they're selling this particular machine their numbers can go either way.

A Small Electrical Appliance that's Made in China??!!

I even read one recent review that criticized the Ionic Pro air purifier because it's made in China. Now imagine that?! A small household electrical appliance that's made in China? Holy cow! I thought everything was made in China now! Give me a break!

A Three Star Amazon Review Average

So then whats the real low down on this particular machine? To start off with, it gets an average Amazon user review rating of three stars. Now three stars is definitely nothing to crow about but you do have to remember one important fact. That is that this is a relatively inexpensive machine.

Bear in Mind that It Has No Fan in it.

My personal opinion is that a lot of the user criticisms can be traced back to the fact that this machine has no fan in it. It relies solely on the momentum of the ionic reaction taking place in it to move the actual air though the system. So does it move the air? Sort of.

How Come So Little Air is Coming Out of it??

Manufacturers for years have been hyping up the fact that these machines and similar machines like it are totally silent and they are. Hey! No fan means no fan noise. Then people bring them home, turn them on, stick their hand in front of them and notice only minimal air flow. Well what the hell did they think when they bought an air purifier with no fan in it!

What About the Ozone Question?

Then there is the confusion about ozone production in ionic air purifiers. Now there is new ozone free technology that's being employed but it's not in this Ionic Pro air purifier. So then what about ozone? Is is as bad as some people make it out to be?

Not Nearly as Bad as Some People Make it Out to Be

The fact is that ozone is simply three oxygen molecules that have combined together to form one atom. No it doesn't cause cancer or major medical problems. It can however cause irritation of the respiratory passages particularly in small animals.

Ozone Does Kill Odors Dead

On the other side of the coin, ozone is a stellar odor eater. It basically destroys the atoms in the air that are causing odors and this is why so many of these types of machines are touted as being such efficient odor eradicators. So for a smaller laundry room where you keep a cat box, the Ionic Pro air purifier would be an excellent choice.

See larger image Oreck XL-Air Purifer Tower, Black (Health and Beauty) New From: $499.95 In Stock

• Free 30 day trial period

• They can be laid on their side

• 3 & 5 year guarantees
  

If you've been watching TV over the past ten years then you no doubt have heard of the Oreck air purifier. In fact this one firm alone is responsible for introducing more people to ionic air cleaning technology in their adds than any other company out there.

Have You Seen an Oreck Air Purifier on TV?

Even so, there two traits that I've found that all air purifier companies have in common that have been heavily advertized on TV. That is that these heavy TV advertisers tend to have a limited line of rather expensive machines and Oreck is no exception.

If you're looking for convenience features, none of their three models of ionic air cleaners have any, so to speak. In fact, aside from what they call “Truman Cell” bacteria killing technology these are basic three speed on and off machines. No timers, remote, etc.

What's Truman Cell Technology?

Simply put, Truman Cell Technology is the same ionic technology that all ionic air cleaners use to trap ambient air particles. The airborne bacteria is charged and then sticks to the collection plates and dies. It's really nothing more than that.

You see, the little known truth of the matter, is that recent studies have demonstrated that bacteria gathered in all ionic air cleaners tends to die shortly after being deposited on collection plates. Hence; in general terms, all ionic machines operate with Truman Cell Technology.

However; before you click your mouse and move on to review another brand, there are two items worth mentioning that you just don't see in Oreck's competitors. It's very odd too because neither is difficult to offer or any type of earth shaking technology.

Free Thirty Day Trial Period

The first item is a no questions asked, thirty day trail period on all three Oreck Air purifiers. The nice thing about it too, is that they'll even pay the shipping fee if you send yours back. Now in my mind this makes a lot of sense to a person who's curious about ionic technology. It gives them an out.

The second item worth mentioning, is that two of their three models, the ProShield and the ProShield Plus are designed to stand on their own or lay on their side. Once again, this isn't earth shaking technology but it sure is nice for someone who wants to place their machine on a shelf.

The Oreck Pro Shield Air Purifier

The base model Oreck Air purifier is called the ProSheild and it lists on their site for 349.95. (let's call it $350). It features three air speed settings, including a fourth that's referred to as a silence setting. This no doubt allows you to run the machine with no fan.

Now it is a vary nicely designed unit and I can see how someone might want to lay it on its side on a shelf. It has a sleek black look to it. Even so, its specs list it as being able to recirculate the air in a 12' X18' room only twice every hour, so the room size rating is a bit exaggerated. It does come with a three years guarantee.

The Oreck ProShield Plus Air Purifier

The next Oreck air purifier up from there, is the ProShield Plus. It lists on their company site for $399.95 (let's call it $400) and it really is basically an enhanced version of the ProSheild. It's the exact same machine with one added feature, so it too can be laid on its side too.

That one added feature is what Oreck calls their Permanent Helios Shield. (I Like that name). It's basically a UV lighting system located in the machine, that sterilizes the air that passes through it. By the way UV lighting is quite common now, on both ionic and hepa filter air purifiers.

Now I do have one complaint here though and that is they advertise what is basically a UV lighting system as never having to be replaced, which is true “in effect”. However; what they don't tell you is that the mercury vapor lamp that powers it will lose half its strength in five years. It wont burn out though. Same 3 year warranty.

The Tower Model Oreck Air Purifier

Next up is their top model. The Oreck air purifier they call the Oreck Tower. It lists on their company site for $599.95 (let's just call it $600) which is a heck of a lot of money for an air purifier. This one does have a couple of added features and it also is quite nice looking but I have just one problem here.

That problem is that on their site, they show it as being able to clean 900 square feet per hour. Now isn't that the same as 1800 feet every two hours? Now I'm not very good at math but that seems awful close to the what the above two models listed clean. A 12' X 18' room every two hours. Am I being picky here?

There's also no “Permanent Helios Shield” in this model but you do get a “turbo” option on the fan switch. (I just love the names they use). You also get two more years on the five year warranty, which is nice but in the end I really do think that for $600, there's better deals out there.

Discover all the differences between the...

• F500 A and F500 B Models

• The F300, the F200 and the F100
  

Honeywell air cleaners for the entire home come in five separate models. The F500A, the F500B the F300, the F200 and their F100. The F500 models are their hepa filter models and they are both identical in their size and specifications save for one difference.

The F500A and the F500B

That is that the F500A is built for mounting an air conditioned environment while the F500B is specified for installation outside of air conditioned environments. I'm only guessing but it seems to me that it all has to do with temperature sensitive mechanisms in the units that monitor their performance.

About Square Footage Ratings

In grading smaller single room air purifiers one of the first items on a checklist would be the square footage rating. That is just how many square feet is a model rated for. In the case of these whole house models you won't find one. They do have a fan in them but there are just too many variables involved in an entire home to come up with one precise figure.

No Hard Wiring Required

Another item worth noting, is that all of these whole house units are operated by way of a completely wireless system. (a wall mounted remote) They also require no hard-wiring. That is that they're powered by a standard 120V plug-in cord that's comes connected to each unit. You simply plug it in.

What About UV Air Sterilization?

Another important aspect worth making note of, is that only one of these these Honewell air cleaners has any type of UV air sterilization system. (the F300) However; if this is something that's important to you it may be worth your time to look into some of the recent studies that have determined that germs die shortly after being trapped on ionic collection treys.

About the F200 Model

So then there must be some other significant differences between these various models of Honeywell air cleaners. There is and for instance, while the F500 models are more complex and feature laden the F200 is their stripped down no fan unit that's designed for installation on forced air heaters and cooling systems up to 5 tons.

No Electrical Hook-Up Required

The two main benefits that this very affordable unit offers is low price ($250) and complete ease of installation. (no electrical hook-up). Rather, it uses electrostatic filter technology to capture particles as small as .03 microns. It also has easy filter access for quick changing. This unit comes ready to adapt to 16” X 20” ducting, so some adaptation may be required.

What it Has to Offer

This really is the perfect unit for someone who isn't in the market for a high performance air cleaner, as say a person with severe allergies might need. The person who's simply interested in seeing their air filtered far better than a standard duct filter is capable of, who also has an eye towards low maintenance and affordability.

Back Up to the F500 Models

Jumping back up to the $700 to $800 F500 models. These really are what you would call enlarged versions of your standard feature laden hepa filter systems, without UV purification systems. They use a three stage filter system that consists of an activated carbon filter, pleated pre-filter and a final hepa filter that captures 99.97% of dust particles down to .03 microns.

The Real Difference Between the F500 A & B

The only real difference between the A and the B model is that the B model comes in an insulated steel cabinet, while the A model cabinet is just plain steel. Also both of the F500 models can be mounted directly in line or out of line with separate ducting because they both have fans that push air. They both also have automatic filter sensor to let your remote know it's time for a change.

Their F300 Ionic Air Cleaner

Honeywell air cleaners F300 model would best be described as large version of a full featured ionic air purifier, complete with UV air sterilization. One thing that I like about this unit, is that it uses a pre-filter to screen out the larger gunk so it doesn't muck up the main filter grid. A nice feature to have on a high volume unit.

Minimal Air Duct Flow Resistance

The F300 which is priced in the area of $400, also comes with a humidifier pad option and a ten year clean coil guarantee. Yet one more benefit of this type of ionic in system air purifier is that because the air easily passes through the grids, it has minimal effect on the overall air duct air pressure.

Their F100 Model

The F100 in the Honeywell air cleaners lineup is for all intents and purposes the exact same unit as their F200 model. There are two note worthy differences though and they are price and the fact that the F100 model does not come with an automatic air filter changing sensor. You can find this unit for sale online for as little as $100.

It's The F200 With No Filter Sensor

That really is pretty cheap and the fact is that under normal conditions, filter changes can be so infrequently needed that going without the automatic filter sensor rally is no big deal. Just remember to change it every few months or so. Also keep in mind that just like the F200, this model uses a folded or (pleated) electrostatically charged filter.

See larger image Honeywell HFD-120-Q Tower Quiet Air Purifier with Permanent IFD Filter, Black (Kitchen) List Price: $149.99 USD New From: $123.74 In Stock Used from: $104.99 In Stock Release date February 15, 2006.

• How do they work to clean air?

• What about Ozone gas?

• What are the pros and cons?

If what you have in mind is a filterless air purifier, then what you should be looking into is ionic technology. These types of air cleaners aren't new and in fact they first began being used in metal smelting plants almost 100 years ago.

The Filterless Air Purifier Uses an Ionic Chamber

The way that they function, is rather then the air passing through a filter as you would imagine in the classic sense, the air passes through what is commonly referred to as an ionic chamber. It's basically a contained area where negative electrons are generated.

Pollution Particles Pick Up a Negative Charge

From there the air moves on through a series of stacked metal plates. It's on these plates that the pollution particles end up being deposited. You see the particles pick up the negative ions and this causes these then negatively charged particles to be attracted to the plates, like magnets.

Even These Machines Have to be Cleaned

Now keep in mind that at some point these plates do have to wiped clean and with some machines this is an easier task then with others. It all depends on how easy it is to remove the plates then slide them back into the machine.

New Filters Can Go Months Without Cleaning

One thing worth noting, is that new hepa filter designs have made for standard filter machines that require far more infrequent cleanings. In fact most of these new low maintenance filter designs can go months without you ever having to touch them. It's something to think about.

There are Some Solid Pros and Cons

You need to also understand that there are a few solid pros and cons that should be taken into account before you buy into either type of air cleaning system. As an example, “for your money”, a standard hepa filter machine is going to process a far greater amount of air.

Look into a Non Ozone Technology Feature

Another thing to look out for if you're dead set on a filterless air purifier, is ozone generation. Ozone is a colorless gas that's made up of two connected oxygen atoms that's generated during the production of negative ions. New machines however do have non ozone technologies that do away with this problem.

Ionic Non Filter Air Cleaners are Quieter

One of the major benefits of a filterless air purifier though, is that they tend to be far more quiet than a filter unit. The reason is simple and that is that hepa filter air cleaners require larger fans to push the air through the filter. There is a huge selection of ionic cleaners to choose from so make sure to select one with features that suit you best.