Pros: Easy set up, works well, no replacement filters to buy
Cons: Very heavy, can be loud on the highest settings
The Bottom Line: An excellent air cleaner which has improved the air quality in our home considerably. If you need an air filter, take a close look at this machine.
luclin999's Full Review: Kenmore AC2044-1 Air Purifier
Air.
You breathe it in and rarely think about the quality of what is going into your body. Most people would never consider eating dirty food, but many of us breathe in dirty air every day.
My wife and I are like that.
That is we were until last year when we both began suffering from allergy symptoms more and more often and realized that we needed to do something about the quality of the air in our home. As pet owners, we were already taking steps to minimize the hair and dander produced by our cats (Hardwood & tile flooring, High quality A/C filters, and regular vacuuming) but despite everything we tried, we seemed to be in a losing battle with the overall air quality in the house.
We did a lot of research and decided that even though conventional filter systems seemed to be rated well, the recurring cost of replacing filter cartridges (some as high as $150+) every 6-12 months was an expense we would like to avoid.
This left us with looking at air cleaners which use electrostatic systems which typically have washable filters that don't need to be replaced.
This ultimately led us to the Kenmore AC2044-1.
Out of the box
The Kenmore AC2044-1 is available at Sears and K-mart stores. The Sears ID # for this model is 85264 .It is a fairly large machine measuring 19"W x 28"H x 13"D and weighing roughly 60 lbs. The AC2044-1 comes fully assembled, packed in Styrofoam in a fairly sturdy box with a manual and two plastic screens which are used for cleaning the electrostatic cell. All that is required for getting started is to remove the air cleaner from it's box and packing material, plug it in and turn it on.
What is it?
The Kenmore AC2044-1 is a three stage air cleaner. The first stage is a plastic mesh pre-filter which is designed to catch larger particles such as lint, pet hair and the like and prevent them from passing through into the second stage which is the electrostatic grid.
The electrostatic grid is the part of the system designed to capture the smaller air contaminants such as dust, dander, pollen, mold and smoke. It does this by generating an electrical charge in the air passing into the machine with a series of small wires. Particles in the air drawn into the machine are given a specific electrical charge and are then attracted to the opposing charge present on the metal collection plates.
The third stage is an optional ionizer designed to "freshen" the air coming out of the filter. This setting can be turned off or on as desired.
How well does it work?
Quite well indeed. From the first few minutes after we turned the machine on we noticed a change in the air present in the room. The air in the room both smelled better and felt cleaner in general than it had before. My wife and I actually felt better after spending about an hour in the room with the AC2044-1.
Of course statements such as what the air "smelled" like and "felt" like are hardly objective and even though one of the primary purposes of an air filter is to make the room smell better, the actual results are difficult to quantify outside of the laboratory.
I will say that after a few days, the amount of dust visible in the air (in the sunshine) in the room with the AC2044-1 dropped to practically non-existent and that a few months later, when it came time to change out A/C filters the difference between the downstairs filter (where the AC2044-1 resided) and the upstairs filter was dramatic. The filter in the area where we had been using the AC2044-1 hardly looked used at all while the other filter looked the same as they always had... dirty, gray and covered in dust and lint.
As to what the laboratory results showed...
The Kenmore AC2044-1 has been given the following ratings:
And these numbers stack up very well when compared to other (electrostatic and non-electrostatic) filters available in the $200-$400 price range.
Cleaning/Replacing filters...
The filters for the AC2044-1 are both washable and should not require replacement unless they somehow become damaged. Complete instructions are provided in the manual on the cleaning and maintenance of the AC2044-1 and are fairly easy to follow.
The plastic, first stage pre-filter can simply be vacuumed off then washed with soapy water in a bathtub or utility sink.
The electrostatic collection grid can be cleaned either in a tub of hot water and dishwashing soap or by being placed in the dishwasher (this is the method we use). When cleaning he grid in the dishwasher, you secure the two plastic covers which came with the AC2044-1 to the front and back of the grid and carefully place the grid face down in the bottom rack of the dishwasher. Run a hot wash cycle with no detergent and then remove the grid and plastic covers when the cycle is complete.
ALWAYS ALLOW BOTH FILTERS TO DRY COMPLETELY BEFORE REPLACING THEM IN THE AC2044-1 or you will cause permanent damage to the filter.
The AC2044-1 is designed to effectively filter the air in a room up to 23' x 20' (by 8' tall) or an area roughly 465 sqft (or a total volume of 3720 cubic feet).
The AC2044-1 has a digital display with indicators as to speed settings and the amount of time the filter has been used. These indicators can give an estimate as to when the filters may need cleaning and will need to be manually reset after each time the filters are cleaned.
The AC2044-1 has four speed settings. The instructions recommend that you run the filter on the highest setting the first time you turn it on which is what we did.
On the highest settings, the AC2044-1 makes a lot of noise. So much that it would be a serious distraction to be in the room with the filter when it is running at those speeds. The lower two settings are quieter and considerably easier to tolerate or ignore.
I would personally recommend that you only use the higher settings when you will be out of the room for a while or when there is a need for serious air cleaning, otherwise the lowest setting seems to do an excellent job maintaining the overall air quality.
The AC2044-1 is heavy weighing over 50 pounds, and while it has built in wheels which help you in moving it from room to room, it can still be difficult for some people to carry it up or down stairs.
Since it is an electrostatic filter, the AC2044-1 does produce some ozone when in operation. This is on the order of less than 50 parts per billion per hour. If you are extremely sensitive to ozone in the air the AC2044-1 may not be for you however neither my wife nor myself have ever noted any ill effects or discomfort from the air filtered by the AC2044-1.
As it is an electrostatic filter, you may occasionally hear electrical crackles or "pops" from the machine especially if there is high humidity in the air. This is normal and should not happen often. If they do, then it is a sign that the collection grid probably needs cleaning.
Also, since the primary filtration comes from charging the air, the AC2044-1 is more effective in areas where there is lower humidity. While it will work in more humid climates (for example, I live in Houston) it may take longer to do the same job on days when the humidity is high as opposed to days when the air is drier.
Wait a minute.. Isn't this just like the "Ionic Bree.."?
Yes and no.
While the AC2044-1 uses some of the same general principles that are advertised by the air cleaner of a "major upscale product store", there are several differences as well.
- The AC2044-1 uses a motorized fan to draw in air and promote circulation. While this generates more noise than the other air cleaner, it also increases the effectiveness of the system dramatically.
- The AC2044-1 has a mesh pre-filter which traps larger particles and prevents them from fouling the collection grid, the other cleaner lacks this feature.
- The tight mesh and much larger size of the collection plates in the AC2044-1's grid helps to insure a greater volume of material is collected from the air due to the larger surface area and smaller spaces the air is forced through when compared to the other machine. While I have no way to measure the two machines grids, on appearance alone, the collection plates of the AC2044-1 look to have roughly ten times the surface area of the other machine, thus resulting in more particles being removed from the air in each cycle.
I have personally owned both air filters and the AC2044-1 is a far better designed and more effective machine than the "air cleaner from the upscale product store" could ever hope to be.
Frankly comparing the Kenmore AC2044-1 to the "ionic machine" is an insult to the AC2044-1.
Final thoughts..
After about three months with the AC2044-1 my wife and I were so pleased with the performance of this air filter, we decided to purchase a second one for the upstairs and master bedroom in our house.
Ultimately the Kenmore AC2044-1 has performed exactly as advertised and exceeded our expectations.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 300 Battery Life: N/A Noise Level: Average
Quickly and effectively reduces airborne allergens and irritants in larger rooms or your home or home office 3-stage cleaning system: utilizes pre-fil...More at Sears
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