One Unit Does the Whole House Well
Written: Nov 30 '03
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Pros: Quiet operation, low cost of operation, whole house cleaning.
Cons: Somewhat heavy to move, no built-in timer.
The Bottom Line: Highly recommended because of it's whole house cleaning abilities, quiet operations and real-life effectiveness reducing my family's sneezing and coughing.
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| slbenz's Full Review: Oreck AIR4000 Air Purifier |
This review is based on two months continuous use of the Oreck AIR4000 air purifier in my home. I will compare it to a Hunter Model 30365 air purifier it replaced.
Size: The Oreck is definitely larger than the Hunter in terms of height. The footprint is similar for both, approximately one sq. ft. of floor space needed. There are molded handles on the side of the Oreck to assist in moving it from place to place. You will need to use the handles since the Oreck weighs almost 35 lbs. The Hunter weighs much less at almost 20 lbs. The Hunter is wider but less deep than the Oreck which is almost square in shape. The Hunter offers no handles to assist in placement. Winner: Oreck wins because it uses the space more efficiently and is easier to place.
Filtering size: Both units can filter out particles as small as .1 microns or about 1/1000th the size of a human hair. Winner: Tied
Filters used: The Oreck uses a permanent pre-filter which catches the large particles such as hair, a permanent electrostatic filter which catches the dust and bacteria and a replaceable charcoal post-filter to eliminate odors from the air. The Hunter uses a replaceable HEPA filter and a permanent electrostatic filter to catch dust and bacteria in the air. Winner: Tied due to the fact both can catch similar sized particles in the air.
Yearly costs: The Oreck with only the charcoal post-filter to replace, costs approximately $35.00 to replace annually. In stark contrast, the Hunter with its HEPA filter at $100 each, needs to be replaced twice during the year for an annual cost of $200. This represents the cost of the total Hunter unit when purchased new. Winner: Oreck by a wide margin.
Noise: Both units say that they have quiet or whisper operation modes. I used a Radio Shack sound level meter to judge their performance from approximately 1 meter away. The Oreck at it's maximum cleaning setting registered 62dBs while at it's minimum setting registered 42dBs. The Hunter at it's maximum setting registered 68dBs while at it's minimum setting registered 52dBs. Winner: Oreck again by a wide margin.
Fan Speeds and features: Oreck has three speeds a Quiet, High and Max Clean settings. They also include a Quick Dry setting to be used after cleaning the electrostatic filter in the unit. There is a Power Boost setting to help draw away from the air, even more particles. The Hunter has a three speed fan, an ion precipitator on/off switch and a timer switch of 1, 2, 4 and 8 hour settings. Winner: Hunter due to the timer switch feature.
Actual cleaning capability: I have been using the Hunter in my home for several years and never felt it was "enough" to deal with the dust problem in my home. It is rated to clean an area of 400 sq. ft. The Oreck is rated to clean a house up to 2500 sq. ft. After trying the Oreck and seeing how much more it extracted from the air vs. the Hunter, I was a firm believer on how well the Oreck worked. Also, my family has experienced much less sneezing and coughing when the Oreck came into our home. There is much less dust in the air and on the furniture as well. To put the cleaning ratings in perspective, I would need more than six Hunters to do the work of one Oreck. The Oreck's air purifier design is similar to the current top-rated air purifier in Consumers Report. Winner: Oreck again by a wide margin.
Ease of cleaning: The Oreck can be easily wiped down or rinsed under water of dust and particles from the pre-filter or electrostatic filter. This is easily done in the shower with a detachable shower head. The Hunter only needs to have the HEPA filter replaced but usually reintroduces dust into the air when it's filter needs to be removed. Winner: Hunter for ease but I would downgrade it due to reintroducing dust back into the air.
Air flow and direction: The Oreck uses the front panel area for intake and exhaust. At first I thought this would be a poor design since some of the purified air would be sucked into the intake area. Oreck designed the exhaust to shoot sideways instead of straight out in order to facilitate a circular air flow. It definitely works as evident when it extracted more dust than the Hunter. The Hunter has the intake in the front while the exhaust is on top. This is probably the most common design. The Oreck is rated to move over 18,000 cu. ft. of air per hour. Hunter's web site does not give this specification but judging by it's 400 sq. ft. rating and my family's coughing and sneezing events, I would assume it is much less than the Oreck. Winner: Oreck because it can clean an even greater area more quickly than the Hunter.
Looks and materials: The Oreck owners manual recommends that you treat this air purifier as a piece of fine furniture. It main body is made of pressed wood covered in a black veneer. The top which covers the access to the filters is a black plastic that snaps in place. The Hunter is an all-white colored plastic material. The Oreck from a distance either looks like a stereo speaker or subwoofer. It blends in well with any decor. The Hunter looks like an air purifier. Winner: Oreck for looking like something else that is not.
Warranty: Both have a one year warranty but the Oreck has a 30-day home trial period that if you are not satisfied, you can return the Oreck for your money back. Also, the Oreck electrostatic filter part is warrantied for three years. Winner: Oreck for it's 30-day home trial policy.
Conclusion: If you are looking for a whole house solution that won't break the bank account every time you replace the filters, the Oreck is a definite must try. The Hunter solution is fine for a single room but if you are like me, having a whole house solution is much more convenient and easier on the pocketbook. Initial cost of the Oreck is high ($500) but over time, become much less costly to operate over the long-term and it would take over a half dozen Hunter units to do the work of the Oreck AIR4000 by itself. Highly recommended!
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 499.00
Battery Life: N/A
Noise Level: More quiet than most
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Epinions.com ID:
slbenz
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Location: Fremont, CA, USA
Reviews written: 98
Trusted by: 41 members
About Me:
Business consultant and volunteer mountain bike patrol officer.
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