Nice, if you know what to expect
Written: Feb 17 '04 (Updated Feb 17 '04)
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Pros: Actually makes the air cleaner.
Cons: Not stunningly beautiful.
May not actually help your allergy symptoms (which depend on many factors.)
The Bottom Line: Get one, but don't rely on it as your sole anti-allergen measure.
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| kchwe's Full Review: Honeywell Enviracaire 13520 Air Purifier |
This guy works very well, for what it is.
How it works
The thing is basically a cylinder. Air is drawn in by an impeller or "squirrel cage" (like a fan, but round like a wheel, with the blades out on the "tread".) The air is drawn through through the sides of the cylinder, through the prefilter and main filter, through the impeller blades, and then out through a slot surrounding the base of the cylinder. (From an engineering standpoint, this is a good design, because only clean air flows past the motor, allowing it to stay cool without collecting dust.)
Placed in the center of a room, the unit will create a donut-shaped circulation pattern. This is good, because it means that all the air in the room will be filtered efficiently. It also means the filter will fill up evenly, without one side clogging up before the other sides.
Does it work?
In a word, yes. My asthma and allergies seem less severe, and the bookshelves and floor have noticeably less dust than before.
It can be noisy on the second and third levels, and during winter, the flow of air past your feet and ankles may feel cold. But these are small issues.
It works better than some others.
I am satisfied that this and similar units are the most effective for the price. The larger electrostatic precipitators might handle more air, but cost considerably more. (And their collector plates can be difficult to clean, so I understand.)
Also, these units are also the smallest that will create any improvement in air quality at all. The smaller ones are just too small to make any difference, and the "ionizer" types can create ozone, an irritating pollutant, and can make walls and floors dirty.
Lastly, I think this type of unit (the vertical cylinder, R2D2 type) might be better than the sideways-cylinders types like the Honeywell 17400, because their air circulation pattern is not optimal, and because I believe their air filters might fill up unevenly.
However,
Limitations on air cleaners in general.
There are limits to what air cleaners can do for your allergies. They do clean the air, but how clean depends on how much and what type of pollutants are in the air. For example, these air cleaners will not help much with ozone, which is a problem here in Denver. They may make a difference for you if you have one pet, but not if you have two. Also, whether or not that actually makes a difference for you depends on what you are allergic to, how sensitive you are to those allergens, your existing level of health, and other factors. For example, if I have a cold, the air filter won't make much difference. But it does help with pollen, which is a problem for me in the spring.
The most difficult situation is a pet, since pets are always around, winter, spring or fall, because they are constantly creating dander, and because their dander is very persistent and difficult to control. (The only way to eliminate allergens in a room where a cat has lived is to replace all the carpet and furnishings and repaint the walls.)
I have a cat, and this unit does help with my allergies and asthma. (Say what you will, but I would rather deal with my health issues than get rid of my sweet rumble-bunny. Did I mention her name is Maisie?) But if I have been burning candles, or if there is a high pollen or ozone level that day, or if I haven't had my usual coffee (which helps prevent asthma), then I might still sneeze or wheeze a little.
Lastly, these room-sized air cleaners will not clean air in another room. You may think that air moves from room to room, but unless you have windows open in two sides of your house, there isn't much movement. Even central air or heat won't move air between rooms (unless there is a single return for the whole house, which sometimes happens.) So if you have two rooms that need cleaner air, get two air cleaners.
Limitations with this particular device
This guy is not meant to support large weights. It has no problem holding me up (150 lbs.) but it apparently wasn't happy supporting the enormous cable installation guy who came to set up my cable internet (perhaps 300 lbs.) What apparently happened is that the frame bent slightly under his weight, causing the impeller to touch the case at a certain point. The impeller is made of soft plastic, so when powered on, this caused the motor shaft to rub on the inside of the hub of the impeller on one side, widening the hole in the hub unevenly. This allowed the impeller to wobble and vibrate on the shaft, making the unit vibrate violently and loudly. I am now getting a new one. (This is not a flaw with the design per se, but more with me letting that huge guy stand on it.)
Also, you actually should stick to those room size recommendations.
I have to add it is loveliest of items in my house. But I didn't buy it to be a work of art.
How to have the cleanest air
I have gleaned this from a few years of reading. Hope it helps!
- Leave the unit on all the time, at the highest setting. Obviously you won't do this (I don't), but you should consider that the world is constantly producing more allergens, and you have to let your unit run long enough to make a dent in them. I leave mine on in the bedroom until I actually go to bed, which makes for about 16 hours a day.
- Set it out in the middle of the room. This will help it work most efficiently.
- Use it in the room you spend most of your time in. This will be your bedroom.
- Don't create other sources of pollution. This includes candles (of any kind), incense, cleaning chemicals, etc.
- Wash your sheets often. This removes cat dander and dust without stirring it up into the air, which can happen when you dust or vacuum.
- Dust with a damp rag, not with a feather duster.
- (optional) Bathe, or rather rinse, your cat. Because of philosophical differences, I personally am not able to bathe my own cat. But researchers have shown that if you rinse your cat in water weekly, they will produce significantly less allergens. The researchers used distilled water, but tap water might work. Soap is not necessary.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): $150?
Noise Level: Average
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Epinions.com ID:
kchwe
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Reviews written: 3
Trusted by: 0 members
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