What Prices Clean Air?

WHY WE NEED IT

We have an open-plan kitchen in our condo apartment. Even though we changed the standard extractor fan above our cooker to a much more powerful version, cooking smells still occasionally find their way to other parts of the apartment. Added to which, my husband and I suffer from seasonal allergies (him pollen, me spores). So it makes sense for us to invest in an air purifier in order to give us some relief and peace of mind.

WHY WE GOT THIS ONE

An investigation of the air purifiers in our local stores revealed that most were of a smaller size (for bedroom use) than what we had in mind (for our living-room). In the end, we bought the only large one we could find, the Honeywell HHT-145 HEPAClean Whisper Quiet Air Purifier with Germ-fighting UV Light. I probably wouldn’t have bought it if it didn’t look good, even if it were the only one available. In fact, it’s rather stylish. The narrow column ‘tower’ design in creamy white blends in with our modern décor. At 11 by 10 inches and just over 2 feet high, it’s unobtrusive and fits well into any corner. Meant for medium/large rooms of up to 12 feet by 15 feet (185 sq. ft.) and weighing in at around 16 pounds, it’s compact and light enough to carry from room to room, yet sturdy enough not to be knocked over accidentally. And with a 5-year limited warranty, it gives us some peace of mind.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

The Honeywell HHT-145 HEPAClean Whisper Quiet Air Purifier with Germ-fighting UV Light boasts an advanced 3-in-1 air cleaning system that combines 3 air cleaning technologies into one compact air purifier:
• Germ Fighting Ultraviolet Technology helps reduce viruses, bacteria, fungi and mould spores
• HEPA filtration captures airborne particles that are 2 microns or larger in size from the air, removing up to 99% of airborne particles such as dust, pet dander, smoke and pollen; filters are permanent and never need replacing - simply vacuum to clean
• Carbon Zeolite pre-filter helps reduce common household odours such as pet, cooking, nursery and smoke odours

NEAT FEATURES

• an Ionizer can be turned on for extra cleaning power
• an Electronic Filter Gauge indicates when it's time to clean the filter
• an Oscillator moves the purifier from side to side
• 12 customized cleaning power levels
• 1-8 hour auto shut-off timer

NOT SO NEAT FEATURES

• UV lamp will wear out and need to be replaced. This is an ongoing expense and since the lamp contains mercury, it needs to be disposed of in accordance with local disposal laws

WHAT WE LIKE BEST

It really is whisper quiet, allowing us to read or work in peace, even if we sit right next to it, and at US$229.99, it doesn’t quite break the bank. The air in the room is filtered and circulated every 12 minutes, i.e. up to 5 times an hour.

SO, DOES IT WORK?

We’ve had ours for almost 6 months now and have only had to clean the filter once. Then again, we don’t use it constantly, as the manual suggests. We only turn it on maybe 6 hours a day. So far, we haven’t had to replace the UV lamp. We were surprised that the filter was not visibly dirty when we opened the unit to clean it. Then again, the contaminants removed from the air are microscopic. With spring come and gone and come back again (we’ve been having strange weather lately), the two of us have yet to reach for our allergy medication. I do sneeze occasionally, but I think it may be asking too much to expect the HEPAClean Whisper Quiet Air Purifier with Germ-fighting UV Light to do the dusting for me. Oh well, I’m sure it won’t be long before they come up with that gadget. I’ll be first in line.