Still Looking

Author's Rating:

Pros: cost, HEPA filter, odor filter, optional ion generator

Cons: noisy

The Bottom Line: 
Solid unit, easy to maintain, with a HEPA filter, and ion generator. If you can stand a little noise when set on high, this unit is a good choice.

Author's Review
HUNTER HEPATECH 30375
While at Sam's, I came across the Hunter HepaTech 30374/30375 $145.99 (about $163 after taxes), and purchased it on impulse. It claims to cover about 400 SQ FT with a Pre-Filter, HEPA filter, Carbon Filter, and has a Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR) rating of: Tobacco Smoke 265, Dust 260, Pollen 250.

It also boasts a ion-generator that can be turned on or off separately from the HEPA filter system and came with two HEPATech 30055 units, which do not have the ionizing feature.

For a detailed explanation of HEPA filters, ion-generators and CADR ratings, please refer to the "Mechanical vs. Ion vs. Ultraviolet" section at the end of the review.

Since the price for the HEPATech 375 can range from $89 (SmartBargains.com) up to $300 with out shipping, be judicious on where you purchase it. I probably would have purchased my unit from SmartBargains if I had found that price before I purchased my unit at Sam’s Club.

FEATURES
* 400 CFM: Will change air seven times per hour in a 20'x 20' room
* CADR: 265/Smoke, 260/Dust, 260/Pollen
* Recommended room size: 20' x 20'
* 3-speed fan
* Metal Pre-Filter to catch big particles
* HEPA Filtration
* Filter change indicator light
* Chart to determine how dirty the filter is
* Reusable Carbon odor filter
* Ionizer (with separate switch)
* Electronic touch pad controls with auto shut-off and power indicator light
* Timer (1, 2, 4, 6, 8 hours)
* Wall mounting capability
* Fully effective when placed in a corner or against a wall
* Power consumption: 198 watts
* Input voltage: 120 volts
* UL listed
* Dimensions: 20.25" H x 16.25" W x 9.25" D
* Weight: 14.5 lbs
* Warranty: Five-year limited

ASSEMBLY & MAINTENANCE
Assembly was a breeze (no pun intended). Just take it out of the box, remove the plastic, plug it in and turn it on. The directions say to remove the cover and remove the plastic from the filter, but our did not have a plastic wrapper on the filter.

The directions recommend changing the filter every 3 - 6 months. Your filter may have a longer or shorter life depending on it's environment.

On of the disadvantages of HEPA filtration is that the replacement filters can be pricey. Critics charge that a few filter changes cost the same as the entire unit and they are not wrong.

The filters for this unit are priced as high as $40. Fortunately, Sam's sells them for about $20 each, which is very reasonable compared to other places.

The filters are very easy to replace. Just remember the carbon part of the filter faces the back of the unit.

PERFORMANCE
With the impending flu season, and me with no flu shot, I also want something that will help kill viruses and help keep our allergies under control.

We have a 75 lb German Shepherd that is an indoor dog, and a very active toddler. We are not neat freaks and only thoroughly clean the house about once a month. We ran the unit on high for about 12 hours and on low for about another 12 hours. At the end of the period, the filters still looked brand new - there was a single pet hair or dust particle on the filter.

At first, we thought maybe we setup the unit in a bad location. But the directions say it can be placed in the corner of the room. Is our house that clean? Did the ion generator zapped them all? I don't know, but I didn't notice any improvement in the air quality and everyone in my family suffers from allergies -- including the dog.

The carbon filter is suppose to eliminate odors, but we didn't really have any odors to begin with.

WAS IT WORTH IT?
At the highest setting, the unit is very noisy. Some say it is white noise and I’m sure most people adjust to it in a short period. It was too noisy for my tastes, but if it worked, I was willing to live with it.

The unit didn't eliminate odors because we didn't have any to begin with. It didn't capture any dust or dog hair in the filter, but the ion generator may have zapped those. It doesn't filter out viruses, such as the flu virus, but HEPA and Ionizers aren't designed to do that.

The combination of these things led me to conclude this unit wasn't right for us and prompted me to return it and continue evaluating air-purifiers.

But this is a well made unit that utilizes both HEPA and Ionizing technology.

MECHANICAL vs. ION vs. ULTRAVIOLET
In order to make an informed purchasing decision, I feel it is important to know what types of air-purification technology are available. The HepaTech 375 uses Mechanical filtration and well as ions. What are these features, how do they work, are they useful? If you already know all this or aren't interested in it, you may want to skip this section.

There are 3 primary types of air-purifiers: mechanical, ion generators, and ultraviolet light. A hybrid combines two or more of these methods.

Mechanical Filters draw air through a filter. The better units use a High-Efficiency Particulate Air filters (HEPA), which, by definition, removes 99.97 % of particles in the air .3 microns in size or LARGER. Since a human hair is 40 – 300 microns in width, this is some pretty good filtering. Ultra HEPA or ULPA remove 99.999% of airborne particles .03 microns in size or SMALLER.

Ozone generating air-purifiers creates negative ions. Since most particles contain positive ions, the negative ions change their charge, causing the pollutants to sink to the ground or stick to walls, floors draperies, or the charged collector. http://www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/residair.html#Will Air Cleaning Reduce

Some ion (ozone) generators move air through the unit, collecting particles on positively charged plates that can be wiped clean.

Manufacturers claim that the higher initial cost of these ozone-generating machines is worth it since you do not have to purchase air-filters like with other types of units. This is true since filter can cost as much as the machine after 2 or 3 changes. The HEPA filters for the units I was considering cost between $20 and $40 and have to be replaced every 4 months to a year according to the manufacturer information. The carbon filters some units have can be cleaned, but ultimately have to be replaced for about $10.

Not surprisingly, makers of ion generators compare their product to what thunderstorms, oceans and waterfalls do naturally and say their products are safe and effective. However, the American Lung Association and the EPA has a different view. Because of documented negative health impact of ozone, and lack of scientific evidence that proves ozone in safe amounts can remove contaminants, both the American Lung Association and the EPA advise against them. http://www.lungusa.org/site/pp.asp?c=dvLUK9O0E&b=35696, ,http://www.lungusa.org/site/pp.asp?c=dvLUK9O0E&b=39311, http://www.epa.gov/appcdwww/iemb/ozone.htm, http://www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/ozonegen.html#is there such a thing as good and bad ozone

Consumer Reports did a study of ionic purifiers and said the Ionic Breeze by Sharper image does not work and does not recommend any ionizing cleaners. http://www.quackwatch.org/14Legal/ionicbreeze.html, http://www.consumersearch.com/www/house_and_home/air_purifiers/

Some consumers are starting a class action lawsuit against Sharper image for false claims made about the Ionic Breeze air-purifiers. http://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/stories/2003/12/22/story7.html

Ultraviolet light air-purifiers channel air into a chamber and kills viruses and bacteria with ultra-violet light. The purified air is then circulated back into the room. Some ultraviolet lights produce a small amount of ozone, but that is usually marketed as a side benefit and is usually well below the rates of ion generators.

Hospitals have used ultraviolet light over 40 years to kill germs, but it has only recently been used in home air-purification systems. I couldn’t find any negative articles about the technology, but it may still be too new to be thoroughly evaluated.

A hybrid unit uses two or more of these methods to purify air.

Why Care About CADR?
CADR is Clean Air Delivery Rate. A CADR of 260 for dust means the unit can reduce dust as if 260 Cubic Feet of clean air were introduced into the room each minute. The higher the CADR number, the better. CARD Ratings for many manufactures can be found at http://www.cadr.org/consumer/certified.html