Hamilton Beach Air Purifier with Ultraviolet light Review
Ultraviolet air purifier in depth ratings
by Mercia Tapping, President, AllergyBuyersClub.com
Editor's note: These Hamilton Beach air
purifiers were put through their paces by several of our staff.
We always test our machines in "real life" type
of situations. Since we do test our air purifiers, we are
going to publish some data for you in upcoming issues on our
best machines. Unfortunately for legal reasons, we cannot
publish some of the data we have gathered for less effective
purification machines. We already walk a tight rope, in trying
to be impartial about what we sell and point out minuses as
well as pluses. Quite understandably, this level of honesty
is not always appreciated by a few manufacturers.
INFO
LINKS
Air
Purifiers Overview - view all air purifiers
sold by AllergyBuyersClub.com
Air
Purifiers Comparison Chart - a comparison with pluses and minuses
of all the best air purifiers
Air
Purifier Particle Count Efficiency:
The efficiency is the actual percentage of particles removed
from the air based on our own testing of particles going into
the air purifier vs. particles coming out of the machine.
We tested over period of ten days, using particulate monitors
in different locations in our offices. The following is only
summary data for the sake of brevity.
Low Fan
Speed:
88.1%
Medium
Fan Speed:
91.4%
High Fan
Speed:
97.5%
Average
efficiency:
92.3%
We consider this to be a superb result in such
a low cost air purifier. The efficiency immediately puts it
up to a 4 star rated machine. It would rate higher if it covered
a larger area.
The uniqueness of 3-way filtration with a HEPA
(High Efficiency Particulate Arresting) filter and UV germicidal
light attracted us to these air purifiers from the start.
And, with a well-known manufacturer that makes many other
household appliances, we felt good about the company's business
reputation for producing quality equipment.
Pluses
We like that these air purifiers offer 3-way
filtration: a UV germicidal light in addition to a prefilter
and HEPA filter. A triple threat to allergens makes these
units stand out from others in their class.
The AirSmart sensor technology is a real
plus on these units. It allows you to constantly know the
air quality in any room, and adjust the fan speeds accordingly.
This is useful because you may not need to turn the air
purifier on the highest setting if air quality is good,
and you can therefore extend the life of the filters by
not overusing them.
One of our tester's favorite features is
the automatic dial setting - simply set the air purifier
to automatic, and it will regulate the fan speed based on
the air quality of the room
These air purifiers are lightweight. In fact,
the smaller model at 12 pounds is a good unit to take with
you when traveling to be used in a vacation home, hotel,
etc.
A filter change indicator on the LCD display
will tell you when it's time to change the pre-filter and
HEPA filter
There is an "on & off" button
for the UV light, so you can choose when to use the light
to kill germs and bacteria
A nice safety feature is built into these
air purifiers: the auto shut-off feature turns off the fan
and UV light if you remove the grills on the top or front
of the air purifier to change a filter
Minuses:
These units are best for only small rooms
and areas up to 350 square feet.
On low speed setting, these air purifiers
are slightly louder than a computer; they are the same noise
level as the Austin Jr. air purifiers, and a bit louder
than the Blueair smaller models (we offer both models).
These air purifiers are somewhat noisy on
high speed, but they can clear a room quickly from particulates
due to the high fan power; you can use the high speed setting
to clean a room and then turn it down when the air quality
is improved
We don't recommend these air purifiers for
gas and VOC removal
Annual maintenance costs are slightly higher
than other small air purifiers, but the other small units
do not have an ultraviolet light for killing viruses
Summary:
These Hamilton Beach air purifiers are for someone with medium
allergies for particulate, bacteria, and virus control. You
get an easy to maintain, efficient air cleaner with lots of
features usually found in more expensive air cleaners for
a very reasonable price. These air purifiers get the job of
air purification done in a small room. And with a 3-year warranty,
you won't be disappointed with these economically priced units
at $119.95 and up.
First Published: early May 2002
Updated: April 2007
