Air Filter Review - Clarifier Hepa and Ultraviolet Air Cleaners

Air cleaners with hepa filter for single room filtration use

by Mercia Tapping, President, AllergyBuyersClub.com

CARE hepa and ultra violet cleaners are now offered on our site. They are especially good for the control of viruses or when a clean room type of environment is needed.

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The Clarifier is on the high end of residential hepa based air cleaners and was developed for its company president who was a severe asthmatic and could not
find a machine to control her asthma adequately. The Clarifier is a modified version of a machine used in a hospital environment. The question that most people have is it what makes it worth the extra money?

Pluses:
1. The Clarifier is one of the few air cleaners with hepa filters that accurately states its actual number of air changes per hour. Most manufacturers overstate the CFM rating of their fans by stating the fan capacity unencumbered by having to push the air through several levels of air filters. One of the major pluses of this machine is even on low fan speed it has an adequate number of air changes for any allergy and asthma sufferer. This becomes especially important, as most people prefer to run a machine at low fan speed to control noise levels especially at night.

2. The Clarifier has a pre-filter as well as a hepa filter. The most expensive model has an extra filter for gas and virus protection. The existence of a pre-filter extends the life of the hepa filter, and since the hepa filter is the most expensive component of any machine, filter replacement cost is a hidden but important factor. Properly maintained the Clarifier will last you for years.

3. Of particular importance, the Clarifier will tell you when to change filters. We think this feature is a "must". Who wants to change a filter ahead of time, but on the other hand who wants to wait until as one manufacturer said to us the "air smells bad".

4. The Clarifier has the additional benefit of ultraviolet. Ultraviolet has recently been documented in an independent University study as having allergen killing properties.

5. The Clarifier has castors and can be easily moved around.

6. There is a "real manual" with this machine put out by a company who seem to genuinely be concerned that their customers use their air filters to their best advantage.

7. The Clarifier is very economical in terms of energy consumption making it one of the most energy efficient air filters we have tested.

Minuses:
1. The Clarifier does not win the beauty contest. The styling while not offensive is a bit clunky. We regard this as a minor complaint.

2. The Clarifier is not the quietest hepa air filter we carry. That honor belongs to Blueair. If you are not using this air filter in your bedroom in the middle of the silence of night, the noise level is inoffensive to most people.

3. To change the filters you have to use a screwdriver , for some people this is an inconvenience. The manual tells you clearly how to change the hepa filter so it is not difficult, but it is more time consuming than some other filters which do not need a screwdriver.

Summary:
We like to recommend the Clarifier when your allergies, asthma or multiple chemical sensitivities are of sufficient severity that you need a "serious" air filtration system. It is best used in situations needing virus or gases control, basements to control mold, and all situations where an allergen free environment is critical. Then the extra money that this air filter costs is worth it. Price ranges from standard model at $679 and up.

More technical information and pricing may be found at our Store.

First Published: May 2000
Updated: April 2007

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