What Size is your Home?
The first thing to consider when buying a hepa
vacuum cleaner is the size of your home. While we have
a preference for at least a mid size vacuum cleaner which
will handle effectively most people's needs most of the time,
a full
size canister may be more appropriate for a very large
house, and conversely the student with a dorm room or an elderly
person with a studio apartment needs a smaller sized vacuum
cleaner to get the job done.
What kind of flooring do you have in
your home?
While we hope as an allergy or asthma sufferer you have limited
the use of carpeting in your house, nevertheless we know many
of you still have substantial carpeting. With a considerable
amount of carpet, you may want to also include as a possibility
a high end upright vacuum cleaner like the Eureka Sanitaire
Commercial since the suction power on these machines provides
excellent value for money. If you have a mix of carpeting
and wooden floors you will definitely need a canister vacuum
which can go from carpeting to bare floors seamlessly.
Do you prefer to use canister or upright vacuum cleaners?
Some people have a clear preference for one or the other,
and in reality either type can be made to work well for you.
If you have never had the experience to compare the two types,
try one out at a friend's house you might be surprised at
the innovations in the marketplace.
Advantages
of Upright Vacuum cleaners
Uprights are easier and more compact to store in a closet.
They often provide more suction power at a lower price than
the canister
vacuums if carpet vacuuming[for instance of dog hair]
is your main concern.
Disadvantages of Upright
Vacuum cleaners.
Most are quite heavy to move around however an exception to this is SEBO upright vacuum cleaners. Most uprights do not have a fully
sealed or post motor hepa system and are not designed for
easy efficient use of onboard tools. The SEBO Automatic X4 and X5 vacuum cleaners are a notable exception
in both respects.
Advantages of canister vacuum
cleaners
The biggest advantages in our minds are the following: canister
vacuum cleaners allow for an easy transition from bare
floors to carpets. Once positioned in the middle of a room,
they are much lighter to push around. Canister vacuums have
on board tools, essential if you are going to do a thorough
cleaning. We use ours for dusting furniture, vacuuming bathroom
and kitchen tile floors, upholstery and car cleaning, computer
equipment to name just a few of the applications for the tools.
Disadvantages of canister
vacuum cleaners.
Some people are more used to an upright vacuum cleaner and
see it as more convenient to store than a canister. Also ,
until you buy a full size canister, the power and effectiveness
for basic carpet vacuuming tends to be less. If you just have
carpets you may be happier with a top of the line upright vacuum.
Why is a hepa vacuum cleaner
is a useful tool for allergy and asthma sufferers?
The word "HEPA" stands for "high efficiency particulate air"
and in order for a filter to be rated as HEPA it must retain
all particles .3 microns in size or larger at an efficiency
level of 99.97%. The most common airborne particles are about
2.4 microns but the average vacuum cleaner only vacuums up
particles from 30 to 50 microns in size, blowing the rest
of the allergens back into the air. The most harmful sized
particulates are about .3 microns in size.
Hepa Air cleaners will only do part of the job
needed by an allergy sufferer in order to keep their environment
clean. A hepa air cleaner tends to draw towards its filter
those allergens which are already air borne. On the other
hand a hepa vacuum cleaner will clean up those allergens and
dust which have settled on furniture floors and carpets These
"settled" allergens keep getting stirred up [and subsequently
inhaled] by human movement in a room.
Would a built in central vacuum cleaner
system be the best solution for an allergy sufferer?
With a built in vacuum cleaner there is no possibility that
allergens can be exhausted back into the room, making it unequivocally
the vacuum cleaning method of choice for an allergy sufferer.
Since they are stationary they often have more powerful motors
than portable vacuum cleaners. Dirt is either collected in
a container usually located in a garage or basement, or exhausted
directly outside a house. The connection hoses for central
vacuums have become lighter and easier to manipulate in
recent years. However, the biggest disadvantage of central
vacuums is they do not have any onboard tools and you need
to carry them separately[read stay in the closet].They are
also more costly initially to install, requiring at least
a half day of professional installer time. In addition, despite
design improvements many people find a 30 foot hose awkward
to carry around. As with all product choices, there are tradeoffs
to be considered.
Features to check out before
you purchase a vacuum cleaner.
Hepa filter
The hepa filter needs to be positioned post motor so as to
ensure the exhaust is emitting allergen free air. This post
motor feature is currently only available in canister vacuums.
1. Completely Sealed Hepa
System
The bag and motor components need to be completely sealed
by rubber gaskets so that there is no leakage of dust filled
air. Dust and allergens need to kept in the machine where
they belong.
2. Two-Fan suction motor
A two fan motor can pull in significantly more dirt and allergens
than a single fan motor. The power of a vacuum is usually measured in air flow - cubic feet per minute. For instance a Sebo C3.1 Canister Vacuum or Sebo air belt K3 Canister Vacuum is rated at 171 cubic feet per minute making them one of the most powerful machines available for residential use..
3. On board tool caddy
As mentioned before onboard tools are essential in our opinion.
The key to good on board tools is how easily they can be changed
on the fly. You should be able to change from the floor tools
to upholstery or dusting with one quick pull and unscrew motion.
In this regard, we think Miele
have created the most consumer friendly vacuum.
4. Rotating Power Nozzle
[canisters]
These are better for cleaning carpets.
5. On board hose storage
[uprights].
Storing onboard tools tends to be awkward at best in an upright
vacuum cleaner. The Sebo Automatic X4 Extra Upright vacuum cleaners tends to do the best
job in our opinion, of any vacuum in storing tools onboard.
6. On/ off rotating brush
[uprights].
Ability to switch from the carpet to bare floor at the touch
of a switch.
7. Easy to use controls and
on off switch
All these controls should easily used.
8. Long flexible hose
Some hoses tend to twist and kink
9. Adjustable telescopic
wand (canisters)
Very important in assisting your ability to go seamlessly
in adjusting the optimal distance in reaching high places,
furniture or floors. The telescopic wand should adjust easily
without having to fiddle with it.
10. Carpet height adjustment
Vacuuming different carpets- from deep pile Chinese carpets
to a cotton rug needs the ability to adjust the controls at
the touch of a switch or dial.
11. Easy maneuverability.
Good quality large size castor wheels increase maneuverability.
When using an upright self propelled models such as the Eureka
self- propelled, vacuuming becomes easier.
12. Swivel 360° for hose
and wheels (canisters)
In order for machines to be easily maneuverable they need
to have the capability of swiveling 360° without moving
the vacuum.
13. Attachments
At a minimum, a vacuum cleaner should have a dusting brush
with soft bristles, upholstery, bare floor and crevice tools
as the basics.
14. Long retractable cord
(canisters)
Good canisters have automatic retractable cords which make
for neater storage.25 feet is a good minimum length.
15. Dust bag change indicator
We like to be reminded and a machine does not work effectively
with an overfull bag and can burn out.
16. Lightweight
No vacuum cleaner or other appliance will be used if it is
too heavy. We have found most people are comfortable up to
about 15 lbs. Over that weight it will feel too heavy for
a number of people, especially if you have to carry it up
and downstairs.
17. Suction control switch
Suction control switches need to be available at finger tip
control or by floor press controls, since vacuuming drapes
needs less suction than carpets. This is where canister vacuums
excel.
18. Fan position
It is better design for the dirt to be vacuumed into the dust
bag first before it hits the blower fan. This way exhausting
allergens into the room is minimized. By no means all machines
are built this way. Very often manufacturers have taken an
existing design and just added a hepa filter, but not positioning
it in the optimal position.
19. Blower
It is useful to be able to attach the hose in such a way as
to blow away dirt in hard to reach places. Allergy sufferers
should only use this feature in emergencies as it stirs up
dirt and allergens into the air.
20. Quiet
If you like to vacuum late at night or after the children
are in bed, noise level becomes important. We have found Miele
vacuum cleaners exceptionally quiet.
21. Bag savers and bagless
vacuum cleaners.
We do not on the whole recommend them for allergy sufferers,
as you have to empty an unsealed container full of dirt and
allergens. People like them as they save on the cost of vacuum
cleaner bags and they like seeing the dirt getting "sucked
up". If you insist on buying a vacuum with this feature like
the Eureka Sanitaire Commercial SC5845 Bagless HEPA Vacuum Cleaner, get someone who does not
suffer from allergies to empty it out for you.
22. Hygienic dust bags
Built in dust flaps which automatically close when you change
a bag to prevent dust from escaping.
23.
Warranty
Check the manufacturer's warranty period. You should be able
to get a 5 year warranty on the motor and one year on other
parts.
24. Commercial versus Residential
Commercial vacuum cleaners are built to withstand usage 7
hours a day five days a week. Residential users only use their
vacuum cleaners 1 to 3 hours per week.
