A vacuum cleaner manufacturer was telling us
the other day on how to sell their vacuum cleaners. Our staff sat
around with open mouths as he told us that they label their hepa
filters "replace on such and such a date 12 months from now"
while these filters may not need changing for ten years. But hepa
filters are consumables and good business. We were all mighty uncomfortable
with this conversation. So when does a hepa filter need replacing?
It is like your furnace filter - if you can see through it (the
light test) it is still absorbing particulates. Hepa filter media
is white, so when it is far from white - change it. Now, NOT changing
it will mean very little air will come out of your machine and the
motor can burn out. So, be warned - change them when they need to
be changed, but do not waste your money unnecessarily. Of course,
some manufacturers make it so difficult to get at the filters; it
is a special project to even inspect them.
First Published: early-June, 2001
Updated: November 2006
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