Kenmore air purifier filters are Sears products (as in Sears, Roebuck & Co.) but they are pretty inexpensive as far as air cleaners in their class go.

Their HEPA Air Cleaner, which costs from $100 to $130, covers an 11×14-square-foot or a 13×15-square-foot room. The 11-pound plug-ins are great solutions to allergy, asthma, and other respiratory problems.

Kenmore HEPA air purifiers also have all the basic features you’d want, such as:

• 360-degree air discharge/intake (real HEPA technology)
• Built in ionizer
• Replaceable charcoal pre filter
• HEPA seal to stop air from leaking around filter
• 3-speed fan (includes a power indicator)
• Tough housing (designed with a carrying handle)

Filtering your air conditioning airways seems to be a trend nowadays so I didn’t have a problem looking for user reviews on Kenmore air purifier filters as well as some other brands I was considering.

Haven’t seen negative stuff on Kenmore, so far. I did see some on a popular competitor though, which offered products priced lower than Kenmore.

Some guy from Lake Forest, California was complaining about how the air cleaner he bought not only made an awful noise but also did a bad job of getting rid of cigar smoke and pet smells.

The guy just gave up on the inefficient unit and bought a Kenmore air cleaner instead. He says he’s very happy with its performance. The review was on an independent website, which sells Kenmore as well as other competing products.

Moral of the story: Compromising on quality may end up costing you more in the long run!

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Desktop air purifiers come in various types. They use about the same processes as those you’d find in whole house (or central) air purifier systems. The most popular desktop air purifiers use:

• Traditional carbon filters
• HEPA filters
• HEPA combined with UV light
• Carbon and HEPA combined with UV light

High Efficiency Particulate Accumulation (HEPA) may sound like something out of science fiction. And it isn’t far from the truth as they were first created to rid the air of radioactive particles.

Aside from being found on desktops around the world today, HEPA air cleaners also have various scientific, industrial, and military uses.

HEPA filters are crafted from glass particles that form a fine weave. It reaches efficiency levels approaching 100%, hence its name.

Prices of desktop air purifiers range from $150 to over $280. Filter replacement varies and SHOULD BE A PRIMARY CONSIDERATION, especially in units with multiple filters. Although largely depending on use, filters in the more popular brands last from:

• HEPA – 2 to 5 years
• Carbon – 4 months to 2 years
• UV – around 250 days or less

Replacement filter prices can cost anywhere from a few dollars (carbon filters) to over $100 (HEPA filters).

The main drawback of HEPA desktop air purifiers could be the high power consumption they generate. The fine weave makes a HEPA filter so very dense that only a really strong blower (needing more electricity) can push the air through.

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A germicidal air purifier with UV light destroys microorganisms such as:

• germs
• bacteria
• viruses
• molds

As airborne microorganisms pass through the device, an ultraviolet lamp shines UV rays on them. This damages the microorganisms at the cellular level, killing them.

Sounds pretty effective, but also scary doesn’t it? If a germicidal air purifier with UV light can kill microorganisms, what effect does it have on organisms, like pets and humans?

Well, similar damage DOES occur in humans due to UV lighting, but it’s restricted to the skin and eyes. However, reputable manufacturers will ensure that their purifier units do not allow ultraviolet rays to escape. So the UV lights will only sterilize the air that passes through the purifier.

In fact, UV air cleaners are deemed so safe and effective that the US government specifies UV lighting in government facilities to minimize the growth and spread of germs.

What’s more, UV lights are recommended by the Center for Disease Control for use in homeless shelters. UV lights stop diseases like tuberculosis from spreading. What makes this a big deal is that such diseases often develop a resistance to drugs.

Some commercial office buildings also use UV lighting in their ventilation systems to reduce respiratory-related problems (e.g., breathing difficulties, mucus, muscle pain, etc.) in their employees.

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I recently found out that ALL THREE air purifiers I use at home were phased out – and the filters along with them! The guy at the store I get my filters from suggested I upgrade to their latest models. I’m darned if I’m going to give the same manufacturer my money again! Instead, I began searching around for some filterless air purifiers – at another store.

I’m tired of having to periodically change filters anyway, not to mention having to deal with yearly filter price increases. But it’s really annoying that I have to junk THREE perfectly good air cleaners just because the manufacturer was inconsiderate about providing enough filters for all the suckers that patronized their product! There ought to be a law against stuff like this!

Anyway, to make sure I don’t get suckered again, I’m buying three air purifiers without filters to change.

Filterless air purifiers, so I’ve recently discovered, ionizes the air in a room. This charges the dust particles and other dirt in the air so that they’re trapped in a plate collection mechanism.

Some filterless air purifiers make use of a fan to enhance the system, although it will work without a fan as well. I’m thinking about maybe trying out a unit without a fan because I hear those make less noise.

Another thing I’ve recently found out is that any device you use for filtering air can never be truly maintenance-free, no matter what manufacturers say. Take filterless air purifiers – yes, you don’t have to replace a filter but you will eventually have to clean the plate mechanism.

So it’s a good idea to invest in a unit where you can get at the plates easily to clean them. Otherwise, you may have to shell out the same additional dollars you were trying to save by buying a filterless system in the first place!

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