Hamilton Beach TrueAir Air Purifier
Whether you realize it or not, you’ve been witnessing how the electrostatic air purifier works your whole life. Take a look at your TV screen for example. Perhaps you may have noticed how dust seems to gather on the surface of the screen. Now how many times have you wondered why this happens?
| Color | White |
| Brand | Hamilton Beach |
| Item Dimensions LxWxH | 10.84 x 8.08 x 16.43 inches |
| Power Source | Wall outlet |
| Item Weight | 6.3 Pounds |
- 3 Filtration stages: Permanent true HEPA filter captures dander & airborne particles plus 2 replaceable carbon zeolite filters to target pet odors plus a pre filter for pet hair and larger particles
- High performance true Hepa grade filter: Captures 99.97 percent of pet dander, dust, dust mites, pollen, and Mold/Mildew spores as small as 3 microns from the air
- Reduces odors: 2 Activated carbon zeolite filters help reduce unwanted household odors from pets, smoke, and more
- Quiet and powerful: Use whisper clean for extra quiet operation at night, the medium setting or the quick clean setting for more powerful air cleaning
- Easy to clean: Permanent Hepa filter can be vacuumed clean; No replacement filters to buy
- Versatile air care that fits anywhere: Position the unit vertically or horizontally to best fit in your bedroom, nursery, hallway or living room at home or at the office up to 140 square feet
- Replacement carbon filters: When it is time to replace the filters, choose from model numbers 04230g, 04231gw or 04234g; Simply remove the front of the unit by pressing down the opening tab
Why the Dust on Your TV Screen?
Now you have been getting a big clue all along when you hold your hand up close to the screen and felt the slight “sparking” of static electricity. It’s that static electricity that’s responsible for more dust accumulating on the screen than on the outer plastic surface of the TV set.
Using Static Electricity to Attract and Hold things
Then who hasn’t at some time rubbed a balloon against their hair to make it stick to your head? As a child, it seemed like some magic trick. Once again, you were witnessing how invisible static electricity has the power to pull an object in and in fact if you think about it, a balloon does have much more weight than a tiny speck of dust.
Static Electricity is Pretty Powerful Stuff
So there you can see the actual power that electrostatic electricity has to gather and hold air particles. So how many volts of electricity are involved when you do the balloon trick? Would you believe that it’s several thousand volts? About the same amount as in a high power electrical line. Don’t worry though, because it’s very low “amperage”.
Air Passes Through an Electrical Corona or “Haze”
An electrostatic air purifier operates on the exact same principle. It uses fine wires to create a corona, or what can best be described as an “electrical haze” to charge air molecules that pass through it. These electrostatic charged air molecules then attach themselves to dust particles, which then stick to metal plates.
1907: The First Electrostatic Air Purifier is Patented
The very first use of this type of air cleaning technology was way back in 1907. It was back then when Dr Fredrick G Cottrell, a professor at the University of Berkeley applied for a patent for an electrical air cleaner that he had invented that he wanted to to use for cleaning emissions from smelting plants.
The Research Corporation is Founded
This man then used the money his invention earned him to create and fund a foundation that he named the Research Corporation. The purpose of this organization was to take new scientific developments, such as his new air cleaner and find ways to develop and bring them into the commercial world for the good of the general public.
Following the Money Trail Left by this Amazing Invention
Would you believe that this organization is still in existence? Well it is and the first money generated from this very first patent that was handed over to the Research Corporation went on to fund Godards first rocketry experiments. “The seeds of NASA”. Funds from this group also played a critical role in the development of the technologies that are used to produce vitamin A and B.
So then How Does the Darn thing Work Anyway?
In simple terms, an electrostatic air purifier contains in it a row of thin vertical wires that are placed next to a stack of metal plates. A negative electrical charge is then passed back and forth in the air volume between these wires and plates to create a corona. Remember the electrical haze?
Go Take Another Look at Your TV Screen
As dust particles pass through this corona, they pick up electrons and as a result take on a slight charge. It’s this charge that then causes them to be attracted to the plates where then become stuck. It’s the exact same thing that happens to dust particles that wander too close to the electrical haze in front of your TV screen.
One of its Biggest Benefits Over Filter Air Cleaners
One of the biggest benefits of the electrostatic air purifier is that it does away with the need for standard filters. In household air cleaners this means no expensive and messy filters to change but metal plates mean that mold and bacteria have no filter where they can settle in and grow.
Working to Keep the Air Outside Clean Too
Doing away with the need for messy cumbersome filters, also cleared the way for large commercial air cleaners of this type to be developed for scrubbing the exhaust created at coal and oil powered electrical plants. This technology is also heavily used in a wide range of dusty industries such cement plants.
Pros and Cons of the Electrostatic Air Purifier
There are some pros and cons to be considered with this type of air cleaner though. For instance, typically household models are designed to process a low volume of air as compared to a standard mesh filter cleaner. The reason is simple. That is that if the air is moved to quickly it won’t have time to stick to the plates.
The Most Quiet and Economical to Own and Use
Now of course the plates could be stacked in a tighter grid but then there would be problems with cleaning them. You see in household models the grids are spaced well apart, so they can be easily wiped down with a damp cloth. One major benefit of this type of air cleaner though is that they are very quite and use very little electricity.
The Hamilton Beach True Air Line
The Hamilton Beach True Air line consists of several different models in a wide range of prices that starts out at around $9. This would be for their palm sized wall plug models while their larger floor models end up at around $300 (US) for their top of the line Ultra UV Air purifier.
Hamilton Beach True Air Line Finer Points
So counting all of their accessories too, there really is a lot to cover in this one brief report. Instead I’ll go over some of their more note worthy points and touch on features and technological advantages that set them apart, beginning with their compact wall models the plug onto your walls electrical sockets.
Super Portable and Affordable Wall Plug Models
Now before you get too excited about the rock bottom low prices of these all too portable and super affordable air filters that top out at around $30, you have to bear one thing in mind. That is that their small size and low price does bring with it some compromises that have to be made.
Great for Bathrooms and Smaller Problem Areas
They’re light, convenient and use the latest filter technology but really are meant for the very smallest of tasks. For the most part, with the ability to filter out particles no smaller than 3 microns, these units are really promoted as odor eaters. Something to use in a bathroom or next to a kitty litter box for instance.
Smaller Size Means Smaller Air Volume and Distribution
For one thing, due to their small size they simply lack the capacity to fully distribute air. This means that unless the air in a room is being circulated by some other means, such as a fan, only the air in the immediate vicinity of one of these devices will be treated.
Amazing High Tech Ionic Air Scrubbing Technology
The Hamilton Beach True Air line also includes a lineup of ionic tower air cleaners that incorporate both hepa and ionic air scrubbing technologies. Now bear in mind that for ionic technology to work, the air must move slowly through the system.
Ionic Air Filters Remove Particles With Electricity
You see while a hepa filter is basically comprised of layered mats of fibers that function like a sieve, ionic technology uses electricity to actually pull particles out of the air. Each particle is given a small electrostatic charge and this in turn causes the particles to be attracted to metal plates with an opposite charge.
Best for Smaller to Medium Sized Rooms
So while ionic tower air cleaners tend to be low maintenance and extremely quiet, they do have their limitations with regards to air volume. Another convenience worth noting is that the hepa filters in the Hamilton Beach True Air line never need to be replaced. You simply vacuum them clean around four times a year.
Three Stage Systems that Sterilize Air With Ultraviolet Light Waves
They also feature a good selection of larger high volume air cleaners that combine carbon fiber and hepa filter technology, with an additional ultraviolet light feature for killing viruses, bacteria, as well as airborne mold spores. This is proven technology that’s in standard use in hospitals and medical clinics all over the planet.
Their Popular True Air 04136 Standing Floor Model
One of the more popular of these floor models is the Hamilton Beach True Air 04136 air purifier. This model is rated for 350 sq feet and traps particles as small as 3 microns. It also incorporates a dual filter system that passes air first through a carbon filter, then a hepa filter, then on to the ultraviolet light purifier.
It Automatically Measures Air Pollutants and Adjusts Air Speed
One of the reasons for the overall popularity of this machine is the actual number of features that it comes loaded with. As an example this machine has an automatic setting and an air quality sensor that are programmed to work in tandem. With this tandem system, the machine is able to automatically adjust air speed to compensate for increased or decreased air pollutants.
Mid Sized Models for Desks and Bedside Tables
They also have a good lineup of mid-sized air cleaners that range in size from a 10” X 10” desktop model that’s perfect for a persons bedside table or work desk, to a few medium sized floor models that range in price from around $80, up to just over $100 (US). Now bear in mind that these lower priced mid sized to smaller air cleaners will also tend to be limited in features.
CADR FOR AIR PURIFIERS
What is CADR rating in Air Purfier?
CADR stands for Clean Air Delivery Rate. In the most simplistic explanation of CADR, it is the amount of air cleaned in one hour. This metric is valid for only home/office or sometimes car use air purifiers. Different metrics are required to measure the effectiveness for large ‘Whole House’ or Industrial Air Purifiers.
Originally, the agency that certifies CADR, comes out with 3 ratings. One for tobacco smoke, second for pollen and third for dust, each figure representing the capability of air purifiers to remove respective pollutants in a given amount of time.
The unit of measurement as defined by AHAM is cubic feet per minute. Some manufacturers however also publish the measurement in cubic meter per hour. The conversion is simple. 1 cubic meter = 35.31 cubic feet. Hence if CADR of an air purifier is 200 CADR (cubic feet / minute), then in other metrics the same CADR is 340 cubic meter / hour.
What CADR ratings may not tell?
- CADR ratings are very broad
- CADR do not measure odors and VOC’s
- CADR’s measure the capacity to clean air at full fan speed
So Which CADR should you choose?
Consumer reports recommend CADR ratings of 150 (cubic feet/minute) or more. The range of CADR can be
- Dust – 10 to 400
- Tobacco smoke – 10 to 450
- Pollen – 25 to 450
Higher CADR, the better it is. However, CADR being an important factor, but should not be the sole deciding factor in your evaluation to buy an Air Purifier. Other factors such as Pre-Filters, HEPA, Activated Carbon are an equally (or sometimes more) important.
What CADR figure is right for you?
As a thumb rule, for Indian homes, adopt the “add 40%” rule. So if you are buying an air purifier for 10Ft X 10 Ft room (equals 100 square feet), buy an air purifier for at least 140 CADR (measured in cubic meter / hour). This is based on the standard ceiling height of 10 feet. Even a little more CADR would not harm. This is in direct interpretation from the recommendations given by AHAM.