What brand of vac, is a true hepa filter.

[hooverman101]

Here is what I am looking at. My mom purchased the Hoover Windtunnel Canister vac. I figured it would do a good job. In alot of ways, it does. But, right now, with a cat and dog, well, I about feel this way. When I can still pick up dirt, pet hair, just to name a few things, it seems to me that the Hoover Windtunnel isn't really the best. What I wonder is this. My mom, she deals with copd on a daily basis. Now, the second that I turn on the Hoover, my eyes, start to water, and there are times I do sneeze as well. In my mom's house, a canister with a powerhead is really needed. Bags as well are needed for her safety, and comfort from what a lung specalist told me. Anyone, do you have any ideas? I am thinking about getting a new one from Sears. Not sure as of yet. She paid close to $400.00 for this vac. Just really thinking a few things over.

 

[sebo_fan]

Well, IMHO you'll never escape dust from a bagless, cyclonic vacuum - I think we've been down this road before - captured dust is better captured in a bag and stays there.

 

[trebor]

What a vac cannot pick up...

it cannot filter. Sometimes a corrective deep vacuuming is required using a different machine than will be used for regular maintenance. If you are dealing with wall-to-wall carpet installed over padding with tack strip, use a Sanitaire, even if you have to borrow it, ot rent it. It will deep clean the carpet. Use the high-filtration bags, and change the belt every four hours of actual use. You want to maximize dirt removal while minimizing effort.

 

[sebo_fan]

"change the belt every four hours of actual use.."

Ehhh, what???

I understand tension starts to go on belts, but are you suggesting that the Sanitaire uprights only last for 4 hours if a deep carpet clean is needed? OMG that'll be expensive to upkeep!

 

[gsheen]

Any upper market vac Baged or bag less with a sealed hepa filtration system will do fine. weather its baged or bag less empty or remove the bag outside Just as much dust will escape the bag as will escape a bag less vacuum when you empty it.If its got the allergy foundations seal of approval its good.

then look after it clean the bag or filters an you won't have a problem.

I am heavily allergic to dust and have used a bag less vacuum for more than 10 years now with no ill effects. when I do "play " with my bagged toys I sneeze and cough just as much when throwing the bag out as I do when I empty the bag less one. Even the bags with shut off ports leak dust at that point.

 

[sebo_fan]

Can you tell me, what happens if you wash the filters out? Or when a bit of clogged dust gets stuck in the cyclone shrouds? You can keep shaking the bin outside and use that as an excuse, but you'll eventually have to wash the filters by hand - and Im sorry - that's when dust becomes airborne whether you like it or not, or even when you instantly plop the filter into a sink of hot water.

 

[trebor]

What I am saying is...

in a 'corrrective' vacuuming situation, the intent is to get an arduous task over with as quickly as possible. But do the math. Average use of a vacuum is 15 min once a week, so that would be a new belt once every 16 weeks, or basically three belt changes a year. Moving all the furniture and doing a deep down purging type of vaccuming, divide the room in half, move all furniture to one side, vacuum 30 min, shift furniture, vacuum 30 min, move to another room, so about four avearge size rooms out of a belt. Remember this is not regular maintenance vacuuming, but removing a buildup of dirt, debris, sand, grit, dust, hair, lint, and allergens. Once achieved, the belt should suffice for six months. As we all know, the belt begins to stretch as soon as it is installed.

 

[sebo_fan]

Mmm, trouble is Trebor - I don't think there's a "corrective" vacuuming situation anymore due to ever changing lifestyle needs in a home. Let me give you an example.

My mum was born with whooping cough. Medically it has been proved that in later life, those born with whooping cough will have a persistent dry cough - and my mum certainly has that. She is also a fan of scented candles and as such a massive buyer of Yankee Candle. Now, if you have any scented candles in the home that are made with animal fats (unless they are soya based), they also attract dust (unless you have the handy more expensive Yankee Candle housewarmer jars or tumbler with lids) and oils, the scents that hang around in the air are just lovely - but if you leave the candles out, you'll soon see a line of dust hanging around. This is also evident on reed diffusers that haven't been swapped around - scented products like these attract dust.

In the rooms that we have these candles or reed diffusers, I've noticed a lot more dust build up. Same with extra bedding that attracts dust and builds up more dander. It also depends on the amount of dust particular rooms attract due to the type of room, high ceilings that circulate dust more compared to low ceiling rooms that seem to contain the dust better. Big massive windows often mean a lot more dusting compared to small and if you have appliances like a TV in the bedroom, that's another thing that contributes to dust. Big air con devices or heater fans also distribute dust (one of the things I hate is that you can never remove the grids on fans to remove the dust - yet there are hair dryers on the market that have removable fan vents for cleaning the dust out!) then there's actual curtains that can also retain dust in - unless you remove them everytime to wash - I adore bedrooms and general rooms that have washable PVC pull down blinds instead of soft furnishings.

So with some of these additional factors tied in, even if you remove the dust in one day taking into considerations all the furniture moved out of the way and the ardour tasks that present themselves to thoroughly clean the room out, it only takes another two days for dust to then "reappear".

 

[gsheen]

@ sebo fan

when you take a bag out you squeeze it unintentionally and you blow jus as much dust out , according to some tests done by various company's even more dust. I have never in 10 years I have never had to unclog the bin and I wash the filters before they get loaded with dust. But then again I use a proper bagless vacuum and not a cheap copy cat. I wash the filters every 3 months as suggested and there has never been any viable dust on them all. I have cats and dogs and hate pet hair so we vacuum a few times a day

 

[venson]

Regarding your machine . . .

If you own the model S3865 it got quite good ratings. That said, first off I'd arm myself with a dust mask -- AND the cleaner's user guide -- and then clean ALL filters. Give that a go and see if it makes a difference when you use it. If it does it means that regular maintenance in that area is is necessary to keep it running optimally and user friendly.

Considering your Mom's COPD, I'd want to be vacuuming at least every other day. As you have pets you may need to empty the machine after each use which is not wonderful but may help decrease the problem you're experiencing.

Also be advised that there is a problem that I've noticed with every bagless, so-called cyclonic machine I've owned. IF debris is allowed to build up in the area of the collection bin where the cyclonic action happens, the dust collection rate on pre-filters increases. As long as the air spin is uninhibited less fine dust travels to pre-filters. If large litter, etc., jams up that area the cyclonic action is rendered less effective.

My second thought is if you own your home AND if it's economically feasible, in this instance I suggest thinking of installing a central vacuum system that exhausts to the outside of your home. You wouldn't be recycling indoor air as you would with a portable cleaner. Central units require less occasion for emptying due to very large dirt collection capacity but in your case you'd want to be sure to wear a proper dust mash when you dumped it.

If you do decide on a central unit, it should be placed in an easy to access but relatively out of the way place like an attached garage or laundry room.

If that is not possible -- I really do not recommend bagless machines for anyone who is challenged by dust exposure. That said, there are bagged brands that are reputed for high-filtration but I am hesitant to recommend them due to the high price of not only the machines but the consumables they use as well.

 

[sebo_fan]

"when you squeeze out a bag' What rubbish!!

@gsheen

Why would you want to squeeze a bag anyway?

At the end of the day, why do hospitals still use bagged vacuums? Because it's healthier.

If bagless, cyclonic vacuums were so safe and "sealed", why the preference to still using a bagged system? Hospitals aren't afraid of spending more on bags! Not all bagless vacs are the same as you also point out, but MOST bagged vacuums have a self pull seal on them - would you squeeze out a bag full of toxins if you knew they would be damaging to your health? No and most owners don't - they take out the bag and put it into a bin. Ironic when Dyson and other brands suggest using a secondary bag to put all the dust in IF there are allergy sufferers in the home.

You also seem to turn a blind eye to washing filters - yet, the moment they become airborne - they start to leak dust - just because you can't see it - all that pet danger, allergen substance etc gets into the air - and even if it doesn't lead an onslaught attack to your asthma or breathing difficulties, whatever you breathe in will get into your lungs.

Unless of course you wear a dust mask each time you maintain your filters, you'll be less likely to breathe in what natural gravity and air in the home circulates. But at the end of the day when clinics and health establishments who deal with a great traffic of people, some of which suffer from dust allergies need to stay in places that have to be 100% clinically clean, doesn't it say a lot for bagged vacuums against bagless?

 

[stricklybojack]

get a separate air filter

specifically the Blueair brand, i link to an economical model (currently discounted online btw) from a respected national retailer. I have asthma & allergies & after 40 years of suffering this is one of the best discoveries i've made. COPD has its own concerns but if they are akin to asthmatic ones i suffer then i speak from decades of direct experience.
Remember furnaces, vacuums, pets, people all make & or put dust into the air. And mold/ mildew is even worse. this unit has a quiet setting that truely is nearly silent (yes i'm looking at you Honeywell...). That is absolutely key as you want to leave it on all the time for most effective results. Also these units have sizable filter media that i vacuum for longer life as it is the ultra fine particulate (nearly gaseous) that really is the big part of the problem...not the visible stuff so much, as it is down on the floor (or wherever) telling you its there not mysteriously making your eyes water by simply being almost everywhere in your house constantly.
Blueairs come in different models that differ mostly in capacity not unit size btw. the link is to the best value out there (i believe) on Blueairs right now...i now own 5 Blueair units, 3 different models, in two houses...& just unboxed the deal linked below last night & it's purring along at my feet as i write this. Really this product is in a whole other world than the Oreck/Honeywell stuff ( i mention those brands as they are common) - imo & my experience, good luck....

http://www.walgreens.com/store/c/blueair-hepasilent-203-air-purifier-/ID=prod5835073-product

 

[sebo_fan]

That looks like a super machine, strickly.

For many years we've made do with the simple Chinese made Air Globe. You probably have them in the U.S too. Only downside to this one is that the fan inside gets really dirty and can't be cleaned unless you try and take out the sealed parts or try and clean it with a cotton bud.

We didn't use the scented oil because the first model we bought got clogged up with the scented oil BECAUSE IT ALLOWS DUST TO STICK to the impellers. The second model lasted about 5 years and was used to filter the air - I was really shocked as to the amount of dust this basic, low energy fan system pulled in and displayed in the water. Even managed to catch little flying bugs!

 

[gsheen]

@Sebofan
in case you missed it the first time then let me say it again, when you take out a bag you unintentionally squeeze it. you have to carry it right ? go and look at your sebo bags you have to remove them first and then fit a cap you will still realise dust into the air.

I think thee are a place for both bagged and bag less, Im not biased in any way. If you want bag less get the best dyson , If you want bagged get one that works , Kirby lindhaus, royal. If bags are so safe then why do they burst, henry's kirby's sebo's they all burst .......... if you abuse them and overfill them the same way that any bagless system will fail if you abuse it

as for hospitals, all the ones I have been to use huge central vacuum systems

 

[gsheen]

a while ago I saw a study done by one of the big university's in the US can't for the life of me remember there name but I had a good laugh at the result.I lost my copy of it when our pc crashed 4 months ago but if you know a rainbow dealer or search the web you should be able to find it

It was commissioned by rainbow . the aim was what machine put more dirt into ther air during use and emptying. Now I am not the biggest fan of water filtration, I think its messy and a royal pain to use but the results were interesting. to be fair the university not only used a rainbow but also a thermax and a delphin. for bagged vacuums they uses a miele , kirby sebo and a hoover wind tunnel , bagless a dcyson , hoover windtunnel , eureka 3200, and a shark.

what was interesting to me is that in removing the bag from each of the baged vacuum as much dust was realised into the air as bagless vacuum been emptied into a bin. the only machines not to realise any dust during emptying were the water vacuums

 

[trebor]

The Lindhaus...

upright bags need only be slid off the intake tube, and are still supported by the bag chamber, so no squeezing, even inadvertently. Just close the tab, sealing the opening.

 

[trebor]

Re: central vac

If you are going to be in the house for the forseeable future, and if you( or friends) have any mechanical skills at all, a central vac is the way to go. How much have you spent on vacs already, and what will a new high filtration vac cost?

The key to being happy with a C/V install is
1) Not skimping:

put in plenty of inlets. A hose doc-it or a hide-a-hose are expensive. Cheaper to put in more inlets and to have a 20 ft hose for everyday vacuuming and a 35 footer for more thorough cleaning.
put in the extras:
a) vroom
b) spot
c) holster vac
d) sweep inlets
e) drawer vac (the least useful IMHO)

2) having a top notch installation. paying attention to the small details makes all the difference. Use the tubing with the cuffs molded on and the proper cutting tool.

A bagged system is better. Just as in a portable vac, the power is 100% each time a new bag is installed. I like the MD systems.

 

[sebo_fan]

Trebor, I like the idea of a central vac system, but what happens if you move home? Can you take the system with you or would you require the company to remove all the tubes etc?

 

[gsheen]

The idea is that if you sell your home the central vacuum adds value to it. then you buy a new unit for your new house.