Better filtration for electrolux

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preston

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Mar 25, 2020
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SLC UT
Hi everyone. I’ve recently been bitten by the electrolux bug. But I’m realizing the older ones like the tow I have, the Silverado (I think) and the golden jubilee don’t have the best filtration. Is there a way to make it better? I’ve found some HEPA c type bags., is that as good as it gets? Is there a way to add a after motor filter without making it look like I’ve added one haha.

Thanks
 
I don't have allergies so I don't worry too much about filtration but I understand that for others, it's a pretty serious thing. That said, I find the aftermarket four-layer paper filter bags do a fine job of keeping the bag compartment fairly clean. I'm sure the HEPA bags would be a nice upgrade if you're into trying to maintain a dust-free cleanroom type of environment in your home but it's not really my thing.

I don't know about the canisters but there are optional foam filters available for the (Discovery/Epic/Genesis/etc. twin motor uprights. My Genesis LXe had one at the bottom of the bag compartment. It was in rough shape so I decided to replace it and the best deal I found online was a five-pack, so I retrofitted my Discovery II as well. It's been a couple of years and I still haven't dug my Discovery Plus out of the barn to put one in there as well. That said, I do have a little bit of a reservation about filters in that they cut into airflow a little bit, even when they're pristine and clean, but especially as they get clogged with dirt, so they're a two-edged sword in the sense that it makes a low-maintenance machine just a little more high maintenance as it introduces one of the major disadvantages of bagless machines.
 
I was looking at the Aerus on line supplies page last month. They do sell charcoal foam filters designed to be placed 8n the bottom of the bag compartment to reduce odor. They can be used in any model taking the c bag but will be most effective in the models from the 1205 on as those have the suction coming in at the bottom of the bag compartment. The older models such as L, G, AF, R, S, AE, E, LX, LXI and earlier have a fully perforated bag compartment so those filters won’t do much for those models.

As far as after filtration goes the E, AE, and XXX and maybe the LX all had after filtration and I imagine you could buy some sort of modern filtration substrate in bulk and make your own to fit.

The Silverado and the Golden Jubilee will certainly benefit from the charcoal filters and they should work perfectly in those machines.

I try to use the genuine Electrolux 4 ply bags when I can. For a while they made bags called iota that were supposed to be micro filtration then I think they changed the name to germ grabber. Sometimes I’ll see the iota or germ grabber bags on eBay. Not sure if the current Aerus Home Solutions bag is equivalent or an even better version of the iota or germ grabber bag since those products were discontinued at the time they changed to the home solutions bags. Apparently the current home solutions bags are only 2 ply...but they are supposed to be a more advanced type of filter paper than the old 4 ply bags. Personally I don’t think the filtration paper on generic bags is going to be as advanced filtration as genuine bags...likely it’s an old version of the genuine bags.
 
The Germ Grabber bags were the same as the standard 4-ply bag, the name was just a gimmick. The IOTA bags were their very best...
The current blue bags are absolute crap, go with the Envirocare for paper or the VAC (Vacuum America Clean) bags for HEPA.
There is no way to add an after filter to one of those metal body machines other than building something to fit in the blower port. The only thing that would get past the bag with one of those fantastic charcoal filters would be the carbon dust from the motor, and a negligible amount at that...
 
The blue bags are supposed to perform better than the 4 ply bags...or so they say right on the bag. Why do you dispute this? I know they are only 2 ply...but I think the 2 layers are of a better quality than what was used on the 4 ply design.

Also I think the bags made for the perfect knock off version are the cloth hepa type but not sure.

But for the most part, I’ve always felt the regular 4 ply bags do a great job...having always used genuine ones in my Electrolux for 25 years now, the bag compartment barely has any dust reside on it at all and I’ve never cleaned it or really needed to.

Jon
 
The genuine blue bags say they filter better because of ine word: marketing.

Would you buy a bag that you knew leaked dust?

I tried using them and they either leaked dust into the motor or the paper ripped off of the cardboard collar due to the suction of the machine.
 
Let me make sure we are on the same page here:
Are you referring to the Home Solutions genuine Aerus/Lux blue bags? If so, I am referring to the blue bag made by evacuumstore that is NOT an Aerus/Lux product but their own unique product.

The Aerus/Lux bag is paper, the evacuumstore bag is cloth. The evacuumstore product does have the collar glued on but, luckily, I have never had any separation.
 
I've Particle Tested Three Type C Bags



0.3 um Results:
DVC 4-Ply Paper = 8400, V.A.C. HEPA = 1650, Perfect HEPA = 370

So the 4-ply paper is relatively lousy and the best is the "Perfect" brand HEPA.

BTW, if you filter the exhaust (I've tried), you may manage to reduce the non-toxic carbon emissions a bit, but you will lose airflow and cause the motor to run somewhat hotter.
 
I don't like the Aerus Bags. Their claim is better filtration than the 4 ply.....I always bought


genuine for my Electrolux's, but when I tried these, no way were they better. I  buy DVC


Brand 4 ply filter bags that work great.......No dust in the bag compartment.......You can


find a case of 100 on ebay for around $40 to $50 with  free shipping......


 


Just as a note, I actually called Aerus and sent them an example. They did call me back


thanking me for my concern and sent me a new box of 24, which had the same problem......


 


PSS Make sure the DVC brand bags say 4 ply, it will say so on the bag.....you can also find


nos Surething and Germgrabber on Ebay.......


 


Sincerely,


 


PR-21


Bud
 
I’ll have to keep an eye out for some of the perfect HEPA bags. Not concerned about the motor carbon but I do have allergies. It’s hard loving the old vacs and Delong with old filter tech...
 
If you want the best filtration from an Electrolux, you're gonna need a plastic bodied canister. Those have an after filter on them. Pair that with the HEPA bags and you've got yourself a winner.
 
Perfect brand Type C Hepa bags have been discontinued

I researched that about a year ago.


 


Total bummer.  I guess V.A.C bags will follow suit in the years to come as demand goes down over time. 


 


Hopefully not. 
 
On the comparison test above I wonder how the blue Aerus home solutions bags perform to compare. If they are the worst I won’t use them. I just recently picked up 47 of them for $5 at a Habitat for Humanity store. I’d really like to see some real results rather than someone’s “opinion” of their performance. I got the vacuum too. The bag compartment is remarkably clean though the vac had a germ grabber bag in it, but the previous owner likely donated all those blue home solutions bags with the vacuum as everything was together with it but oddly they sold me the bags separately.
 
Andy R...

I've also had issues with the genuine Home Solutions bags. I've even had two that developed small holes in them, allowing dirt to enter the motor and bag compartment.
 
Myles & Andy R

I have had issues with the present blue Aerus Home Solutions bags as well. Either they get small holes near the bottom of the bag, or the blue sealing strip fails & dirt leaks out at the edges of the sealing strip. Bad enough, I decided to make a HEPA Cloth "liner bag" from a generic Kenmore 5055 HEPA Cloth bag to use with the supply of Home Solutions bags I have left. I would rather have my motor protected & the better filtration the HEPA Cloth bag would provide.

One way you can improve exhaust filtration on the plastic canisters would be to use the HEPA exhaust filter the Guardian Ultra used. It will be a tight fit into the hole for the filter & to use the vacuum as a blower, but if needed you can trim the foam around the tube. While the earlier plastic canisters, like the AP 100/200/280, Ambassador, Diplomat & Epic 6000/6500, may not be fully sealed like the Guardian Ultra, most of the air does go thru the filter & it's only slight leakage occurs. It's a nice little upgrade for any allergy sufferers out there that want to ensure the motor's carbon emissions are filtered out.

As for using HEPA Cloth Electrolux Style C HEPA Cloth bags in Canada, JohnnyVac, Hibbert & Tip Top Parts all offer their own in-house brands. I have used the JohnnyVac brand HEPA Cloth bags in my Grand Marquise with good results, & would buy again in a heartbeat.

Rob
 
Bad home solutions bags

So have any of you that have had issues with these Home Solutions bags contacted Aerus regarding this? They really should know about it...and not just the one person who did. I think they will repair your machine free if their bag fails and sends dirt into it. But yes, I’d rather not have that happen.

I have some older 4 ply genuine Electrolux bags, likely from the beginning of the 1205 era as they have the iconic 1205 canister shape curved rectangle printed on the cardboard top surrounding all the printing. No lightning bolt design and a few of them the outer paper split along the side corner seams...now I will admit they were quite full. Fortunately, the inner layers did not rip so raw dirt didn’t enter the bag compartment. I’m on the last one of those old bags right now but have a large quantity of the lightning bolt bags still to go before getting to the “newer” supply. I try to use the oldest first but I think I ended up with too many bags from getting them at estate sales, some off eBay, others people gave me, those 47 for $5 etc... now as I think I have around 300.. Going to bring a chunk to my Mom as she had only six bags left when I visited her over the holidays. Told her not to buy any.

I use some really crappy 2 ply bags I got at the dollar store...3 pack for a buck in the Electrolux I use In my garage for “shop vac” needs. Some packages had the multi filter 4 ply bags in them but others seemed thinner and had no printing on the cardboard top...the package is the same for all saying they are 4 ply but I was skeptical comparing the two so I cut one of the thinner bags with no printing open with scissors at the bottom and sure enough they are only 2 ply...one soft tissue layer then the outside of the bag. Trying to use those up first but only in that one machine for remodeling “shop vac” needs. I should really just call home care products and tell them they are deceiving me and make them replace them with the true 4 ply bags or at least give me a refund! They do seem to let some plaster dust through them as when I flick the outside of the bag a little puff comes from it when filled with Sheetrock dust. Had I known they were not all really 4 ply I wouldn’t have bought so many at the time and would have sorted the packages in the store. But I bought all 54 packages they had in stock and have used about half...also gave some away with some Electrolux’s I gave away to people in recent years. Not doing as much remodeling anymore as I thought I would be so not using them as fast anymore.

I may get some of those carbon treated foam filters and insert them in the bottom of all my units bag compartments as a precautionary dirt block should any bags rip or open.

I’d still like to see filtration results comparing the blue Aerus bags anyway. I’ve noticed the multi filter brand ones often have the inner layers flapping off the sides and not staying in place leaving only the outer paper layer in some areas of the bag. Maybe they aren’t using good glue...maybe the bags are aged causing the glue to dry out? There may be something to say about using “fresh” bags.

I do like the soft fabric hepa bags...but hard to find in The US and are they multi layered? If not they could lose suction sooner than the 4 ply paper ones. Since all my Electrolux’s that use bags have the automatic control feature, I’d be able to tell if it stops sooner with less dirt in the bag on the same setting I use for the paper bags for general household cleaning which is usually 2 or 3.
 
Jo

I actually did call Aerus about the issue and they mailed me some more of the blue bags. I've seen a number of people here mention it though, I'm certain Aerus is aware that I was not the only one with problems.

I've used the DVC bags for a while, haven't had any problems. They're 4 ply and cheaper than the Home Solutions bags, I've never had one rip even when I was using them in a commercial environment at the restaurant that I used to manage.
 
I have never had a DVC 4 ply bag rip or leave dirt in the bag compartment. My best friend


has two cats, one long haired. When his bag change indicator goes off and opens the door,


the bag is always full, unless it has picked up something like flour, which will clog a bag


very quick.....


 


I did send Aerus a bag per their request. They called and said they were sending me a new box


of 24, but I never heard anything back from them......I also switched to DVC Brand 4 ply bags......


since my vacuum was no longer under warranty.....


 


PR-21


Bud


 
 
I have some of the Multi filter brand bags, maybe those are the DVC ones? They don’t say DVC and came in plastic packaging branded “Rubbermaid”. Also have some of the same multi filter brand one in plastic package from Home Care Products. My Sister has some that say “Air Plus 4 ply” on them she got from her local general vacuum store. Maybe those are DVC?

Anyway... I happened to be digging through my supply tubs and saw the two packages of Home Solutions bags yesterday and looked more closely at them. Interestingly enough one has the blue tape at the bottom and the other does not, instead the bottom is folded and glued bag material. The package that has the folded glued seam also has a slightly different finish and ink style on the cardboard top and also the backside of the cardboard is also blue and the others have a nice glossy print and finish to the top of the bag and the ink printing is definitely nicer but the backside of the cardboard bag too is uncolored brown cardboard color. So....somewhere along the line these home solutions bags are being changed it seems. Just can’t tell which one is the most current. I couldn’t find a date on either package or the coupons and ads the aerus store included with the bags. The package that is folded is unopened clear plastic, the other with the blue strip had been opened by the previous owner and 3 bags used out of it and it too is clear plastic. Assuming both were 25 packs because the one still sealed has 25 in it. I think when the bags are sold by Aerus in the 100 pack quantity you get 4 clear plastic packages of 25 bags but if they were bought together it would seem odd that they would all not be the same unless it was during the time the change in style occurred.

On another note...I always liked the size of the Electrolux canister bags, big enough to not need frequent changing, but small enough to hold a significant amount of dirt by the time the bag starts smelling bad and you’d want to change it anyway regardless of whether it’s full or not so you don’t feel like you’re throwing away a bag that has more room and life in it Bihar because it smells from old dirt. And for those who have Multiple shedding pets, big enough to get through at least one or two full housecleanings depending on quantity of pets and size of the home.
 
DVC has become the best known name for generic bags because up until recent years they sold the majority of quality generic bags. These days Envirocare has moved into that market. Those multi-filter bags are almost always the good 4-ply bags
 

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