my 12 yer old hepa filter from my Rainbow

[electro]

I just changed my hepa filter today. It has been in the machine 12 years. There is a slight amount of fine dust on the edges of the white filter. I am pretty happy as never ANY odor, or dust on the exhaust after all these years. Never any cloud of dust when you turn the Rainbow on and I have cocker spaniels.
I need to qualify here: this the machine I use all the time. It is not "A vacuum of the day situation".
I have used it to clean my porch, garage , church all these years. I DO empty the water basin before it gets clogged with dirt and I do clean the separator maybe every other use. Still I am very happy with the results.

Only repair is a broken spring in the hose latch. With continuous use , it is the only machine I have ever used with no dust on the table tops, so it is doing something right.

As you know so many of the high end cleaner s DO HAVE hepa filters but they inform and expect you to replace them on a yearly basis and they along with the hepa bags are a expenssive continuous expense for the owner.


This is just my results after 11 years of continuous use. I bought this sight/unseen from a Rainbow dealer/Ken Bashford in Texas. It was one of the first E2 blacks to be delivered to his dealership. They arrived on Thursday and mine arrived middle of the next week in spring 2011..

Not to make ANY claims about what is best, just my story and good service provided by my Rainbow. I was informed that the fans will have dust on them-who cares! After all these years,they are bound to have some residue build up as the water evaporates in use. The end result for me was no odor , no cloud of dust on start up ,and no repairs, so I think it has given me good service and performed as it should.

 

[mark40511]

Wow - you went longer than I did...I think I went 5 years with my first one...not because I lost efficiency or anything...but I just thought...how much longer can this thing last? so I cut into it after I took it out and it had LOTS of life left in it...and there was zero smell...again..this filter is FIVE years old and it probably could have been used several more years.

 

[electro]

Mark, I remember you posting that information about your filter. I DO believe I DID replace this filter ONE time within the first 2 years and it was clean too. So to CORRECT my post, this one has been in maybe 8 years and I think it could have gone longer as it just had minimal dirt.
I have seen others post pictures of high end machines where their filter is so clogged even within one year.
Thanks for sharing your pictures.

 

[dysonman1]

As with most decent vacuums, if you care for them, they will last. My current vacuum is an Air-Way Ultra Kleen but that's because I'm testing it before I start selling them. My Rainbow black is 12 years old, but the power nozzle is the newer geared belt variety. I use the Rainbow from October through April running 24/7 in my bedroom to clean the air and humidify. I use the green germicide in the water. No dry mouth or sore throat all winter long. When I want to change out the water, I hook up the hose and clean the bedroom before I throw that water away. I use distilled water in it all winter. I recently took the machine apart to wash the fans through the dishwasher and was also surprised at how clean the Hepa filter was in mine.

 

[mark40511]

It's true...vacuums will last if you take care of them..... but I've never had a vacuum where the HEPA filter lasts as long as it does in my Rainbow...At this point I can't remember the last time I changed mine and air still pours out the back... I fill my basin up with more water...like 1/2 above the dome and it seems to work great. I cleaned for 2 solid hours 2 or 3 days ago and when I was done...water was still above the dome... I no longer have my cat. After 17 years I lost her. I still try not to think about it. ... but I definitely don't have any cat hair to vacuum anymore...mostly just daily dust/dirt...