The difference between Rainbow D4 and the first E

[kirbyvertibles]

Hi guys,
I have a d4c se pe that I love to use. It's very simple to work on compared to it's predecessors and seems to have a bit more cleaning power too. Ok so now I just got an E2 single speed. It was pretty simple to work on too. My question is what is the difference in cleaning ability between the 2? I see none and over all I like my d4 better. I'm not complaining about the E at all I just like it less.
Thoughts??????????

 

[pr-21]

I am like you as far as the first E Series....

I boxed my E Series up and stored it in the garage. Not impressed. The air flow was not quite as good as my SE PE, I felt the water pan was harder to clean and it was bulkier. With that said, it all changed when I bought the new Black Rainbow.  Longer hose, more suction, two speeds, better cord wrap and the lighted basin is great.....Best of all is the redesigned power nozzle. Cleans much better and has side edge cleaning brushes. I read on the forum that they are coming out with a newer version of the power nozzle with a geared belt. I have had no problems with the old style belts on any of my Rainbow power nozzles, but have been thinking of getting the new gear driven nozzle.


 


One more difference was the addition of the hepa filter, which possibly cut down on the air flow of the first E Series machines. I never pick up non wettable material  and the inside of my exhaust on the SE PE has always been spotless....I haven't use my SE PE since getting the new Black Rainbow. Perhaps I should give it a run this weekend....


 


That is my 2cents....


 


 


Sincerely,


 


PR-21

 

[kirbyvertibles]

Hey thanks for the input. I do like it but like I said the se is better

 

[dysonman1]

You'll note that the SE Rainbow uses two fans, with 9 curved blades to move the air. The E series has a single fan (like a shop vac) so the air flow is not as great. The E series was the first and only Rainbow model NOT to have its motor made by Rexair themselves. They used two suppliers, GS and Ametek. Ametek motors were used almost exclusively in '98 and '99. In 2000, they went with GS exclusively and used Ametek for 'backup'. The fans and spider wheels are different between the two motors, as is the shape and style of the cooling air fan's 'hood'. Of the two, the SE has more airflow but a much dirtier exhaust. Since a Rainbow evaporates 3 cups of water per hour (very dirty water in most homes) there's a reason the HEPA filters clog with dust.

 

[mark40511]

3 cups of water in an hour?

Wait? HUH?

Why would the single speed and SE PE evaporate three cups of water in an hour and not the 2 speed Rainbows?

There are times I don't have to frequently change my water when using my Rainbow to just dust the house. I'd say a good hour on one fill of water doing general dusting all over the house (not vacuuming the floor) and when done, there's BARELY any water gone from the machine.

 

[dysonman1]

Rainbow vacuums have always evaporated water as they run. The model B's instruction manual claims a pint per hour. The newer machines (like the SE and all E series models) evaporate more. Fill the pan with exactly 2 quarts of water (measure it). Run the cleaner without the hose for an hour. Measure the water again. You'll find about three cups gone. The air in the room isn't nearly as humid as the air exiting the machine. Drier air is washed, but the separator allows about 30% humidity to remain in the air going through it. People always wonder why there's so much dirt in a Rainbow motor. The reason is evaporation of dirty water, as well as vacuuming up non-wettable dirt. That's also the reason the hepa filter was added to the E series: Consumer Reports raked Rexair over the coals for 'emmissions" on the SE model - claiming that with clean hard water in the pan, the Rainbow was spewing more mineral particles than any other vacuum they tested.

 

[unimatic1140]

Tom welcome to Vacuumland, I'm absolutely thrilled you're here! Thank you for great information you given in these threads.

Just so everyone knows, Tom really knows vacuums cleaners inside and out, both vintage and modern. He is highly respected in the vacuum industry, so if you get some advice or information on vacuums from Tom (dysonman1) please know it will be spot on. I'd bet on it!

 

[KirbysNphones]

Well this answers a question I've meant to ask on here and kept forgetting to:
Why the inside of my Rainbow was so dirty. Now I know that it doesn't trap all of the dirt like Rainbow claims.

It's still a good vac, especially since most vacs leak some dust, and it's quiet too!

 

[williamr1248]

The Difference between Rainbow D4 and SE

Dysonman,
I agree with you. The Instruction book for the "B," even calls it a humidifier and conditioner.
When I was very small and had allergy problems,the Rexair along with the Air-Way were reccomended for help in relief along with a room air conditioner from several doctors to my parents.
It was suggested to run the Rexair before I was put down for sleep.
Of course this was long before most people had air conditioning or humidifiers in their homes. One of the first things they were advised to do was to get rid of the older upright with the cloth bag.
My parents went the route of a room air conditioner and their friends already had Air-Ways so they bought the Air-Way.

I do remember that story from consumer reports and using hard water would make a difference with all the minerals. I let my Rainbow run every morning
for about 1/2 hour to clear the bacon,coffee odors as I clean up the kitchen. I always use the high speed and never the low air cleaning speed.
I have mesured the water evaporation but the most I have found is about 1 1/4 cups.
It may make a difference in the general humidity and temp of the room.
I have noticed not nearly as much evaporation when using it for regular cleaning with the hose connected.
I know you are right because most users do not change the water or clean the separator.
You are 100% correct and the old instruction book even has pages of hospitals that were Rexair users back in the early days.
I think because I do change the water about every 30 minutes and keep the separator clean my Rainbow and the hepa filter have stayed perfectly clean.
Rainbow is sure not the correct cleaner for everyone but it has been such a help with my allergies with no dusting anymore and no bag,bin or filter with dry dust to mess with,empty or buy.
Can you imagine the Rexair demonstrations back in the late 1930's when people used to have the old style machines with the cloth bags spewing so much dust back in the rooms.
If there is ONE thing you know about-it would be the Rexair-"The King of the Air".
Thanks for sharing the information.

 

[dysonman1]

The actual story to the invention of the Rexair (Rainbow) was that they worked for ten years to develop it. Originally, it was a bagless vacuum. Like a Dyson. The separator would throw the dirt to the sides of the pan, which was emptied after each use. The advantage would be that it would have "no loss of suction". The original shape, as it was to be launched to the public, looked very much like a Dyson DC02 (Fantom Lightning) in that the dirt container was in back, and motor in front. The motor was placed OVER the container in 1936 to streamline production and lower costs. The problem was that the separator coudn't separate ALL the fine dust from heating with coal or wood (ashes) in the new configuration. Water was added in January, 1937 - it allowed better filtration and the new "wet dust cannot fly" slogan helped them sell over 13 million machines. The truth is: the absolute reason for dirt in a Rainbow motor is the evaporation of very dirty water. Many folks vacuum their entire home with one filling of water and the machine runs for almost an hour. That's why there's dirt in the separator, motor fans, and eventually, the HEPA filer.

Personally, I empty the water from my Rainbow about every fifteen minutes or so, I wipe the machine's underside dry, and never store it on its pan. Doing this will minimize the ill effects on the machine, and tends to keep the motor very clean for a very long time. It's a shame that most regular folks never do this - but it's great for the repair man's wallet.

 

[joshdonnell]

Re

I've kinda been worried , that all the moisture would cause the hepa filter to maybe damp , and get moldy . Or make the the filter not work as well. Should i be worried? My Apartment doesnt really get dirty, so should i change water every 30 min? Theres only 1100 square feet. Ive always wonder if since its not a sealed hepa filter, like the Miele wouldnt leak around the filter?

 

[dysonman1]

Josh: There's a rubber seal all around the HEPA filter on the Rainbow. It really is a sealed system. That being said, the amount of moisture in the air going INTO the Hepa filter is not enough to make it damp. The air is way too warm for that. Rexair has always recommended that the water be changed at least every thirty minutes when doing 'large jobs'. My advice has always been: "when the water gets as dirty as you would let mop water get, change it".

 

[joshdonnell]

Re

Well shouldn't there be a seal on the outside of the filter as well? Like other sealed vacuums.

 

[joshdonnell]

Re

Sorry. I typed that wrong what i meant wa,. Like a seal where the filter carridge sets like around the walls of the back of the vacuum and then have a seal back cover is

 

[joshdonnell]

Re

Or a seal around the filter cartridge

 

[dysonman1]

Josh:
I'll use the E2 2 speed model as an example. The Hepa filter is completely sealed in it's cartridge with only the opening in the back to receive the air directly from the motor's fan case. There's a thick rubber seal where the HEPA filter meets the fan case. Every atom of air goes into the hepa filter housing, none can escape. It's 100% forced through the Hepa filter, meaning that it's a sealed system. Just like a Miele.