Whats all the hipe over HEPA?

[briankirbyclass]

You know, i just dont understand all the brew-haha over "HEPA" bags (or vacuums) vs a standard bag (or vacuum),,,ive seen some supposed "HEPA" vacuums that spew MORE dirt than they pick up.
My 90 yr old Grandma has never had anything but a Kirby Model 560,,bought in 1960 when they had wall to wall carpet installed in their home and the only vacuum cleaner she has ever owned.
To this very day she still has the same wool carpet, and the same Kirby Model 560 with the old shake out bag system (that has just been factory rebuilt withion the last year, and had a new bag,brush roll and belt installed periodically over the years),,, and there has never ever been a speck of dust in her house,,or at least very very little.
She always did take the Kirby outside and shake out the bag over the garbage can, after a thorough vacuuming too, so maybe that makes a difference,,,alot of people let the Kirby bag get brimming over and plumped full of dirt until the Kirby is choking before it ever gets emptied.
Yes, she did dust her furniture and hard wood regularly,(as housewives of the 1950s and 60s all did),but for a vacuum cleaner that just has a shake out bag for a filter,,sure looks like it did fine by her. She's 90 ,and going strong!
Makes a person wonder if maybe all this "HEPA" business is just that,,,a business to make MONEY, HONEY!

 

[gottahaveahoove]

you are correct

We all grew up with paper bags. We're all still here.

 

[lux1521]

Well... I think the HEPA thing has its place. I also think that HEPA alone does not make a vacuum clean. You mentioned HEPA cleaners that are far from good at filtering, and I think it is because of poor implementation of the technology. You can stick a HEPA filter on anything, but that does not mean it will do a good job. If the vacuum leaks or has other design flaws in that area, the HEPA filter does very little.

I think a decent bag design (Electrolux Type C comes to mind) with a good disposal method, along with a basic after motor filter for your carbon brush dust, and that will be fine for most people.

 

[charles~richard]

I concede that hepa filtration does have value, especially for people with asthma or allergies. But overall, it's an over-hyped issue. Another fear-mongering sales tactic, really.

I have made the very same point -- I myself have been vacuuming with "dirt-belching" shakeout-cloth bags all my life, and as far as I can tell, I'm still breathing.

 

[mihi]

I agree....

HEPA has become a marketing tool, which seems now to over-shadow its real purpose which was to have a really well sealed machine and excellent multi-stage filtering system. I have a HEPA Lindhaus and I can tell the difference in it and my Kirby with the HEPA bag. The Lindhaus puts less stuff back out into the air. But don't get the wrong, the Kirby is very good, and the Kirby is the one I most enjoy vacuuming with because of the superior job it seems to do and ease of use. Mine are G5 and a G6. My Lindhaus is a HealthcarePro with the 12" brush.

 

[elux89]

Overrated and misunderstood

You guys are right, unless the system is sealed, hepa is a waste. Most consumers don't understand this simple concept! For my Lux canisters, style C, I've bought the hepa/filtrete style bags and have had great success with them. The bags filter better and last longer. I'm getting great filtration without having to spend a grand or so on a new sealed system. The bag chamber and motor stay clean. Compare that to a system which uses an inferior quality bag, the chamber gets dirty and the motor is filthy, yet it has a hepa after filter which most of the discharge air bypasses anyhow.

 

[dustmoot]

Hospitals

What do they use ? Dirt belching shake out bags ? Paper bags, or a central vacuum system ? I know one thing : I don't want particles from a dried out rubber mat in my lungs, or fiberglass particles thrown into the air, and settling onto the surface of my eyes, mouth and sinuses. If the shake out bags prevent that, I am fine with them. But if it can be shown that a HEPA, or any other paper filter can catch those micro nasties, I am open to that, too. I like scientific studies. We have a lot more toxins to contend with in certain parts of the world, now.

 

[vacuumfreeeke]

The hopitals I've seen use Windsor or Castex or something like that.

Just had a friend of a friend text me:

Her- Hey, I'm thinking about getting a new vacuum. I want a bagless. Should I get a Dyson?

Me- Don't you have a Kirby G6?

Her- Yeah, but you know my son has allergies so I thought a bagless with HEPA would be better

Me- Sweetie, you have the BMW of vacuums, please don't give it up for a "Ford Escort"! Bagless vacuums leak dust all over the place, and are a mess to empty... a disaster for anyone with allergies. The Kirby starts out with double the suction of a Dyson and still has more even with a full bag!

Her- OK thnx

I am absolutely shocked at the amount of people that think HEPA and bagless machines are so great. I do think it is mostly hype. Unless the vacuum is very expensive, it probably isn't sealed well enough for a HEPA to matter at all!

 

[thunderhexed]

It's all in the use and maintenance of the machine....

If you clean out the shake out bags after EVERY USE as Kirby reccommends in their manuals and hoover did on the actual bags, there shouldn't be a dust problem with cloth bags. On Kirby's , it's so simple.. as the bag deflates when powering off, hold it by the chain and give it a good hardy shake, then unzip and scrape, scrape, scrape, open the em-tor trap door and voila! The best part.. no dust clouds unlike some bagless vacs I'm familiar with. I have noticed though that shake out bags that are allowed to sit with dirt accumulated inside, belch dust when they are powered on, as do after-market NON- KIRBY bags. And those F&G mods? THE WORST at leaking, especially at the base of the bag where the conection is. Kirby knew what they were doing when they designed their cloth bag systems. You can't beat the suction on those models either! About every 6 months, I take the bag off after emptying, turn it inside out and whisk it with a broom. Works like a charm everytime, and none of my bags have any foul odors. This is also the best time to just give the vac (no matter what brand) a good overall wipe down with a damp cloth. Hit all of the seals and gaskets, especially where the bag connects - clean the brushroll, check belts., wipe down the cord to keep it supple, just simple things like this will keep your vac running for years to come.. ESPECIALLY it's a Kirby or Royal.

 

[williamr1248]

What's all the hype over hepa?

I agree with you guys. I will say I haven't used any old cleaners in the house for years. I hate the way they smell when you turn on my Hoovers.
I have lots of blinds and I only have to use a Hoover once and you can see the fine layer of dust on the blinds the next day. Why pick it up off the rug and throw it all over the blinds,furniture and tables.
I do remember my grandmother used to turn her Hoover 28 bag inside out shake it and put it out on the clothline. She always started with a clean bag.
I have tried to empty the bagless types and always end up with dust everywhere even if I do it in the garage.
I grew up with Air-Ways so I wasn't used to the nasty smell and leaking dust. When I got my first Kirby in 1987-88 I have always changed the paper bag real often and taken the cloth bag off every 6 months and carefully washed it and let it hang up to dry. I am not a Rainbow fan but I will have to say you always start with a clean machine and no smell.I have had good results from the hepa bags in the Kirby,Hoover Constellation and Electrolux Oxygen. It seems like they hold more dirt and keep the airflow longer.

 

[kirbysthebest]

I think it's a marketing tool in most cases.

In a hospital setting I understand, or if you have severe allergies then you would look for NASA clean room, clean.

I grew up with Kirby and shake out bags until the Tradition in 1981. I never died from a litte dust. Now I was always told by my Mother. Vacuum first, then dust. Maybe dust control was the method to her madness.

Now defending HEPA for a moment. I bought a Riccar Supralite last February for my quick clean ups. It has now taken over more and more cleaning. What I notice is that their paper bags are very good, no dust escaping, but the clothlike bags tend to breath better. If you feel the bag with the machine running the blue paper bag is taunt, whereas the clothlike bag is still very pliable. It take this that the clothlike bag allows the machine to move more air with less restriction.

 

[ohio_tuec]

That I will agree with - that clothlike bags tend to breathe better. Part of the reason for this is really fine dust and allergens escaping back into the air. I do feel however, that cloth bags filter dust better than the bagless machines. I recall running my Fantom Thunder and seeing a virtual stream of fine dust being spewed back into the room. With bagless cleaners that have a filter, the replacements can be expen$ive. Most people throw the cleaner away before replacing the filter. I find the green Oreck hypo-allergenic bags to work the best in terms of filtration, and when used exclusively leak no dust into the inside of the outer bag.

 

[thunderhexed]

expense

I KNOW!!!

Just TWO of the cloth-HEPA Kirby bags cost me over $20.00 at my local shop!

 

[williamr1248]

What's all the hype about hepa

I did notice that when I got the Electrolux Oxygen they give you 3 price and quality levels of bags. The thing I found with the hepa bag was that it seemed to keep the airflow much longer,no dusty smell and the first bag lasted 6 weeks before the machine lit up to change the bag. I was amazed at how much dirt the bag held. They are more expensive but if you were not replacing them as often it might equal out in total cost. After trying to empty my Hoover Bagless 2 times I would never want to fool with a bagless machine. I never minded the Kirby cloth bag. I think you guys are correct that it is much easier to keep the Kirby emptied often. It only takes a few seconds.

 

[electrikbroomgu]

Hepa is as good as the manufacturer makes it. Sealing is key. I also like to think of it as the latest fad like hybrid. People often have no clue what they are buying but it is a familiar "in" thing that is marketed to key demographics. A well designed Hepa bag is for sure beneficial to some allergy sufferers but as several people have pointed out here, how did we all get along without it for the past 100 years? How did we get along without video games and home computers and the internet? How did we get along without Hybrids or remote vehicle start? Some things are brilliant inventions and yet others are passing fads. Hepa comes somewhere in the middle for me. My grandmothers old Electrolux brown model G never saw a hepa bag and still purs like a kitten and is very clean inside the bag chamber and what you can see of the motor. The motor has never been apart since she has owned it and air flow is still top notch. My grandma lived until she was 92 and never had any allergys or problems with dust in her house and she always used genuine Electrolux bags. Meanwhile, I get bagless Hepa machine after machine in with shot bearings from dust leaking through the seals and various parts of the vacuum so it just goes to show that you have to be very informed on what you are buying today.