HEPA vacuum cleaners are those fitted with a HEPA filter. HEPA stands for High-Efficiency Particulate Air. A HEPA filter retains particles of 0.3 micron size or larger at an efficiency level of 99.97%. These filters are particularly effective at removing dust and dirt particles.
However, in a non-HEPA vacuum cleaner, much of the dust is exhausted back into your living environment. Using a HEPA vacuum allows the filter to remove over 99% of the dust and air-borne particles and therefore exhaust much cleaner air.
This is an obvious advantage for anyone who suffers from asthma or airborne allergies. If you have allergies or live with someone who has allergies, then you either have or are looking for the best HEPA vacuum cleaner to minimize pollutants in your living area. Because as you vacuum the motor sucks up dirt and dust which is deposited into a bag or dust collector so your house environment remains fresh.
HEPA vacuum cleaners are now widely available in the market. The HEPA filters are normally removable so that they may be cleaned or even washed and they should last the lifetime of the vacuum cleaner.
Types of HEPA Vacuums
Traditionally, HEPA vacuum cleaners are available both as canister (cylinder) vacuums and as upright vacuum cleaners. But nowadays, lightweight vacuums like some of the stick vacs also using HEPA filters. Which variety you buy will be a matter of personal preference.
In the past, people have considered upright vacuum cleaners to be better for homes with main carpets probably due to the fact that the vacuum cleaning head was directly below the motor and therefore the suction would be greater than on cylinder models. However upright vacuum cleaners may be heavier than their canister counterparts and may not be convenient for cleaning stairs or indeed carrying to upper floors.
Nowadays canister vacuum cleaners have powerful motors and can have motorized brushes on the cleaning head. Canister vacuum cleaners come with an extendable hose and cleaning attachments that normally store away within the body of the machine. This enables cleaning into corners or at height for pelmets or picture rails.
Finding the Best HEPA Vacuum Cleaner
One of the first things that you need to know is that you cannot really expect to get a new vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter for under a hundred and fifty dollars. The filter that is fixed in vacuum cleaners under this price would, more often than not, be a regular charcoal filter. You should know that a HEPA media filter comes in a sealed unit, and this does not come cheap.
Blindly following claims of vacuum cleaners coming with HEPA filters is not at all suggested. HEPA filtration is a fairly slow process, and when this combines with the fast action of a vacuum cleaner, it creates a hindrance for the air going through the filter, thereby causing dust particulate to bypass it. This is not uncommon in supposed HEPA filter vacuum cleaners.
Once you have decided on which type of vacuum cleaner then there are some particular features of a HEPA vacuum cleaner to be aware of because the quality of vacuum cleaners that come with HEPA filters can vary considerably, these are a few things that you should keep in mind.
• You should look for a vacuum cleaner that also comes with a pre-filter. This would prevent bigger particles from clogging the filter.
• You should look for a vacuum cleaner with a washable HEPA media filter.
• You should get a model where the filter is placed after the motor. This will ensure that allergen-free air is emitted from the cleaner.
• You should look for a model which has all of its components completely sealed, as this would make the vacuum cleaner leakage-free.
Remember that you do have a wide range of options in buying a good HEPA vacuum cleaner, and it is important that you compare a few models before you actually buy one. Following are our recommendations.
- HEPA Stick Vacuum – Dyson V8 Absolute Cord-Free Vacuum
- HEPA Upright Vacuum – Miele Dynamic U1 Jazz Vacuum Cleaner
- HEPA Canister Vacuum – Miele Complete C3 Calima Canister Vacuum Cleaner
Conclusion
The HEPA filter may be removable for cleaning or maybe disposable for replacement after one or two years. True HEPA filters operate at an efficiency of 99.7% but there are now HEPA-like filters that will operate at an efficiency of 70 – 80%. These filters will be less expensive than a true HEPA filter and indeed may be sufficient for your needs if there is no one in your household with a medical condition to consider.
Choosing a HEPA type of cleaner will have more advantages compare to cleaners without it. This is especially important for those that asthma and/or allergy sufferers.
These vacuum cleaners are used extensively, in homes and businesses alike, and help keep our indoors dust and allergen-free. While almost all HEPA vacuum cleaners essentially work in the same fashion, you should know that this is not a set standard and neither is it regulated by any governing body, so any vacuum cleaner manufacturer can claim that its vacuum cleaners have HEPA filters.