Friedrich C-90B Air Cleaner
by Friedrich
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List Price: Category: Home See more product details |
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Tools and Hardware Reviews of Friedrich C-90B Air Cleaner
Customer Review: Rated Highest by Consumer Reports!
Summary: 5 Stars
My wife and I bought two of these 18 months ago. They both run 24/7 with the exception of several hours down-time to clean the ionizer and pre-filter (hose-off - they're too big to fit but one inoizer in the dishwasher). One sits in our bedroom, and the other on our perpetually wet and moldy enclosed patio, just outside the cat door.
It is incredible the amount of matter (blue-lint, cat hair, dun-colored mold spores) collected in the pre-filter, alone. Running as often as these do, the one on the patio needs to be cleaned every two-four weeks, while the bedroom fouls in eight days. When the prefilter fouls, it bulgestowards the ionizer and eventually pulls out of its framing.
This filter gives me, a chronic allergy sufferer, and oasis of fresh air in the room where it operates. I would rate its cleaning ability as absolutley the best I've had in 20 years of trying to find an adequate machine.
Against the Honeywells we had, this uses relatively little power. And, despite what the other reviewer stated about the carbon filter, ours still work after 18 months!
The drawbacks I've found are minor, but I'll provide them here just as an FYI.
Cleaning is not fun. Yes, one just has to pull out the prefilter and ionizer, hose them down, and let them dry. However, one MUST EXERCISE CAUTION. First, the "blades" of the ionizer are VERY SHARP, particularly on the more numerous side, and I've suffered a score of deep, paper-cut like wounds on the tip of a finger or two. Second, the ionizer is VERY FRAGILE (aluminum alloy?) and *VERY* expensive. In cleaning, I dropped one from the height of maybe 12 inches. It landed on a corner and through the ionizer out of alignment. It cost $160 to replace.
Noise is an issue. Even on low speed, the fan/airflow is audible, though regular (Hey! it's the fan that gets the circulation going and gave this the clear advantage over the Shaper Image machine that CR actively recommends against, even in the face of a (succesfully defeated) lawsuit by SI!). When a portable radiator heater we have comes on, the drain in power tends to make the fan hum. I can ingore it, but it bothers my wife, if she's awake. Honestly, by putting the radiator a safe distance ahead of the cleaner, it augments the heater by circulating the heated air. Minor rattles can occur, too, so I keep a beach towel on top of the (large, 2-cubic foot?) unit, and several weighty books. This seems to have done the trick for more than a year.
Overall, I still say this is the best one can get, and I wouldn't hesitate to buy another.
Customer Review: 5 stars for the product, 1 star for the manual
Summary: 5 Stars
I have owned this guy since it came out and am very happy with the product, but the manual could use some improvement.
Used properly you'll get years of trouble free, cheap and clean air. The chief concern with a unit of this type is ozone production. Ozone is *bad* for you. This unit is *the* best rated unit for ozone production and its ozone levels are very safe -- *IF* the unit is properly serviced.
What the manual doesn't tell you -- if you smell ozone you need to clean the element. You will need to clean the element a lot. If you cant/won't do that, this is not the air cleaner you are looking for.
The second problem with the manual is the cleaning directions are frankly harmful. The manual says to use dish detergent. The dish detergent will react with the aluminum and over a long enough time line turning the element black. This deposit will act like a dielectric (just like the dirt the element collects naturally) and the thing will spew out ozone. Once this had happened I could not get the element clean again and had to replace it.
I suggest you clean the element in your dishwasher, with *no* soap and no jet dry. Fill the soap bucket with pure white vinegar and do a light wash. It will come out sparkling clean and so far mine has not changed colors -- sometimes simple is better. Vinegar is a natural aluminum cleaner. Do *NOT* add cream of tartar or baking soda (this is a common aluminum cleaning recipe) -- this will get baked on to the element and it will *never* come off. Ask me how I found out? :-)
Lastly, the element is a very standard Honeywell element. You can purchase one for around $125 from online HVAC sites should yours become soiled or damaged (the part # is stamped on the side of the element).
Customer Review: Economical filtering, high quality, slightly noisy
Summary: 5 Stars
In comparison to many air filters which use disposable (and expensive) HEPA filter units, this Friedrich uses an electrostatic filter element to collect and trap dust particles. This is far superior to the electrostatic filters sold by Sharper Image because the total surface area for collecting dust is MUCH greater. The Friedrich C-90 (A or B) has an internal fan that draws air through a pre-filter, then through an aluminum element with many electrostatically-charged plates that capture dust particles, and finally through a carbon filter for cleaning up odors. Filtration has 3 stages: 1)an outer filter to catch hair and large dust particles, etc. 2) the main inner filter element and 3) a final charcoal filter. Each are removable to clean. The main filter element can be cleaned in a dishwasher; the pre- and carbon filters can be cleaned with a vacuum cleaner brush. I've never bothered replacing the carbon filter - but have no strong odors in the apartment. I've never noticed any "ozone" smell noted by other reviewers. Friederich after-sales support is terrific.
NET: The unit is well-built, American-made, solid, but fairly large (like a small college-dorm refridgerator). The fan has 3 speeds. I have no problem with the noise level, (a low hum from the internal fan even at the lowest setting) but it bothers my wife. Prices vary widely; I've owned mine for 5+ years and would consider buying another/the same unit again.
ONE CAVEAT: the plates on the main electrostatic filter element are extremely fragile, and easily bent. Once bent out of alignment, the unit will continually pop and crackle as sparks jump between the unaligned plates. A replacement filter element is costly, but not when one considers the first one lasted over 5 years.
Customer Review: I wish I could return this...
Summary: 1 Stars
I bought this air purifier because of the good reviews. Within the first week I had to contact customer service because it because it rattled and made snapping noises. Customer service was very nice, and they arranged to have a new one sent out.
I got the new one, and although it didn't rattle, it continued to make a "snapping" sound. When I called about this, I was told that it would eventually stop, and it was only because the product was still new. (And by the way, I am very careful about following all the instructions regarding the cleaning and care of the unit.)
Well, it's been over 6 months and it hasn't stopped. My husband is furious that I got rid of the old purifier, because this one wakes us up at least 3 times a week at night with that "snapping" sound.
I just got off the phone with their customer service today to complain again, and I was *now* just told that the popping sound just means the unit is working - and that it will never stop! I would never have bought this product if I knew that.
I will grant you that it cleans the air well, very well - but who wants to put up with the sound of a whip cracking every other night? It's unbearable, and unless something like this wouldn't bother you, I would pass on the product.
Update: I just got an email from Friedrich which said the following:
"From everything you have written it sounds as if your unit is operating as designed. If you feel that there is something wrong with the unit, you can certainly send it to the nearest Service Center as listed on page 9 of your Operator's Guide.However, if they find nothing wrong with the unit you would be liable for all service charges."
Buyer beware....
Customer Review: Remarkably cleaner air
Summary: 5 Stars
I bought this pricey air purifier because it received the highest rating in a Consumer Reports field test. It may be expensive to purchase, but it's worth it. This model works by drawing air through a series of filters using a powerful 3-speed fan. A prefilter removes large particles/hairs, then an ionization chamber clumps the smaller particles, allowing them to be easily removed by the final stage carbon filter. This combination seems particularly effectively at removing dust, cat dander, pollen, and other odors. It also greatly reduces the odor of cigarette smoke that wafts into my apartment from a chain-smoking neighbor downstairs. The filter also proved effective at removing the odor of cat urine/feces near a litterbox.
Like all air purifiers, the big downside of using one is the energy cost and the cost of replacing the filters. Surprisingly, this unit users much less electricity than cheaper models and costs less to maintain since the filters are washable. Only the carbon filter needs to be changed every 3-6 months since it slowly loses its ability to absorb odor.
The ionization produced by the unit leaves a slight but noticable ozone smell when the unit is running. This may be irritating to some, but it actually smells pleasant to my wife and I since we know that the unit is working. The smell disappears in an hour or less after the unit's been turned off, even if it's been left on for a night.
I would highly recommend this air purifier. Since an air purifier needs to run almost constantly while one is home if "fresh" air is also coming in through an A/C or fan, it's important to pay more attention to the maintenance/electricity costs than the initial sticker shock.