Please register to participate in our discussions with 1.5 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads. 2,186 posts, read 4,933,019 times The list price for this unit is $49.99, which places it in the cheapest range for air purifiers. It is a small unit intended for a single room. The Hepa filter advertises an ability to capture 99.9% of airborne pollutants, such as pollen, dust and pet dander. I purchased one of these units two years ago, and it was the first air purifier I have ever owned. Our household includes several pets, and both my husband and I suffer from occasional sinus irritation. I was curious to see if the addition of a purifier to our house would result in any reduction of sinus-related issues. I placed the unit in our bedroom and we did notice a marked improvement in air quality.

The purifier isn't very big, and fit nicely on top of a dresser. The only issue with this unit is the noise- while it is advertised as being quiet, within a week of purchase we began to notice a periodic rattling sound emanating from the purifier. It sounds as if a bearing or fan has come loose and is vibrating during operation, resulting in a buzzing noise. It was not terribly loud, but loud enough that I was driven to remove it from the bedroom and place it downstairs. We then purchased a different, quieter purifier for our room. The unit continues to function well, despite the loose bearing and I still consider it a good buy. Even in a large open area like the living room it still performs nicely, and does a great job of clearing away cooking smells and pet odors. It also does a great job of absorbing flying pet dander, which is wonderful in a multiple pet household. Unfortunately, the unstable construction has me nervous as to just how long this unit will remain functional.

In the two years I've owned this purifier the buzzing noise has continued to come and go, sometimes louder than others. I feel it's only a matter of time before it burns out and will need replacing. Review by , Aug. 25, 2011Honeywell HPA300 air purifier This portable air purifier from Honeywell is primarily filter-based and has a filter indicator and programmable timer, and 4 speeds. hf210uv air purifierIt’s designed for floor or tabletop use in a large room. aafa certified air purifiersand weighs 16.8 pounds.neotec refrigerator air purifier Ratings, Reviews, Reliability & Compare are for Subscribers Only Why use Consumer Reports Price & Shop? Unbiased: Retailers cannot influence placement. Ad-free: As an integrated part of Consumer Reports, you shop in a completely ad-free environment.

New products only: You will never find used or refurbished products for sale. Consumer Reports is an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to helping consumers. We do not accept advertising.Air filter noise is a very common problem in residential heating and air conditioning equipment and there are many causes. Although the noise gets your attention, it may only be a symptom of a much bigger problem. Undersized return grills and return ducts are unfortunately very common. They can also be the most difficult and costly problems to correct. However, there some other solutions you can try. Although they won’t fix the real problem that causes of the noise, they may eliminate the noise. The most common air filters used in residential heating and air conditioning systems are pleated filters and they often don’t fit well into the return grill or air handler. Return air, like electricity and water, takes the path of least resistance and the path of least resistance is often around the air filter instead of through it.

Unfortunately when air passes through these narrow spaces between the filter and the filter housing, it can cause whistling or even hissing noises that quickly become very annoying. Here are 5 Easy Solutions to Whistling and Hissing Noises that Don’t Require a Contractor: Ensure your air filter is the proper size for the application. This often means you have to buy custom sized filters instead of the common sizes supplied at hardware stores but the better the fit, the less likely it is that air will pass around the filter. In the return grill or the filter rack, which is often difficult to reach, you can install foam tape, which will act as a gasket, around the section where the filter sits. This helps to create a tighter fit. However, an easier alternative may be to add foam weather stripping tape to each new air filter you install. Foam tape can often be found at your local hardware store in 1/4 inch or 1/2 thicknesses. There are also many more options available at Amazon or FoamTapes.net

Use less efficient filters. Pleated filters have MERV Ratings and the higher the number is the greater the resistance to air flow. Unfortunately, filters with lower MERV ratings won’t clean the air as well as filters with higher ratings. Change your filter more often. If you only begin hearing air noises after the filter has been installed for some time, you may not be changing your filter often enough. As dirt builds up on the filter air flow resistance increases and this can result in air going around the filter instead of through it. Often when return grills are mounted in the ceiling and the filter is loose it gets sucked up against the duct opening causing a thud every time the fan starts. This can be corrected by building up the inner surface that the filter hits against so that the filter fits firmly into place and there is no space between the filter and the duct opening for the filter to move (as listed in number 2 above). A better solution is to install a return air filter which is designed specifically to be installed in return air grills.