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: 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: 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.
Customer Review: Outstanding Air Cleaner -- and No Expensive Filters to Replace!
Summary: 5 Stars
For years I was interested in purchasing a high-end air cleaner for my apartment, but hesitated due to the prospect of regularly spending mega-$$$ on expensive HEPA filters. And while the principle of electrostatic cleaners seemed great -- simply clean the collector regularly -- the negative reviews (stating that models like Sharper Image's "Ionic Breeze" are essentially ineffective) kept me from buying.
After reading the reviews in Consumer Reports -- where this Friedrich was top-rated -- I decided to buy one. And I am VERY happy with my purchase! It provides outstanding cleaning of dust/pollen/etc., and there are no expensive filters to replace.
The only filter you might need to replace -- and this is optional -- is the Carbon filter. Said filter helps remove odors from the air, but if your primary concern is air cleaning, you can forget about replacing it. (I have had my air cleaner for six months, and do not see a need to replace the Carbon filter.)
CLEANING TIP: The main filter mechanism -- a removable electrostatic "cell" that looks like a small radiator -- can be cleaned in a dishwasher. (Indeed, the user guide recommends dishwasher cleaning.) In any case, if the cell does not fit in the top rack of your dishwasher, flip the top rack upside down. This should provide ample clearance for the cell, and as an added bonus, the bottom of the rack should be free of protrusions that could potentially damage the cell.
Bottom line, this air cleaner is an outstanding investment. It provides one of the most economical solutions, while also being one of the most effective. What more could one ask for?
Customer Review: Humidity Helps
Summary: 5 Stars
I have owned the Friedrich since a Consumers Report recommendation. We use it in the bedroom with the door open, so most of the house gets some help. Most of the year only had to clean the filters every other week or even once a month. We live in a very dry climate and recently I purchased a Crane 2.3 Gallon COOL Mist humidifier which we run at night. One week later I noticed that the filters needed attention. They were FULL. I now have to clean the filters once a week for sure. I have also taken to vacuuming the filters & then putting the non-charcole filter in the dishwasher on the top shelf and running it through the rinse cycle before I wash the main filter. We recently were out of town for a week and I left the humidifier off while we were gone but left the Friedrich running. When we returned, the filters looked like they could have easily gone for another week without cleaning. Humidity seems to make a big difference.