Customer Reviews

Whirlpool AP45030K Whispure Air Purifier, HEPA Air Cleaner

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

We bought this filter with the remaining balance of our medical savings account about five years ago, when it was $299. We didn't think we needed such a big filter, but if we didn't spend the money, it would just go to waste.

Let me tell you, we have now survived 2 fires in the San Diego region, the first fire came less than 1 mile from our house, blanketing our neighborhood like a nuclear winter ... For these cataclysms, we set the filter out in the center of our living room, and it cleans virtually the entire house! It was a life saver !! At a time when every air filter in the region flew off the store shelves like hot cakes, we had the ARNOLD SCHWARTZENEGGAR FILTER!!! You could smell smoke coming in underneath the doors (we later packed the doors with towels), but this air filter kept all our living areas fresh and clean!

We have a smaller floor standing honeywell $100 circular air cleaner #50100, the little brother of the 50250N. This Whirlpool is quieter than the Honeywell on all 3 settings, although the highest whirlpool setting may be louder than the lowest Honeywell setting. I'm sorry, this filter has just wrecked my enjoyment of our Honeywell circular filter. I just don't have patience for the circular filter any more, and now I'm a committed "Muscle Appliance" shopper (another muscle appliance of ours is the PATTON HIGH VELOCITY fan.)

The filter is box-shaped, with a side intake (shown in the picture). It blows air out of the top, at one of three speeds. The only control is a 3-speed knob (depicted.) The box size/shape of the honeywell takes arguably less floorspace than a circular cleaner. Because it has a side intake and blows air upwards, you can push this giant Whirlpool up against the wall, unlike a circular cleaner. Despite its bulk, it's relatively light, and the top panel overhangs both sides, making it easy to grip and carry. I have this one next to my lazy-boy chair and it makes an effective coffee table, with one caveat : If you have small children or are clumsy, take care not to drop anything down into the vents, because it doesn't come apart very easily. In a smaller room this would be on light duty. We use ours intermittently and we've only changed the HEPA once in 5 years, and the charcoal filter about 3 times.

Don't waste your money on gimmicks which are everywhere in air filter products. Don't settle for a HEPA-Type tower (filtering only 99%.) Buy the biggest, most powerful HEPA/Charcoal 99.97% filter than you can afford. You'll be grateful that you did the right thing !!

This air purifier works amazingly. We plugged it in and within 30 minutes there was honestly a change in the air quality. The air felt crisper and fresher. My husband and daughter have been getting sick a lot less and sneezing a lot less. There is also increased circulation in the room we have it in, and it is powerful enough to work in kitchen and living room, which are open to each other by a doorway and bar cutout. Even at the highest setting it is very quiet, quieter than a fan running on low. We don't even pay attention to it. I would highly recommend this product over any other air purifier.

This air filter is rated highly by Consumer Reports. It does not emit ozone like those electrostatic filters (such as the Ionic Breeze, which CR says emits way too much ozone). I only run it when I'm not around. I never use the sleep setting. I just turn it on and off as I please. The lowest setting is fairly quiet. Definately does it's job of filtering the air. Highly recommended. You'll need to replace the hepa filter at least once a year and the prefilter every few months. Can get expensive, but it's worth it.

To answer some questions in other reviews:

WHIRLPOOL MODEL AVAILABILITY:

The following Whirlpool models are both still available, (as is a third less powerful model, the 250, which uses different sized filters):

Whirlpool Whispure 450 Air Purifier (AP45030K), also 315-CADR
Whirlpool® Whispure 315-CADR Air Purifier with True HEPA Filter, AP51030K (this page)

Both of these models use the same replacement filters:

Whirlpool 8171434K Large Air Purifier Carbon Pre-Filters
4-Pack and the Whirlpool 1183054K Hepa Filter, Large (links below)

CADR RATINGS EXPLAINED:

The Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR) comes from measurements conducted by the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM), and is a measure of the amount of particle-free air being delivered into the room. It is the best measure of the true cleaning capacity of the air cleaner. The higher the CADR, the larger the room that can be effectively cleaned. A loose equation is: CADR x 1.5 = sq. ft. room size.

This is important because manufacturers can list any "room size" rating they choose, regardless of CADR rating. Thus you might have one product claiming it can effectively handle a 400 sq. ft. room, while another product says it can handle a 200 sq. ft. room, yet both have the same CADR ratings. So always use CADR ratings rather than room size ratings in making your comparisons.

That said, air cleaners are usually advertised with the room size for which they are recommended. If this accurately matches about 1.5 times the CADR rating (as in Whirlpool's case and with many other top brands like Honeywell), just keep in mind that this recommendation is based on the the unit's ability to provide 5 or 6 Air Changes Per Hour in a room of that size.

Thus, a 250 CADR rating x 1.5 = 375 sq. ft. room size, means the unit provides 5 - 6 complete Air Changes Per House in a 375 sq. ft. room sized room. Simple enough.

But for allergy-sufferers it's a bit more complicated than that. This standard rate is sufficient to decrease particle levels in the room by about 70%, which isn't enough for allergy sufferers. A larger unit in the same size room can produce 8 or more air changes per hour, decreasing levels by 90% or more, again, depending on properly matching CADR to room size. This is the correct target in medical situations.

Finally, Please Note: the CADR rating applies to the HIGHEST fan setting of each unit.

MODEL COMPARISON:

The AP510 on this page, is Whirlpool's slightly beefier model that has the following additional features: turbo and sleep modes, 1 extra fan setting, and electronic vs. the 450's manual controls.

Since the CADR ratings of the two units above are the same, the additional cleaning capacity over the Whirlpool 450 model must relate to a higher fan speed (and AC wattage draw) at the maximum setting of the Whirlpool 510. Again, keep in mind that if you want to effectively clean a room as advertised, both units will have to run at the highest speeds.

Sleep mode allows a user-defined setting for sleep hours, wherein the purifier automatically flips itself to the lowest fan settings for that time period, allowing the unit to be run continuously during sleep hours. After sleep mode expires for that period, it flips itself back up to the standard setting. (If anyone has info on Turbo Mode, I'd be grateful and will update this review).

As noted by another reviewer, the AP510 (this page) is Consumer Report's top-rated air purifier for home use in 2010, along with the Hunter 30547. (Consumer Reports September 2010, p.44, "Lab Tests: Air Purifiers - Our Tests Reveal Which Ones Deliver"). I searched for the Hunter unit on Amazon, and it is not available as of 11.5.10. Amazing the company would allow that, given that they should be selling like hotcakes after CR's review. It's typical price is $350, and it has ratings for rooms the same size as the Whirlpool AP510 on this page. (I could not find the CADR rating for the Hunter, but assume it must be the same or similar to the AP510).

UPDATE: The Hunter model has been discontinued, and they sell new models now that rate similar and which are sold here on Amazon: Hunter 30401 QuietFlo and Hunter 30402 QuietFlo. The 401 model is programmable, the 402 is not. The Hunter site lists the programmable 401 at a higher price than the 402, while Amazon sells it for a lower price than the 402. Go figure. Check Hunter's site for more details.

HONEYWELL'S TOP UNIT:

I think of all the many models I reviewed under $600, the Whirlpool is the way to go. Excellent product, strong company backing, easy to find filters, great price. It is all you need, IF the only thing you need is effective particle removal. For serious odor and chemical removal, look to more expensive units.

But one other model that is a very strong contender for home use is the Honeywell 50250 at only $159 on Amazon. It has been very well received and has great reviews here on Amazon. It's faults appear to be high power consumption and noise. The Honeywell did come in at No. 9 in the same Consumer Report's review (out of 20 rated), where they noted it needed to be run on the highest fan setting to be effective, which caused it to be very noisy. As already discussed, all CADR ratings refer only to a unit's highest fan settings, no matter which brand you buy.

Noise is a problem. However, where the Honeywell excels besides a great price, is that their canisters are sealed and therefore they do not tend to leak any dust back out of the unit and into the exhausted purified air. Many other cheaper models do, including the Whirlpool models at least according to my online research. (If you can disprove this, please let me know). This is a big deal to me, though it may not be to other users, because I have asthma and I can't have the "vacuum cleaner effect" with house dust actually blowing up into the room from an air purifier.

UPDATE: I purchased 2 Honeywell 50250 units, and was blown away by the quality of simplicity of design on the units. If only everything was made this well and this easy to use and work with! Filter change was a total breeze. The filters are pretty loud, which doesn't bother me, but it's something you should note if you want something quiet. However, I had some strange problems with the exhaust on both units, and am working with Honeywell right now. The problem seems to be an anomaly and not normal, so I don't want to mention it here as I think it's just a fluke. One thing I can say, is that Honeywell offers AWESOME customer service, and has been great to deal with on the phone. :D

I hope all this helps you with your purchase. I've been researching air purifiers for over a month and I know how confusing it can be!

Please note, that running an air purifier like the 4 discussed here at top speed 24/7 will add a whopping $40 to my monthly electric bill here in San Diego. Do your own research before planning to run your own brand choice full time. As I mentioned before, top speed is required to achieve the CADR ratings advertised.

Links here:

Whirlpool 1183054K Hepa Filter, Large
Whirlpool 8171434K Large Air Purifier Carbon Pre-Filters, 4-Pack
Whirlpool Whispure 450 Air Purifier (AP45030K) - HEPA Air Cleaner

and...

Honeywell 50250 99.97% Pure HEPA Round Air Purifier
Honeywell 38002 Enviracare Universal Replacement Pre-Filter
Honeywell 24000 Replacement HEPA Filter

and...

Hunter 30401 QuietFlo True-HEPA Programmable Air Purifier
Hunter 30402 QuietFlo 402 Air Purifier

We've had this filter for over a year now and it has worked very well. She has allergies and when they act up, she goes in the room with the filter and within 15 minutes, she feels much better, and can breath.

It's pretty quiet (especially on low) and not to heavy to move around. You do have to change the filters (1-2 years depending on use) which can be expensive but it's worth it for us.

I would and have recommend this product.

All good air filters are costly. The replacement filters are costly as well. Having purchased about 20 such products over the last 15 years, I like this the best. You can spend lots more but you wont get better air. The key is to change the filters frequently enough. I double the carbon pre-filter to make the HEPA last longer. otherwise I would have to change it every 6 months. Hold the HEPA to a light, if you can not see the light through it, then toss it out for a new one. I also always get the big size so that I can run it on low speed to make it quieter. At higher speeds the noise is bothersome. They last about 4 years of continuous use. After that the fins break off of the fan and it starts to vibrate. Also, the front latch works poorly, so after about one year I use tape to hold it shut. I would rather have 4 of these then one of those high priced gadgets for $1,000.
One star off for durability

I thought that the previous air purifier I purchased on Amazon, the Honeywell 18155 SilentComfort Permanent, True HEPA Air Purifier (http://www.amazon.com/Honeywell-18155-SilentComfort-Permanent-Purifier/dp/B000GT9RJK/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1278147098&sr=8-6) was doing a decent job until I read in Consumer Reports magazine that this model, Whirlpool Whispure 450 Air Purifier - (AP45030K) Hepa Air Cleaner was the top rated air purifier according to their tests. My old unit was not even tested but other Honeywell purifiers did poorly compared to this machine from Whirlpool.

The first day I had this unit a neighbor walked into my apartment and asked if I had stopped smoking (I am disabled and use medical marijuana daily in lieu of vicodin pain pills)which made me laugh as I had just smoked a joint not less than 20 minutes earlier in a closed room with the air conditioner on.

I got a great deal on Amazon from ABT Electronics and Appliances (http://www.abt.com/) for this air purifier, $249.00 and on top of that yesterday I saw on the ABT website a 4th of July sale on this unit for $236.55 and free shipping. When I called ABT customer service they said they would match their own price and credit me back the difference. Wow, made the purchase feel even better. Just another example of the excellent customer service that I have received from Amazon.com vendors and why I look on Amazon first when looking to make purchases.

How impressed am I? I bought a second one off the ABT website for the sale price of $236.55.

Los Angeles air is normally horrible, and where I live in the San Fernando Valley it gets even worse during the summertime when the morning air smells like garbage dumpsters and even with the windows open the air smells better with the unit running.

Thank you Amazon and thank you ABT Electronics. Great price, fast shipping, superb customer service. One happy indoor camper here.

Infant niece has lost her nighttime cough due to the operation of this excellent machine. I highly recommend this product.

I'm allergic to pretty much everything that floats around in the air (indoors or outdoors), so trying to sleep during the spring and summer was always an exercise in misery. Enter the Whirlpool 450 Whispure Air Purifier! I decided on this unit out of all the hundreds of air purifiers out there after doing some extensive research via Consumer Reports. The 450 Whispure was recommended as a Best Buy, and after a year of use I totally agree with Consumer Reports in their assessment.

This unit is more expensive than a lot of other room air purifiers, but the money is well worth it since you get lots of purifying power, really quiet performance, minimal maintenance, and wonderfully allergen-free air. It's not the smallest air purifier, but the size of the unit is directly proportional to the amount of filtered air it can churn out so I'll take a bigger unit any day.

There are indicator lights to let you know when you need to change the pre-filter and the HEPA filter, which comes in super handy for folks like me that are somewhat absent-minded about these kinds of things. You have to change the carbon pre-filter ($27 for a 4-pack) about every 3 months and the HEPA filter ($79 for one) once a year. That might seem expensive, but it works out to about $15.60 a month for wonderfully pure air and that's a bargain to me! Plus it's Energy Star certified, so it won't eat up your electric bill, either.

Bottom line: if you're looking for a high-quality air purifier, you can't do better than this one!

This air cleaner works very nicely, but if the culprit in your home is secondhand smoke that comes from a neighbor's apartment near yours, you will need to change the filters every 4 months, not once a year (otherwise the filter begins to release collected smoke into the room and it actually makes the problem worse). At $80-90 a piece, replacing filters is expensive. It's like buying a new machine every year. Why are the filters so expensive? It doesn't make sense. (P.S. You will need pre-filters, too, at a separate charge.)