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Pointless HEPA filter in my vacuum cleaner?


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I've got one of those vacuum cleaners with a HEPA filter inside the clear perspex dust collector. It occurred to me the other day when I was emptying it that it's a bit pointless. The idea being, it removes all the dust and pollen before simply blowing it back out into the atmosphere (in your home).

 

However, the irony is that in order to 'clean' it. I have to remove it from the cylinder. Take 20 paces or so down to the bottom of the garden and shake, beat, brush twaddle and fiddle about with it for around 15 mins in order to get it anything like empty and clean. So there are clouds of dust (which I'm presumably breathing in, to a more or lesser degree) emanating from the filter, which is designed so that you don't have to breathe it in, around the house when vacuuming!

 

Am I doing something wrong? :huh:

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I've got one of those vacuum cleaners with a HEPA filter inside the clear perspex dust collector. It occurred to me the other day when I was emptying it that it's a bit pointless. The idea being, it removes all the dust and pollen before simply blowing it back out into the atmosphere (in your home).
So...it does what it says on the tin.

 

 

 

:|

 

 

 

 

How is that pointless,again?

 

However, the irony is that in order to 'clean' it. I have to remove it from the cylinder. Take 20 paces or so down to the bottom of the garden and shake, beat, brush twaddle and fiddle about with it for around 15 mins in order to get it anything like empty and clean. So there are clouds of dust (which I'm presumably breathing in, to a more or lesser degree) emanating from the filter, which is designed so that you don't have to breathe it in, around the house when vacuuming!

 

Am I doing something wrong? :huh:

Yes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You should wear one of these :D

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You can get most of it out by wrapping the filter loosely in a carrier bag and whacking it against the wall, or use another vac to suck it out!

 

The vac I have uses pre-filters which stop most of the dust reaching the HEPA.

 

It's a good idea, and I'm sure might work to some degree, but the filter is directly in the middle of the chamber where the dust and contents of the vacuum collect, so it gets very messy with being in close proximity to the waste collected dust. It's a real nightmare to clean, and brushing is essential to remove all of the debris....Aaaaargh

 

---------- Post added 17-12-2012 at 13:53 ----------

 

So...it does what it says on the tin.

:|

 

How is that pointless,again?

 

Yes.

 

You should wear one of these :D

 

Yes I've even resorted to that...But isn't it a bit of overkill just to empty a vacuum cleaner? There's nothing on the instructions that says a face mask is required. Luckily I don't suffer any ill effects from pollen or whatever. Some people do!! Would they need one of these? :hihi::hihi:

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I've got one of those vacuum cleaners with a HEPA filter inside the clear perspex dust collector. It occurred to me the other day when I was emptying it that it's a bit pointless. The idea being, it removes all the dust and pollen before simply blowing it back out into the atmosphere (in your home).

 

However, the irony is that in order to 'clean' it. I have to remove it from the cylinder. Take 20 paces or so down to the bottom of the garden and shake, beat, brush twaddle and fiddle about with it for around 15 mins in order to get it anything like empty and clean. So there are clouds of dust (which I'm presumably breathing in, to a more or lesser degree) emanating from the filter, which is designed so that you don't have to breathe it in, around the house when vacuuming!

 

Am I doing something wrong? :huh:

 

I guess if you're allergic, you get someone else to clean the filter for you.

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I've got one of those vacuum cleaners with a HEPA filter inside the clear perspex dust collector. It occurred to me the other day when I was emptying it that it's a bit pointless. The idea being, it removes all the dust and pollen before simply blowing it back out into the atmosphere (in your home).

 

However, the irony is that in order to 'clean' it. I have to remove it from the cylinder. Take 20 paces or so down to the bottom of the garden and shake, beat, brush twaddle and fiddle about with it for around 15 mins in order to get it anything like empty and clean. So there are clouds of dust (which I'm presumably breathing in, to a more or lesser degree) emanating from the filter, which is designed so that you don't have to breathe it in, around the house when vacuuming!

 

Am I doing something wrong? :huh:

 

The filter removes all the micro particles from your home and you dump them elsewhere that seems to be pretty efficient.

I suffer from hay fever. I have pollen filters on my car's vents. That removes the pollen and diesel particulates meaning I don't have to breathe them. That's what they do.

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I've got one of those vacuum cleaners with a HEPA filter inside the clear perspex dust collector. It occurred to me the other day when I was emptying it that it's a bit pointless. The idea being, it removes all the dust and pollen before simply blowing it back out into the atmosphere (in your home).

 

However, the irony is that in order to 'clean' it. I have to remove it from the cylinder. Take 20 paces or so down to the bottom of the garden and shake, beat, brush twaddle and fiddle about with it for around 15 mins in order to get it anything like empty and clean. So there are clouds of dust (which I'm presumably breathing in, to a more or lesser degree) emanating from the filter, which is designed so that you don't have to breathe it in, around the house when vacuuming!

 

Am I doing something wrong? :huh:

 

Do you have to clean it or should you replace it?

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The filter removes all the micro particles from your home and you dump them elsewhere that seems to be pretty efficient.

I suffer from hay fever. I have pollen filters on my car's vents. That removes the pollen and diesel particulates meaning I don't have to breathe them. That's what they do.

 

I'm not altogether sure if your post is ranting at me for tapping out the filter or just reiterating what the filter does? The plain fact is, that the filter has to be cleaned each time I empty the cylinder. I don't see how I could get around that, short of replacing it each time, which would be prohibitively expensive (I would imagine)

 

---------- Post added 17-12-2012 at 14:54 ----------

 

Do you have to clean it or should you replace it?

 

Obviously it's 'cleanable', and yes it has to be done every time the vac is emptied. Replacing it would cost a lot I expect.

 

---------- Post added 17-12-2012 at 14:58 ----------

 

I'm not sure if this is the exact one required, but it looks very similar at £5.20 a pop....So no I won't be replacing it each time!

 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Qualtex-Replacment-ELECTROLUX-VITESSE-CLEANERS/dp/B002DKKH12

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The filter does it's job - it traps the very fine stuff that the preceding filters cannot. Once it's clogged you take it out and toss it in the bin and fit another one. As said before, would you clean a car pollen or engine air filter? They are designed to be disposable.

 

If the filter isn't the last filter before the air exit from the cleaner it's not a HEPA filter, and you can probably clean it out easily. Typically a HEPA filter will last a good number of filling cycles of the main bag of the cleaner - mine goes about five times easily.

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I'm not altogether sure if your post is ranting at me for tapping out the filter or just reiterating what the filter does? The plain fact is, that the filter has to be cleaned each time I empty the cylinder. I don't see how I could get around that, short of replacing it each time, which would be prohibitively expensive (I would imagine)

 

---------- Post added 17-12-2012 at 14:54 ----------

 

 

Obviously it's 'cleanable', and yes it has to be done every time the vac is emptied. Replacing it would cost a lot I expect.

 

---------- Post added 17-12-2012 at 14:58 ----------

 

I'm not sure if this is the exact one required, but it looks very similar at £5.20 a pop....So no I won't be replacing it each time!

 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Qualtex-Replacment-ELECTROLUX-VITESSE-CLEANERS/dp/B002DKKH12

 

And it only lasts for one bag's worth of use before you have to clean it?

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