Hamilton Beach: Hamilton 04163 Air Purifier

No air volume rate is available for the lowsetting.

At 56dB(A) on low it is too noisy for bedroom use. Many complaints!

Some dislike the drafty single exhaust opening: a cold breeze while sleeping.

A boxy 19-1/2 by 14 by 8-1/4 inches, the Hamilton Beach Trueair 04163 weights about 15 pounds.

Germicidal Light Radiation Hazard

UV germicidal light can reduce bacteria, viruses, and mold.These small uv lights are, in my humble opinion, more trouble than they are worth. A dedicatedair sterilizer, furnace duct uv installation, or premium ultraviolet air purifier is the minimum recommendation.

This UV light is designed to provide approximately 6,000 hours (250 days) of germicidal protection.

Hamilton Beach claims their double louver system prevents theuv lamp from being seen directly. There is no uv shieldedviewing port. They do warn users that direct ultraviolet light exposureto eyes can cause temporary or chronic health effects.

"Do not place your face directly on theoutlet grille or look into the ultraviolet light."

Although the light is switch-able, this is a hazard.Users report:

"... a glow does emanate from the top where the air comes out. It's strong enough to hit the roof in pitch black darkness so you may find it distracting to leave it on while you sleep..."

"...Other air purifiers we have seen let no UV light escape except through a tiny UV-protected window. But this Hamilton Beach leaks a ton of UV light out of a grate in the top..."

The uv bulb light is very delicate and breaks easily, how much Mercury does it release?More than one user had problems installing the light bulb properly, whichusers must do during setup.

Warranty & Service

Hamilton Beach/Proctor-Silex, Inc. warrants the product to be free from defects in material and workmanship for a period of three years from the date of original purchase. There is no warranty on the carbon pre-filter, HEPA filter, UV germicidal bulb, or starter ballast for uv lamp.

This pretty long warranty compared to others of the same price.Several users report motors burned out in the first few months, thisis consistent with the bypassing-designed-to-protect-motor theory.

Hamilton Beach/Proctor-Silex, Inc. is a major distributor of small kitchen appliances, selling over 35 million annually.Their customer service department must handle queries froma wide variety of products. One user complains:

"....Customer Service is not the friendliest,and each time I called I had to cajole them into understanding that there was something wrong with their machine and not with me!"

Some note shipping problems;

"Check and make sure the UV light bulb is there, because both of my order are missing bulbs..."

04163 is priced well at the bottom of its price range, as I write, Allergy Buyer'sClub shows $135 on it. That's all I would pay. A good alternative is the Honeywell 50250, but it has no electronics at all.

Each of ten factors gets up to 10 points, 100 is perfect and very unlikely. Above 90 is rare/exceptional, above 80 is good, below 70 is not recommended.

1. First do no harm; minimal out gassing, no ozone.

Score: 5 of 10, no ozone, but notorious for plastic and other smells.

2. Serious gas and odor removal is a requirement if health benefits are expected: Units with real carbon VOC capability rank higher.

Score: 5 of 10, lacks meaningful carbon.

3. Quality construction; case, gaskets, seals, and precision fitting eliminate bypassing and assure high efficiency at filtering sub-micron particles.

Score: 6 of 10, efficient only when filters are properly installed, inspected, and maintained.

4. The design maximizes the lifespan of each air filtration stage by allowing independent filter replacement. Ideally this is combined with electronic air filter monitoring.

Score: 8 of 10, monitor is a timer.

5. Air purifiers have long filter life, low maintenance requirements, and reasonable operating costs.

Score: 9 of 10, cheap HEPAs, but beware HEPA-type replacements.

6. Purifier produces low noise levels and meaningful air flow rates relative to noise.

Score: 6 of 10, "unquiet at any speed."

7. Manufacturer has a track record, with many air purifying devices in the field and a reputation for supporting what they sell. Warranty period and average service life are long.

Score: 8 of 10, 3-year warranty good for price, some premature motor burnouts.

8. Purifier is a value in terms of price/performance ratio. Every price range should be included, “models above $1,200 are best”, while true, is not useful to most consumers.

Score: 10 of 10, worth the money in the $135 area, mass market merchandise.

9. No dirt; unit and manufacturer should be devoid of class-action suits, high returns, recalls, consumer complaints, and legitimate negative consumer reviews.

Score: 9 of 10, majority of feedback is positive, although most users are visibly inexperienced.

10. Air cleaner is stylish, portable, comfortable, and convenientfor consumer use.

Score: 9 of 10, no remote, good automated interface.

Hamilton Beach 04163 air purifier Numeric Rating;75

True Air purifier is good value when priced low.