Oransi V-HEPA Air Purifier ReviewOransi ("o-ron-see") air purifiers, introduced into a very competitive market in the spring of 2010, have established a marketing beachhead. The entry level product, Oransi V-HEPA, is a small air cleaner with an elegant, modern appearance, a green pedigree, and a $379.00 price tag. The Oransis were picked up quickly by some leading web vendors: AllergyBuyersClub.com, Sylvane.com, TheSharperImage.com, Greenandmore.com, and Sears.com, to name a few. There are 8 customer reviews of the V-HEPA at Amazon, averaging 4 stars. Modest Size and PowerPhotos of the V-Hepa Oransi make it appear larger than 17 by 16 by 6 inches. There are three manually switched fan speeds. This air cleaner is not AHAM Clean Air Delivery Rate certified. On the three power settings, V-hepa delivers 65cfm, 90cfm, and 160cfm (cubic feet/min) airflow. I estimate a 150 CADR for the Vhepa. This is a bit low powered for the price range. Oransi advertises this machine for rooms to 400 square feet. Like most vendor's room size recommendations, this is way too high. Allergy Buyers Club recommends the V-hepa Oransi for rooms up to 240 sq. ft., to provide 5 air changes per hour. For those purchasing a premium product line like the Oransis, I suggest a minimum of 6 ACH. To deliver six air changes an hour with 160 cfm, the maximum room size would need to be 1600 cubic feet (160 cubic feet per minute x 10 minutes, one-sixth of an hour). Assuming a standard 8 foot ceiling, I get 200 square feet (160 cubic feet divided by 8). This is roughly 12 by 16 feet, the size of a medium bedroom. That still makes the Oransi V-hepa a modestly powered air purifier. Filter PackageThe little Oransi features a washable pre-filter and true HEPA filter. This is a particle-only air purifier, there is no activated carbon filter for chemicals and odors. The HEPA Filter is two inches deep, and is a true HEPA spec filter. However, one vendor quotes the "system efficiency" as 99.97% at 0.3 microns. This is probably a mistake as opposed to a misrepresentation. Very few air cleaners have this efficiency as a whole. Significant air bypasses the filters in most machines. The Oransi filter is secured by a unique and innovative "V-lock" magnet system, which creates a strong seal around the air filter and also holds the cover on. Allergybuyersclub testing, using a laser particle counter, showed a very respectable 98% reduction in airborne particles on the first pass! A modern "nano piezo-electric ion generator" (as opposed to metal pin corona discharge ionizers still used in some cheaper air cleaners) creates a high negative ion concentration with negligible ozone emissions. The base V-Hepa model offers no ultraviolet/photocatalytic air cleaning, no carbon chemical filtration, no electronic controls, no filter replacement indicator, and no remote control. These features are available on the more expensive ($499.00) "Pro" VHEPA model from Oransi. Oransi V-Hepa - The Price of "Green"Oransi's true HEPA/prefilter replacement filters package (RF2311) runs $50, with a life expectancy of only 5-10 months. With some competitors filters lasting 5 years, this is a bit short. One Amazon.com buyer review expressed frustration with the V-hepa, which had broken down after a couple months use: "...instead of soldering the wires, they have this really cheap plastic gizmo that is supposed to hold them in place and have them make contact only as you spin the dial. Since it's inception the electronics industry has struggled with the solder issue. This is a heavy metal (lead/tin...) workplace safety, customer health, and toxic disposal hot button. It is also a cost center due to extra employee training and health costs, potential solder-fume mass tort liability, defect rework, and waste disposal costs. These heavy metals are extremely persistent pollutants of both the human body and the environment. Electronic waste, with its heavy metals, is a significant and rapidly growing component of the landfill time-bomb. While Lead has been removed from gasoline, paint, and most consumer products, it has been difficult to eliminate in the booming electronics market. Recycling old electronic gadgets to recover Lead is not cost effective. For the socially-conscious, there is a moral issue: Scrap electronic equipment is commonly exported to developing countries where low wage and underage reclamation employees are exposed to the hazardous substances. Forward thinking engineers strive to eliminate such problems in the manufacturing chain. While attempts have been made to eliminate Lead from solder, Tin, Silver, and Copper are still used. In attempting to remedy this important problem, many green builders are using plastic clips to secure wires instead of soldering. It appears that the Oransi's switching uses a solder-free system which may require some shaking down to perfect. Note that the Oransi air purifiers are RoHS (reduction of hazardous substances) compliant. Since RoHS is not yet a legal requirement in the U.S. market, this is an honest attempt to produce a green product, as opposed to just increasing advertising as is commonly done. The European Union banned lead and five other hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment back in 2006. (Note: Readers who are concerned about the metal issue should immediately educate themselves about the heavy use of metals in the water supply. Copper pipes in pre-1990 construction, Copper algicides used in reservoirs and swimming pools, Aluminum flocculants, solder traditionally used to seal Copper pipes, and of course old reliable Lead from pipes in older construction are contributors.) Oransi - Low EmissionsOransis are fairly quiet. The V-Hepa makes just 28dB on low, an acceptable 39dB on medium, the most common operating speed, and 48dB on high. User reviews cite low speed as quiet, but hear enough noise on high to prefer medium for bedtime use. The V-hepa's top speed produces 160 cfm, so sound should be related to air delivery. For comparison, the Blueair 650e makes 88cfm @32 dB(A), while the entry level Oransi makes 90cfm @39dB(A). At just six inches deep, the entry level Oransi doesn't take up a lot of floor space and can be used as a desk-top. Weighing just 10 pounds, it is easily portable. V-hepa uses 55 watts on high speed. While widely advertised as Energy Star qualified, it is not yet listed on the EPA EnergyStar website. Oransi Corporate and WarrantyOransi, based in Austin, TX, is focused on healthy new green cleaning and environmentally-friendly products. This is a Peter Mann company. Mr. Mann, an engineer, is a founder of Alen air purifiers and Web Stores America Inc., which operates the well known Air-purifiers-America.com website, featuring the Alens. I am confused as to why Mr. Mann has started an additional marketing channel for the Oransi air purifiers in today's risky market. One focus of the new company is the use of work-at-home employees to provide customer relations. This would ordinarily be suspect, but Alen's customer service and warranty response have had a generally good reputation. Oransi machines are covered by a generous 10 year warranty, which covers electrical or mechanical issues. Apart from the obvious consumer benefit, this is also a demonstration of Oransi's commitment to the green cause. The average life expectancy of consumer electronics products is under two years and falling. I'd call this trend "unsustainable," but with the newest red-hot consumer gadget (Apple Ipad) selling over two million copies in the first 60 days, maybe I'd be wrong. There is also a 30 day return policy for v-hepas purchased directly from the company. Oransi LLC ConclusionsThe price vs quality ratio of this product is a bit high. Oransi V-hepa is low powered and somewhat high-priced, with above average maintenance costs. The company began with a promotion offering three "free" extra filters with each purifier, effectively lowering the price to my target. This promotion has expired. The idea that greening the economy will be inexpensive, create new jobs, and produce cheaper products, is all smoke and mirrors. We are seeing significant price escalation even in the not-so-green air cleaners being brought to market. Since the Oransis are legitimately greener than most competitors, it comes down to the question: how much are you willing to pay for "green?" Air Purifier Power Review RatingEach of ten factors gets up to 10 points, 100 is perfect and very unlikely. 1. First do no harm; minimal out gassing, no ozone. Score: 10 of 10, low emissions, "green" product. 2. Serious gas and odor removal is a requirement if health benefits are expected: Units with real carbon VOC capability rank higher. Score: 6 of 10, this is a particle-only air cleaner. 3. Quality construction; case, gaskets, seals, and precision fitting eliminate bypassing and assure high efficiency at filtering sub-micron particles. Score: 8 of 10, magnetic filter seal is a real engineering advancement, switch quality issues detract. 4. The design maximizes the lifespan of each filter stage by allowing independent filter replacement. Ideally this is combined with electronic filter monitoring. Score: 7 of 10, two filters combined. 5. Unit has long filter life, low maintenance requirements, and reasonable operating costs. Score: 7 of 10, filter life is too short, possibly due to inadequate prefiltering. 6. Purifier produces low noise levels and meaningful air flow rates relative to noise. Score: 8 of 1, not too loud, but not too strong either. 7. Manufacturer has a track record, with many units in the field and a reputation for supporting what they sell. Warranty period and average service life are long. Score: 10 of 10, the Alens have set a good example, Oransi will most likely follow. 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: 8 of 10, I like this machine at $280, not $380. This is a legitimate green price premium. How green is your wallet? 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. 10. Unit is stylish, portable, comfortable, and convenientfor consumer use. Score: 7 of 10, manual switched, styling OK. Air-Purifier-Power Numeric Rating; 80.
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