Aprilaire 5000 vs Trane CleanEffects

[jmaurer]

I am looking for a direct engineering comparsion of the Aprilaire 5000 Vs. the Trane CleanEffects whole house filters. Particulary comparsion of particle reduction and maintainance efforts. As related to a complete airhandler (furnace) replacement. Both claim to be the best - when compared to a simple filter.
-John

[dougfamous]

Stay away from the 5000. The clean effects has not been recalled for potentially causing a fire. Get an Aprilaire 2200 or 2400, whichever fits your new system. Most people do not properly maintain the electronic cells anyway, and then they lose efficiency. With a media filter you have no working parts, they are quiet and produce no ozone, and are still very efficient.

[captainrat]

The Clean Effects has NOT been recalled for potentially causing a fire. However APRIL AIR HAS BURNT DOWN HOUSES WITH THERE 5000 model. http://www.aprilaire.com/aprilairerecall.asp

allso aprilair is made of plastic, the clean effects housing is steel the design of the clean effects is the safest of any filter i have seen as well as the most efficient. you will never have to buy filters again
we have sold quite a few Accuclean filters made by american standard they allso make the trane clean effects as well as all trane products.

are you getting a new system installed or just a filter ?
cause the american standard products all fit together nicely & will perform .
The accuclean / clean effects will not loose efficiency & is very easy to clean with no filters to buy.

[BaldLoonie]

Pretty sad to slam Aprilaire this way. According to the page you posted, there were 6 reports of fires. Did it say houses were burned down???? I've dealt with update/recall situations from about every manufacturer. Aprilaire was far & away prepared to deal with this issue. We provided names of our customers, almost immediately the updated housing was sent to the customers. For those not wanting to change their own, Aprilaire reimbursed us very quickly for going out to do that. Sure wish the furnace makers would handle their problems this well.

The 5000 works great, customers love them, they are reliable and easy to use. Even CR who actually tested air cleaners said it is the best. I'll be curious to see if all these new ones top them next year!

[bigsandy]

Originally posted by captainrat
The Clean Effects has NOT been recalled for potentially causing a fire. However APRIL AIR HAS BURNT DOWN HOUSES WITH THERE 5000 model. [url]

You're correct, but the Clean Effect had been recalled (perhaps a better description would be delaying the product to market) before it even hit the shelf due to other issues.

All Trane did was buy the patent rights (that had been out there awhile by the way) where other people chose not to do so for various reasons.

That's not to say the Clean Effect isn't a "good" cleaner, it's not the "cure all" that Trane/American Standard claims it to be.

Compare apples to apples, and know who is doing the "testing" on the air cleaner and what those variables are when the testing is being done.

My opinion only is that particularly with air cleaners, statistics "change" depending on who the manufacturer is presenting the statistics, which of course is presented to sell thier product.

That being said, I happen to think that anything with the word "ionic" in it for air cleaning is most likely a piece of junk and your throwing your money away. However, when you see the sales and market for the "ionic" air cleaners, all the HVAC manufacturers are shooting for a piece of "that pie".

There is only one manufacturer that I know of that other manufacturers (numerous in that particular market) cannot obtain or "re produce" that enhances the quality of thier product that no one can come close to copying, air cleaners is not that market.

[Edited by bigsandy on 07-29-2006 at 09:58 AM]

[drcustom]

Originally posted by BaldLoonie
Pretty sad to slam Aprilaire this way. According to the page you posted, there were 6 reports of fires. Did it say houses were burned down???? I've dealt with update/recall situations from about every manufacturer. Aprilaire was far & away prepared to deal with this issue. We provided names of our customers, almost immediately the updated housing was sent to the customers. For those not wanting to change their own, Aprilaire reimbursed us very quickly for going out to do that. Sure wish the furnace makers would handle their problems this well.

The 5000 works great, customers love them, they are reliable and easy to use. Even CR who actually tested air cleaners said it is the best. I'll be curious to see if all these new ones top them next year!

He is right on word for word. I too had lots of Ap. 5000s out there and had replacement linings and labor reimbursment checks within days of providing my list. There are no cells to clean. Overall it's a great product and delivers as promised.

[catmanacman]

i have perfomed hundreds of sping and fall checks on systems with mostly 2200 and some 2400april air filters and the blower compartment is alway very clean i can not say the same about any other filter or air cleaner the are the best.

[not a filter expert]

Don't take this as a slam on Trane, I have been a dealer for 18+ years - simply don't like their strong arm approach to promoting this product:

Nice article, manufacturers getting into air filtration for the wrong reasons...consumers best interest not considered.

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercu...s/14152659.htm

Trane tries to sell this as their own revolutionary filtration product, it is not. In fact it is designed by a company that manufacturers commercial air cleaner devices, more specifically for oil and mist. Just because a product is marketed well, and 'independent lab test results' are published; doesn't mean it works.

[nextwave]

Aprilaire redesigned their literature to go head to head with the Trane unit. I think Trane, like other manufacturers, is just looking to expand revenues by catching a larger percentage of consumer spending (i.e. customers are buying filters, so why don't we put one out there rather than have a Honeywell/AA/etc. cabinet attached to our furnace).

Bryant/Carrier entered the generator market for this reason. Bryant/Carrier are promoting their "Pureair" unit as the indoor air life saver just like Trane. Aprilaire 5000 acheives the same results as the Trane box but isn't marketed as directly. Of course, none of these things are worth bunk if the system they are slammed into are of substandard design.

My guess is that in 15 years Aprilaire will still be supporting their units whereas the Trane box will be "an innovative idea for which parts are no longer available."

[Christheheatingdude]

Originally posted by not a filter expert
Don't take this as a slam on Trane, I have been a dealer for 18+ years - simply don't like their strong arm approach to promoting this product:

Nice article, manufacturers getting into air filtration for the wrong reasons...consumers best interest not considered.

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercu...s/14152659.htm

Trane tries to sell this as their own revolutionary filtration product, it is not. In fact it is designed by a company that manufacturers commercial air cleaner devices, more specifically for oil and mist. Just because a product is marketed well, and 'independent lab test results' are published; doesn't mean it works.

What strong arm approach would that be? I don't see anything like what you are saying, and I am a Trane dealer as well.

That article is nothing but opinion, there is no basis in factual evidence. Further, they seem to be talking about standalone units like the Ionic breeze.

You are correct that Trane did not design the unit, in fact most major manufacturers wanted that product, Trane just won rights to it. And not forever, I believe it was a period of only a few years.

People have been buying those Ionic breezes and other brands for years. It only makes sense that HVAC manufacturers should try to enter the market. What other appliance has the ability to filter the air for the entire house?

There is nothing wrong with presenting factual evidence that these units may not live up to their claims. But I have seen nothing like this from you. In fact, you have replied to each and every thread about IAQ, with the same post.

Lets see some facts not opinions.

[not a filter expert]

You are right on my comments, however there are some credible products that you may want to look into:

Honeywell has a number of products, as does Aprilaire. I would suggest something standalone with its own supply and return, independent from the HVAC system running 24/7. Honeywell F500, Lifebreath TFP, PureAir Systems, there are many, many others. 99.97 HEPA Quality air, to no one's surprise - Trane is 99.98% efficient at a CADR scale - used ONLY for room air conditioners.

Where are you a Trane Dealer? All the big rebates that Trane offers in my area tie into the Air Cleaner being installed.

Originally posted by Christheheatingdude

Originally posted by not a filter expert
Don't take this as a slam on Trane, I have been a dealer for 18+ years - simply don't like their strong arm approach to promoting this product:

Nice article, manufacturers getting into air filtration for the wrong reasons...consumers best interest not considered.

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercu...s/14152659.htm

Trane tries to sell this as their own revolutionary filtration product, it is not. In fact it is designed by a company that manufacturers commercial air cleaner devices, more specifically for oil and mist. Just because a product is marketed well, and 'independent lab test results' are published; doesn't mean it works.

What strong arm approach would that be? I don't see anything like what you are saying, and I am a Trane dealer as well.

That article is nothing but opinion, there is no basis in factual evidence. Further, they seem to be talking about standalone units like the Ionic breeze.

You are correct that Trane did not design the unit, in fact most major manufacturers wanted that product, Trane just won rights to it. And not forever, I believe it was a period of only a few years.

People have been buying those Ionic breezes and other brands for years. It only makes sense that HVAC manufacturers should try to enter the market. What other appliance has the ability to filter the air for the entire house?

There is nothing wrong with presenting factual evidence that these units may not live up to their claims. But I have seen nothing like this from you. In fact, you have replied to each and every thread about IAQ, with the same post.

Lets see some facts not opinions.

[kevinmac]

Well I can post factual evidence, I do not have the Clean Effects but I do have the earlier Trane EAC. I can without hesitation state that my house has less dust then when it had the standard high density filter. My wife loves it since she does not have to dust as often. Cleaning the EAC every 60 days of use ( according to the run time on the thermo) and cleaning the prefilter every 30 days is not a major chore! The blower cage seems to not have much of a dust deposit. There is no smell of ozone in the house. There are multiple adjustments for ozone. Cleaning the plates is easy, spray bottle of greased lightning, spray all the plates, let it sit for a few, rinse it off with a hose, let it dry in the sun. While doing this I use a regular filter in place of the pre filter until the EAC is totally dry.
Consumer reports rated the Honeywell and Trane EAC to be the most effecient, with little airflow resistance, and better cleaned air.
It works!
The Clean Effects is supposed to be even better.

[dash]

So far I like the Carrier Air Purifier,captures and "kills" the nasty stuff(so no one is exposed),no cleaning ,just a pleated cartridge to replace.

[ikey]

this is a copy of what carrier put out against the cleaneffects, and it is tranes response. kinda hard to read, but it can be seen.

http://hvac-talk.com/vbb/showthread.php?threadid=110715

cleaneffects is head and shoulders above an eac, the industry cannot compete with this "whole" house air cleaner, and in such a least restrictive way.

filters should be sold properly, not promised or suggested at their potential. hence, uv lights, sold to be a cure all. if sold properly, they wouldn't be such a hot seller. uv's don't clean air as many jabronis sell em to.

[Christheheatingdude]

Originally posted by not a filter expert
You are right on my comments, however there are some credible products that you may want to look into:

Honeywell has a number of products, as does Aprilaire. I would suggest something standalone with its own supply and return, independent from the HVAC system running 24/7. Honeywell F500, Lifebreath TFP, PureAir Systems, there are many, many others. 99.97 HEPA Quality air, to no one's surprise - Trane is 99.98% efficient at a CADR scale - used ONLY for room air conditioners.

Where are you a Trane Dealer? All the big rebates that Trane offers in my area tie into the Air Cleaner being installed.

Originally posted by Christheheatingdude

Originally posted by not a filter expert
Don't take this as a slam on Trane, I have been a dealer for 18+ years - simply don't like their strong arm approach to promoting this product:

Nice article, manufacturers getting into air filtration for the wrong reasons...consumers best interest not considered.

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercu...s/14152659.htm

Trane tries to sell this as their own revolutionary filtration product, it is not. In fact it is designed by a company that manufacturers commercial air cleaner devices, more specifically for oil and mist. Just because a product is marketed well, and 'independent lab test results' are published; doesn't mean it works.

What strong arm approach would that be? I don't see anything like what you are saying, and I am a Trane dealer as well.

That article is nothing but opinion, there is no basis in factual evidence. Further, they seem to be talking about standalone units like the Ionic breeze.

You are correct that Trane did not design the unit, in fact most major manufacturers wanted that product, Trane just won rights to it. And not forever, I believe it was a period of only a few years.

People have been buying those Ionic breezes and other brands for years. It only makes sense that HVAC manufacturers should try to enter the market. What other appliance has the ability to filter the air for the entire house?

There is nothing wrong with presenting factual evidence that these units may not live up to their claims. But I have seen nothing like this from you. In fact, you have replied to each and every thread about IAQ, with the same post.

Lets see some facts not opinions.

I am a dealer in Northern Michigan, and as a matter of fact I just got the info for this years rebates, the Clean Effects does not figure into it all that much. Still the same basic spiel as last year. XL19i and XV are worth the most so on down the line. Clean Effects is not a huge factor in it. In fact in a XLi system you can use a thermostat instead of clean effects and still get the big money rebates.

Clean Effects is a good product, but it is totally up to you to sell what you like. You can never sell something you don't believe in.

Good Luck, and happy selling!

[sadlier]

The Aprilaire 5000 needs a filter change typically about once a year. The Trane unit needs much more maintenance. For that reason I prefer Aprilaire.

However the Aprilaire 5000 has some serious static pressure drop especially under high CFM (about .3" at 2000 CFM). Add in the static pressure drop of an air conditioner coil and some furnaces will immediately run outside the manufacturers recommended operating range. For that reason I only recommend the Aprilaire 5000/2200/2400 on systems with variable speed blowers whereas the Trane unit has much less static resistance and would be better suited for standard furnaces.

[not a filter expert]

http://www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/residair...onal%20Factors

In response to the Consumer Reports comment, this may be somewhat biased, but there is some truth to this info:

http://www.aircleaners.com/consumerreports2.phtml

EPA's Response to IAQ:

Recommendation
The public is advised to use proven methods of controlling indoor air pollution. These methods include eliminating or controlling pollutant sources, increasing outdoor air ventilation, and using proven methods of air cleaning.

Originally posted by kevinmac
Well I can post factual evidence, I do not have the Clean Effects but I do have the earlier Trane EAC. I can without hesitation state that my house has less dust then when it had the standard high density filter. My wife loves it since she does not have to dust as often. Cleaning the EAC every 60 days of use ( according to the run time on the thermo) and cleaning the prefilter every 30 days is not a major chore! The blower cage seems to not have much of a dust deposit. There is no smell of ozone in the house. There are multiple adjustments for ozone. Cleaning the plates is easy, spray bottle of greased lightning, spray all the plates, let it sit for a few, rinse it off with a hose, let it dry in the sun. While doing this I use a regular filter in place of the pre filter until the EAC is totally dry.
Consumer reports rated the Honeywell and Trane EAC to be the most effecient, with little airflow resistance, and better cleaned air.
It works!
The Clean Effects is supposed to be even better.

[kevinmac]

The Trane EAC conforms to ASHRAE standard 52.1-92 atmospheric dust spot effeciency. Thats how they measured >80% effectivenss ratio.

[techguys]

When you say "kills" I'd watch that statement if I were you. No IAQ can kill. Prove it, if you say so.

[dash]

Originally posted by techguys
When you say "kills" I'd watch that statement if I were you. No IAQ can kill. Prove it, if you say so.

Check Carrier's website,it's their claim,and of course there is a "down to X microns" disclaimer,but they claim it "kills"..