Vacuum cleaners with aquafilter: features, assortment and selection recommendations
In our country, a vacuum cleaner in a matter of decades has turned from a fashionable and technological curiosity into an accessory, without which it is simply impossible to imagine a modern home. At the same time, at first, all models, regardless of the manufacturer, were very similar to each other, they had only one dry cleaning function, so the choice of a particular unit was extremely simple.
Today, technological progress has also affected this technique, now it has acquired new capabilities and differs significantly from model to model. Some of the most popular vacuum cleaner options today are models with an aquafilter, but not every consumer, even if he has just such a unit at home, understands well what this means.
What it is?
Even at the time of the popularization of the first vacuum cleaners, their principal "trick", for the sake of which they began to be massively bought, was the most simple and effective dust removal. You may not understand this and consider dust only a minor problem, but for those who are allergic to it, every speck of dust poses a serious danger of a sharp deterioration in health. Respectively, a good vacuum cleaner should be able not only to suck in dust, but also not to release it back when turned off - for this, each model has a filter.
The overwhelming majority of inexpensive units are still equipped with a conventional mesh filter, that is, they are intended exclusively for dry cleaning. The design of such a device is extremely simple, but simplicity does not always mean maximum efficiency. The smallest dust particles that get inside the dust collector can turn out to be practically weightless, an imperceptible breath of wind can lift them into the air, and therefore after cleaning some part of the dust, albeit not all, returns back to the atmosphere of the room. A vacuum cleaner with an aquafilter was specially designed to solve this problem.
Aquafilter assumes filtration of the intake air using a thin layer of water. Getting into it, the smallest dust particles get wet and acquire additional weight, and although this still does not make them too heavy, they can no longer leave the reservoir on their own. The presence of water in the structure also helps to humidify the air in parallel, which makes it a little easier to breathe in the room.
From a technological point of view, this type of equipment costs a little more, but for some categories of consumers it is it that is indispensable, while classic models are practically useless.
Device and principle of operation
It would seem that there is nothing difficult in creating an aquafilter, because you just need to pass the air flow through a reservoir with water, but it is not for nothing that the first models did not have such a detail. Moreover, in many modern models of cleaning equipment, there is no aqua filter either, since its design is a complex process - it is not easy to keep moisture under a constant strong wind inside the tank so that it does not come into contact with electricity and does not simply splash around the room.
Outwardly, vacuum cleaners with and without an aquafilter do not differ in anything - their nozzle can be absolutely the same, and the dirt is sucked inside according to a completely identical scheme.At the same time, in a more technologically advanced model, the flow of air with dust at a certain stage passes through the chamber with water. The heavier fragments sink immediately, and they remain here, but the lighter ones manage to fly over the surface of the water without getting wet.
A so-called separator, installed directly above the water table, works to remove light and dry particles. In fact, this is a cylinder with longitudinal plates installed inside it - it is through them that a stream of air is supplied, due to which they unwind and lift an invisible water suspension into the air. It is she who soaks the small particles, making them heavier, after which they also remain in the tank, while the purified and humidified air enters back into the room.
Consequently, the aquafilter is implemented according to a scheme in which the air flow does not pass directly through the water column - it flies over it, but the force of gravity and microscopic water suspension force the air flow to give away everything superfluous to the water.
Advantages and disadvantages
The question of whether it is necessary to purchase a vacuum cleaner with an aquafilter is usually not worth it - it is assumed that if you can do it, then you should do so. The fact is that above we only in very general terms described the main advantages of the built-in water filter, while specialists and experienced users highlight much more advantages.
If you still doubt the advisability of such an acquisition, take a closer look at the positives.
The efficiency of the aquafilter is much higher than any mesh... A classic vacuum cleaner for dry cleaning, with not the most careful handling and a cheap model, can "lose" a good quarter of the collected dust, which, of course, is better than not cleaning at all, but the same allergy sufferer is unlikely to satisfy.
The Aquafilter is capable of collecting about 99% of all particles, therefore, for pedantic people who are strictly related to cleanliness and order, it is the modern model that will be the salvation.
A conventional dry vacuum cleaner, as a rule, is focused exclusively on collecting dust and other dry powdery contaminants, while the model with an aquafilter is much more versatile. First of all, such a unit is not afraid of water getting inside, because it is already present in the mechanism, therefore it is reliably protected from short circuits. Accordingly, with the help of such a technique, it is possible to "draw in" a puddle of spilled liquid without using a rag.
Housewives have found another popular use of such a vacuum cleaner: it is called a washing one, since they can vacuum cleaned floors... Naturally, such a miracle will also cope with dry cleaning, and it is also suitable for cleaning upholstered furniture.
Everyone knows that an aquafilter helps to trap a maximum of small dust particles, but not everyone understands that in fact its action concerns any microscopic particles, including hazards such as bacteria and germs. In a room that is regularly cleaned using a unit with an aquafilter, the air will definitely be healthier, and this is very important where children, the elderly, who are prone to frequent morbidity, live., or pets.
An ordinary vacuum cleaner will remove dust at best, but it is powerless against microorganisms.
Since the aquafilter purifies and humidifies the air, a vacuum cleaner with it can be used not quite for its intended purpose - as an air purifier. Many models assume work not only with clean water, but also with various detergents, and those, having a pleasant smell, can very quickly give it to air, which is driven through a water filter with high pressure. Therefore, a vacuum cleaner accidentally left on is useful without even moving from a place.
Models with an aquafilter usually provide constant suction power during the entire period of operation, and the degree of filling of the tank with debris does not affect this in any way.
This happens because the main flow of air passes, as it were, past the water filter, above it, therefore nothing interferes with it.
In a classic dry vacuum cleaner, the dust collector usually has a filter, and the more it fills, the more difficult it is for the air stream to break through the accumulated debris. Because of this, as the bag fills up, the model without an aquafilter gradually slows down.
Most modern vacuum cleaners with aquafilter in the basic configuration already have all the parts and attachments necessary for use. This is because without any of them, the unit cannot be considered a washing unit, which means that it cannot be sold at a high enough price. This is in stark contrast to the policy of selling dry cleaning machines, which are often equipped with no more than two nozzles and often require the purchase of additional accessories later.
After all of the above, one would only wonder why the revolutionary invention of the aquafilter still has not displaced models that are devoid of this important and useful detail from the market.
Unfortunately, the water filter is one of those innovations that, for all their advantages, are not without drawbacks. Before buying a vacuum cleaner, you definitely need to familiarize yourself with them - it may turn out that some of them seem critical to you.
- The water filter cannot be called a light or small part - as a result, the washing vacuum cleaner turns out to be cumbersome and unwieldy, and it can not be stored in any corner. During cleaning, when the tank is full of water, the weight of some models can reach an impressive 10 kilograms, and for a fragile mistress, this often turns out to be a serious challenge.
- The Aquafilter quickly tidies up the floors and the surface of furniture, and also cleans the atmosphere, but after each cleaning it itself turns out to be very dirty, therefore, it requires thorough washing. In the instructions, there is usually a whole section devoted to how and in what order to wipe the insides of the unit after each cleaning episode. Of course, you can ignore this requirement and not even drain the water, but remember that the collected particles from moisture can begin to rot, and then instead of the expected pleasant aroma, you risk stinking the whole apartment.
- One of the fairly common reasons for criticism of vacuum cleaners is that they do not cope with air freshening at the level of real fresheners... Here it is, rather, in high expectations from such a technique, since it is still produced for other purposes, and some air freshening is only a pleasant bonus. Therefore, if you are confident that you will kill two birds with one stone, the disappointment can be serious.
- The washing model, by definition, is somewhat more complicated than the one that is designed only for dry cleaning, because don't be surprised that it costs more... Of course, you can find comparatively low-cost models, but then an option is not excluded in which all or some of the unit's functions will seem truncated or defective.
Views
Although the concept of a vacuum cleaner with an aquafilter already in itself quite accurately describes the technique, its classification does not end there.
There is at least one more criterion by which such aggregates can be distinguished - by the type of filtration.
- Turbulent filter... This air purification scheme is considered one of the most affordable, because it is used by many manufacturers, including well-known ones. At first, the mechanism works as described above in the principle of action - the vortexes of the air inside the tank lift the smallest particles of moisture into the air, which bind dry dust. After that, the mass is passed through a sponge filter, on which the predominant part of the dirt remains. Finally, the air also passes through a HEPA filter.
- Hookah filter... In this case, the name speaks for itself - if you have ever seen how a hookah works, you will understand the cleaning scheme.With this scheme, the air with the collected debris does not fly over the water in the tank - it is fed to the very bottom of the tank, already under water, where it immediately loses more or less large debris. Moreover, such a mechanism usually cannot hold the smallest particles, therefore they can fall back into the room along with the blowing. Because of this, consumers have to buy an additional exhaust filter of any type, be it paper or carbon, synthetic or sponge.
Such filters need to be cleaned regularly and periodically changed, and antifoam must be constantly added to the tank, therefore this scheme is not very popular.
- Separator or cyclone filter... This is another very popular cleaning scheme that builds on the elementary laws of physics in its work. A turbine with numerous petals is built inside such a vacuum cleaner, it rotates at a speed of tens of thousands of revolutions every minute, which is why all relatively heavy particles are thrown to the walls and subsequently drown in water.
It is this type of filtration that is considered the most productive and efficient today, but such a unit is usually quite expensive.
- Shower filter... This option is perhaps the least effective of all, but it is easy to make and relatively cheap. As in a cyclone or turbulent filter, the slightest mist of water is responsible for removing dirt from the intake air, but there are no turbulences inside such a structure. The air inside the tank is humidified by nozzles that spray water and partially settle dust and other debris. At the same time, it is clear that for a simple increase in the humidity level, these nozzles do not create a full-fledged rain wall, which means that a certain part of the dust particles can not get wet and return back to the room.
To avoid this, they use, as in the case of the hookah filter, additional exhaust filters, but we have already discussed the disadvantages of such a solution.
In addition, the classic vacuum cleaner is a networked machine, but there are also wireless models. Often such hypertrophied equipment can be seen in large supermarkets, where it is placed on a self-propelled cart. The advantage of this unit is that it is completely not tied to an outlet and can clean areas of any size, however, an already non-compact vacuum cleaner will then turn into a huge colossus, because in the case you will also have to find a place for a powerful battery.
There are, however, and vertical vacuum cleaners for the home, the so-called mop vacuum cleaners, but they are usually either quite heavy, and because of this impractical, or have too small a water reservoir, so they are not suitable for cleaning large spaces.
Rating of the best models
Leading manufacturers, in an effort to stay ahead of the competition in the struggle for consumer attention, release new models every year that are distinguished by either advanced features, or simplified operation, or a reduced cost. In this regard, an objective rating is no longer possible - it will tend to quickly become obsolete. In addition, below we will tell you why the best option is not the same for everyone, but now we will just clarify that each customer has special needs, which means he will have his own rating.
For this reason, we will deviate somewhat from the traditional notion of seating ranking and instead provide a small overview of the models that are popular today. It is possible that your ideal vacuum cleaner with an aquafilter is not among them, but all positions are at least tested by millions of consumers, and you can also understand what to start from in search of the ideal.
Karcher DS 6 Premium Mediclean
Produced by a famous German company that has made a world name for itself thanks to various cleaning and cleaning techniques, therefore it is not surprising that its representative simply must be on our list.
This model is intended only for dry cleaning, since there is no separate garbage bag here - everything goes into the tank, which is not initially empty. Three-stage filtration provides an astounding scale of purification: any particles as small as 0.03 microns are trapped, which means you can't even see the dust that this unit stops!
A relatively quiet mechanism has a rather modest reservoir volume of 1.7 liters, therefore it will not be suitable for large apartments, but its weight is rather modest - 7.5 kg.
Zelmer 919.0 ST Aqua Welt
One of the long-term leaders of the entire industry, whose immense popularity is due to the versatility of its capabilities. As befits a decent unit, it can perform both dry cleaning and wet cleaning - in the first case, the aquafilter can even be replaced with an ordinary dust bag.
The package includes 7 attachments at once, allowing you to remove literally anything. The suction power of 300 W will be enough for cleaning the territory without carpets and pets, and the six-liter reservoir practically does not limit the owner in the size of the territory.
The only drawbacks are that the noise level is 80 dB and the impressive weight of 8.5 kg.
Arnica damla plus
A sample of a budget vacuum cleaner produced by a Turkish company. At its low price (usually up to 10 thousand rubles), such a unit is valued quite highly by many criteria - quality, reliability, cleaning and its appearance are at the same level.
Criticism of such a model usually concerns only ease of use, since even for a banal filling of a tank, the entire structure has to be disassembled completely. At the same time, they also often note the huge dimensions of the unit, the high noise level and the absence of a compartment for storing the cord in the case, not to mention the function of its retraction.
For non-spoiled consumers who want to buy a vacuum cleaner with an aquafilter for little money, this option may be the best.
MIE Acqua
Designed only for wet cleaning, but it is good at least because with a power consumption of 1200 W, a quarter of the total volume is spent on suction. This is one of the most compact and lightweight models, because the tank here is designed for only 1.5 liters, that is, it is more of an office unit than a home unit. Although there is no power regulator, there is a fine filter, as well as an automatic cord winding.
The unit is criticized for 76 dB of output noise, but at the same time it will certainly delight the consumer with a good set of brushes and nozzles for various needs.
Pro Aqua
A German unit, which is considered by many consumers to be among the best of its kind. The manufacturer himself points out that the model is designed to clean literally everything that you can see in front of you, including even windows, and, of course, the device copes equally well with dry and wet cleaning. Typically German service is considered a big plus for the operation of such a unit - upon purchase, a warranty is issued for as long as ten years.
With the highest build quality and reliability, as well as impressive functionality, it is this vacuum cleaner with an aquafilter that is called the easiest to use, therefore it is well suited even for those who are not friendly with sophisticated modern technology.
How to choose?
A vacuum cleaner with an aquafilter is a rather complicated device, therefore there may be quite a few criteria for choosing a particular model. Moreover, each of them deserves your attention, otherwise there is always a risk of spending money on a stupid product. To prevent this from happening, we will consider these criteria in more detail.
- It is generally accepted that a vacuum cleaner with an aquafilter and a washing vacuum cleaner are one and the same, but in fact, there are unique models that the aquafilter does not interfere with being narrow-profile - only for dry or only for wet cleaning. If you buy a unit for many years to clean an apartment, it is better to opt for the model that can do everything.
- When choosing a model, most consumers correctly pay attention to the power, only not to the suction power, which really matters, but to the consumed one. For a house with any type of hard surface, 300-350 W of suction power will be enough, but in the presence of carpets or pets, it is advisable to increase this figure to at least 450 W. At the same time, different coatings require a different attitude: some cannot be cleaned without high power, while others need a careful attitude, therefore the ability to regulate power is welcomed.
- The vacuum cleaner can hardly be completely silent, but some hum so that you don't even want to turn them on. The norm for good modern vacuum cleaners is considered to be 60-65 dB - this is approximately the noise level of a washing machine, which is well audible, but cannot be called deafening. At the same time, inexpensive models can produce 80 dB or more, which means that they can no longer be used when sleeping even in another room, and the neighbors will definitely not be happy.
- Some experts point out that the more degrees of filtration, the better. In practice, this is not always the case, because we have already figured out that the cyclone filter is productive by itself, and the same shower or hookah require additional outlet nozzles... However, with the same type of filtering, this rule still works.
- Today nozzles can be purchased for any vacuum cleaner, but it is better that they immediately go in the kit - so you get a full set of features at a wholesale price. It is also desirable that the wheels are as large as possible and they all have a rubber coating to protect the furniture from damage. A telescopic tube made of metal with several positions for fixing will also be much more practical than a banal corrugation made of plastic.
- The volume of the water tank affects both the area of the territory cleaned without interruption and the weight and dimensions of the vacuum cleaner. It is clear that to remove a large amount of debris, there must be a lot of water, but a reasonable volume should be found, otherwise the unit will turn into a heavy weight. When choosing, start from the fact that an average apartment of 70 square meters requires 4-5 liters of water in a tank... You can do with less, but then the process will have to be interrupted to wash the container and replace the water.
- Different types of filtration can be called more or less effective only conditionally - sometimes there is simply no point in overpaying for characteristics that have nowhere to be applied. For example, a model with a separator is very good for cleaning animal hair and typical kitchen dirt, but if there are no pets at home, and you rarely visit the kitchen, there is no point in spending money on such a unit. If the house still does not have carpets, a simple hookah filter in the vacuum cleaner will be enough.
- When choosing a vacuum cleaner according to the main criteria, do not forget that there are secondary functions that extend the life of the purchase or make its use more comfortable. For example, the length of the cord indicates how far you can get from the outlet, because with a short cord, normal cleaning of a large room is impossible. If the cord has an impressive length, the possibility of automatic reeling no longer seems like a useless trifle..
Caring manufacturers are increasingly integrating overheating protection and an automatic shutdown option into vacuum cleaners, which helps protect equipment from excessive loads.
- Many consumers also pay attention to the company that produced the unit. In some cases, this approach is really justified, because well-known brand has been tested by millions of consumers, values a hard earned reputation and most likely has an extensive network of service points... Another thing is that a well-promoted trademark usually also costs money, because vacuum cleaners of fashionable brands are more expensive.
By the way, when buying products of a little-known brand, you do not necessarily buy low-quality junk, but such a waste of money will always present a certain amount of risk.
Subtleties of use
The duration of operation of a vacuum cleaner with an aquafilter depends not only on the build quality, but also on careful handling in accordance with the instructions supplied in the kit. One of the main principles of caring for such a unit is regular thorough cleaning of the tank - it must be done after each cleaning. If a sponge filter is included in the design, it must also be cleaned regularly, especially if perspiration is observed on the lid. As a rule, filters can only be used when they have already dried from previous cleaning.
Before each cleaning, the water in the aquafilter must be new; immediately after the end of the procedure, it must be drained to avoid the appearance of an unpleasant odor. All procedures seem to be too time consuming and at first can take a good half hour, but the instructions usually say that, having figured it out, you will learn how to do it several times faster.
When using detergents, a defoamer must be added to the dust container, otherwise liquid may spill out. If foam has already started to form, it makes sense to check the filters for the presence of moisture, and if there is any, it is better to stop cleaning and wait until the filter dries.
Although a vacuum cleaner with an aqua filter is specially designed for cleaning any type of dust, a significant amount of loose substances at one time can ruin even a new filter. Among the typical household substances, the danger is the same flour or cocoa. Do not suck in organic solvents, as well as alkalis or acids with a vacuum cleaner, because they can corrode internal parts. It is also highly undesirable to suck in explosive or flammable substances, as well as any gases, with the device - their active aeration can lead to a catastrophe.
Make sure all HEPA filters are attached as tightly as possible to achieve proper performance. Each such filter is supplied with rubber gaskets around the entire perimeter, so you just need to check if there are any distortions in their position, allowing air to penetrate outside the filter.
Reviews
Vacuum cleaners with an aquafilter, with all their supposedly shortcomings in the form of high cost or large dimensions, are still highly valued by consumers - this is evidenced by reviews on numerous forums on the Internet. Comments, of course, come across different, but most of them are positive.
Many consumers write that a washing vacuum cleaner with an aquafilter is a real godsend for an avid lover of cleanliness, since this is a completely different level of cleaning compared to classic dry-type units. The best examples of this technique eliminate dust completely. - so it seems not only to the eye, because even allergy sufferers of the most severe forms do not show any signs of allergy. Actually, for allergy sufferers, the purchase of such equipment is mandatory, while the rest of the buyers can simply make themselves a gift in the form of perfect purity, since the best models are able to filter out even bacteria.
Criticism of vacuum cleaners with an aquafilter usually concerns not the entire class of such equipment, but only individual models assembled according to a not very successful scheme. For many inexperienced consumers, it is often an extremely unpleasant surprise the weight of the unit - having weighed it in the hands in the store, they do not always understand that when cleaning, the weight of water in the tank will also be added... Often people also do not really delve into the specifics of choosing a specific model, therefore they buy, for example, a vacuum cleaner with a hookah filter, hoping to clean the dust from carpets with it. The result, of course, does not correspond to expectations, but this is more likely a problem of the wrong choice, and not the quality of the device.
There is also a negative in the comments associated with the complex maintenance of the unit. Really, regular cleaning of the tank may not seem like an obvious need in the store, but at home you quickly realize that this is fundamentally important... Not having time to get the hang of it, the new owner is often disappointed in the car, thinking that caring for it takes too much time. It is much worse if the design is really mediocre and requires constant replacement of external filters, and they are not so easy to find for a particular model.
From the foregoing, we can conclude that a vacuum cleaner with an aquafilter, having certain disadvantages in the form of operating features, still has more advantages. The specifics of caring for the unit will not be an unpleasant surprise for you if you, using the Internet, first study the features of the model you like and compare them with the characteristics of alternative options. With the right choice, a new purchase will be a little hassle that will be completely offset by the benefits it provides.
An overview of the vacuum cleaner with aquafilter Karcher DC 6000, see the next video.
Thank you, everything is clear and accessible, you explain perfectly.
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