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Polluted air is a permanent element of the Polish landscape. It can be found in virtually every human population, from large cities to villages with several houses. In the context of air pollution, the most talked about was smog and its negative, long-term impact on our health and increased susceptibility to infections, which nowadays has gained additional importance.
The problem of air pollution is not only related to the heating season – we breathe dirty air all year round – “winter” smog does not disappear, but falls on lawns and streets, and from there it gets to our homes not only through open doors or windows, but also through natural ventilation . Likewise, other pollutants – plant pollen, harmful gases, and even viruses and bacteria. Lots of harmful organic compounds are also produced inside our apartments, through renovations, new furniture or such mundane activities as cleaning or cooking.
In a reality where even in our own home we cannot feel completely safe, the only thing that can help us is a good air purifier. A good-quality device removes viruses, bacteria, allergens, animal hair, dust, mite allergens, gases and volatile organic compounds – in a word, everything that can pose a threat to our health. That is why it is so important to clean the air in our home all year round.
What is an air purifier and what is it for?
The purifier is a device that sucks in air from the environment, passes it through the filters, and then releases it clean and free of dust, allergens, microorganisms and unpleasant odors.
The Philips Dual Scan AC3858 / 51 air purifier is the most technologically advanced model in the brand’s portfolio. It is equipped with 2 top-quality sensors that constantly check the air quality by scanning it 1000 times per second, the filter removes the smallest impurities, and we can breathe clean air in just 5 minutes! About all of this in a moment, let’s start from the beginning …
first impressions
After taking it out of the box, you can see that the device has power, it is not only a gadget that only looks good, although it must be admitted that it looks designer. It has an interesting, cylindrical shape, so it shouldn’t be a problem to place it even in a smaller room. The material from which it was made is a hard plastic that gives the impression of being very solid. The front is covered with fabric upholstery, which gives it a home-like character and fits perfectly into the style of most interiors.
The purifier should be set up so that nothing blocks its access to air – after all, it has to be sucked in and filtered, it takes min. 30 cm of variable space all around. Before the first start-up, the foil bag in which the filter was packed must be removed.
Filtr NanoProtect HEPA 3w1
Philips air purifiers are the only ones with a NanoProtect HEPA filter, which removes the smallest pollutants and viruses. It is one of the most important components of an air purifier. Philips AC3858 / 51 has a filter, NanoProtect HEPA 3in1, consisting of three layers: pre-filter, carbon and HEPA:
- the pre-filter catches large impurities, such as animal hair or dust;
- NanoProtect HEPA filter removes viruses and bacteria, smog (PM2,5 particles), allergens, mold and fungus spores;
- the third layer, i.e. the activated carbon filter, is responsible for removing harmful gases and unpleasant odors
What distinguishes Philips purifiers is the NanoProtect HEPA filter, which removes particles 100x smaller than a standard HEPA filter, and therefore smaller than the smallest known virus. This ultra-effective filter removes 99,9% of viruses [1] that pass through it, which is an additional protection for our health, especially nowadays.
The construction of the NanoProtect HEPA 3in1 filter, and thus its surface, means that we can use it longer than in the case of traditionally constructed filters. The manufacturer’s specification says that the filter can be operated for up to 36 months. That’s quite a lot. With the price of the original replacement ranging from PLN 280 to PLN 350, it will cost us only PLN 7,7-9,7 per month.
On the manufacturer’s website you can also read that after registering the device, we will get a second filter of this type for PLN 1, which means that for just PLN 6, we can enjoy the peace of mind of using without thinking about buying a filter for up to XNUMX years! Thus, we reduce the monthly costs practically by half.
Speed, i.e. the CADR parameter and 3D circulation
When choosing a purifier, apart from filters, we should always pay attention to the CADR parameter. But what does it actually mean and how does it affect the operation of the device?
CADR (Clean Air Delivery Rate), expressed in m3 / h, is the amount of clean air delivered by the purifier in one hour. It is a measure of the rate of air purification. CADR represents the airflow multiplied by the efficiency of the purge filters. The Philips Dual Scan AC3858 / 51 purifier has CADR, i.e. a capacity of 610m3 / h, which allows you to clean a 20m2 room in just 5 minutes. Impressive, right?
In order to increase the efficiency of work and cover the largest possible area with its operation, the so-called 3D air circulation. The air is taken through numerous holes located practically on the entire lower part of the device, and after filtering through a cylindrical filter, it is released from the top, in the form of an air spiral, which ensures even better distribution of the purified air, but also its circulation in the room.
Philips purifier operation
The purifier is operated using a touch panel located on the top of the housing. Minimalist in terms of both the appearance and the number of options to choose from. There are only 5 buttons on it, making the operation of the device child’s play. We have a clear division into day and night modes, so we can adjust the purifier to our individual needs.
In practice and in everyday use, only the operating mode switches and the on / off button are used, but we can also check the filter wear status at any time or decide which numerical indicator we want to highlight, and we can choose from 3 – PM2,5 particles, allergens and gases.
The model also has an automatic night mode, thanks to which even at night the purifier reacts to dust-related events and switches to a more efficient, but still very quiet mode without disturbing sleep. Such simplicity is a great advantage, when we realize that for our health, an air purifier in the current situation is a home equipment as necessary as a washing machine or a refrigerator.
There is also a rim with LED diodes around the control panel, the color of which informs about the current air condition. Blue means good air quality, purple means average, and red means bad. Thanks to this, we always know what we breathe.
The control panel allows you to start one of the 3 operating modes:
- automatic mode. You just turn it on and forget it, and the equipment works and reacts according to the readings of its super fast and super sensitive (1000 scans / second!) 2 sensors (technology called Dual Scan). If an elevated concentration of PM2.5 particles, harmful gases or allergens is suddenly detected, the purifier will rapidly increase the fan speed, which will increase the CADR, and therefore the speed of clean air delivery.
- turbo mode, selected in order to free the environment from harmful pollutants as quickly as possible. The device then works at a higher speed and louder.
- in night mode, it can be really quiet (about 18 dB), and the control panel is also dimmed so as not to disturb the rest of the household members.
It is also worth mentioning energy consumption, the AC3858 / 51 model is an energy-saving device, for example, for 8 hours of work in the night mode, we will pay only 2 groszes. [2]
Test and impressions
You cannot see the air, and if there is no smog, you don’t usually feel the pollution … So how do you find out about the effectiveness of the purifier? First of all, it is the voice of satisfied consumers:
Let’s check if it has passed laboratory tests and whether it has the appropriate certificates. Tests confirm that Philips air purifiers alleviate allergy symptoms (sneezing, runny nose, watery eyes) and were the first on the market to be recommended by the Polish Society of Allergology PTA. Philips is also certified by the National Institute of Public Health of the National Institute of Hygiene and 5 stars obtained in the European Center for Allergy Research ECARF test.
The effects of the purifier’s work are usually not noticed immediately, but the difference can be felt after a few days – better sleep, less headaches, milder allergy symptoms, improved concentration, and less infections after a long time. Some even notice less dust on the shelves!
Who will like the Philips AC3858 / 51 air purifier?
The purifier will appeal to people who care about the speed of cleaning and prefer high quality products. Technical parameters allow for cleaning a room with an area of up to 73 m2, which is roughly the same as the area of Kowalski’s statistical apartment. However, it should be remembered that the air purifier is able to work effectively in one room, so let’s use it where we are currently, because it will not clean the air behind the wall. Such a high range results from the CADR parameter and filters, so even if our room belongs to the smaller ones, the air in it will be cleaned faster than in the larger one.
This model will also appeal to people who believe in thoughtful solutions. Child’s play, a modern and very intuitive display, and a mobile application in which we can check the level of pollution or set the working hours of the device – what more could you want?
Allergy sufferers will also be satisfied, for whom the purifier can ensure calm breathing and well-being, also in the seasons of intense grass and tree dusting. And the others will probably get the fact that thanks to the purifier, the risk of infection is reduced, which can be of considerable importance.