Friedrich Air Purifiers

Friedrich Air Conditioning Company was founded in 1883 and is headquartered in San Antonio, Texas and primarily focuses on air conditioning systems. Friedrich only has one electrostatic air purifier on the market. The original Friedrich C-90A was discontinued in 2005 and replaced by the Friedrich C-90B, which is identical except for improvements in the efficiency of the fan so the unit can cover a larger area.

Friedrich C-90B Air Purifier Reviews

The Fredrich C-90B air purifier has received outstanding reviews from consumers as an airborne particle remover, receiving a 4.8 out of 5 rating on Amazon .com and a 3.5 out of 5 on the epinions.com. The Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR) has been calculated at 326 for tobacco smoke, 384 for dust and 421 for pollen, making it a very close competitor to the Blueair 500, the top ranked air purifier in this category. The unit will clean an area of 506 square feet, enough to condition the air in a large room or office.

Air Purifier Technology

The C90-B air cleaner’s primary function is to eliminate airborne particles such as dust, pollen, mold spores, pet dander and other pollutants. The ability of the unit to remove odors from a room is simply a byproduct of this process. The unit does contain a thin carbon mat as a pre-filter, but it is not specifically designed to absorb odors and chemicals.

Electrostatic air cleaners contain a set of plates that sends an electrical charge across the air flow, causing all of the particulates in the air stream to collect on the charged wires. The major drawback of the system is that it requires frequent cleaning, and in an environment with there are challenging factors like mold and tobacco smoke, it has to be cleaned every three days to maintain efficiency. The air cleaning plate assembly can be placed in the dishwasher — if it fits, it is quite a large –or hand washed by soaking in very hot water. The plates are fragile and have to be handled carefully and cost up to $160 to replace. The pre-filter and carbon filter can be vacuumed to maintain peak effectiveness, but will lose the ability to absorb odors unless replaced.

Friedrich Air Purifiers and Consumer Reports

In response to the Consumer Reports studies concluding that electrostatic cleaners are not effective and emit excessive amounts of ozone, Friedrich has issued a press release stating that the C-90B Electronic Air cleaner produces a small amount of ozone, but does not reach harmful levels. According to their documentation, the amount of ozone produced by their unit is just 0.005 to 0.020 PPM, which is 250 percent below the level of 0.050 considered safe by the Food and Drug Administration. The C-90B unit also meets the standards of the Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) and Underwriters Laboratory (UL) for safe ozone emission.

The Friedrich press release also points out that the Consumer Reports’ testing did not take into account the fact that ozone breaks down into oxygen when it comes into contact with interior surfaces like furniture, walls and carpets. They also note that allergy and asthma sufferers who are sensitive to certain products — especially air fresheners — benefit from the presence of ozone because it helps break down irritating odors. It does not, however, contain a Multiple Chemical Sensitivity filter (MCS) that is recommended for asthma sufferers.

Friedrich Air Purifier Models

• The Fredrich C-90B Air Cleaner retails for $699 and measures 20″ tall, 20″ wide by 20″ deep and weighs 20 pounds. Pre-filter replacements cost $20.00, and the carbon filter replacements cost $19.95 each and are sold in four packs for $77.00 through Friedrich’s online store or their affiliate retail outlets.