Kenmore Air Purifiers
Kenmore, another recognized household appliance name and owned by Sears, produces air purification units in the low to mid range of the market. Their more expensive model, AC2044-1, received very good scores under the Clean Air Delivery Rate rating system. Some of the higher priced PlasmaWave products also received average-good scores and may be decent options.
Kenmore Models
| Kenmore AC-2062 | Ratings | Technical Specifications |
|---|---|---|
| Est. Price – $129.99 | Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR) ?Smoke – NA / 450Pollen – NA / 450Dust – NA / 450Consumer Reports ?Score – NA / 100Dust/Pollen/Smoke (High Setting) – NA / 5Est. Yearly Cost – NA | Room Size ? : 150 Sq. FtCirculation ? : NAFilter Type ? : Cleanable HEPA-Type & Pre-FilterFilter Life Est. ? : NASize: NAWeight: NANoise Level: NAEnergy Star? ? : Yes |
| Kenmore AC2044-1 | Ratings | Technical Specifications |
|---|---|---|
| Est. Price – $369.99 | Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR) ?Smoke – 300 / 450Pollen – 380 / 450Dust – 330 / 450Consumer Reports ?Score – NA / 100Dust/Pollen/Smoke (High Setting) – NA / 5Est. Yearly Cost – NA | Room Size ? : 460 Sq. FtCirculation ? : NAFilter Type ? : Pre-Filter, Collecting Cell & IonizerFilter Life Est. ? : LifetimeSize: 27.9″H x 20.9″W x 14.1″DWeight: 40.3 lbsNoise Level: NAEnergy Star? ? : No |
| Kenmore PlasmaWave 85150 | Ratings | Technical Specifications |
|---|---|---|
| Est. Price – $99.99 | Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR) ?Smoke – 98 / 450Pollen – 103 / 450Dust – 98 / 450Consumer Reports ?Score – NA / 100Dust/Pollen/Smoke (High Setting) – NA / 5Est. Yearly Cost – NA | Room Size ? : 150 Sq. FtCirculation ? : 24-45 CFMFilter Type ? : True HEPA Filter & Activated Carbon FilterFilter Life Est. ? : NASize: 18.5″H x 13.75″W x “DWeight: 11.2 lbsNoise Level: NAEnergy Star? ? : Yes |
| Kenmore PlasmaWave 85300 | Ratings | Technical Specifications |
|---|---|---|
| Est. Price – $199.99 | Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR) ?Smoke – 197 / 450Pollen – 214 / 450Dust – 197 / 450Consumer Reports ?Score – NA / 100Dust/Pollen/Smoke (High Setting) – NA / 5Est. Yearly Cost – NA | Room Size ? : 300 Sq. FtCirculation ? : 40-90 CFMFilter Type ? : True HEPA Filter & Activated Carbon FilterFilter Life Est. ? : NASize: 21.7″H x 16.25″W x “DWeight: NANoise Level: NAEnergy Star? ? : Yes |
| Kenmore PlasmaWave 85450 | Ratings | Technical Specifications |
|---|---|---|
| Est. Price – $299.99 | Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR) ?Smoke – 291 / 450Pollen – 343 / 450Dust – 298 / 450Consumer Reports ?Score – 56 / 100Dust/Pollen/Smoke (High Setting) – 5 / 5Est. Yearly Cost – NA | Room Size ? : 450 Sq. FtCirculation ? : 50-110 CFMFilter Type ? : True HEPA Filter & Activated Carbon FilterFilter Life Est. ? : NASize: 25.6″H x 17.3″W x “DWeight: 19.4 lbsNoise Level: NAEnergy Star? ? : Yes |
| Air Purifier Noise Chart – Decibel Ratings of Common Sounds | |
|---|---|
| Source | Decibel Rating (dB) |
| Falling leaves | 0-10 |
| Whisper | 10-20 |
| Soft music | 20-30 |
| Mosquito buzz | 40-50 |
| Normal voices | 50-70 |
| Traffic sounds | 70-80 |
| Vacuum cleaner | 80-90 |
| Thunder | 90-100 |
| Chain saw | 110-120 |
| Rock concert | 120-130 |
| Pain threshold (jet take off) | 130-140 |
| Perforation of ear drum (gun shot) | 160 and higher |
Kenmore Company Info
The Kenmore line of appliances became associated with Sears since back in the late 1930s, and by 1936 over one million Kenmore appliances had been sold through Sears stores and mail-order catalogs. Over the decades, Kenmore has become their number one appliance brand, selling over 50% more than its closest competitor.
Kenmore Air Purifier Options
Out of the 5 air purification products offered by Kenmore, 4 are EnergyStar qualified for efficient operation, with the exception being the electrostatic model. They come in a range of coverage sizes from 150 square feet to 450 square feet and are competitively priced, with the small units starting and $100 and the largest unit selling for $300. All but one one unit has a true HEPA filter with an activated carbon filter with Sanitized® designed to remove smoke, dust and pollen. The units are advertised as having quiet motors, but no decibel figures are included in the product descriptions. All Kenmore air purifiers have a one year warranty.
Air Purification Technology
Kenmore’s HEPA filters are washable, but they still need to be replaced at a cost of $39.00 to $69.00 and replacement intervals are not mentioned in the product descriptions. The HEPA filtration systems capture 99.99% of the particulates in an air stream down to 0.3 microns. Some units include Advanced PlasmaWave™ Technology that “attacks other air-borne pollutants at a molecular level” by attracting smaller particulates and ionizing the filtered air. Their replacements cost $60 to $70 apiece. Room air quality is controlled by sensors that detect pollutants and automatically adjusts the fan speed for optimal cleaning. A blue LED “smooth touch” control panel is programmable and includes a “set and forget” operation.
Consumer Issues
Overall, the Kenmore line of air purifiers receives more bad reviews than good, many having to do with issues about getting repairs, receiving improper replacement parts and filters or about Sears policies and/or their customer service department. Some critics suspect that the units sold as Kenmore products are actually inferior knockoffs of brands like Sharp and Whirlpool.
Kenmore Air Purifier Models
- Kenmore PlasmaWave™ Small Room Air Cleaner EnergyStar ® will cover 150 square feet and retails for $99.99. The CADR rating is 98 smoke, 98 dust and 103 pollen. The black plastic tower case includes a washable true HEPA filter with an activated carbon filter treated with Sanitized® and Advanced PlasmaWave™ Technology.
- Kenmore Cleanable HEPA-Type Tower Air Cleaner cleans up to 150 square feet and retails for $129.99 and does not have CADR testing information available. It only contains a washable HEPA-type filter and three cleaning power levels. It also includes a timer and an intelligent filter change/clean indicator that alert to when it is time to clean the filter.
- Kenmore PlasmaWave™ Midsized Room Air Cleaner ENERGY STAR® cleans up to 300 square feet and has a 3-stage cleaning system and retails for $199.99. It has a CADR of 197 for smoke, 219 for dust and 214 for pollen.. The unit includes the true HEPA filter with the activated carbon treated with Sanitized® and the Advanced PlasmaWave™ Technology.
- The Kenmore EnviroSense 85500 is not listed on the company website but is available on line for $269.99. Reviewers say it has a 5-stage cleaning system that includes a pre filter, a true HEPA filter, a nano-silver filter, a washable carbon filter and Advanced PlasmaWave™ Technology. Comes with a four speed fan and measures 27″ high,” 16 wide and 8.5″ deep. The CADR rate was quoted as 182 for dust, 183 for smoke and 194 for pollen. The review gave it an overall rating of 73 out of 100.
- Kenmore PlasmaWave™ Small Room Air Cleaner ENERGY STAR® covers up to 450 square feet and retails for $299.99. Unit contains the true HEPA filter with the activated carbon filter treated with Sanitized® and the Advanced PlasmaWave™ Technology. It comes with a programmable remote control and an integrated back handle for portability.
- Kenmore Electrostatic Air Cleaner is a 3-stage portable air purifier that retails for $369.99 and covers 465 square feet, or a 23′ x 20′ room. The washable filter system has a HEPA filter with the activated carbontreated with Sanitized® as well as the Advanced PlasmaWave™ Technology. It has a CADR of 300 dust, 380 pollen and 300 smoke.
