Our staff are always being asked to compare our vacuum cleaner selection in more detail over the phone, so we thought we would try it make it simple by comparing some vacuums on the features most often asked about. We are only comparing our canister vacuum cleaners. We also did some emissions testing with brand new machines and the results are below. In our emission testing, we tested the room particulate count and then averaged 10 readings with a particulate monitor at the exhaust of the vacuum cleaner. The "efficiency" is the ratio of dirty air coming into the vacuum versus the number of particulates coming out the exhaust.

Emission Testing Efficiency Data

We are often asked as to whether the vacuum cleaners we carry are really effective in not letting particulates out into the room. For all the vacuum cleaners tested, the particulate levels were lower than when we measured the general particulate level in the room before vacuuming. 10 readings on our particulate monitor, at the vacuum exhaust were averaged.

As you can see, all three of our best vacuum cleaners performed up to very high efficiency standards.

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Rating:  4 Stars - Very Good

We found a new vacuum cleaner from Germany which we thought was rather interesting in its fundamental design. In Germany, it is a strong competitor to Miele, and has been for years, but has not been exported to the USA until now. It uses the same fundamental basic motor as the Miele but there the similarities end. The bottom line on this vacuum, is we think it provides terrific value for money and when we tested it for emissions, a topic near to every allergy sufferer's heart, it came out roses. It does however have some querks which I need to mention.

We're presenting the EIO vacuum cleaner in two different models. They are actually the same machine with a different label on them and different packages of hand tool and motor accessories. The advantage of this approach is that you could start with a lower priced model and then decide on your upgrades later. My recommendation is to start with the "Family" model at $499.95 which comes with an excellent turbo head, then add the power head later if you find you need it. If you have a lot of carpets, then just get the "Estate" model, the top of the line with power head, right from the start.

For those of you who like details. Here is a compilation of several testers' product pluses and minuses. We tested the EIO "Family" model.

PLUSES

• The EIO vacuum cleaner comes with a system of 3 main filters out of a total of six. It has a 3 layer disposable HEPA dust bag, an active charcoal and motor protection filter cassette, and an S class suspended matter HEPA filter. We tested the EIO vacuum cleaner and it had near-zero or zero emissions. From the allergy sufferer perspective this is a dream machine.
• All EIO models come with an adjustable wand which we think makes for ease of use when doing different applications.
• We loved the bags that come with the EIO. They are the biggest ones we have seen in a vacuum cleaner this size.
• EIO made a slightly larger vacuum cleaner than its competitors allowing for the larger fabric dust bags and tools on board, but it is still light and easy to move around.
• The EIO 360° swivel hose made the vacuum very easy to maneuver.
• The electronic Max-Min suction control allows you to clean low to high pile rugs more effectively. For instance, the max setting removes pet hair from upholstery while the min setting was useful for cleaning drapes and lampshades.
• The hardwood floor brush was low enough to get underneath the heating system and furniture, and the quality of the brush was impressive.
• The roller head attachment worked very well on kitchen and bathroom floors.
• Overall the quality of the EIO hand tools seemed excellent. The turbo head seemed more powerful than we had seen used with other machines. Most people will be perfectly content with the EIO Family Vacuum, which comes complete with a turbo head.
• It is easy to change the filters on this vacuum cleaner. They were very accessible. The HEPA filter needs to be changed after 50 hours of use.
• The EIO will tell you when it is time to change the vacuum cleaner bag. This is an important feature, as most people do not realize that vacuum bags need to be changed before they are full to the brim.
• EIO is a vacuum cleaner with a defect record of a fraction of 1% and a reputation for holding up over time. A boon for those who are tired of their vacuum cleaners breaking down every two years.

MINUSES

• In order to get an adjustable wand and no external wiring, EIO came up with a unique solution for their power-brush vacuums. It works off a power-pack which we found lasted an hour without running out. You do need to remember to charge up the spare pack in case it runs out on you while you are vacuuming. We also found the power-brush to be a little erratic to begin with and it seemed to switch itself off unasked. Then it settled down and behaved beautifully but we could not figure out what we might have done to cause it to be erratic.
• The hand tools are on board and can be changed pretty easily. They were not so smooth to change as some more expensive vacuums such as the top of the line Miele, but were more than acceptable.
• As with other vacuum cleaners at this price range, most of the controls are on the canister instead of finger- tip convenience on the handle. It was necessary to keep bending down to adjust the suction such as when the vacuum moved from carpet to floor to upholstery. Getting finger tip controls just costs a lot more and it would be unfair to expect a vacuum cleaner at this price point to have this feature.
• The plastic logo on the handle fell off repeatedly while testers were using it. It was hollow underneath and appeared to serve no function. It was difficult to snap back into place. A little glue was the answer.
• There are two floor tools that come with the Family model. We thought that was excessive and got a little confused as to which tool to use when.
• EIO is not a household brand here in the USA and the number of authorized repair centers is limited at the moment. The good news is that the EIO repair and defect record is near flawless.
• In the model we tested, the retractable cord pulled out in a jerky fashion but retracted flawlessly. We were not sure whether we had a defective model or whether they were all like that.

Our summary?

We liked this vacuum cleaner a great deal. And just in case you are interested, we have tested and evaluated a number of vacuum cleaners this summer that did not pass our stringent quality requirements.

Prices: $499.99 to $799.99.
For our money we liked the Family Vacuum the best as the place to start with this product line.
http://www.allergybuyersclubshopping.com/eio.html

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Member Q & A. Plumbing Needed For Dehumidifier?

Q. Customer purchased a Santa Fe dehumidifier and wanted a recommendation for a plumber.

A. Hi Peg,

Thank you for your order. You have selected an excellent dehumidifier. I would recommend you also purchase the remote dehumidistat.

The reason for this is the room where you have the dehumidifier will have a lower humidity because the drier air will be exhausting into the room. Therefore, the unit may shut off prematurely on you because its built-in humidistat will signal that it has reached its humidity setting while the humidity in the other rooms you are ducting in from will be a higher humidity and you will still wish for the dehumidifier to remain on.

The remote dehumidistat will register the actual humidity in the room you are ducting in from so the dehumidifier will remain on until the humidity in the room reaches the level you have set it on.

As far as a recommendation for a plumber, it is not necessary. All that is required is for you to make a hole in the wall of the room you want to duct the air in from and you run flex hose (it can be dryer vent hose plastic or aluminum) into the intake hole on the dehumidifier. As long as you have any circulation for the air to circulate back into the room after it comes out of the dehumidifier you will not have to worry about the dry air getting back into the room. The reason for this is that you are over pressurizing the room where the dehumidifier is so the air will force its way back into the room where you ducted it from. You need as little as the threshold underneath a closed door, a louver door, etc.

However, if it is a concrete wall or a completely sealed wall you can duct the air from the bottom where the dried air comes out of back into the room. The duct kit also comes with an exhaust collar that will attach to the exhaust grill on the bottom of the unit where the dried air comes out.

Keep in mind, that the duct kit consists of only the intake piece that will sit on top of the dehumidifier with a 6-inch and a 8 inch hole. If you are ducting from one room you will cap off the 6-inch hole and use the 8-inch hole. If you are ducting from more than one room you would use both openings. If you are ducting in from more than 2 rooms you can buy a Y adapter piece fitted over the 8-inch opening so you can duct into the opening from more than one room. The 6-inch opening should be used for one room. The duct kit also comes with the exhaust collar to attach to the bottom of the dehumidifier where the dried air comes out in case you need to duct the air back into the room.

So, you will need to supply the ducting but as I said it does not have to be anything real expensive. The actual installation is easy. It only requires the holes, the collars around the holes and attaching the ducting at the two ends. It is not as complicated as you would think. There is no need for a plumber.

I also wanted to ask you if you planned to have the water drain out with a gravity hose or if you needed to pump the water up and out somewhere. If the latter is the case, you will need to purchase the pump kit.

If you have any questions concerning anything please feel free to contact me.

Sincerely,

Dave Barnaby

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Hi there;

I have a "Rest Easy" flotation bed. I have decided to change the water and when pulling back the mattress that surrounds it we have discovered a lot of what we think is "Mold or Mildew". We vacuumed it and used a shampooed it. The mold appears to be brown in color. Some spots are darker than others. Is there anything I can use to get rid of the mold?

Also, I wonder, my 15 month old son has suffered from lots of upper respiratory illness (pneumonia, asthma, RSV, and ear infections) . Up until 3 months ago he was always sick with one of these and slept in a portable crib at the base of our bed. We moved him to his own room 3 months ago and has
been well since.

Is there anything else in my household to check that would not be visible?

Thanks in advance;

Kelli M.

Thank you for your questions. An excellent solution to your mold problem would be to kill the mold by sanitizing the area using a vapor steam cleaner. These machines sanitize and clean by using steam heat and can be used throughout the entire house for sanitizing and cleaning almost every surface without the use of chemicals. Since household cleaners contain many harmful chemicals, being able to thoroughly clean your house without using these cleaners is of immeasurable value in healthy living.

Since mold is present almost everywhere and your son seems to have allergic reactions to it, an additional suggestion would be to filter and clean the air with an air purifier. Mold spores are usually airborne and would be filtered out as the air passes through the machine. Air purfiers range in room size capability from small rooms to whole house units.

Information on both of these types of machines can be found on our website http://www.allergybuyersclub.com Just click on "appliances" and then click the appliance type you wish to see. Remember to use rubber gloves and a "nose and mouth" type face mask when dealing with mold. It can be nasty stuff. Please call me toll free at 888-236-7231 Monday - Friday (9AM - 5PM Eastern) if I might answer any questions for you.

Bob
Customer Service / Sales
Allergy Buyers Club

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Grossan Hydro Pulse, a new aid for sinus and allergy sufferers.

More than 37 medical journal articles and books have recommended pulsatile nasal / sinus irrigation for alleviation of chronic sinusitis and allergy symptoms. Pulsatile nasal irrigation means delivering a pulsing stream of saline gently through the nose and sinuses for removal of bacteria and the cover of the bacteria called biofilm, as well as pollen and dust. It is this biofilm cover that makes sinusitis symptoms so difficult to clear.

Pulsatile irrigation using the Grossan methodology, has been used by over 400,000 sinus and allergy patients. Dr Grossan has listened to suggestions by these patients and developed an improved device that fulfills many patient's requests. These improvements include:

• A handy off and on switch at the hand piece for easier irrigation.
• A device that won't scare you by a powerful stream that hits the ceiling!
• A device so gentle that kids will use it.
• A machine that keeps the pressure where it is set, without wasting solution as the pressure goes up and down.
• A device that is quiet so the neighbors won't object when it is used at night.
• A device with a sealed motor so that the machine still works after months of use.
• Bowl is clearly marked for exact measurement. This is important now that doctors are recommending adding anti fungal and antibacterial medications to the Hydro Pulse Irrigator.
• The pulse rate is more exact to help restore cilia function.

The Grossan Hydro Pulse is designed for nasal use and is FDA and UL listed. For this reason it is accepted for payment by many insurance providers. The pressure is easy to set the stream is about one inch high, about 1/4 the pressure of a sneeze, and once set remains there. No waste trying to regulate a non enclosed motor. This is especially important when antibiotics are being used.

Every medical textbook says to remove pus from the infected area. With the Grossan Hydro Pulse this can be done easily, at home, and comfortably on a daily basis. The Hydro Pulse is ideal for this because not only is pus removed from nose and sinuses, but in addition, mucus is thinned, and the biofilm that covers the bacteria is removed. The pulsation rate is ideal for restoring the nasal cilia to the correct rate of pulsation so that they can move infection away. Now it is easier for the body to heal in a natural manner with less medication, or possibly none!

Hydro Pulse can be used for persons who get common colds frequently. It washes away the ICAM 1 from the nose that is the entry way for the cold virus. (But it won't cure a cold)

During pollen season, using the Hydro Pulse to wash away pollen and IgE can reduce symptoms significantly.

The largest application for the Hydro Pulse is for alleviating symptoms for Asthma and chest conditions. Sinus infections are a major trigger for Asthma.

Post nasal drip is a sign that the cilia of the nose are moving too slowly so that phlegm thickens and gets infected. Because this can lead to a breath problem, Grossan Hydro Pulse includes, in addition to two sinus irrigators, two throat irrigators and tongue cleaners for the attendant breath condition.

Hydro Pulse is available at most allergy outlets. The Grossan HydroPulse comes with two nasal and two throat attachments, samples of Breathe. ease XL, and in instruction booklet that includes excerpts from "The Sinus Cure" by Bruce and Murray Grossan published by Ballantine 1991.

If sinus or allergy is your problem, consider the benefits of clearing these conditions in this natural manner.

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