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I bought this to deal with cat litter dust in a small apartment. I was hesitant to purchase this due to the high price and bad past experiences with other air cleaner products (noisy, poor quality) years ago, but have had good experiences with Sharp plasmacluster technology built-in to late-model Toyota/Lexus vehicles, so I decided to take a chance. The unit is very stylish (more-so than the pictures would indicate) and seems well constructed. It's assembled in China by Sharp.
The fan is very quiet on the lowest setting, which was important to me as the unit will run continuously. The electronic dust sensor is phenomenal. It really does detect dust in the air that's too small to see. I have the machine 6 feet from my cat's litter box, and within a minute of my cleaning the cat's mess from the litter box, the Sharp's sensor display changes from green to orange and then red, and the fan kicks into high gear. After a few minutes of cleaning the air, the display returns to green and the fan slows to its normal quiet speed. The display is actually entertaining to look at -it comprises four vertical plus/star icons that can change color and/or blink softly to indicate various amounts of contaminants in the air. To allow tailoring of the sensor to one's environment, it's sensitivity can be set to any of three settings (low, med, high), to either increase or decrease the amount of contaminants required to make the machine increase fan speed. It is also possible to manually set the fan speed. The front panel indicator lights can be dimmed or shut off for nighttime use in bedrooms. One benefit of the contaminant sensor display is that it enables optimal placement of the machine to filter the air -simply place the machine in various locations, note the site at which the sensor indicates highest contaminant level, and place the unit there.
The plasmacluster feature is very quiet; a soft clicking can be heard only if one puts their head to the machine. It can be disabled, for those who may be anxious about potential health risks. From what I've seen researching the potential health effects online, there are no scientifically valid explanations of actual health risks from plasmacluster. The feature is supposed to kill germs in the air, and as my primary purpose of this unit is to clean the dust/smell of cat litter from the air, I am glad to have the feature.
This unit is fairly compact about the height of a dehumidifier but a bit skinnier. Although the instructions state to place the unit 1-2 feet from the wall for optimal air flow (intake vents are on rear, output vent is on top), I have found the unit performs fine when even when only about 8 inches from the wall.
An added bonus of this unit is it has a humidifier built in, along with a digital humidity read-out, reducing the number of space consuming appliances required in wintertime.
The HEPA filter is rated to last 5 years, so hopefully consumables will not be overly expensive.
The instruction manual is well-written and easy to follow. All in all, an excellent product!
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Offhand, I own two FP-P40CX, one KC-150U and two KC-860 units. Suffice to say that I am a fan of Plasmacluster (PIC) technology. While a Blueair MD Pro sits by one side of the bed, a KC-860 sits by the other. An IQAir HealthPro Plus is situated in the family room with a second KC-860 not far away. Lose one point for not retaining the timer and remote control found in previous generation FP models. As of February 2011, the KC-860 is the most powerful stand-alone PIC, room purification unit available to the general public as a consumer purchase. Despite its rather flimsy carbon filter and tested in various bathrooms and a kitchen, the KC-860 does an excellent job of controlling odors so long as the Plasmacluster feature is used. Pre-filter is built into the unit housing (ala Austin Air) for ease of maintenance. KC-860 uses the same exact filters as do KC-100U/KC-150U/KC-850U for ease of filter sourcing. Ion generation crackle is clearly audible on these new models and is likely attributed to greater plasma and hence, ion output. Humidifying filter life can be extended through the use of a silver kill coil within the water tank. Unit can be run dry without the humidifying function in operation. Does not adequately cover stated square footage. CADR = Room Size = 245 Square Feet Area Coverage. Assuming ambient readings, the humidity sensor is typically off by less than 9% versus readings off a Kestrel 4200. Though its one-year warranty manufacturer leaves much to be desired, the KC-860 combines lightweight HEPA and carbon filters, electrostatic filtration and active hydroxyl radical sanitization under a brand name synonymous with good quality over the years. All in all and despite its shortcomings, the KC-860 represents a sane choice in a middle end room purification system that gives mid-high end models a run for their money and then some.Best Deals for Sharp KC-860U Plasmacluster air purifier
Good things: I had this for a year. It was better than FU-A28U that I'm using now. Comparing to FU, the KC sucks and blows much more air but similarly loud, and has an extra washable filter. The FC was able to "clean" my bedroom in hours after I got out from smoking in the bathroom, but the FU struggles a whole day. The sensor is really sensitive and useful for the lazy people.Not-so-good things: For the price I could have 4 FUs instead of this single unit. Secondly, the water reservoir tend to attract insects. Therefore, if humidifier is used, one will have to clean the unit and replace the water every few days. And then the sensor unit is hard to clean. it's got small holes nearby that trap dust that'll affect the sensor.
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