Oreck XL Professional Air Purifier

I have an Oreck XL professional air pruifier. I love what this unit has done for the air quality in my home. I also own a gauss meter (Trifield Meter Model 100XE) which is designed to alert you to your level of environmental exposure to electromagnetic fields. Since the XL uses electrostatic action to clean the air, it generates a pretty strong EMF field. There are a whole variety of symptoms related to EMF exposure, none of them good, so when dealing with a device like the Oreck XL, it would be wise to take some precautions.
Here are the readings I got.
At 6 inches from the unit - 500 volts/meter AC electric field / 50 milligauss AC magnetic field
At one foot from the unit - 20 volts/meter AC electric field / 25 milligauss AC magnetic field
At two feet from the unit - 0 volts/meter AC electric field / 5 milligauss AC magnetic field
At three feet from the unit - - / 1.7 milligauss AC magnetic field
At four feet from the unit - - / .8 milligauss AC magnetic field
At five feet from the unit - - / 0.4 milligauss AC magnetic field
At six feet from the unit - - 0 -

The following is written on the back of my meter:
"HAZARD THRESHOLDS
Absolute hazard thresholds have not been established. Studies suggest biological effects may begin to occour near 3 miligauss of AC magnetic field, 1 kilovolt/m of AC electric feild. "

So basically you want to place your Oreck XL at least 3 feet away, preferably 6 feet or more away from any people or pets (better to walk past it from time to time than sit next to it). I have heard of someone putting one of these units on their bedside table. Obviously, based on this data, that is not such a good idea.
I hope this review helps you get the most health benefits from this great product.

If you are going to write a review of the product then write one, Not on your experience with purchasing one used, of course you can complain about your purchase but lets be real here, This unit will work as it was made to work, It will remove things from the air and make it better breathing. It moves more air then sonic pros and also has filters, I give it a good rateing due to None of the currently made air filters being excellent, All have problems, purchasing filter or cleaning cells. This filter will serve the user well as can be expected, it has a quiet mode which is almost silent, it also has a higher setting which will clean the air with more force, comes in handy when the wife burns my dinner.

Skeena_north had a very interesting review.

Please note that there are no studies that state what the dangerous levels are for a consumer device nor what their effects will be over time. The general rule is to decrease the amount of time of exposure as you get closer to the emitting object.

So I decided to measure the distance of several household devices at the 4 milligauss threshold where the level of magnetic field is considered to be unsafe. I am also using a Trifield Meter that Skeen_north used in his analysis.

I found that the Oreck Air 8 measured 4 milliguass at about 28 inches. The new model Oreck XL tabletop Professional model measured the same intensity at less than 6 inches. So Oreck has apparently decreased the magnetic radiation given off by their latest model. If this is a concern, consider updating to the Professional model.

For a comparison:

19” CRT Television – 30 inches
33” CRT Television – 32 inches
Front of Rear Projection TV – 4 inches
LCD display 23” – 1 ½ inches measured at center.
Base of Halogon Lamp – ¼ inches
Mechanical Timer – 4 inches
Keyboard of Laptop Computer – 3 inches (intensity was irratic and varied to 40 mg)
Iron – 6 inches
Tube Stereo Amplifier – 10 inches
External Hard drive – 2 inches
Air Oasis Air purifier – 8 inches
Blue Air 501 Air Filter – 4 inches (measured front and center, unit had no reading at top)

So if you type on a lap top computer or iron your clothes, your fingers and wrists are experiencing exposure to magnetic fields of the same intensity as the Oreck XL at 28 inches.

It is all relative but one should consider minimizing their exposure if there are any questions.

I have used both the XL and the Professional located at opposite ends of a great room. The pre-filter and internal collector cell are removed and washed about every 4 weeks. There is a lot of dust and lint. As I have 3 parrots, I find that my dusting is reduced but my vacuuming is not.

My use of the XL has been for a period of almost 4 years. The units are pretty well built and easily serviced. I had the motor bearings go out after 2 1/2 years on the kitchen unit. The bearings are locally available at your Oreck service center and with minimal tools I disassembled and replaced the noisy motor bearings and the fan bearing as well. The part support by Oreck is second to none both locally and by phone. Their technicians can also provide any support required for those less mechanically inclined. I would conservatively assume that their filters can be kept running for many years.

Considering the amount of particles collected by these filters, I would suggest one unit for a maximum of 200 square feet.

The Oreck Professional would be great for any pet owner who is concerned about the air quality not only for themselves but for their visitors as well.

The Air Purifier I received was said to have been "lightly used" for a month. As an owner of an Oreck XL already, I could tell that the description given was not in any way possible. I cleaned the unit with a vaccuum cleaner two or three times,-tried to remove caked dirt from the inside of blower fins, then took it to a dealer. He, and another clerk, thought the amount of dirt they were able to blow out of unit was hilarious, and amazing. There was no charcoal filter for the machine.
Plus side, the unit does seem to work after cleaning and fitting with filter.

I have used other air purifiers in the past and none compare to the Oreck. I smoke cigarettes....a lot... and I have had non-smokers in my home and they have mentioned that they thought I had quit smoking or that I only smoke outdoors now. I have asked them to really breath in deep and tell me if they smell anything at all and they have all said not at all. It is easy to clean and I have not noticed a change in my electric bill. The one purifier is perfect for my 600 sq ft apartment of three rooms. I urge anyone considering an air purifier to go with an Oreck.

This machine is wonderful and it actually works. I had my doubts, especially after Sharper Image went bankrupt for selling a similar product that didn't work.

I have several little dogs that have accidents in the house. This product has made a huge change in our environment. There is no odor! I would highly recommend this product!

I breed dogs and this littler machine has cut way back on the dogs dander. I plan to get one for each room.

I like this Air Purifier because it really cleans the air in my rooms. Since using this pirifier, I haven't been boother with allergy symptons (itchey or burning eyes; stuffey nose or enything. It is quiet, as promised, and the filter is really easy to clean.
It was a little larger than I thought but I found a space for it easily. The only thing I don't like about it is it didn't come with any instructions. I bought two of these purifiers because a friend of mine has two also, and she hasn't had any problems with hers and she swear by them. I "SECOND" that opinion. So far, i'm happy with my purchases.

This is the fourth Oreck air purifier I've purchased, and I'm a big fan. When you clean the filter you can see the dirt that was in your air - yech! Provides good ambient noise while sleeping (or run it in silent mode).

I smoke and have two cats with very stinky pee. I setup it up yesterday this time, went to sleep, went to work, and when I came home the air was perfectly clean. I love it.

Over the past few years I have bought 3 of these Oreck XL Air Purifiers. As of today only 1 of them works. I did clean them regularly, maintained them as needed even went to the Oreck store here in Florida and purchased a new cell for it. The fan speed was always kept on at low and medium speeds, never high speeds. Still it lasted me a few years. However, I understand that electrical and mechanical things do wear out but my complaint is with the quality of cleaning or air purifying that these Oreck XL's did or rather didn't do. It was still dusty in here and needed vacuuming and dusting every few days. I noticed absolutely NO difference in the air quality even with 3 air purifiers operating. Then after doing research, credible companies did research on these Oreck units and found them worthless. Only good for an area about the size of a closet. I found them pathetic and a waste of money totally useless. After these 2 Orecks kicked the dust I purchased another Air Purifier this one made by Surround Air and I noticed the difference immediately. BIG DIFFERENCE! It actually did the job, so well I bought another unit and was confident enough to purchase extra filters. It's going on a year and the 2 units are holding up fine and the filters still doesn't need replacing. It is indeed a long lasting filter as advertised. Did you ever see the infomercial for the Oreck XL's it shows it cleaning smoke inside a 2x3 ft clear container, might be good if you live inside a 2x3 ft house. The remaining Oreck is unplugged and not wasting energy. Wish I saved my money by NOT buying the Orecks and getting these units earlier. Do the research on the Oreck XL Purifiers it can be done online and save yourself money for crap that doesn't do the job.

This product has noticeably cleaned the air in my room, at first i did not believe that it could but since someone insisted on me trying it, i bought one. I have it running on low 24/7 and i see less dust around my stuff, especially noticeable on the the TV screen as it always collected a lot of dust but now it is about one tenth if not less dusty.

items were a package and both were very reasonable. shipping also reasonable. glad I got it. the items were exactly as I expected.

Oreck arrive quickly, well packed, unit was clean and in good condition. Overall I am pleased with this seller.

It definately works. I could tell the difference upon waking the first day. This air purifier is the real thing.

I love it because it clears the air and makes it much more enjoyable just to breath. Cleaning is a sinch and it's just a wonderful product.

i have heard nothing but GREAT things about this brand of air purifiers.
i hope they live up to what i have heard about them. so far so good.

i like the product i have gotten and it was shipped fast i like how it cleans the air and works great

I wanted to get an orreck because I heard they where so good and I found this one at a reasonable price for a used one. It is some what louder than I thought it would be. Waiting to seeif it is as good as they say

We have 2 cats and a border collie, not to mention people with the flu and allergies! I saw the infomercial, thought what the heck I'll try it. Have had it for 2 weeks and when my kids come over they have noticed the house does not
stink like dog! We are currently going through a regiment of treating the dog for internal yeast infection, he smells and passes gas that is downright toxic! When we bought our house it was a foreclosure, the last owners smoked and let the animals ruin every floor in the house, hardwoods were bowed from pee through the carpet! Unbelievable smells! We scrubbed the floors with peroxide solutions, replaced the carpet, painted whole house and on rainey days all the smells came out. Have had rain in the last couple of weeks, smell not as bad.
Can hear the zaps or crackling with lg dirt going in. Makes me feel good that it is working. Definately recommend, but buy from Oreck so you have a guarentee.

I'd rate this average. I have an older model which seems to move more air however. I've had no problems with either model.

Very good air cleaner, purchased because of need to clean the air and the price was right. it works well and we have no complaints.

This work great. For an apt with no animals, this is more than enough. Very easy to clean, I have no problem sleeping when its on silent mode and the unit is on a night stand next to my bed.