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Oreck WK15500B HEPA Air Purifier

Oreck WK15500B Air Refresh 2-in-1 HEPA Air Purifier Review

The Oreck WK15500B Air Refresh combines a 2-stage HEPA air purifier and an ultrasonic humidifier into one unit, saving you the space and cost of having two separate appliances.

Both the purifier and humidifier are designed for use in small rooms of up to 115 square feet. This is more of a bedside air purifier. It is also ideal for small home offices or the nursery.

The biggest downside of having a 2-in-1 purifier and humidifier is that it requires more frequent cleaning and maintenance.

Read on for our full review of the Oreck WK15500B Air Refresh.

If you have no need for a 2-in-1 air purifier and humidifier, read our reviews of the top-rated HEPA air purifiers.

Pros

  • 2-in-1 functionality.
  • Space-saving design.
  • Filter replacement indicator.
  • Sleep mode.

Cons

  • Not ideal for large rooms.
  • Pricey, for what it offers.
  • Requires weekly maintenance.

Best Features 

Oreck HEPA Air Purifier features

1. 2-in-1 Functionality 

The Oreck WK15500B’s dual functionality is unique as far as air purifiers go. Obviously, it isn’t for everyone.

But if you have a problem with both dry air and polluted air in your home, the Oreck WK15500B Air Refresh can help.

It can also improve breathing for people with allergies and asthma.

Dry air can worsen both of these conditions. Just be careful not to moisten the air too much as high humidity is also bad for asthma and allergies.

We love that you can turn off the humidifier and just enjoy the air purifier. When the air is humid, such as in summer, you can turn off the humidifier.

The humidifier is an ultrasonic type, meaning it uses ultrasonic vibrations rather than heat to create a cool mist.

The same fan that forces purified air around the room also spreads the mist, which keeps it from pooling around the air purifier.

The air purifier has a 2-stage design.

A HEPA filter tackles fine allergens like pollen, fine dust, dust mites, and mold spores. A charcoal filter adsorbs mild odors.

2. Control Panel with Display 

The control panel is well laid out and easy to use. The touch buttons are much easier to operate compared to physical buttons, and you never have to worry about dirt getting stuck underneath.

There are five buttons for on/off, humidity (turning the humidifier on/off), sleep mode (lowers fan speed and dims display), timer, and fan speed.

The small LCD screen provides a wealth of information, letting you know what settings are currently in place. It also shows the remaining life of each filter using an intuitive life bar.

When the humidifier is on, the display will show the current humidity (the unit has a built-in humidistat) and the target humidity.

The display will also alert you (by flashing) when the filters need to be replaced and when the water tank for the humidifier runs low.

3. Four Fan Speeds

Using the speed button on the control panel, you can select one of the four fan speed settings: low, medium, high, and turbo.

The fan speed adjusts the purification speed and power of the air purifier.

If there a sudden which of cigarette smoke in the air or a gust of wind blows in dust and pollen, turn on turbo mode to clean the air quickly.

When the air is cleaner, reduce fan speed to lower power consumption and fan noise.

Limitations 

Oreck HEPA Air Purifier

If you are buying the Oreck WK15500B Air Refresh to deal with wildfire smoke or particularly nauseating cooking smells coming from your neighbor’s house, you should consider a more powerful air purifier.

The Oreck Air Refresh does better with mild odors and low to average levels of allergens and pollutants.

Remember, it has only two filters, not the three or four you get in higher-performance air purifiers.

Another limitation is its coverage. The Oreck WK15500B Air Refresh is rated for rooms up to 115 square feet, which limits it only to small rooms. It is more of a personal air purifier for your bedroom or home office rather than something you can use in your living room.

Many users also don’t like the weekly maintenance requirement, which requires you to have plenty of 3% hydrogen peroxide on hand.

Overall, given the relatively high price and its limited coverage, we think there are plenty of other air purifiers that can give you better value for your money than the Oreck WK15500B Air Refresh.

Specs

Dimensions: 10 x 10.5 x 29 inches

Weight: 15lbs

Coverage: 115 square feet

Number of filters: 2

Ionizer: no

Filter life indicator: yes

Auto mode: no

Fan speeds: 4

Air quality indicator: no

Summary 

Oreck 2-in-1 HEPA Air Purifier

If you don’t mind the price, the Oreck WK15500B Air Refresh is a good choice if you’d love the convenience of a 2-in-1 air purifier and humidifier.

About the Author Tom Hanson

I’ve worked as an HVAC tech in Phoenix, AZ for the past 10 years. I created CoolAndPortable.com to help home owners select the right portable air conditioner, cooler or air purifier for their needs & budget in just a few minutes.

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