In general, vacuum cleaners are electrically safe.
This assurance was indicated in a joint test between the Consumer Council and the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department.
Out of 12 test models, a total of 9 vacuum cleaners passed all the safety test items in the laboratory: temperature test, construction, abnormal conditions, and resistance to heat/flame.
2 models among them just fell short of providing a Chinese version for their instruction booklet in respect of marking and instructions.
Only 3 samples were found to be in relatively minor non-compliance in: inappropriate soldering of the power cord lead before securing to a screw terminal, and/or insufficient resistance of plastic material to heat/flame.
The best performers are not necessarily the most pricey models. The models varied in price from $300 to $1,700. Consumers can refer to the test report for guidance.
The models were mostly of the bag or bagless types; 1 sample of dual use while 2 others of the water suction type. There are pros and cons to each type.
Generally, the bag type is the cleanest since dust is kept inside the bag in the whole process; but the bag could sometimes be hard to find.
The bagless type is environmentally friendly and costless to run as there is no consumable to replace. The dust cabinet and filters are readily washable.
The water-filter type is usually bulky and promoted as a multi-purpose gadget. It could be unpleasant to some users having to deal with the tank of muddy water after each and every use.
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