Loose Fins on Electronic Air Cleaner Cell

Try this educational video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erpnfKbqmoM It could be something as simple as a pressure switch.

I hope I helped you out!

If it was wired to the return air it will have a flag switch to let it know the blower is on, sometimes the flag comes off and it wont operate, sometimes it is wired directly to the computer board on terminals EAC that stands for electronic air cleaner and the board turns the air cleaner on when the blower is running, if you have a meter you can check voltage in both places to see which one is the problem. let me know. thanks wally

Yes you can run the furnace with out the electronic air cleaner for awhile.... It you are in a very dusty conditions than I would not run it very long a day or two....because you will not have any protection for dirty getting stuck on the evaporator coil or if you have a 90% gas furnace the secondary heat exchanger...and restricting air flow.... You can put in a 1" pleated air filter the same size as the total of the two cells in place of the cells till you can get the electronic working..... Sounds like either something big is caught across the cell plate or they are still wet and have not dryed out completely. Hope this helps.

Arcing (snapping) seems too frequent

1. If the electronic cell(s) are wet from washing, turn the air cleaner off for two to

three hours.

2. Check the cell(s) for broken ionizer wires or bent plates. Repair if necessary.
3. Wash cell(s) and prefilter(s) if dirty.

Neon light on air cleaner does not come on
1. Make sure the furnace or air conditioner fan is running.
2. Make sure the access door is firmly closed.
3. Make sure the On-Off switch is in the On position.
4. On models without the Solid State Performance Indicator, if the electronic cell(s)
are wet, check again in two to three hours.

Link: Manual

Hi There,

Here's how you can clean the machine, and I have copied the link to the owners manual below for your convenience.

Cleaning
The Cabinet
You can clean the air purifier cabinet with mild, non-abrasive cleanser and a
soft cloth. IMPORTANT: Unplug the unit from its electrical power source.
Do not spray cleansers or furniture polish into the louver or grill areas.

Collector Cell
Indicator light is green under normal operation and flashes red
when the cell requires cleaning. To clean, proceed as follows:
The red "WASH CELL" light will flash or illuminate when it is
time to clean your cell. However, it is recommended that every four to
eight weeks or if snapping sounds become frequent, clean your
electronic air purifier. Your electronic air purifier is still filtering the air
when the red light illuminates. Cleaning your electronic air purifier is a
snap too... and a must for efficient operation.
1. Turn the unit off and unplug it from the electric power source. If wall
mounted, remove unit from wall.
2. Remove front grill by unscrewing the retainer screw under the grill on
the cabinet bottom. (fig. 1)

3. Pull the cell out of the cabinet by using the two small handles on the
front of the cell. (fig. 2)

4. Snap off the charcoal odor absorber from the back of the cell. Change
as necessary for continued odor removal. (fig. 3)
5. Slide off pre-filter. This can be cleaned with the cell and reused. (fig. 4)
NOTE: Handle the electronic cell with care. Damaged metal plates
and/or broken wires will cause the air purifier to malfunction. (Do
not wash charcoal odor absorber; it is disposable.)
Cleaning with Assail-A-Cell® Cell Cleaner:
6. Using Assail-A-Cell® Cleaner, thoroughly saturate the cell and prefilter.
Be sure to spray between each cell plate and cover every
surface. Allow product to soak for a few minutes, not allowing it to dry.
Rinse thoroughly with water. For extremely heavy deposits, repeat the
process.
IMPORTANT: Dry the collection cell thoroughly outside of the
air purifier before reinstalling it into the air purifier. Ensure
that all areas including corners and areas that may trap
water are dry before reinstalling into the air purifier. DO NOT
place a wet or damp collection cell in the air purifier
4. Snap off the charcoal odor absorber from the back of the cell. Change
as necessary for continued odor removal. (fig. 3)



5. Slide off pre-filter. This can be cleaned with the cell and reused. (fig. 4)



NOTE: Handle the electronic cell with care. Damaged metal plates
and/or broken wires will cause the air purifier to malfunction. (Do
not wash charcoal odor absorber; it is disposable.)
Cleaning with Assail-A-Cell® Cell Cleaner:
6. Using Assail-A-Cell® Cleaner, thoroughly saturate the cell and prefilter.
Be sure to spray between each cell plate and cover every
surface. Allow product to soak for a few minutes, not allowing it to dry.
Rinse thoroughly with water. For extremely heavy deposits, repeat the
process.
IMPORTANT: Dry the collection cell thoroughly outside of the
air purifier before reinstalling it into the air purifier. Ensure
that all areas including corners and areas that may trap
water are dry before reinstalling into the air purifier. DO NOT
place a wet or damp collection cell in the air purifier.

Here's the link to the owners manual for your Oreck Air 7:
http://www.oreck.com/includes/customer-service/owners-guides/pdfs/3323-3018-AIR7-Rev-H.pdf

I hope this was helpful to you. If this helped, please be kind and rate the repair, or leave feedback for me. Thank you,

Chris Jones
GoVacuum.com

It is normal to hear occasional snapping from your Electronic Air Cleaner. This occurs when larger particles are caught by the ionizer wires. Continuous snapping is not normal .Remove both the cell and check clean the bottom portion by using a vacuum cleaner attachment. If the snapping continues with the cells remove contact your contractor.

It is normal to hear occasional snapping from your Electronic Air Cleaner. This occurs when larger particles are caught by the ionizer wires. Continuous snapping is not normal however, and should be investigated as outlined below: Please note that the metal electronic cells may have some sharp edges; use care when handling the cells. Wear gloves to protect your hands from being cut if needed. Remove both electronic cells. Make sure that there is no hair, dirt, sand or any debris on the bottom inside the Electronic air cleaner. If there is, remove what you can by hand. If a lot of debris is left in bottom of the Air Cleaner, you may want to use a vacuum attachment to see if you can vacuum up what you can. Do not vacuum the Pre-filter or Post filter this may damage it. Close the access door, and then turn on the Electronic Air Cleaner and the system fan. If the snapping continues with the cells removed, contact your heating and cooling contractor for service on the unit and turn off the Electronic Air Cleaner’s power. If snapping does not continue, make sure the electronic cells are clean, dry and properly installed. Inspect the electronic cells for bent collector plates, broken wires between the plates, dirt on the insulators, and damaged collector contact tabs located on the top of the cells. Make sure the pre-filters are in good condition and are in the cabinet slot farthest from the furnace (The order of the Electronic Air Cleaner Filters are from the return duct to the furnace is: Pre-Filter, electronic cell, and then Post filter, if your Electronic Air Cleaner has one). If the snapping persists and you are unable to locate any physical cause, please contact your heating and cooling contractor for service on the unit and turn off power to the Electronic Air Cleaner.

Continuous snapping is not normal .Remove both electronic cells. Make sure that there is no hair, dirt, sand or any debris on the bottom inside the Electronic air cleaner. If there is, remove what you can by hand. If a lot of debris is left in bottom of the Air Cleaner, you may want to use a vacuum attachment to see if you can vacuum up what you can.

The presence of “white dust” is actually an indicator that your Electronic Air Cleaner is working properly. The Electronic Air Cleaner can only filter the particles that are passing through your system’s duct work. The staining particulate is generally lighter, and more able to be drawn through the return registers in your home, leaving the heavier, non-staining particulate behind. This heavier, non-staining particulate settles out of the air and is left behind on your furniture: because it is more visible, it may appear as though there is actually more dust in your home than there was prior to installing the air cleaner. To ensure that more particulate is able to reach the Electronic Air Cleaner to be filtered, you should make sure that the return registers are clean and not blocked by furniture.