Blueair 501 Air Purification System
by Blueair
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Our Price: $599.95 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: Home See more product details |
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Tools and Hardware Reviews of Blueair 501 Air Purification System
Customer Review: Too expensive, degrades over time
Summary: 4 Stars
I bought this from all the hype from consumer reports (This is the 501 model, not the 401). At first it seemed to get rid of 95% of pollutants (dust, etc) in the room at which it was placed... after a long while, it dropped to 80% or so. After I replaced the filter, it went back up to 90 to 95%... I found out that the outgoing (or is it incoming) vents actually get dirty with dust and have to be cleaned ocassionally to maximize the effect and efficiency of the device. Who knows if the internal components also get dusty degrading the device as well (I suspect that it does to some extent, even if the particles are small). Too bad there was nothing about that in the instruction manual. The cost of replacing filters gets too expensive in the long run in my opinion. True, it has helped with breathing, caughing, etc..., but next time I think I'll just get me something akin to the models that allow you to clean the filters without actually buying them - even if they aren't as good. I can buy 2 of them with the money saved in the long run instead of just one of these units. It might not be as effective - but in the big picture of things, if you don't have allergies, then it really doesn't make sense to get this. And if you do - you probably need something more expensive anyway. About the only real plus I can say is that this thing really looks good and is much better than ozone generators that I've used to clean air in the past and at least it does work to some extent (unlike products that are in my opinion waste of money - like most ozone generators that are used to clean air).Customer Review: Runs full time, pretty quiet.
Summary: 4 Stars
We've got dark brown wood floors, and it seems that the place was showing dust pretty much after 2 days, since the dust was light, and the floor was dark. We see less dust now, and according to my spouse, my snoring is apparently not as window-rattling as it was. I can't say that this cleaner is to credit, though...could also be the time of year and my diet changes.
My wife was really worried about noise...we'd had some panasonic filters before, which were relatively quiet, but we're now running this one full-time on position 3 out of 4, and really don't notice the sound at all. In fact, on all but the max power of this system, it's very quiet...And I wouldn't consider running this on max except under extraordinary conditions.
This unit is sorta big, but we've got it behind a chair, so that you really can't see it from anywhere but next to that chair.
It doesn't have as many features as some others, like sensors to determine when to increase airflow, etc, but really, is that a useful feature or a geeky one?
It coulda got more stars from me if it was cheaper or more compact, but I may buy another (smaller) one for the bedroom as well.
Customer Review: Good Unit
Summary: 4 Stars
I bought this unit last year. It does a good job of eliminating the dust. The owners manual says to replace the filters every six months. When I first read that, I thought that was just a tactic to make more money. After six months I checked them, and they needed to be replaced. With new filters, I turned it up to the next higher speed, and within three months they were dirty. The filters are not cheap (other brands aren't either), but that's the price I have to pay for cleaner air.
This unit has four speeds. On one and two, it's almost silent. On speed three you can hear it, but it's not objectionable. I leave it on that one all the time. The highest setting is too loud.
The unit uses electostatic technology, and at first the air seemed to have an unusual quality, like being at a high altitude. But after about a month I got used to it, and now I would never turn it off.
The only objection I have to this and most of the low to moderate priced home air purifiers is they don't adequately eliminate gases and/or odors. But as far as overall performance, this does a good job.
Customer Review: Marketing Ploy
Summary: 1 Stars
Had mine for about 9yrs. Big, bulky machine that's heavy. My motor started making a weird howling noise--great, let's see how that 10yr. warranty works! Well, it was MY problem cause the factory demands you ship it back to them for evaluation. I'm a busy guy and packing and shipping this cumbersome monstrosity- ick! "So, will you just sell me a new fan motor?" NO we dont sell parts to the public. This machine is WAY overpriced, filters are insanely expensive. So, I went to Sears and spent $69 on a Kenmore unit and it's awesome and cleans just as good-- plus replacement filters are $16. Oh, one more thing the stupid blue LED on the front is so damn bright and serves no purpose at all- this machine is an over-engineered gimmick in my opinion.