Given BlueAir's position in the industry and their extensive marketing, and now the negative coverage from multiple people, you'd think they'd want to get to the bottom of this. I still haven't had a single issue with mine, but I don't run them all day, and I'm in the middle of the burbs with clean air.

@oscardb9131

4 жыл бұрын

IQAIRRRRRRRRRR its swiss ;)

@electronixTech

4 жыл бұрын

It sounds like the hallmark of a shit company.

@georgH

4 жыл бұрын

In China we all know these are overpriced and overhyped. Smartair filters are much better

@electronixTech

4 жыл бұрын

A quality company wouldn't run away and hide behind corporate BS when customers have concerns about the product and then blame the customer for the company's shortcomings. Working in high tech I've found that no matter how well the products are engineered, if you have douche bags in management that company will always have some problem.

@markuszingg3131

4 жыл бұрын

@@oscardb9131 Not so sure what you are trying to say, but just in case, BlueAir seems to be a swedish company. That's Sweeden, NOT Switzerland. Different country and some 1100 miles apart from eachother! :-)

Really like the new opening sequence. Let’s hope blue air comes around...

@GraemePayne1967Marine

4 жыл бұрын

I don't have - and know nothing about - the Blue Air systems. However I have been using a different brand (Aerus) of air filter system at home for over 10 years. Their filters also have activated carbon and I have never noticed any "off" odor of any kind. Same with aftermarket filters for the units. Just room air in one end and clean air out the other end. We have one in our apartment and one in my workshop office, so I would notice any smell. So I don't think it necessarily has anything to do with the activated carbon itself - but it may be something with other materials or processes used in making them. I'm also mindful that the filters I have are for residential use, not industrial. Just my thoughts, with no comment on the execrable quality of customer dis-service you have experienced.

Ignoring your messages is not acceptable. I'd bundle the whole lot back to the company for a full refund.

Thanks very much for the info, I was just about to pull the trigger on 2 units, I will be researching an alternative. I hope you are on the mend. Keep up the great work.

Hi Fran. I can't comment on your filters as I don't know anything about them, but I would like to say that it's terrific to see you in an "up" mood and 'Franting'. I was worried about you after your previous video in that you seemed so "down". This video is the Fran we know and love! I hope you are able to get some resolution to your filter problems - and soon. We want you healthy and enjoying working in the lab, not feeling 'blue and having to chase down solutions to problems that you shouldn't be having in the first place! Hang in there and best of luck and good wishes to you.

Here is an idea: take one of the sour filters, a cheap 20x20 inch fan, and duct-tape the filter to the fan. This will force air through the filter. If the sour odour persists, then the issue is exclusively with the filter; otherwise it could be the motor in the filter generating ozone or overheating due to poor airflow.

@BixbyConsequence

4 жыл бұрын

I would definitely suspect the pressure drop of the more restrictive filter is causing hot motor and/or wiring. Enameled motor windings have a distinctive smell when they get hot. The resultant fumes may have even saturated the carbon filters by now so a box-fan test could be misleading. I'd also try not running the fans on the higher settings. At a lower speed the problem may not occur but you'd have to settle for the lower airflow.

Since you suspect this smell is acidic, if you had some pH indicator paper in your lab, you could tape a tiny strip over an outlet, and another as a control on top of the fan unit say, and _just maybe_ in a few days/weeks it may show some signs - I know it's liable to be very weak, but if you could show more positive evidence of low pH, that might raise the interest from BlueAir a bit, up to 'level 1' say ? :o) Just brainstorming here Fran :o)

@SeanBZA

4 жыл бұрын

Would have to be a narrow range pH paper though, probably one that responds only from pH5 to ph8, and you probably would want to let it run dry for a week, then add a drop of triple distilled water to it to show the adsorbed organic acids if any.

@chrisweaver41

4 жыл бұрын

Just watched the video and came to suggest same, measurements beyond just odor seems like the best next step.

Motor windings getting hot? You mention low air flow so back pressure on the motor will be high.

@SuperJWATT

3 жыл бұрын

I think you win, the motor on mine gets blazing hot. these machines were not made to be run 24/7 on a lower setting motor heats and off gasses. the heat the motor produces may also degrade the charcoal.

@brianbarefootburns3521

3 жыл бұрын

Lol maybe Blueair needs to watch some KZread videos on engineering.

@brucebaxter6923

3 жыл бұрын

That was my first thought. Second thought was how long do they last?

Can you team up with a university lab or something to analyse the saturation of the carbon pellets in some way?

@UrSoMeanBoss

4 жыл бұрын

For a simple test maybe you could send Fran one of your filters which may rule out environmental causes and point towards a manufacturing defect. Though I do think it would be interesting to compare the carbon from differently sourced filters using something like FTIR spectroscopy; as you point out, the main difficulty is getting access to the equipment. If the access problem could be solved, then it's only a matter of comparing suspected-sour and suspected-good filters which could implicate a source (if the carbon component is the problem...).

@robbieaussievic

4 жыл бұрын

..... Or send her a filter purchased here ? (In addition to your previous generosity).

@eDoc2020

4 жыл бұрын

@@robbieaussievic If Dave and Fran can swap filters it should help isolate the problem. Is it something with the filters themselves or is it just something in the environment?

@SeanBZA

4 жыл бұрын

Would guess it is a batch problem, as it is likely the filters are all made from media sourced from a few Chinese suppliers. One of them either had a major problem with production of the media, or it was contaminated in shipping with some organic substance or the other in the same container that broke, but it was not noticed in production (or QA was just a rubber stamp) till the batch was out there. To decide if it is a filter issue you would need somebody with a GCMS to take a sample of the filter that has a definite odour and wash with first ultra pure water ( ionic compounds) and see the trace elements, and then a second sample from the same filter washed with hexane, to get the non ionic components. Compare with a new filter ( or a sample from Dave) to see the difference, and whay the sour component is. I would guess it is a thiol, either from a reaction due to the activated charcoal acting as a catalyst, or there is a metal contaminant in the media, likely nickel from stainless steel machinery wear, that is catalysing the degradation. The amount depending on the ambient humidity, the local dew point to get water to adsorb in a thin film on the media surface, and how much has been adsorbed in the carbon film getting released by a temperature change. Sulphur compounds all smell sour, and often they are organic acids as well, or at least can be broken down into them. might also be a chloramine, from reactions that replace a bond with chlorine from the inevitable NaCl contaminants in the environment, as getting anything absolutely sodium chloride free is really hard.

@ianh5300

4 жыл бұрын

Cody at codyslab has been doing a lot of videos on making activated carbon. His chemistry knowledge would make a good collaboration to find out what is going on.

So happy to see a back to normal video! I’m so excited for more rants

I bought a 605 based on your recommendation and my own requirements. Bearing in mind I'm using the standard filters and not the activated carbon ones, it had a bit of a smell to it to begin with which I chalked up to manufacturing processes. It wasn't pleasant but it eventually went away. I'm glad I didn't spend the extra cash on the carbon filters! At present it seems the biggest problem is that I'm now a lot more sensitive to allergens when I go outside as just getting groceries yesterday was enough to really irritate my throat.

Hi Fran - the timing of your video is perfect. I had mentioned in your previous video comments that in my lab the activated carbon filters also become sour. Today I installed a fresh filter, and within an 8hr work day (with very little solvent use), it started to smell sour. At this point I am certain this is a quality issue with the activated carbon. All of my filters are manufactured in China. I suspect most of the world sources their activated carbon from China for cost reasons. It is possible that BlueAir is using this carbon as well and thus you are experiencing the same problems that I am.

When you and Dave were discussing these filters way back when I had my doubts. Fast forward to today I'm sorry to hear that you're having all these issues. I was going to buy 6 of these machines for my place and I am so relived I didn't. I've never really had good luck with these Hepa machines, regardless of manufacturer, my most recent one pumps ozone into the air and I ended up tossing it in the trash.

I have an original 600 model, purchased back in 2006. I have never used the smoke filters, and I've never had any issues. The model I have doesn't have any kind of ionization ability: Air in, Filter, Air Out. I purchased mine when I found out that they were used by the hospitals in New Orleans to clean the air after the hurricane flooding. I've been very happy, and have considered getting a newer version for the ionization features. I think I will be waiting another year or two until this gets resolved. Thank you for the videos, and hope all goes well!

I bought a Blueair classic 605 last fall and had to return it because it was producing a strong odor. To me it smelled like ozone, or metallic. I didn't buy the fancy carbon filters, just used the standard particle filter. So Fran, you are having a better experience than I did - I couldn't stand the smell even with the regular filters. I was disappointed that I couldn't own a magical machine that makes the air clean (especially given that neighboring towns tend to burn down and pollute the air, in the summer, here in northern California, lately), but I was happy that I could return it and get my money back. I would so much love to have an air purifier with only washable filters. When fire season comes around this year, maybe I'll buy a box fan and slap a HEPA filter on the intake side.

Thanks for the update. I was strongly considering buying a BlueAir because of pollen, but I really can't be bothered dealing with a company who can't offer good support. I'll pass and keep an eye out for another brand.

@WeedMIC

4 жыл бұрын

@@FranLab try a diffetent brand filtre (or learn to make your own)

@jed1nat

4 жыл бұрын

I've been using two Coway AP-1512HH filters for a few years and they're good. I even got a cheap particle detector from China and it showed they were effective.

@nanieas

4 жыл бұрын

If I owned Blue Air I would be extremely unhappy with my product ,Especially after watching this and other videos on the quality of my product, I'd call in my staff and berate them on what the f**k is going on with my product and take action! That's what people who are responsible for their products should do! Take responsibility!

@xoxo2008oxox

4 жыл бұрын

I use the Winix brand HEPA air cleaners. I also have a Rabbit brand, but I dislike their non-dimmable LEDs (a 5 min delay to shut down as a "children's room night light" is a feature I don't need).

I would hazard a guess that BlueAir was inundated with thousands of complaints around the time of their offer to replace your filters for free, so they decide to just ignore all the complaints and pretend everything is fine with their product.

@georgevigil7001

3 жыл бұрын

Once they new there was a problem and the extent was so large in scale that they would have to replace 10's of thousands they probably said Fuk it. Meanwhile they have their lab team reformulating a fix to their faulty science so that the bad filters will be ran through and then once those are gone they can say they dont have a problem publicly and boom. They're in the clear. Just my opinion but sounds legit.

Every avenue I can imagine has been covered by others in the comments. I just want to say I'm pleased to see you looking and sounding much healthier and composed. Some recent videos were quite alarming for how laid low you were. You're cool, you're clever, and you're sweet. Please hang in there Also that was some impressive tongue action in the outtake! 😊

After reviewing your video's regarding the BlueAir Carbon Filters; I firmly believe the manufacture has a major problem with their product design. From your description and other complaint posting it indicates the filters are not up to standard and should last at least six months to a year depending on use. BlueAir know they have a problem and refuse to address the situation, "personally I would not invest in such deceptive advertisement".

Sooo glad I searched and found this. Ironically, I watched one of your videos prior to me purchasing my blue air classic 280 and the smaller room version. I too, had filter with funny smell..I too got replacements and had same smell. I was told it might be the carbon. I too....have has respiratory irritation. I think that these machines are emitting ozone or other vocs....I placed my air quality montior on it and it WENT CRAZY. Shot right up to over 2000ppb. Turned the machine off and it started to go down. I think they need to be looked into.

I was wondering if their "no-ozone" was possibly depending on the activated carbon eliminating the ozone? The other thing worth trying to check is the plastic materials in the units, including any frame of the filters. If the ions and/or ozone attack them, the plasizisers might suffer. THEN, and maybe even more -- do they have some silicone RTV in their seals. There are the two kinds, as you probably know. One is humidity curing and the other one uses some sort of acetic acid reaction...Some polyurethane also can "de-cure", turning into nearly a fluid. I have had two unpleasant experiences of that, although I don't recall any acidic smell. But the acetic acid curing smell of silicone RTV is unmistakable.

What a fabulous simple intro to the video Fran. Keep that - its good :)

What will you bet that the filters are being made under contract in China using cheaper materials than the company specs require.

@nadieselgirl

4 жыл бұрын

I suspect even if its "made" here who knows where the source products are from and one change in that can have major effects. The whole coconut carbon thing seems weird to me, any organic product that has been turned to charcoal should be as effective as any other as long as the density is the same. The noise/output issues seems pretty on par with what I have seen of similar products lately. Loud, powerful and not designed to adapt to load.

@cookieshousecannabisco6963

4 жыл бұрын

@@richspillman4191 LOL must be why Japan is paying mexican workers 3x the salary instead of investing in american workers.

I got some activated bamboo carbon fiber bean bags last year. Instructions are to place them in direct sunlight for a day or 2 once a month to reactivate them. Suggest you try that, what have you got to lose. If it works you'll be back in business. Love your videos, keep it up.

I was just about to buy 2 bluer machines and you talked me out of it LOL Customer service is a must for me! I really love the no ozone and I love the look but cannot afford no service. thank you so much:)

Thank you! I was on the verge of buying from them. I started developing pollen allergies last year at 30 and thought these could be a solution...not now, I'll wait and see how this plays out.

Any mileage in sharing carbon filter part nos/datecodes/place of manufacture/other data with Dave Jones' and the Dutch blogger's versions ? They may be different filters from yours of course, but maybe some telltale fact might drop out of the data bucket ?

I am sure you looked into this but if not any way to turn of the electrostatic part to see if that is causing a reaction?

I noticed the same type of smell with a set of BlueAir Smoke Shop filters. Shame on BlueAir for ignoring your complaint. Thanks for the great video.

Do the carbon filters come in a vacuum sealed bag? I'm thinking, if the vacuum is gone, the carbon might already be spent, so to speak, if they for example have been sitting on a shelf for a few months.

I've had problems before with mold or fungus growing on or in industrial activated carbon air filters. I do not know if this was caused by a contaminated filter or just the environment.

Wow! You are definitely feeling better. Big difference in your energy level and your outlook. Hang in there, baby! We all love ya!

WOW Fran I love the new intro!!

Please considering reporting your problem with Blue Air to Consumer Reports. They have evaluated air purifiers and posted ratings on their website. Many of the CR's reader and subscriber comments mention a terrible smell coming from the filters. Heck, you could even submit this video to them for reference.

@hastyink

2 жыл бұрын

Many have. That’s why I am here. I found this video via Amazon reviews on how bad the filters are. It’s all over Reddit as well. They do not. Care.

Spending all my time now working from home, I've been interested in a filter for my home office. Was looking at Blue Air, as I trust you and Dave -- I still trust you and Dave, but not Blue Air! I'll keep looking. Hang in there and stay safe!

So far I've been happy with the Holmes (WalMart) "large room" filters...they have a basic foam large-particle filter, an oder pre-filter, and HEPA main filter, I've not noticed any significant smell and they have 4 speeds (plus off) so you can find a balance of flow vs noise. Originally got them for an apartment with heavy smokers below us and now use them in a rental home for dog/allergy elimination. As far as I know, they don't have any ionizer/ozone generator stuff, just a motor and plastic squirrel cage fan and enough of a PCB to show a "quality" LED graph which I think is really just an hour-counter. I have occasionally noticed the Filtrete carbon oder filters leave an odd smell (used on box fans or in the central air) but it isn't consistent which makes me wonder if it's something to do with a reaction of "stuff" in the air and the filters? In my case it's infrequent and mild enough I don't worry about it.

@GraemePayne1967Marine

4 жыл бұрын

I have tried the Filtrete carbon filters in our home HVAC system. Absolutely no difference in odor travel - can still smell the fried fish on other floors. Went back th the regular high-MERV filters.

I have seen green algae growth on an activated carbon filter from a car! I don't know how or why but it was definitely there, I was considering the use of Automotive activated carbon filters for a DIY setup because they are inexpensive and available everywhere. Definitely much cheaper than what blue air are asking for! Shouldn't be too hard to make, just a box with a fan (could possibly use the thermo fan which is used to cool the radiator with a speed controller because those things can really move air around LoL) and lastly the filters! If timber is used for the enclosure, you can paint it or give it a few coats of high gloss polyurethane to bring out the beautiful timber grain... You could probably even use the intake filter as a particle block just before the activated carbon filters.. they are also cheap and come in various sizes and shapes... And it would cost you less for the complete DIY setup than what you paid for just one filter!

I agree with the comments pointing to the overloaded motors. One question: Is this a duel voltage appliance, either with an input switch or able to automatically handle 115 to 250 volts?

The groove, she is back! Yeah!

Thanks so much for this video. Not am I only having this problem. But it’s actually dangerous. I’ve noticed bad tinnitus since getting this purifier, and other symptoms that have resided since I stopped using the air purifier.

Having a combination HEPA - activated charcoal filter doesn't seem such a great idea to me as one could last longer than the other. I don't know about activated charcoal air filters but when used for water filtration if not replaced when spent they can dump everything they've collected. In this case though I'm thinking it's a problem with the glue being used. Maybe just take the filter out and use the HEPA only for a while then try the combo filter again.

I'm probably wrong. I'm completely guessing it's humidity and mold. Curious if the problem clears up when used with a dehumidifier or in the winter. Good luck, Fran.

I don't know if this will help I had the same situation with 2 activated carbon filters for my furnace that gave off a really sour smell the first time was the carbon filter was old is apparently it was old stock and because of that they activated carbon filter was used up just sitting around the second time it happened I had a furnace repair guy come out and it turned out my fan speed was not fast enough to push the air through the carbon filter I don't know if it'll help

i know one blueair 215 is not a problem for ozone..but what if i have 2 units in one room ? I asked Blueair.. but didnt really get an answer

Well, my purchase decision has been delayed (or deleted)...thanks Fran!

Designed for a Lead Guitarist. Fan Speed: 00=Off, 01=Low, 10=High, “11=ELEVEN” Smell: New filter= Bar/Smoking Lounge, Used filter= Bar/Smoking Lounge.

@GraemePayne1967Marine

4 жыл бұрын

Hey, that's even a binary sequence ...

Your experience is very interesting, and very informative.thank you! Especially between particules and active charcoal ( anti smoke) since I am in uk, who’s reducing the air flow. What’s make the machine inefficient! We thought to buy the blue air 411 as we have quiet a big space and carpet in a room. It’s is a appartement rent so not much solution. But know it make me want make more research as it cost quite a bit. I am very curious now to know what’s is the different between particules and active charcoal. And amazingly the miss leading information or non information with all these ozone machine or oil machine who’s supposed to be healthy we’re it’s not at all! In huge city like London , New York , who’s very high pollution. These information are still today lacking transparency, to allowed corporate to make money despite of the health of user! Thank you

Hi Fran, Jessica here from the Blueair team. Very sorry to see that we've made your problem video series. I've connected with our Customer Experience team, and they will reach out to you shortly if they haven't gotten in touch already. I want to reassure you (and your viewers) that our intension was not to ignore your emails. Our Customer Experience team has experienced a huge influx of calls and emails over the last few months. While we've taken steps to ensure all customer inquiries get addressed in a timely manner, it appears that was not the case with your emails. I completely understand your frustration here, and I'm very sorry for that.

@nmosinski

10 ай бұрын

So what is causing this smell? Very disappointing and makes me feel ill. Thought an animal had died somewhere! Help!

I’ve had my for about 6 months and haven’t had any issues as of yet . This is very interesting to me

Excellent info Fran !

Is there an update to this issue? Thinking about buying one D:

Thank you for making this video.

Hi Fran long time lurker on your channel did finally get around to subscribing, love your content and your different take on things not full of marketing product placement crap like so many bloody other channels. such a breath of fresh air excuse the pun lol. from reading the comments etc a couple of things stick out, because it appears the filters are made in different countries the problem could be the manufacturing source . If the filters are genuine ones then as you did sending the manufacturing batch numbers etc should allow the company to locate the source etc. The problem i see here is maybe you alerted the bean counters / higher miss management to a serious problem that would cost the company a large amount of money to re-call and replacement. standard practice is to fob off ignore and give you the marketing merry go around. Blame every one else for the issue usually the end user, and currently the wonderful human malware, as the problem for lack of response etc .Lots of folks have suggested buying filters from other countries to try and narrow down the issue, that great if the components are relatively cheap but in this case the prices seem over the top. Why not put your large amount of skills and expertise to use and make your own version of the filters that way you would have complete control over every thing, If successful you could sell them with the FranAir label lol. sorry for the long winded message look forward to following the trails and tribulations further

I would highly recommend assembling a carbon filter system from generic components, preferably with a carbon filter that can be refilled with loose carbon. Any product that uses proprietary filters and where you cannot replace a failed component will be substantially more expensive to buy and maintain, and may simply become useless if any part of it is no longer suitable for your needs. The Blueair systems appear to be designed for basic domestic, low-demand applications. I find the integration of wi-fi connectivity on such a basic product to be quite telling about their priorities. I would recommend foregoing the electrostatic filter and just getting a cylindrical HEPA filter, an inline centrifugal fan that can accept speed control, and a cylindrical carbon filter with some thickness to it. Such a setup is easy to assemble since it is all inline cylindrical fittings and having a filter on both sides of the fan dampens the noise, if the fan is still noisy you can wrap some acoustic foam around it covering up to the filters. Most large carbon filters can be refilled even if they were closed with rivets, just be sure the carbon you are getting is appropriate for efficient air filtration, there is little difference between different carbons other than the efficiency, the fine extruded carbon tends to be appropriate. If you still want electrostatic filtration I believe a dedicated unit would be a better choice than a combined unit, there is little benefit to operating a carbon filter in series with an electrostatic type, and the benefit of any sort of filter after an electrostatic filter is not massive unless the machine is actually using the filter material as the electrostatic precipitation plate which I doubt is the case here.

@matt7403

4 жыл бұрын

There is a lot of variation and choice in offerings, leaving me somewhat confused re your suggestion. Any chance you could give some specific examples of what you are recommending? Thanks!

Could it be the glue or the bleaching liquid they use on the filter material

Have you tested filters from another company, that will fit the BlueAir Machines??? Testing different filters and getting different results would definitely show that the BlueAir Filters are bad and they should replace them.

@xiro6

4 жыл бұрын

there is also a tutorial from NASA if the new filter doesnt fit the machine receptacle with parts you can find around.

@cambridgemart2075

4 жыл бұрын

@@xiro6 Requires plenty of duct tape I believe.

Hi we work with carbon filtering one problem is moisture level and the sour level sounds like it. The ozone before carbon filter bacteria on the input side and carbon filter will neutralise the ozone if grounded. So if you have a humidifier this will cause a problem. Tell me about it

Do you have the facility or lab to send a part of a soured filter to to figure out possibly what the sour smell is coming from?

I can't find any images of the actual electrostatic precipitation grid of these anywhere, is there any chance you could get some images of the inside of it? I know a lot of ionisation air purifiers have a grossly ineffective or even non-functional system and I would be interested to see what this one looks like.

I use activated carbon to filter laser cut PVC fumes, it works very well and filters out the muriatic acid produced in the process perfectly. The activated carbon will have a different odor profile with the time, however, it does not mean is producing acid or something of that sort. It will be interesting to see the usual composition of the air inside your lab to see if there is anything specific that is causing the problem, but it's not something activated carbon usually does.

Thanks Fran for this info. Because of my COPD I am considering an air filtration system. With the way they responded to you, ( and the absence of ) this company is off the list.

oh dang I wa sliterally about to buy some of these, now I have to empty my cart and research different filter options... Thanks for the heads up.

@Runner50783

4 жыл бұрын

Go with iQair, very old but reliable design, expensive but the filter elements last years.

@morashc

3 жыл бұрын

I recommend IQAir as well.

I've bought a Blueair 405 because of Dave. I'm using a huge amount of Isopropanol here and don't have this problem with my Smokestop-Filter yet.

Oh no... I have a philips air cleaner and I recently stood over the exhaust vent and noticed a weird smell and remembered your video, it is that vinegar like smell... but I only notice it if I stand right above the exhaust vent, don't notice the smell in the room itself, I just took out the pre filter for cleaning again and sniffed on the activated carbon filter and it has a very noticable vinegar-like odor to it... now I don't know if I should change it or not as I do not notice any smell in the room as such.

Fine carbon particles (as small as soot from diesel exhaust) have a distinct sour smell. I'm wondering if what you're smelling is carbon particles coming from a defect in the filter manufacturing...

According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, activated charcoal was originally steamed. Is there a chemical process for activation?

Does anybody know of these filters have a specified shelf life when kept sealed? I called a distributor in UK and they said it's indefinite and as long as you keep them sealed they don't expire. Is that possible?

Thank you Fran I have 2 Blueair units but I currently have only the particle filters. I was going to buy the carbon filters but now I am going to wait and see or look into aftermarket. Please update us

I do hope that BlueAir does the right thing here. If they don’t, you might want to look into the IQAir products. I’ve been using them for about a decade and have had good experiences. Filter replacement cost is a hefty (factor that into your decision, certainly), but they work well and are certified for air exchange volume. Good luck!

i've used the Blueair Blue 211+ and two 411 for a few years now. I've never had a single problem from either model.

Did you end up getting different brand air purifiers? I’d like to know what works best?

I couldn't sort out the BlueAir story so excluded it in my search, ending up with an Austin Air. Impressive performance overall.

have you tried IQ air ? they seem to do a great job . but the first units i got i had a smell like what you have but when i changed out the carbon filters everything is fine now it seems that the filters that come in the IQ air are not sealed and had all the Wearhouse smells but the replacements are sealed and have no smell i even tested my room air with a laser particle counter to see if they work like IQ air says and they do

I recently bought a Pure hepa filter. I have experienced an increase in headaches right away. I've limited the ues of the filter to a couple hours during the day. I'm thinking the uv-c is to blame. Fewer and less intense headaches so far.

They used to call it the smoke stop filter in the US. I've had my 203 a number of years and it wasnt until then last couple years did they start calling it dual protection

These filters are in some way similar to car air conditioning filters: you can find standard or carbon activated ones, from different sources and different origins. Smell source can be first associated with mold, but it's also a common problem with glue used to assemble it, or other chemicals that may compromise integrity. You could choose a local (US) supplier of filters for industrial use, you can always find one that will be pleased to sell you some stuff, and their high performance materials are not that expensive. Best filters are not necessary carbon based, and can integrate a lot of different technologies, from HEPA to diatomea, to silver coated glass beads to extra fine cellulose... Anyway, you can also fight bad smells and PH air balance with the old trick of baking soda, aka sodium bicarbonate, you can dispose in little containers like dishes in front of all ventilator or air filtering machine. It's a pH neutralizer and adsorbant that costs nothing if you buy it in quantity, a 25kg bag top quality can be ordered from Amazon for a few bucks. This works well in fridges, cars, and has many other uses as mild sanding agent, disinfectant, toothpaste, bleaching agent,...and baking powder! You can measure the air pH with a glass of distilled water that will catch contaminants (and check it with swimming pool pH tips), but your nose is best detector: if it stinks, there's a problem! Another point to check is correct grounding of these air filters, as static charges, ionizing agents or ozone can only be neutralized if an adequate discharging plate or grid is correctly grounded. You can notice such things as contact springs in air conditioner filters, and check if present. Most serious air filters also need a special maintenance, and a simple filter change is not sufficient. It's also difficult to find a sustainable system that mix high performance and cheap engine and filters. The sole fact that you loose a great amount of initial air flux with these "bad" filters also means both are not correctly calculated, as you must keep a minimal cfm flux to be efficient! A bad filter lot or a change in the supply policy of a company is always a bad sign. The way these are treating the problem is also indicative of a failed business plan: sounds no good if they face a boycott! The ideal is to find something integrating generic industrial filters... Or at least some alternate solution like car air venting filters (cheap and made by specialists), or filters from other manufacturers you can modify! There's no risk of guarantee loss if your nose tells it works...

What chemicals are you using in your lab? I've had one of these for years and it's never smelled

According to the EPA, "ozone may also increase indoor concentrations of formic acid (Zhang and Lioy, 1994)", if the manufacturer is falsely claiming no ozone is produced, this may be your odor source.

@georgevigil7001

3 жыл бұрын

I heard ionization produces a foul order but only a small percentage of folks with a sharp enough nose can detect it. I'll bet thats whats going on. The ionizer may not be active all the time or when the filter soaks up certain elements in the right amounts it goes sour. Maybe a combination of ionization and some elements piled up in the filter or something.

Did you find a better air purifier?

I’ll be very honest. I have 3 units and they are awesome. I had an issue with one and customer service responded to my email in one day and had a replacement at my house in less than a week. Im going to buy one more Thai week

@fartsmeller9296

Жыл бұрын

3 units running 24/7 combatting 2 cats and 2 dogs (huskies) no issues

I bought a Blue Air 411 when my husband had covid. Dr. friend suggested it and told me where to place in the room and open the window. This was in July, in Arizona. Very hot! I had it six months, worked great and bought a new carbon filter from Amazon, but it was a Blue Air, and replaced it and it quit working. Since it was Covid, when I reached a guy there, he said he would just send me a new machine and normally,, I would have to return the first machine, but to not worry about it. I received the new machine and it has been working great. I run it 24/7. I replaced the first filter in December, then at the end of May. Within two weeks, my filter Indicator turned orange. I tried contacting them to no avail. I purchased a new filter from Amazon and installed it yesterday. It is working great. So....I did receiving great customer service during covid, but now, no one has reached out to my email. The filters are now $79.00 from 59.00 and I am wondering if it is worth keeping the machine or replacing with a different brand.....advice would be welcome. Thanks!

I've been using filters made by bissell with activated carbon filters and have not noticed any odd smells, I only say this because I am curious if any people have issues with air cleaners from other manufacturers, perhaps it's a supply issue? Often products might be manufactured in XYZ country but the materials for them come to form another place.

do you recommend me buying Blueair Protect 7410i model ?? thanks for your review as well

Fran, Do they state how often these active carbon filters get replaced? I expect that depending on the age of the building, city versus country air play into it's effectiveness. Very expensive components. Not cheap that is for sure.

Maybe because of that ion grid in close proximity of activated carbon and moisture from air, they create carbon acid? Do you find that sour smell resemble smell of carbonated water?

Austin Air is the filter that has been recommended to me. Have you done a review of it?

I guess there is a sensitivity component: some people smell it and some don't. I recently visited a company who builds industrial size activated carbon filters, so the stuff was lying everywhere. I didn't notice it until I entered the small office which was kept at a slight overpressure to keep dust out; the air was filtered as well and there the same sour smell was immediately apparent, to the point I had to leave after a few hours. The owner and co-workers didn't seem to be bothered by it.

It used to be smoke stop in the US as well. Just recently they changed it to the dual protection.

Back in the 80's I worked for General Air a well known filtration company in Darby Boro outside of South West Philadelphia. We serviced many large companies and facilities such as the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The HEPA style pleated filter with a carbon filter built in will reduce flow on any system due to the tighter air restriction. Activated carbon filters have been known to produce strange smells when new but this generally goes away, usually if an activated carbon filter is emitting a foul Oder continuously, it's a sign that it is in need of replacement. Since your filters are rather new you may have a batch of bad activated carbon. You can remove the carbon in these filters and still use them as HEPA filters minus the carbon function. It's very hard to cheat on manufacturing a HEPA pleated filter, but very easy to cheat on the carbon portion. They could be using improperly treated carbon or even mixing used carbon with new. When preparing carbon filters they simply remove old carbon and replace with new, so it's possible something dodgy took place in the manufacturing.

I feel like this odour problem is something new, I realised the changes in the past year or a year and a half I never got any of the smell problems with the smokestop filter. Starting to have this problem since the COVID-19 Pandemic, don't know if it's a coincidence or not. But yeah, there must be something going on, I've been using Blueair since 2013 never really had an issue until recently.

The air purification business is full of companies making junk. I would stick to Honeywell or 3M.

@MoebiusUK

4 жыл бұрын

I use a ‘Mountain Air’ carbon filter for my “herbal plants” But I don’t understand why Fran just doesn’t vent the fumes outside. It’s far more effective and cheaper than scrubbing and recirculating the air.

@oswaldjh

4 жыл бұрын

@@MoebiusUK Then you would have to filter the dirty city air that leaks in the building from the low pressure caused by venting.

@MoebiusUK

4 жыл бұрын

@@oswaldjh Fran said her concern were the gases that came from her experiments not the city air. The city air is what she’ll breathe when she goes outside anyway. Unless her lab is hermetically sealed she’ll be getting in city air even with her current recirculating sets up ... not least every time a door or window is opened. (I see windows in her lab). Effective closed-loop ‘recirculating’ systems are expensive and difficult to maintain. and there’s little point setting one up if you’re not actively detecting and monitoring the different gas levels in the air. .... Fran doesn’t know if the air she’s recirculating is cleaner than the city air without testing.

@Kirkdrive

4 жыл бұрын

Moebius Outdoor air (makeup air) is also unconditioned air so there is the expense from the increased load on your HVAC to consider when you vent directly outdoors. An EEV helps but, again, at considerable expense.

@richarddixson1971

3 жыл бұрын

Had my Honeyells for years! running on medium 24/7 no problems?

We have a 280i with the dual filter in our bedroom that has been running 24 hours a day for about 4 months now with no odors of any kind associated with it. We bought the machine on yours and Dave's recommendation and are pleased with the appearance, construction and performance of it. We have nothing to offer as far as the sour smell you are getting but like you, we are curious to know what the root cause is.

Could the smell be described as a "chlorine/bleach" smell? That would indicate ozone. Otherwise, there's the possibility that the carbon filters were already contaminated when received, reaching the saturation point too soon and now releasing the offending odor molecules that caused the original contamination.

Ozone can smell sour if it’s pretty intense. Can you try turning off the electrostatic part and see if the sourness subsides?

Could you run one of your suspect BlueAir filters in a different building (maybe someone's home) to see if that sour smell occurs? It could give you a clue that something in the lab is reacting to the filter? Good Luck.

The problem was so bad with my Blue Air units after 3 weeks, I got sick. It took that long to realize what was going on, and I've packed them up and am returning them to Amazon. I felt back to normal after only an hour with the windows open and the units unplugged. Note that the units were also showing ghost VOCs since day two of operation...I guess they detected their own VOCs, even before I could smell them?

I have been running air purifiers of multiple brands for many many years, I think the problem you are having is that with the dual filters with active carbon are causing the motors to pull much harder, and as these filters begin to filter out particles they begin to pull much harder making the motors run warm, I think the smell is coming from the insulation in the fan motor. I experienced this same sort of problem a few years ago with another brand purifier. My fall back is always to my tried and true whirlpool whisper, kenmore progressive air purifiers - filters are reasonable and the darn things just keep going and going and going.

I had a BlueAir 605 and returned it because they would not answer my questions or phone calls. In a response to an email sent on 25 Jan 2020: Dear Sirs: 1. I'm disappointed that the device which will make the 605 function in auto is out of stock. Do you have any idea when the Blueair Aware device will be available again? Did I make a mistake of buying a 605 when I should have bought the Pro L? 2. You advertise all over your web site and in your manual the filters last 6 months. The unit has a sticker inside that the filters last 6 months. Why did the Blueair Friend app start counting down from 180 days for filter replacement (see screenshot from iOS app)? Can you tell me why I would choose the particle over the smokestop filter for a replacement? I can't discern the difference between the two filter replacements. I would like to sign up for the filter replacement program but want to make an informed decision before I do so. 3. Can you validate my extended warranty is valid? I have registered it in the app but I do not see it under "My Units" when I log into your website. The unit was purchased on Amazon.com through your Blueair Inc. store. Order number is (redacted). I've attached a screenshot from the mobile app and from your website. Another email was sent on February 15, 2020: Dear Sirs: Thank you for helping me make an informed decision regarding my purchase and that I had made a mistake purchasing from your company. You had over 2.5 weeks to return my email or call my telephone number that I included. Because you have not returned my email nor can I get a hold of any one on your phone system, I have returned the unit in lieu of a IQAir system. I am highly disappointed. I had better expectations for your company. ---- The fact that they ghosted you is not surprising and is expected. This is an awful company and I will never buy another product from them ever again nor will I recommend their product. I found the air monitor was sold out for months. I also did not like the fact that certain functions like the blue light on the front of the unit could only be controlled by the app on your mobile phone. There was no button to disable it. Likewise their marketing material is awful. You'll get 6 months out of the filter if you run the machine at the 2 lowest "HEPA Quiet" settings. Otherwise, if you run the machine at full speed, you'll only get 3 months out of the filters. No where in the documentation nor printed on the inside of the machines is this stated. This is classic bait and switch. Another item is this is charges the air attracting the particles (almost like a small scale ionization system). There was no in take filter so the little brushes on the 605 unit inside when they become dirty or dusty will loose their effectiveness. There was no method to keep the bottom of the unit clean other than to take the filters out and drag it to my garage and clean it with pressurized air. In the end, there was too much marketing hype and I returned it. I bought it for the very same reason. I did the very same research. It all looked good on paper. I'm sorry you're having this issue but I figured I'd respond because I got the very same lack of customer service. I was in dismay that a company which received such high reviews in consumer reports had such poor support for their customers. My 2 cents: return the units and get your money back. Choose a different company that stands by their customers. Oh yeah, if you order the 3rd party filters you void your warranty on the units so make sure you buy your filters from blueair direct if you care about the longevity of your unit.

Is there any silicon caulking used in the filters as sealers or a glue? If this is the case the type you buy in the single tube. unless other wise stated the silicon has a vinegar smell. It is the curing agent. I have had people use the regular silicon to make electronics water tight. The out gassing of the silicon was so acetic that it dissolved the tin clad copper lead of the electronic components, they literaly fell off the PCB. There is an electronic grade of single tube silicon sealant it has a sweet smell. This type costs at least 3 times as much as the silicon caulking which out gasses the acetic smell. I would suggest that the filter was assembled using the household grade silicon sealant which contained the acetic formula as the curing agent.

Do not worry about a messy lab, you should see my lab, spent half an hour looking for a bobbin of solder which was right in front of me, oh and to make matters worse the lab is also a temporary kitchen where I have to try to cook my food.