Ah, the old "We don't want to answer your awkward question publicly so we'll just refund you and hope you shut up about it" technique. Well done BlueAir!
I had reached the same conclusion at 0:19. A full refund and retrieval of the units is the simplest solution to what was stirring up to be a PR nightmare - Fran has 120K subscribers, that's a sizeable audience, and their noncommittal responses up to this point (to Fran and others!) were now on full display to those 120K subscribers (and others searching for Blueair reviews, plus whomever dropped in from the algorithm's recommended videos). Of course, a "we've received complaints about odor issues with some of our filters and we're looking into it" followed by a "we found a problem and are now fixing it, and we're sending you replacement filters for the ones you already own (plus a few extras) because we stand by our products, want to give our customers the best possible experience with our products, and we're extremely sorry that we disappointed you, but we thank you for bringing this issue to our attention so we could not only rectify it for you, but for our other customers as well" would probably go much better for them from a PR standpoint, but hey, this is why I don't run a business, I care too much! From a customer standpoint, I gain far more respect for any company that will take the steps needed to rectify the situation than I ever could for one that simply said, "hey, here's your money back, we're picking up our defective products, go buy something else because we simply don't care." And that's the impression I get from them at this point.
I've been doing the whole "counterclockwise first" technique to find the thread for ever since I remember. If you've ever used self tappers into plastic on multimeters like the Fluke 87 then you'll know how important this can be for longevity.
When you do inevitably strip out the sheet metal I would simply add in some sheet metal screw clips, as they slide over the edge of the metal, and have a built in sheet metal thread to use with the screw. Would suggest you give the metal edges by the screws a thin coat of light grease, so that the edges do not rust out too fast. Of course nothing stopping you from installing some self locking plates in the metal and replacing the original screws with matching screws, but I have made a lot of them using some thick steel bar stock, drilling and tapping the screw thread in the middle, and then attaching with either 3M VHB tape, or drilling and putting in some other screws. VHB will work well here, as in compression as you tighten it down it has more compression force improving the bond, plus it is hard to make let go.
Made in Buffalo NY. Austin Air is located in the old Trico windshield wiper plant #3 on Elk St. A beautiful old brick factory building. I hope it does not let you down. I always like to brag about the good things about Buffalo.
Austin Air definitely makes good units - I have 2 Healthmates I've run for over 15 years 24 hours a day and they have over 131,000 hours on their motors - and they're still going STRONG!
Best deal I ever bought at an estate sale/garage was two regular size Austin Air machines for $40 each, and two small size ones for $25 each. Been using them for years. The one in the bedroom is almost always on, running on low setting, unless I want more of a breeze when it’s hot out, or I have the windows open
Thank you so much for showing the inside of the machine as soon as you removed it from the box. I wasn't sure if the pre filter around the inside of the frame that's separate from the cylindrical filter came with the machine or not. I presumed it did. However, no need to presume after having watched your video, because there it is. Thank you so much!!!
This is a GREAT product! My neighbour down stairs is a smoker and the smoke comes in by the inside and I am allergic to second hand smoke... I was thinking of moving but my mother lives next door of me (91 yo) and tried Every thing I could to stay there. I bought a good quality air purifier ($300) but it was useless. Even my clothes in my wardrobe smell cigarette smoke! But since I have the Austin, I have no more problems with the smell. It is VERY EFFICIENT! i RECOMMAND IT 300%. Thank you Austin!
I have had an Austin Air standard size HealthMate 400 for 10 years. The original filter lasted 5 years and the second filter lasted 5 years. I just put in the 3rd filter. It has made a big difference in my asthma and hay fever.
Looks, as AvE would say, skuukum as frig. Frankly it looks old school and very standard, easily repaired, and easy to mod!! The company could go out of business and you could still find parts
The pre-filter is a good touch. They cost virtually nothing for the manufacturer to incorporate, but should improve the life of the HEPA filter somewhat. Makes you wonder why most other models dont include them....
I'm coming up to speed on air filters suitable for purifying the air in an apartment next to a busy street in a big city. It seems like Austin is the air filter to consider most seriously as they have the largest activated carbon filter. Fran - your walk through of the operation was perfect. Very helpful in giving me an understanding of what we'd get.
Your comment about counter-turning before starting a screw is the first time I have realized that not everyone does that by default. My father taught me that was the normal way when I was a child. This must be why so many people complain about cross-threading! :D
Give us an update on these units at some point. Kudos to BlueAir for taking the units back. Those cost more than double up here in Canada! I won't be getting one.
Industrial: Leave everything off that confuses the idiots on the production floor or invites them to fiddle with, build it to survive the frustrations of those same idiots and expect that the customer will just install power at the point where the device is being used instead of providing a long cable.
i have ben doing the reverse screw guiding for forever. I am actually surprised how many ppl I deal with dont know this. I do it for every screw nut or bolt.
We've been using Austin Air filters ever since getting some via FEMA after 9/11. Found out recently we were neighbors back then. I lived near Bedford and South 1st.
Thanks did the video review. It was part of the reason I bought a used Austin Air Healthmate from Ebay. It does an excellent job with smoke, which is what I use it for.
I saw a Craigslist ad for a HEPA filter for $10. No information about brand or model. I assumed it would be a cheap knockoff unit, but I thought I'd take a chance on it at that price. I got it home and googled to see what sort of reputation it has, and this video came up. Needless to say I'm happy with my purchase.
I have a technical question on these. I'm wondering, is it safe to attach it to a remote power switch to power it off and on? Or would that be bad for the motor to power it on via a switch?
This is just a mechanical motor and simple switch so it would be fine to switch remotely. there may be some issues with higher inrush current on Lower settings there's another TH-camr that has a video on and why the speeds go in a certain direction. th-cam.com/video/hQ3GW7lVBWY/w-d-xo.html
Yeah -- I find I nearly always go in reverse until I feel the "click", especially in screws in plastic casings. Rarely if every have cross-threaded a screw.
Part of my last job involved taking care of similar filters , in a hospital setting ( early 1990s). Larger and hardwired for the most part, the main difference is they had two cleanable pre filters. Very reliable.
Big Staples! And plastic banding! It's been years since I've seen the staples, but I still have a big screwdriver and pliers handy. The banding still shows up a few times per year but I always carry a folding knife in a pocket.
You are generally looking for at least 6-8 air exchanges per hour at whatever speed you intend to be running the unit at (ideally, though higher is even better still). Although that many air exchanges is not always practical if you need to run on the lowest setting, for noise reasons, in a bedroom but you do the best you can in that case and perhaps bump the speed to High while you are not sleeping, then lower the speed while you sleep. So you calculate the total volume of your room (length X width X height) and divide that by the CFM specified for the unit at a given intended fan speed (though sometimes it pays to ensure that the CFM specification is actually based upon the filter being installed as I have seen some advertise the CFM of the bare fan and motor, minus the filter, as that often adds a good 30-50% to the CFM numbers...most are more honest with their numbers but it is something to watch out for if two very similar units seem to have widely different CFM numbers despite all else being seemingly equal).
Fran, I think that you will be happy with those units. My functional and Integrative medicine doctor works with an indoor air quality pro for patients with all sorts of odd inflammatory issues and this is the unit that is recommended for all her patients including me! I am in the process of getting one also. Be well!
Mine didn't come with the little spacers for the screws, the weird thing is one of the screws fell off when I took it out the box and when screwed it in and tightened the rest one of the other screws just keep spinning.
I'm with you and Dave, I just figured out the going backward to find the thread since forever, and explicitly because like Dave said, self tapping screws into plastic will teach you that lesson quickly.
I'm relatively a new gamer at electronics and repairing stuff, the first stuff that I was able to get my mitts on was my broken toys. Naturally I wanted them to work again, so I went over and found the nearest screwdriver, and sure enough I'll tell ya, counterclockwise thread seeking in chinesium plastic came without a second thought.
The big cylindrical filter cartridge is what we have in the metal industry, cutting, welding, grinding. We use cellulose HEPA with flame impregnated retardant.
These machines boil down to the old acronym KISS: Keep Is Simple, Stupid. Very little to break, very simple to repair, and even if original parts become unavailable, substitute parts can easily step in and do the job. I really like that the Austin systems move some serious CFM through the filter, and do it quieter than the Blueair! Yeah, the cord length stinks, and maybe I'm just being stupid but it looks a little thin... I'm sure you know already to do this, but use a good-quality extension cord. :-) Hope you're doing well throughout the heat and humidity! Up here in CT, the humidity has been in the 90-100% range for over a week now, except for one brief overnight where it dropped to 75% around 2 AM (and that felt refreshing!) and ramped back up to 90% by 6 AM. I feel like I have three cats laying on my stomach when I'm trying to breathe. Conditions are perfect for good thunderstorm activity, and we could really use the rain, but the weather isn't exactly cooperating! **cues up Phil Collins' "I Wish It Would Rain Down"**
Looks like a winner to me. We have birds so I have been looking for something like this. On the sheet metal screws, since the filter change appears to be very low frequency, I would think they will be OK / you know, just don't torque them too tight. You can always bump the screws up in size if there are issues downstream such as going from a #8 to a #10 with some minor hole resizing.
The Austin Air is a good one for bird homes--no ozone. I have 2 Austin Airs and a stinky BlueAir that I'm afraid to run in the room where the birds live.
I remember using the counterclockwise first technique back in the 80s when working on Philips FM900 two-way radios. They had annoyingly decided to use self tapping screws in the die-cast aluminium chassis.
It's nice to see some things are still built simple and rugged. No overly complicated control panel, no added aesthetic plastic junk, no obnoxiously bright blue LEDs, even the shipping package with the staples says industrial grade product inside. Self-tapping screws for a user-serviceable part does seem a bit odd at first, until you think that it's only meant to be replaced every 5 years. Though given the power of the fan and being in an urban environment it's going to get gunked up much sooner than that. I never knew the reverse screw thing was a learned "trick" either, never really gave it a second thought. I think of all the threaded filters and adapters for my cameras and telescopes, they'd be awfully tough to connect without the initial back -up to find the thread.
I'm glad I'm not the only person who takes things out of the box upside down! I learnt it during a year I spent repairing consumer electronics before uni (and in the process learned way more about electronics than I did actually at uni), those big CRT TVs weighed a ton! Far easier to open the top of the box, gently rotate it onto something soft on your repair bench and lift the box off. No struggling astride the box trying to lift the item out and hoping the box falls away.
If you have central air, a HEPA filter insert may be sufficient. The various stand alone units were all the same for me: inadequate beyond dust control. The ultimate was expensive IQAir, which I also liquidated. In the end, I put an exhaust fan in the window, to get adequate ventilation when I could open windows. Otherwise, run central air with HEPA insert.
Going backwards to find the thread - yes, it was an old trick and I learned it in 2006 or so, when I was volunteering at a campus radio and doing electronics maintenance. Good thing to see good quality equipment still made, and I also wonder how long it's gonna last.
Thank for this video! Very helpful. :) Is there a way to confirm that the air is actually cleaner as a result of the purifier? Is there some sort device we could buy and use to test in our homes?
I bought the small BlueAir based on your original purchase. The $800 versions obviously would do a better job, but I'm satisfied using it in the room while I WFH. Originally purchased for snore-control.
Looks like a split phase motor with a run capacitor. You'd think that the top would be hinged, and a button to open, and remove the filters. But that would add another two dollars to the production cost.
I learned the screw trick from How to Keep Your Volkswagen Alive: A Manual of Step-by-Step Procedures for the Compleat Idiot by John Muir. He recommended it as a means of starting a screw where you can't see what you are doing. It's a piece of technical writing everyone should read, especially aspiring technical writers.
Sound Level Measurements According to the manual for the General Radio/IET 1565-B manual, sound level measurements are made 1 meter from the source, with the meter held at a right angle to the source. Also, they say to hold the meter out in front of you with your body turned 90 degrees from the source to minimize reflections from you influencing the measurement. Just a suggestion for consistent results. Thanks for the video and hope this filter unit keeps you safe.
At time mark 6:24 that loud clatter ( sounds sort of like a small food blender) in this video which looks to be a post 2020 machine based on post date, is not present at all with my 2020 Healthmate. I did get an annoying clatter/rattle noise on two consecutive Healthmate+ machines in 2024 reminiscent of what is at 6:24. Resolution-refund. TH-cam post by Davahad presents noise experience with three consecutive post 2020 healthmate + units, not present to any audible concern in a pre 2021 machine. You found that "blender" sound okay?
my dad was a ww2 aircraft mechanic/crew chief, taught me the reverse thread trick when I was very young. He said they had to work on the planes with no light whatsoever on the airstrips in north Africa so as not to be detected...
I'm pretty sure they save tons of manufacturing time and labor by using the self-tapping screws and not having to tap all the holes beforehand. No biggie, they work fine.
We have one of the healthmates and with 2 cats living downtown Toronto we replace it after about 2 years. So we get a discount each time but it doesn't last quite as long as they say. To their credit, they do give the discount each time so far. It's a VERY simple unit inside and that's the reason the filter replacement is so expensive. It's really a cheap tin box around a fan and a super-complex filter. I think the latest one I got was refurbished or something. Something was weird about it and it had a dent. It's working, though.
Hi Fran, in the video your new air purifiers look white, but I only see a color called Sandstone on Austin's website. Do you know what color you ordered? They look "white" on the video to my eye.
I, too, have invented that reverse-turning trick for self-tappers. It just seemed logical to find the existing thread instead of cutting a new one. I can't remember anyone ever teaching me that, I've been doing that ever since I can remember.
Does anyone have an opinion on the comparison between Austin Bedroom Machine, and the AirMedic Pro 5/6 Ultra? I am eyeing those two up because they both look industrial grade. I love how Austin also has zeolite along with the activated carbon, but OMG I can’t stop daydreaming about the 5 INCH THICK 30-40 lb carbon filters on the AirMedic Ultras!!
Interesting video! Apparently, Blueair made the right decision after you video complaining about the weird odors... Anyway, these industrial machines look perhaps more appropriate for any lab or storage place. One question is the other measures you have to have the cleanest air: if you have some solder bench, or some place you use solvents (paint, glue...), the ideal option is to catch the fumes and polluted air and reject it outside (you can be required to filter that exhaust anyway...). So creating a permanent negative air pressure is interesting as you can also manage to filter the incoming air. These filters are then at their best to catch the last pollutants. The "bedroom" use of such machine is something difficult to appreciate with the noise levels you measure. Anyway, if you measure it directly in the exhaust direction, the noise is normally far more consequent. The measure (at three feet) from the other directions can give good indications of the real noise you can expect, knowing it will be difficult to ignore in a "quiet" bedroom environment. Such things are notably difficult to appreciate, as you can have a quasi silent 25dB to a 45dB in a downtown busy environment. The "emerging" noise is there frankly different as you can guess. The other question is also about low frequency noises, difficult to measure with a "simple" dB meter, that can imbalance your health and sleep with beats. You can particularly expect such problem if you use 2+ machines in the same environment...
If you don't feel adverse to slightly modifying the casing, replacing the sheetmetal screws in the bottom with nutserts (AKA "rivnuts") and machine screws might not be such a bad idea. Nutserts are pretty good for DIY enclosures as well.
I learned the reverse screw trick years ago when I worked for Burroughs (UK) in the early 80's, I still use it for replacing computer cases on a daily basis. Must have been "invented" in the US.
Tinnerman nuts. That's what you need to replace the sheet metal screws holding on the lower cover. With them, you can use either sheet metal or machine screws. I also would like an update after you have used the new filter machines for a few months.
Side to side output would be ok, but you wouldn't want it pointing down because you'd just be feeding your filtered air back into the machine, not pulling in new air like you want to be. So I sort of get that they didn't put anything adjustable there. Something to direct to the left or right seems like a 3D printable bit?
I wonder if any fan/filter manufacturers have considered putting a make plug port on the machine that you plug in a standard extension cord of desired length instead of the short built in cables...or maybe a computer power port that you can buy an aftermarket cable of custom length.
I've modified a few products to take IEC C13 input (like most computers take) rather than a fixed cord, but for a unit like this I'd probably go for Powercon instead.
I learned a very long time ago that goin backwards before goin forward is always the best, especially in plastics! I dont remember where I got that trick from. Its mandatory in cheap chinese plastics, it prevents rethreading plastic which i think will weaken it and more likely stripping the plastic.I even do it in wood!
Hello I’m thinking about two different ones can you give your opinion? Option #1 Austin Air Bedroom Machine HM402 Option#2 Airpura P600 PLUS Air Purifier - For Comprehensive Filtration This is for a Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease family member.
Replace those holes with rivet nuts, brand name is RivNut by Bollhoff, although with filter changes a maximum of every 2 years and careful rethreading it should last until the filters are no longer produced. I would also love to see updates as often as possible. I’m limping with Whirlpool consumer grade until I get my habitat sealed up.
Oh man, as a kid I stepped on one of those big staples, right into my big toe. Those look great, though I shiver to think what replacement filters must cost.
Reverse Screwing has been around from the Old Wood Building with Screws Starter so older the 300 Years.. And that is about the Time We started making a Mess of the Whole area Around us..But Remember Plants Help Too..
I have serious issues with ozone pollution and can attest that this is the only filter that cuts it for me. The magic is in the fact that it's based on carbon filtration.
It's kind of amazing that those filters are able to last up to 5 YEARS! That's absolutely bonkers, and also very respectable since most corporations would be happy to sell people a $300 filter once every 90 days.
Ah, the old "We don't want to answer your awkward question publicly so we'll just refund you and hope you shut up about it" technique. Well done BlueAir!
EEVblog Winner winner, chicken dinner!
😎👍
If you are "not a current customer" how can you complain mentality.
Exactly. Glad it worked out for Fran though.
I had reached the same conclusion at 0:19. A full refund and retrieval of the units is the simplest solution to what was stirring up to be a PR nightmare - Fran has 120K subscribers, that's a sizeable audience, and their noncommittal responses up to this point (to Fran and others!) were now on full display to those 120K subscribers (and others searching for Blueair reviews, plus whomever dropped in from the algorithm's recommended videos).
Of course, a "we've received complaints about odor issues with some of our filters and we're looking into it" followed by a "we found a problem and are now fixing it, and we're sending you replacement filters for the ones you already own (plus a few extras) because we stand by our products, want to give our customers the best possible experience with our products, and we're extremely sorry that we disappointed you, but we thank you for bringing this issue to our attention so we could not only rectify it for you, but for our other customers as well" would probably go much better for them from a PR standpoint, but hey, this is why I don't run a business, I care too much!
From a customer standpoint, I gain far more respect for any company that will take the steps needed to rectify the situation than I ever could for one that simply said, "hey, here's your money back, we're picking up our defective products, go buy something else because we simply don't care." And that's the impression I get from them at this point.
I've been doing the whole "counterclockwise first" technique to find the thread for ever since I remember. If you've ever used self tappers into plastic on multimeters like the Fluke 87 then you'll know how important this can be for longevity.
My dad taught me to do that when I was a small child. It's such universal good practice you'd think it was in the Zeus book.
Seriously, I thought everybody did that.
@@spugintrntl i know Riight ?
Yeah, I think Fluke DVMs was where I started doing this. Could see that thread failing in a few battery changes.
When you do inevitably strip out the sheet metal I would simply add in some sheet metal screw clips, as they slide over the edge of the metal, and have a built in sheet metal thread to use with the screw. Would suggest you give the metal edges by the screws a thin coat of light grease, so that the edges do not rust out too fast. Of course nothing stopping you from installing some self locking plates in the metal and replacing the original screws with matching screws, but I have made a lot of them using some thick steel bar stock, drilling and tapping the screw thread in the middle, and then attaching with either 3M VHB tape, or drilling and putting in some other screws. VHB will work well here, as in compression as you tighten it down it has more compression force improving the bond, plus it is hard to make let go.
Made in Buffalo NY. Austin Air is located in the old Trico windshield wiper plant #3 on Elk St. A beautiful old brick factory building. I hope it does not let you down. I always like to brag about the good things about Buffalo.
Austin Air definitely makes good units - I have 2 Healthmates I've run for over 15 years 24 hours a day and they have over 131,000 hours on their motors - and they're still going STRONG!
3d print some diverters for that vent. you can even stick them on with magnets.
i have one of these in my bedroom. it's been running non-stop for 3 years. no problems so far.
Had one of the Bedroom models for 8 years now. Completely bulletproof.
Best deal I ever bought at an estate sale/garage was two regular size Austin Air machines for $40 each, and two small size ones for $25 each. Been using them for years. The one in the bedroom is almost always on, running on low setting, unless I want more of a breeze when it’s hot out, or I have the windows open
Austin Air are great! Healthmate Plus. I have 4 of them and love them. I have multiple chemical sensitivity and these air purifiers saved my life.
Thank you so much for showing the inside of the machine as soon as you removed it from the box. I wasn't sure if the pre filter around the inside of the frame that's separate from the cylindrical filter came with the machine or not. I presumed it did. However, no need to presume after having watched your video, because there it is. Thank you so much!!!
This is a GREAT product! My neighbour down stairs is a smoker and the smoke comes in by the inside and I am allergic to second hand smoke... I was thinking of moving but my mother lives next door of me (91 yo) and tried Every thing I could to stay there. I bought a good quality air purifier ($300) but it was useless. Even my clothes in my wardrobe smell cigarette smoke! But since I have the Austin, I have no more problems with the smell. It is VERY EFFICIENT! i RECOMMAND IT 300%. Thank you Austin!
I have 2 Austin air and 2 rabit air. Love the simplicity of the Austin's.
I have had an Austin Air standard size HealthMate 400 for 10 years. The original filter lasted 5 years and the second filter lasted 5 years. I just put in the 3rd filter. It has made a big difference in my asthma and hay fever.
Fran, you deserve the best! We want you to be healthy!
Looks, as AvE would say, skuukum as frig. Frankly it looks old school and very standard, easily repaired, and easy to mod!! The company could go out of business and you could still find parts
The pre-filter is a good touch. They cost virtually nothing for the manufacturer to incorporate, but should improve the life of the HEPA filter somewhat. Makes you wonder why most other models dont include them....
I'm coming up to speed on air filters suitable for purifying the air in an apartment next to a busy street in a big city. It seems like Austin is the air filter to consider most seriously as they have the largest activated carbon filter. Fran - your walk through of the operation was perfect. Very helpful in giving me an understanding of what we'd get.
Your comment about counter-turning before starting a screw is the first time I have realized that not everyone does that by default. My father taught me that was the normal way when I was a child. This must be why so many people complain about cross-threading! :D
agree - I thought that's how you were supposed to do it.
Give us an update on these units at some point. Kudos to BlueAir for taking the units back. Those cost more than double up here in Canada! I won't be getting one.
Consumers need to speak out. Kudos to Davahad post and your reply.
Industrial: Leave everything off that confuses the idiots on the production floor or invites them to fiddle with, build it to survive the frustrations of those same idiots and expect that the customer will just install power at the point where the device is being used instead of providing a long cable.
You can install nutserts if the screw holes were to wear out (which may never happen with your carful handling).
i have ben doing the reverse screw guiding for forever. I am actually surprised how many ppl I deal with dont know this. I do it for every screw nut or bolt.
We've been using Austin Air filters ever since getting some via FEMA after 9/11. Found out recently we were neighbors back then. I lived near Bedford and South 1st.
Thanks did the video review. It was part of the reason I bought a used Austin Air Healthmate from Ebay. It does an excellent job with smoke, which is what I use it for.
I saw a Craigslist ad for a HEPA filter for $10. No information about brand or model. I assumed it would be a cheap knockoff unit, but I thought I'd take a chance on it at that price.
I got it home and googled to see what sort of reputation it has, and this video came up. Needless to say I'm happy with my purchase.
I have a technical question on these. I'm wondering, is it safe to attach it to a remote power switch to power it off and on? Or would that be bad for the motor to power it on via a switch?
This is just a mechanical motor and simple switch so it would be fine to switch remotely. there may be some issues with higher inrush current on Lower settings there's another TH-camr that has a video on and why the speeds go in a certain direction. th-cam.com/video/hQ3GW7lVBWY/w-d-xo.html
@@imark7777777 Thanks. Yeah, on low speed, most fans generat a lot of heat if you don't start them up at the fastest speed.
My Austin air machines have been running nonstop for 9 years besides turning them off for filter changes.
How do you know when to change the filter? I’ve had mine for about a year.
@@leoprdsoul1 prefilter changed yearly the main filter changed every 3-5 years depending on your environment. I do 4 years
@@leoprdsoul1 All our filters are designed to last up to 5 years under normal residential use.
Yeah -- I find I nearly always go in reverse until I feel the "click", especially in screws in plastic casings. Rarely if every have cross-threaded a screw.
One heck of a review! I am getting one next month and was worried about how well it would work.. Now I know!
Part of my last job involved taking care of similar filters , in a hospital setting ( early 1990s). Larger and hardwired for the most part, the main difference is they had two cleanable pre filters. Very reliable.
Big Staples! And plastic banding! It's been years since I've seen the staples, but I still have a big screwdriver and pliers handy. The banding still shows up a few times per year but I always carry a folding knife in a pocket.
We use the counterclockwise first screw trick in Nerf modding to avoid stripping plastic screw posts when pulling things apart repeatedly
I’m considering one of these for my bedroom but I just don’t know what size to get because I have high ceilings.
You are generally looking for at least 6-8 air exchanges per hour at whatever speed you intend to be running the unit at (ideally, though higher is even better still). Although that many air exchanges is not always practical if you need to run on the lowest setting, for noise reasons, in a bedroom but you do the best you can in that case and perhaps bump the speed to High while you are not sleeping, then lower the speed while you sleep. So you calculate the total volume of your room (length X width X height) and divide that by the CFM specified for the unit at a given intended fan speed (though sometimes it pays to ensure that the CFM specification is actually based upon the filter being installed as I have seen some advertise the CFM of the bare fan and motor, minus the filter, as that often adds a good 30-50% to the CFM numbers...most are more honest with their numbers but it is something to watch out for if two very similar units seem to have widely different CFM numbers despite all else being seemingly equal).
@@ethanpoole3443 Thanks!
Fran, I think that you will be happy with those units. My functional and Integrative medicine doctor works with an indoor air quality pro for patients with all sorts of odd inflammatory issues and this is the unit that is recommended for all her patients including me! I am in the process of getting one also. Be well!
Glad you finally found something that looks promising for the lab!
Mine didn't come with the little spacers for the screws, the weird thing is one of the screws fell off when I took it out the box and when screwed it in and tightened the rest one of the other screws just keep spinning.
I'm with you and Dave, I just figured out the going backward to find the thread since forever, and explicitly because like Dave said, self tapping screws into plastic will teach you that lesson quickly.
I'm relatively a new gamer at electronics and repairing stuff, the first stuff that I was able to get my mitts on was my broken toys. Naturally I wanted them to work again, so I went over and found the nearest screwdriver, and sure enough I'll tell ya, counterclockwise thread seeking in chinesium plastic came without a second thought.
Get some m3 nut serts for the bottom cover and some m3 screws done and done.
The big cylindrical filter cartridge is what we have in the metal industry, cutting, welding, grinding. We use cellulose HEPA with flame impregnated retardant.
These machines boil down to the old acronym KISS: Keep Is Simple, Stupid. Very little to break, very simple to repair, and even if original parts become unavailable, substitute parts can easily step in and do the job. I really like that the Austin systems move some serious CFM through the filter, and do it quieter than the Blueair!
Yeah, the cord length stinks, and maybe I'm just being stupid but it looks a little thin... I'm sure you know already to do this, but use a good-quality extension cord. :-)
Hope you're doing well throughout the heat and humidity! Up here in CT, the humidity has been in the 90-100% range for over a week now, except for one brief overnight where it dropped to 75% around 2 AM (and that felt refreshing!) and ramped back up to 90% by 6 AM. I feel like I have three cats laying on my stomach when I'm trying to breathe. Conditions are perfect for good thunderstorm activity, and we could really use the rain, but the weather isn't exactly cooperating! **cues up Phil Collins' "I Wish It Would Rain Down"**
do you know what humidity it will still work at? i live on the coast and humidity is usually 80%+ here
Countering also helps starting fine threaded machine screws too. I've been doing it for 50 years. Works for me.
Looks like a winner to me. We have birds so I have been looking for something like this. On the sheet metal screws, since the filter change appears to be very low frequency, I would think they will be OK / you know, just don't torque them too tight. You can always bump the screws up in size if there are issues downstream such as going from a #8 to a #10 with some minor hole resizing.
The Austin Air is a good one for bird homes--no ozone. I have 2 Austin Airs and a stinky BlueAir that I'm afraid to run in the room where the birds live.
I remember using the counterclockwise first technique back in the 80s when working on Philips FM900 two-way radios. They had annoyingly decided to use self tapping screws in the die-cast aluminium chassis.
Glad to see you do the reverse first screwing technique - my dad taught me that back in the 70s.
It's nice to see some things are still built simple and rugged. No overly complicated control panel, no added aesthetic plastic junk, no obnoxiously bright blue LEDs, even the shipping package with the staples says industrial grade product inside.
Self-tapping screws for a user-serviceable part does seem a bit odd at first, until you think that it's only meant to be replaced every 5 years. Though given the power of the fan and being in an urban environment it's going to get gunked up much sooner than that.
I never knew the reverse screw thing was a learned "trick" either, never really gave it a second thought. I think of all the threaded filters and adapters for my cameras and telescopes, they'd be awfully tough to connect without the initial back -up to find the thread.
I'm glad I'm not the only person who takes things out of the box upside down! I learnt it during a year I spent repairing consumer electronics before uni (and in the process learned way more about electronics than I did actually at uni), those big CRT TVs weighed a ton! Far easier to open the top of the box, gently rotate it onto something soft on your repair bench and lift the box off. No struggling astride the box trying to lift the item out and hoping the box falls away.
If you have central air, a HEPA filter insert may be sufficient.
The various stand alone units were all the same for me: inadequate beyond dust control.
The ultimate was expensive IQAir, which I also liquidated.
In the end, I put an exhaust fan in the window, to get adequate ventilation when I could open windows. Otherwise, run central air with HEPA insert.
Been doing the going in reverse thread trick for over 30 years. It's also useful for non-self-tapping screws to prevent cross threading.
Thanks for the review I was looking for a good review going to grab one right now !
What vacuum cleaner do you use in your lab
So glad you can now breathe easy. And I love your theme song!!!
the reverse screw to find the thread trick is very useful for anything vintage where the plastic might be brittle (game consoles). good stuff
Do you think the blue pure air 211 which ionizes the particles after the filter will stick on the walls?
Glad you got sorted with Blueair. Looking for a filter system for home use. Very sensitive lungs so quality matters for me.
Going backwards to find the thread - yes, it was an old trick and I learned it in 2006 or so, when I was volunteering at a campus radio and doing electronics maintenance.
Good thing to see good quality equipment still made, and I also wonder how long it's gonna last.
Thank for this video! Very helpful. :) Is there a way to confirm that the air is actually cleaner as a result of the purifier? Is there some sort device we could buy and use to test in our homes?
Are the Austin units still working well?
I bought the small BlueAir based on your original purchase. The $800 versions obviously would do a better job, but I'm satisfied using it in the room while I WFH. Originally purchased for snore-control.
Looks like a split phase motor with a run capacitor. You'd think that the top would be hinged, and a button to open, and remove the filters. But that would add another two dollars to the production cost.
I learned the screw trick from How to Keep Your Volkswagen Alive: A Manual of Step-by-Step Procedures for the Compleat Idiot by John Muir. He recommended it as a means of starting a screw where you can't see what you are doing. It's a piece of technical writing everyone should read, especially aspiring technical writers.
Sound Level Measurements
According to the manual for the General Radio/IET 1565-B manual, sound level measurements are made 1 meter from the source, with the meter held at a right angle to the source. Also, they say to hold the meter out in front of you with your body turned 90 degrees from the source to minimize reflections from you influencing the measurement. Just a suggestion for consistent results. Thanks for the video and hope this filter unit keeps you safe.
At time mark 6:24 that loud clatter ( sounds sort of like a small food blender) in this video which looks to be a post 2020 machine based on post date, is not present at all with my 2020 Healthmate. I did get an annoying clatter/rattle noise on two consecutive Healthmate+ machines in 2024 reminiscent of what is at 6:24. Resolution-refund. TH-cam post by Davahad presents noise experience with three consecutive post 2020 healthmate + units, not present to any audible concern in a pre 2021 machine. You found that "blender" sound okay?
my dad was a ww2 aircraft mechanic/crew chief, taught me the reverse thread trick when I was very young.
He said they had to work on the planes with no light whatsoever on the airstrips in north Africa so as not to be detected...
I'm pretty sure they save tons of manufacturing time and labor by using the self-tapping screws and not having to tap all the holes beforehand. No biggie, they work fine.
We have one of the healthmates and with 2 cats living downtown Toronto we replace it after about 2 years. So we get a discount each time but it doesn't last quite as long as they say. To their credit, they do give the discount each time so far. It's a VERY simple unit inside and that's the reason the filter replacement is so expensive. It's really a cheap tin box around a fan and a super-complex filter.
I think the latest one I got was refurbished or something. Something was weird about it and it had a dent. It's working, though.
So glad you were able to get returns/refunds on the Blueair machines!
Hi Fran, in the video your new air purifiers look white, but I only see a color called Sandstone on Austin's website. Do you know what color you ordered? They look "white" on the video to my eye.
Hi Fran! One year later. Are you still happy with this beast?
I, too, have invented that reverse-turning trick for self-tappers. It just seemed logical to find the existing thread instead of cutting a new one. I can't remember anyone ever teaching me that, I've been doing that ever since I can remember.
Amazing what an exposee will do to presuade a company to do the right thing.
Does anyone have an opinion on the comparison between Austin Bedroom Machine, and the AirMedic Pro 5/6 Ultra? I am eyeing those two up because they both look industrial grade. I love how Austin also has zeolite along with the activated carbon, but OMG I can’t stop daydreaming about the 5 INCH THICK 30-40 lb carbon filters on the AirMedic Ultras!!
The bottom should have locking clamps instead of sheet metal screws.
I would modify that as soon as the warranty is up.
Interesting video! Apparently, Blueair made the right decision after you video complaining about the weird odors... Anyway, these industrial machines look perhaps more appropriate for any lab or storage place.
One question is the other measures you have to have the cleanest air: if you have some solder bench, or some place you use solvents (paint, glue...), the ideal option is to catch the fumes and polluted air and reject it outside (you can be required to filter that exhaust anyway...). So creating a permanent negative air pressure is interesting as you can also manage to filter the incoming air. These filters are then at their best to catch the last pollutants.
The "bedroom" use of such machine is something difficult to appreciate with the noise levels you measure. Anyway, if you measure it directly in the exhaust direction, the noise is normally far more consequent. The measure (at three feet) from the other directions can give good indications of the real noise you can expect, knowing it will be difficult to ignore in a "quiet" bedroom environment. Such things are notably difficult to appreciate, as you can have a quasi silent 25dB to a 45dB in a downtown busy environment. The "emerging" noise is there frankly different as you can guess. The other question is also about low frequency noises, difficult to measure with a "simple" dB meter, that can imbalance your health and sleep with beats. You can particularly expect such problem if you use 2+ machines in the same environment...
No ULPA filter or at least H13 or H14?
If you don't feel adverse to slightly modifying the casing, replacing the sheetmetal screws in the bottom with nutserts (AKA "rivnuts") and machine screws might not be such a bad idea.
Nutserts are pretty good for DIY enclosures as well.
Its September 18, plenty of time, how has it performed Fran?
Austin Air has a European distributor -PureNature - the units are branded with the name Allermed.
They also seem to cost 3 times as much!
TheIcarusSystem argh. That bloody sucks. Everything here is always more expensive.
I learned the counter clockwise trick many years ago too
I learned the reverse screw trick years ago when I worked for Burroughs (UK) in the early 80's, I still use it for replacing computer cases on a daily basis. Must have been "invented" in the US.
Tinnerman nuts. That's what you need to replace the sheet metal screws holding on the lower cover. With them, you can use either sheet metal or machine screws. I also would like an update after you have used the new filter machines for a few months.
Side to side output would be ok, but you wouldn't want it pointing down because you'd just be feeding your filtered air back into the machine, not pulling in new air like you want to be. So I sort of get that they didn't put anything adjustable there. Something to direct to the left or right seems like a 3D printable bit?
I wonder if any fan/filter manufacturers have considered putting a make plug port on the machine that you plug in a standard extension cord of desired length instead of the short built in cables...or maybe a computer power port that you can buy an aftermarket cable of custom length.
Oh, come on! That would just be way too user-friendly! 😆
I've modified a few products to take IEC C13 input (like most computers take) rather than a fixed cord, but for a unit like this I'd probably go for Powercon instead.
Out of curiosity, what do replacement filters cost? I would guess about half of the total unit cost.
Replacement filters are about $250.00. That price has been pretty consistent for the past 10 years. That price includes the pre-filter and shipping.
I learned a very long time ago that goin backwards before goin forward is always the best, especially in plastics! I dont remember where I got that trick from. Its mandatory in cheap chinese plastics, it prevents rethreading plastic which i think will weaken it and more likely stripping the plastic.I even do it in wood!
Hello I’m thinking about two different ones can you give your opinion?
Option #1 Austin Air Bedroom Machine HM402
Option#2 Airpura P600 PLUS Air Purifier - For Comprehensive Filtration
This is for a Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease family member.
Replace those holes with rivet nuts, brand name is RivNut by Bollhoff, although with filter changes a maximum of every 2 years and careful rethreading it should last until the filters are no longer produced.
I would also love to see updates as often as possible. I’m limping with Whirlpool consumer grade until I get my habitat sealed up.
So super nice work
Oh man, as a kid I stepped on one of those big staples, right into my big toe. Those look great, though I shiver to think what replacement filters must cost.
1m , 3 foot when testing sound levels. allowing for low freq development space
Reverse Screwing has been around from the Old Wood Building with Screws Starter so older the 300 Years..
And that is about the Time We started making a Mess of the Whole area Around us..But Remember Plants Help Too..
I have serious issues with ozone pollution and can attest that this is the only filter that cuts it for me. The magic is in the fact that it's based on carbon filtration.
Yeah. I've been using the backwards screw method for years. :)
why is the filter open at the botom?
can you sit on it? is it sturdy enough ?
Did you ever find out why the other filtres stank?
It's kind of amazing that those filters are able to last up to 5 YEARS! That's absolutely bonkers, and also very respectable since most corporations would be happy to sell people a $300 filter once every 90 days.
Yeah, I'm going to have to look into one of these. Also, heya Bruxxus! Fancy finding you in the comments section of FranLab. *grin*
we have an Austin Air plant over here in Buffalo NY woohoo
1:05 For a minute there I read "3 speed centrifugal Fran"! #o)
Good to see this all worked out for you Fran. 8o)
...She’s so dizzy...her head is spinning!