Airpura Industries T600 Air Purifier Specially Designed

EDIT 9-2-2012. Please read the comments related to this review.

Everything is great with this unit so far, except...

There's a noticeable penetrating hum coming from the unit at any distance.

The humming is very noticeable, it lets you know it's on, at any fan speed, at any distance.

I'm going to contact AirPura.

*Update, one week later: AirPura is sending me another unit. The rep said he thinks it's just one unit that had problems with some of the electronics.

EDIT: Airpura had to send me a second replacement unit. The first replacement also made a humming noise. This 2nd replacement doesn't hum. The rep said the original and first replacement most likely had a motor balancing problem. The units were fairly easy to box for returns. Fed-Ex picked it up at my door. They allowed me to keep the unit until the replacement(s) arrived.

I use this unit in my Living/Dining/Kitchen area (optimal 550 sq.foot space they recommend). It's the best smoke aircleaner I've tried so far, which includes BlueAir's top of the line Smokestop (see my review) and before that the no longer made Friedrich C90B. The air exiting the AirPura blows upward rather than straight out, which is good. From the picture, it looks as if air exiting out at the top band of holes would shoot straight out, but the exiting air has an upward airflow to it. The fan at lower speeds isn't as quiet as expensive particle air cleaners, but this unit is made to remove smoke. Higher fan speeds will get this unit whooshing air, as I expected, but medium speed noise is very tolerable by me. Variable speed is nice, but I'd be happy with 5 speed settings. I have to turn the knob a ways to hear a noticeable change in fan speed. I'll probably replace the TarBarrier prefilter and the filter cannister earlier than AirPura recommends in order to maximize effectiveness. I bought this particular brand because of the 26 lbs. of charcoal in the filter. I endure the hum, the return of the defective replacement, and the return of my originally bought defective unit because this brand aircleaner with its 26 lbs. of charcoal is the best out there right now at dealing with smoke and gasses.

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NewAir AC12000E 12,000 BTU Portable Air Conditioner

The NewAir portable AC definitely works. Lots of cold air comes pouring out of this thing, but it may not be exactly what you're looking for. It's good for some things and not so good for others. Let me explain.

I have an office/media room on the top floor of my house. It's basically an attic/loft that gets pretty warm in the summer. Central air is pumped into the room, but not much air comes through the vents. My homeowner's association will not allow window AC units, so I thought this would be an excellent alternative. The unit is portable and the window exhaust vent is not noticeable from the outside. The unit looks nice and is sturdy. I like the remote control and the digital thermostat on the front of the unit. It rolls nicely on it's casters. Hooking up the hose and exhaust vent was easy. However, my expectations may have been too high.

First, the room is about 150-200 square feet. The unit is not able to cool the room down much at all. The room is tolerable if you're sitting with the unit pointed in your direction as you can feel the cool air. That's about as good as it got. Also, the hose and exhaust vent got really hot during operation. Not sure if the heat radiating out from it canceled out the AC, but it was noticeable. To the unit's credit, the room has a skylight that acts just like a magnifying glass, so I'm sure some of the heat in the room is the result of it. Plus, there are three other windows with only blinds pulled. Maybe putting some opaque curtains up would help keep the temp down.

Second, the unit is very loud. Even on the low setting the compressor fills the room with a loud buzzing sound. If I'm working at my computer with headphones on, it's not a problem. But if I'm trying to watch a movie or play video games on the TV it's downright impossible.

Needless to say, I'm a little disappointed with the unit. I spent almost $400 on this thing and it doesn't really work the way I wanted it to. There are a few tweeks I can make to the room to help it along, but I guess I'm just going to have to get used to it.

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Austin Air Healthmate Jr Replacement Filter

I've never seen a filter for home use, as well made as what Austin Air Systems puts out. I use 2 Healthmate Jr's in the room where my 2 large parrots reside.(The only reason for having 2 Jr's vs 1 larger filter is that I got both used.)I ordered a new filter for the 2nd filter I had just purchased, knowing it was likely the original.Was extremely pleased in a very short time as to how well this system works (with a known new filter in service)With the feather dander a cockatoo creates, any kind of air filter has it's work cut out for it, and having the Austin units pretty much eliminated ANY dander/feather dust settling anywhere except IN the Austin filter. Makes cleaning the room less of a chore now,with dusitng being just a slight go over.

The price for a Austin Air Syatem filter unit OR a replacement filter might scare some off on buying one, but after many ,many years and having gone through a number of "big box store" air filters, trust me a Austin air filter is worth every penny.

If it does such a great job in just one room w/ parrots and related dust/dander, I can imagine how great it would be when one is used in a "normal" house/room setting,and seriously thinking about getting the larger version for the rest of the house.

It's a work horse and does it's job VERY well. 5 stars on every level for this purchase!

RSVP International Endurance Endurance Jumbo Compost Pail lARGE 1.5-gallon Size

I was looking for a pail that was attractive enough to sit on the counter but large enough to reduce the trips to the compost bin (I have the compostumbler...highly recommended). I had a ceramic pail before but found it too small and heavy, and a hassle to clean. This one works well, and would get 5 stars were it not for the fact that the lid doesn't seal. I don't know if that's a design problem or if I just got a bad one, but it's a problem because it allows tiny fruit flies to get in. But I haven't seen another one this size, so I'll stick with it.

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Homedics Ar-20 Hepa Air Cleaner 100 Cadr

I don't normally review products on Amazon; however, I just had to share with you how awesome this product is.

The Bad:

There is little bad about this air cleaner, but it is inconvenient enough that it does warrant one star being removed. First, it doesn't have any sort of handle. Sure, it has a few surfaces you could grab it by, but they don't seem quite sturdy enough. A good, built-in handle would just about make this thing perfect. Finally, the buttons light up. I mean REALLY light up. At night when you're trying to sleep, THEY LIGHT UP THE ENTIRE ROOM. And there is no way to turn these lights off (that I could find). We now have a folded up t-shirt dedicated to forever sitting on top of it so that we can sleep at night with it in the room. Something should really be done about that...

The Good:

I have had allergies for years, and I've always suspected it was because of the cats that live with us in our apartment (I was congested EVERY morning and my eyes itched all the time), but I've never really done anything about it. Then last week I had LASIK surgery, and I decided I wanted to at least try to ease my allergies post-surgery. So I purchased the AR-20 cleaner and set it up in the apartment the night before surgery. The next morning I woke up congestion-free for the first time in years. I've woken up every morning since then congestion-free, and my eyes haven't been itching any. I a SO glad I purchased this before having LASIK. It likely prevented post-op complications!

I highly recommend this air cleaner. Just pick it up at the base, and have an old t-shirt handy.

PurePlug Air Purifier

I purchased this ozone generator to combat the urine/fecal/pet smells coming from our "cat room" on the second floor. There are three litter boxes and two food dishes in the room and often but not always an offensive collection of odors emanates and can even be smelled on the first floor at the bottom of the stairwell. Even with daily cleaning of the boxes, the smells persist. In the past, we used a HEPA filter which was somewhat effective however, it required routine cleaning of the filter element and once this became gunked up the odors returned. Too much hassle, not to mention it was a large contraption. I was looking for an "install it and forget it" solution.

I researched ozone generators and wasn't quite convinced. For one, the EPA does NOT recommend using an ozone generator and claims that not only do they pose a health hazard (mostly for those with respiratory issues/asthma), but they are also ineffective at scrubbing smells. (This research can be found online check it out). Not only that, there are a ton of ozone generators on the market, and they all look the same and appear to come from China, so that's not very confidence-inspiring, either. I took a gamble and didn't expect much return on my $40, but my main objective was to dispel or verify claims on both sides.

The PurePlug unit itself has a small footprint it's a little larger than a night light and plugs directly into an outlet. It includes its own version of a night light, which is the blue semi-circle in the center of the device. This feature is useless, in my opinion. It doesn't emit enough light to be considered a night light replacement, but that's not why I bought it. I figured it was manufacturer hype which it was.

The unit is operated by turning a knob clock-wise. You are able to control the flow of ozone by operating the knob from "off" to full blast the 6 o'clock position is "off". There is an audible sound, like a gas leak, when the device is in use. The sound increases as the knob is advanced. Because I'm not upstairs much, other than when I'm asleep in the bedroom with the door closed, the noise isn't a bother. If you install it near a liveable area, especially a den, it might be distracting.

The ozone generator emits a very strong, distinct smell. You can almost taste it. There have been a lot of comparisons, and the "outdoorsy" characterization is accurate. I would compare it to wormy soil after a rain storm, with a chemical tinge. This may or may not bother you. I've lived in the country all my life, so I'm used to it. Even though this unit is only supposed to service a room between 30-100 sq. feet, the ozone odor is detectable way outside this radius. I can strongly smell it in the connecting hallway and at the door to my bedroom about 15 feet away, and even faintly at the bottom of the stairs. This is with the knob cranked to full blast. I don't think I would want this ozone generator near a liveable area unless there was a strong odor there which needed to be eliminated (in my case, there isn't it's only in the cat room upstairs). Basically, the ozone smell is going to replace whatever you're trying to get rid of. If you can't take it, that might not be a good thing.

This brings me to the most important rating factor does the unit eliminate offensive odors? In my experience, yes, it does. I run the unit about 12 hours a day on the full setting. As mentioned, the cat smells are gone, replaced with the ozone odor. They have not been "covered up", like spraying an air freshener as a masking agent. The room smells cleaner/fresher and I don't feel as gross being in there. In fact, I hung a heavy bag in the doorway and work out in the room now. I turn off the ozone generator an hour or two in advance so that it airs out. Keep in mind that the unit is not going to eliminate smells as they occur. When one of the cats poops, I can immediately detect it but, instead of the odor fanning throughout the house, it's now contained and subdued quickly. This is why I purchased the device and it's performing as I'd hoped.

I will update this review in the future regarding: a) any ill health effects experienced from inhaling ozone, b) how long one should run the device for it to clean a 100 sq. foot room by experimenting with different durations (as noted, it's currently on 12 hours a day), and c) the longevity of the unit itself.

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Toot Away | Natural + Organic SCENT FREE Air Freshener

Or at least ought to be. Not to knock past prizewinners, because they're really smart and accomplished and all, but I think there should be a category for applauding stuff people like you and me can really appreciate. Like this stuff!

I don't know how this product does what it does, but I think it does it better than anything else I've tried.

Circumspect enough for you?

You spritz the air and anything you want to go away goes. It's as if whatever happened didn't. This spray does NOT mess around. I've never seen anything like it. A little goes a long way. I keep a bottle in the bathroom, one in my purse, but the jury's still out on making it a gift. (I don't want people to think I think they're smelly or anything. Sometimes folks take stuff the wrong way, you know? I gave a cousin a book on healthy eating and she quit speaking to me for some reason I still don't get. Go figure.)

But it's non-toxic and erases odors, and that is very cool indeed. Get this stuff and believe me, you will make yourself and everybody in your immediate vicinity very happy!

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16x24x1 ULTRA 800 Allergen Reduction Air Filter 6-Pack

While the filtration of this filter is fine, I am quite disappointed that the dimensions stated in the product title are not the true dimensions. Yes, I do find now that in the further description that it states the dimensions given are "nominal" and that the ACTUAL dimensions are 0.5 inches less than the stated. But in ACTUALITY, the measurements are even smaller than that! I find that my so-called "16x24" filters (that they say are "15.5x23.5") are really 15 11/32 inches by 23 11/32 inches.

Maybe it's an "industry standard" to not use the exact dimensions stated, but I don't think so since 3M Filtrete doesn't do so. And you know what? If the measurement is less than 0.5, you have to ROUND DOWN!!

While I COULD order from these guys again and get the right size this time, I have no plan to do so.

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Essick Air 5D6 700 4-Speed Mini Console Humidifier,White

I just purchased this for a rental property of mine and have been using it for around 1 week. This unit is definitely not fancy, consists of a the fan/motor unit, 2 wicks, and around 3-4 gallon tank for the water. The fan has 4 speed settings, and it has a humidity detection unit that can be set in 20% intervals from 20% to 90% (constant) run. It claims to cover around 1100 sq feet, and so far it is easily doing that. Here are the negatives:

1. Filling is a bit of a hassle. You have to lift the top off and set it aside. The cord tethers you to a small radius of the unit to do this

2. On fan speeds of 3 and 4, the unit can be quite loud. 1 and 2 are soft enough to actually be used in a bedroom or living room.

3. It uses two wicks, costing on average between 10 and 15 dollars a piece. This can be costly to change them if you have really hard water like some of my houses.

4. I had to exchange the unit one time after 1 days use. The motor unit was making a loud "buzzing noise" above the noise of the fan, like a starter in a florescent light continually being charged. The replacement one I have is working good.

I purchased because I did not have many choices in the rural area, nor did I have the budget to invest in another Honeywell HCM-6009 Quietcare, so this will suffice. I will keep this unit tucked in the corner of the dining room, away from the living area, but close enough to cover the bedrooms upstairs. For the price, this will serve it's purpose, but there are better units out there.

Genuine Electrolux Carbon Filters EL023

$34 for a few carbon filters? You can buy them in bulk from Honeywell. They come in a sheet 16.5 X 48 inches long. You can get 3 filters out of one sheet. DON'T buy the cheaper generics, you'll be sorry. There's two types, depending on your main concern. Smokers will definitely want the second style, HRF-AP1, NOT the HRF-APP1

These are made with Activated Carbon made with Zeolite/Volcanic Rock.

Copy and paste this link:

http://www.amazon.com/Honeywell-HRF-APP1-Filter-HEPAClean-Purifier/dp/B0046L57WA/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1333328103&sr=8-7

Pro's

1 Great for chemical fumes and odors

2 Good for kitchen odors

3 Good for pet odors

4 Good for new car smells

5 Can be re-used by putting it in the sun

Con's

1 Hard to find in it's pure form

2 Not available for most air purifiers

These are made with Activated Coal Carbon.

http://www.amazon.com/Kaz-Home-Environment-HRF-AP1-Honeywell/dp/B003UH9I2G/ref=pd_sim_hg_1

Pro's

1 Great for smoke of any kind

2 Great for kitchen odors

3 Great for pet odors

4 Great for chemical fumes and odors

Con's

1 Has to be replaced periodically

2 Most carbon filters are overpriced

Carbon made from COAL is the air purifier best odor absorber.

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Replacement Air Purifier Carbon Pre-Filter 4 Pack Whirlpool Whispure AP510

The filters are much thicker than expected and are a generic brand. They did not fit in the air purifier properly due to the thickness. Once I got a filter to fit in I turned on the purifier and 20 minutes later my room had a terrible smell in it from the filter material. I do not recommend this item.

Eureka FilterAir Upright Vacuum

We are very pleased with the vacuum and it has very good suction. We would have liked the on/off switch to have been on the back of the handle like we are used to and the hose is a little stiff but that is being picky. I can really tell the difference in how much cleaner my rugs look than from the panasonic I was using.

Dyson DC35 Animal Digital Slim Cordless Vacuum Cleaner

As an owner of a Dyson DC25 Ball vacuum cleaner I was already a loyal fan by the time that I got a chance to own this item. The DC25 is a great vacuum, however any full-sized upright model has limitations. They are large, heavy and need to be plugged in. Also, even the best of them are difficult to maneuver into small corners and under furniture without using additional accessories attached to a separate hose. The Dyson DC35 Animal augments a full sized upright by being small, lightweight and cordless.

I decided to make a video review to show the DC35 in action. I hope that it helps you in finding the right vacuum for your needs.

Note: When viewing the finished video I noticed that I accidentally said "childrens", I guess as a plural of children (?!?) I don't think that I have ever said that before. Oh well, sorry about that.

Miele : S163 Universal Mini Upright Vacuum

*Note that the same model is available on Amazon for a different price, I'm not sure why.

*The only difference between the S163 and S168 is the HEPA filter on the S168...I found it was significantly cheaper to buy the S163 and add the HEPA filer purchased separately.

It is extremely difficult to find a bagged stick vac. For those of us with allergies (or just aversion to dust) "bagless" vacuums are not attractive. Dumping the dust bin re-releases lots of junk (especially the smallest, lightest particles) back into the air.

I bought the Miele S163 simply because it was the only bagged stick vac I could find several years ago. I am thrilled with it. It has very strong suction and rolls easily across our hardwood floors. It does not blow or push around crumbs like many other vacuums, it actually picks them up on the first pass. The chamber is sealed and after several years of use the inside of the vac is literally like new, every speck of dust has been trapped in the bag or filter.

Because I only use mine on hard floors, I find I don't have to change the bag more often than our large canister vac (which we use for carpets). Even very dirty hard floors don't generate nearly as much "waste" as carpets, and I generally change the S163 bag every month, even though it's usually not full. I have a cat and two Cheerio-eating children and use the vac at least once per day.

Bottom line: this vacuum has kept my kitchen floor crumb-free for several years and shows no sign of quitting anytime soon.

Honeywell Premium Odor-Reducing Air Purifier Replacement Pre-Filter

Wonderful filter. Depending on your air cleaner model this has enough filter media for 2 filter changes. This filter removes all odors from your house and leaves your air clean and allows you to breathe perfectly and have a wonderful nights sleep. Removes smoke and pet odors along with hair,dust and other common indoor polutants. My only problem is that it is made in Mexico and not the USA(At least its not made in China).Go ahead and order this original Honeywell Pre-Filter you will be happy that you did.

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Bionaire BAP1412-U PERMAtech Mini Tower Air Cleaner

My Bionaire arrived on time & in excellent condition. It works so quietly that even though I am a light sleeper I can sleep with it on. I am no longer stuffed up when I wake up and do not need my nose spray before going to bed. I ordered a 2nd one and it works just as well. I use the 2nd one in the living room.

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Whynter 14,000 BTU Dual Hose Portable Air Conditioner

My windows can't handle a window air conditioner without major hassles. Great to have a solution I can use for the odd week of too hot weather then easily put away again. Nice to have the option of cooling the bedroom area at night and the wife's home office during the day. I like the ARC-143MX. The 3M filter instead of the carbon one (ARC-14S) means more air flow but no odor removal. Pick the model on that difference. Cools my 13x13 bedroom down from 81 to 72F in 30 minutes. Outside temperature usually dropping from 87 to 80 at the same time. I appreciate not having to dump out water! Casters roll easily. Not designed to go upstairs at night and downstairs every morning. Handles are just indentations on the sides of the shell: wouldn't take much to drop and lack of anything to grip makes two person carry by handles an iffy thing to do. Shell does not handle torque stress well. Compressor noise is a little too much for me to sleep next to but quiet enough to hold a conversation while standing around the ARC-143MX. The window kit is plain PVC and screws might strip out: it needed some caulk and stick-on foam strips to not let in outside air and bugs. Would be better if window kit was designed so intake and exhaust could be spaced as far apart as the width of the window opening instead of fixed at a few inches apart. Remote easier to use than front-facing controls on unit because unit display awkward to read unless kneeling. Unit is tall enough that the cold air is mixing in the upper part of the room and not getting trapped by the bed or couch. Power cord length is good but I can see where longer would come in handy. For a product in this price range, the timer should be upgraded to do daily scheduled on and off timings.

I like the ARC-143MX and hope the next model gets a few tweaks.

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Honeywell Humidifier Wick Filter

I don't even know why they still make the non-airwashing filters. These Honeywell HAC-504 Replacement Filter for Honeywell Humidifiers really do take a lot of the dust out the air, but more importantly these filters holdup a lot longer than the HONEYWELL/ENVIRACAIRE HAC-504 Replacement Filter Pad ones do, and they really aren't that much more expensive. These filters are mislisted though, their real part number is HAC-504AW, the "AW" is for "Air Washing", because for the blue layer of filter material.

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Hoover Power Scrub Deluxe Carpet Washer

I have tested and evaluated 5 rug scrubbing machines in the last 2 years and the Hoover Power Scrub Deluxe Carpet Washer is the latest. Since I have plenty of other machines to compare this unit with, this review is almost writing itself. I have found the Hoover brand to be very reliable for both vacuums and carpet cleaners and had no reason to think otherwise regarding the Hoover Scrub Deluxe.

Did it meet my expectations for quality and easy of use? Read on McDuff!

The Deluxe comes almost fully assembled with just a couple screws that need attaching. Piece of cake, anyone can do it and quickly. The unit is a bit on the smaller side but that makes it easy to handle and easier to store. Having bad arthritis I find the smaller size is better for me, especially since water weighs so much. Less water, less weight. Works for me! Overall build quality is fine. Almost everything is a combination of different plastics, some rubber and a bit of metal thrown in here and there. Made in China of course, but what today isn't? The motor is a bit noisy but that is the case with ALL my carpet cleaners and is to be expected.

Filling and emptying the machine is pretty easy and caused me no trouble. The automatic "stop" function kicks in when the rubber stopper in the tank reaches the top and cuts off your suction, alerting you it is time to dump the tank and refill to continue cleaning. Sounds good in theory but the machine is a bit touchy and simply bumping into my couch leg made the stopper jump up and shut off suction. Turning it off and on again resets the cycle but for someone who is busy cleaning it is a bit of a hassle in that regard because everyone is going to run into this little glitch on occasion. Apparently removing the mesh filter can circumvent this from happening and If you vacuum the item you wish to clean thoroughly before using you should be able to get away with removing it. (picked this up from another Amazon reviewer and sure wished I had seen that tip before I started my tests) I had no issues with the hose popping out during use. In fact, I thought all the parts that you attach were solidly made and attached/detached easily compared to some other brands I have tried.

Between the "spin-scrub" tool and the smaller upholstery tool you can handle most furniture cleaning jobs. As another reviewer has noted the sprayer can make a bit of a mess as the area spayed is a bit wider than what I would like for smaller items although it worked fine on my couch, at least until I got to the ends. You get a starter container of cleaning solution (16oz) and as far as I can tell any brand should work when you go to buy more.

I own a Rug Doctor Mighty Pro X3 and I prefer this Hoover for easy of use and overall flexibility. Even the build quality is comparable. This Hoover Power Scrub Deluxe gets my carpet just as clean and at $300 less than the Rug Doctor I think that is a pretty good endorsement. It is smaller and takes a bit longer to cover the same area, but for me ease of use trumps just about everything else. Once you get used to the machine you can go pretty fast with it. Recommended as a good value overall.

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Bionaire BT46RU Tower Fan

I have this fan, but i need to replace it because it squeaks so loudly. I tried to oil it, but no use. I have had it about a year, and it was fine until a couple of months ago. The fan blows a lot of air, and keeps me cool. I like the remote control feature.