Jura Capresso Clearyl Blue Water Filters (Pack of 6)

Great price and my Jura works wonderfully. I try to do all the cleaning required to keep it in good shape...actually, the cleaning is minimal.

Second time ordering from this company and as expected, no problems, only quality product and good service. I recommend this product and company.

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Just like I need. Great product, well packaged, promp delivery and fair price.

Thank you very much, I am satisfied with your service.

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These aren''t inexpensive and it is hoped they make a difference in keeping my Jura J9 operating at its best for many years. I have well water and don''t want the sediment fouling this very expensive machine. The filters are well built and seem substantial and likely to do the job.

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The Jura Capresso was not a cheap coffee maker and we will not try a substitute filter. We''ve had our machine for 4 years and with good care (& the use of the Clearyl Blue Filters), it has remained in perfect working conditions with daily use.

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Pro Shot Industrial Re-Newing Floor Restorer Save 10% Off

I have used this for years and like it enough to keep re-ordering. The only caveat I might offer is that if you wipe up a spill, etc, sometimes you can see the area where you wiped it will be distinct from the shine on the rest of the floor. I have tried blending it in to no avail. I also have to disagree with others who say it "fills in" scarring & scratches. I guess technically it does but I can still see the scratches in my floors (caused by big dogs). Makes a great shiny floor that is easily applied and does disguise them a bit from that aspect but don''t get too excited about it''s ability to hide a lot. We will eventually have to sand these floors but this product does better than any others we have found to make them look nice in the interim.

I first bought this item years ago on a home shopping channel, thinking I would give it a shot, ready to return it if it did not do an outstanding job well beyond the typical store bought wax/shine product, & I am so happy I did!

I live in a pre-war apartment building with hardwood floors. When I moved in I did poly-urethane most of the rooms'' wood floors to renew the high shine, except for the bedroom dark stained and varnished floor. The varnish coat had worn away and whenever I mopped I brought up alot of the dark wlanut stain each time and wanted something to coat the wood floor with the best shine but of course not a waxy residue build up and not a slippery surface as a result. This product is amazing!!!

It not only delivered exactly what I wanted on the bedroom wood floor a beautiful high shine, a coating to protect the floor afterwards when I did a quick wet mop more often in between Pro shot applications, to remove dust its also so shiny but non slippery too. With such great results I also used it on all my other varnished floors that now after years of use, lost there original shine and could always use a boost after mopping, as well as my lino tiles kitchen floor and all look so beautiful afterwards, and as the product claims, it does last far longer than any other floor shine product I have purchased from a store.

Also, unlike some of the shine products made for kitchen lino floors, which when you spill water afterwards you get horrible spotting, with this product, there isnt that gross build up nor spotting when it gets wet afterwards.

After my first experience with this item, I have now continued to order it for the past few years, missing it when it runs out.

I highly recommend taking the chance on this higher priced product to see for yourself! Its worth the investment because you will not need to apply it as often as you would a regular floor shine wax product & you will see you will not deal with the build up mess that comes after a few applications of the nromal wax shine products out there, or slip worry of them either. And the shine left behind terrific!

It truly is fantastic!

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I have been using Pro Shot for the last 5 years on my ceramic floors and counters. It leaves an unbelievable shine. My tile had a very dull finish and this just makes it glow. My neighbors always ask me about it. It lasts approximately 6 months, but I live alone. You won''t be sorry. I have never had a bad experience with it.

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Pro Shot does the job on wood floors that are not worn out. I got a shine with one coat on that area of the living room that has no wear and tear after 10 years without a professional job. But the worn-out parts, including a black patina over the light wood floor, yields virtually no shine. The product is five times as expensive as mop ''n'' glo but does only a marginally better job.

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I was hoping for a miracle from Pro Shot. My laminate floor is only 5 years old, and I have 1000 sq ft of it, so there is no way I would think of replacing it yet. I have a 3x3 ft square that is soooo scratched from my old computer chair that I never thought it could be saved. The whole floor is so dull from my cleaner''s build-up, I thought nothing could give it life again. But I sit here just amazed! I can barely see the damaged section under the chair and the overall shine is remarkable!!!! It was very easy to do and left virtually no streaks though I can definitly see spots that I missed!!!

PAY CLOSE ATTENTION THOUGH!!! It tells you on the back to apply to clean dry floor. BE SURE to get everything off the floor! I have found a number of black dog hairs (another factor in my scratched up floor) basically glued to my floor!!!

Not a product defect, just something to be aware of: If it is on your floor when you apply this product, it will remain there until you scrape it up, or wear it off.

Overall, I love the product, hopefully the shine lasts a long time! When it is dull again, I will definitely use it again.

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Brita 42633 Faucet Filtration System

• Unlimited, great-tasting water
• Brita''s most advanced water filtration system
• Tool-free set up
• LED filter replacement indicator
• Brita On Tap faucet filters

I may be reiterating what many of the reviewers before me have said, but I may have a few helpful points to add.

First, they should have never used plastic adapters. Kitchen faucets with internal threads are quite common and the likelihood is high that you will have to use one of the included adapters to attach the filter to that kind of faucet. The plastic threading simply can''t withstand the water pressure that will inevitably push on it when you turn the water on all the way.

It would have been very easy for them to use quality steel parts, and I''m sure most people would have been happy to even pay $5-10 more for something that will actually last. It is especially surprising that they would cut corners on a product where the real profit comes from the replacement filters rather than the original purchase. Who knows what they were thinking (or if they were thinking at all), but this product simply doesn''t work when setup correctly.

The use of plastic is not where the problems end, however, because there is literally less than a half an inch of exposed threading within the top portion of the adapter. The adapters themselves also have around a quarter inch of threading. This is really a shame, because even using a weak material like plastic might be sufficient if they had enough threads engaging to strengthen the connection.

That said, if you are set on using this product (or forced to), here are a couple of things you can do to help alleviate the problem. I''ve gotten mine to work long enough for me to order something from one of their competitors.

Turn the water pressure down on your faucet. In case you don''t know how, there are usually two levers (one hot, one cold) underneath your sink that control the water supply. Try tightening them until the water flow is slow enough that it won''t blow the filter off.

Try epoxy or a similar plastic bonding agent. I used epoxy to bond the adapter to the filter mount. You can then screw it on by holding the rotating ring in place. This is an irreversible and permanent solution, but it will make it so that there is only one point that will leak.

Another poster suggested you can contact Brita to get a metal replacement adapter. That may be a good solution. However, keep in mind that you will still have to screw the metal adapter into a short length of plastic threading. That may simply shift the weakest point to a different part of the mount.

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I was cautious after reading the disgruntled reviewers state the Brita On Tap''s alleged weaknesses but figured it was so easy to put on and take off that worst case scenario I''d just return it. The first thing I learned is that my sink faucet has threads on the inside. This means I had to use the Brita''s included adapter. The adapter fit easily but without the washer. I could never get it on with the washer attached. This would be a problem if I had leaks or erratic water flow but so far that has not been a problem. After installing the base system to the faucet three minutes later, I was done. Now it was time for the taste test. Very good. The water didn''t have the normal bad aftertaste from normal tap water and I''m now poised to cancel my water delivery, which is costing me about 650 dollars a year and which for all I know has more impurities than the company is willing to divulge. Compared to my Brita system--30 dollars for the unit and then 60 dollars a year in filters (every 3 months you have to buy a 15 dollar filter), I''d say I''m ahead more than 500 dollars a year. Sounds like a good deal to me.

Update: I discovered I couldn''t put in the supplied washer in with the adapter because the old washer was "hiding" in the faucet. Once I took out the old washer, I was able to put on the adapter as prescribed in Brita''s instructions. I tightened firmly by hand and there are no leaks or spattering problems. For the money, a very good unit indeed.

Second Update on 1-12-10

After 3.5 years, the system finally started leaking all over the place. A $30 system that lasts that long still seems like a fair deal.

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We have gone through 3 of these in 2 years. The actual water filter works great but the way it attaches to your sink will eventually fail and end up spraying you or completely falling off. The attachment parts are plastic and if the threads don''t get stripped while you put it on the first time, they will eventually wear down and then there is nothing you can do except shell out more bucks for a new one mainly just for the little plastic threaded connector. Also, the indicator light is not 100% reliable. I recall it flashing red for weeks even though we had just put a brand new filter in the holder.

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There are a couple of things to be aware of before you buy this.

The indicator lights are powered by a non-replaceable battery. Britta says it has a 5 year life but if it fails sooner it can''t be replaced. After that, no indicator for filter replacement.

The mounting fittings that come with the filter are cheap plastic and I couldn''t mount mine without it blowing off if the water was turned up too high. Call Britta and they will send (free) metal fittings but it takes a couple of weeks.

Britta automated phone assistance is horrific to navigate.

NYC water clogs faucet filters fast. I''ve tried a few systems and so far this one has lasted the longest. It''ll go for a month+ before it needs replacement. Not the full four months Brita claims but the other brands I tried lasted less than two weeks. I''ve had the system for 6 months.

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KRUPSFME214Programmable 12-Cup Coffee Maker Save 21% Off

I was a little concerned about opening up shop away from home, 3 states away, and having to leave my tried and true Krups Pro Aroma behind. Granted, its an 8 year old model, but it made a great cup of coffee, and I had mastered the fairly simple interface for programming and setup.

In my search, I read a LOT of negative reviews about the new Krups product family. Really not a surprise cause even the Pro Aroma had its many quirks, but still.....the coffee. So, after reading a bunch of bad reviews on Braun, Mr Coffee, Cuisinart, and Krups coffeemakers, I figured $60 was worth the risk to plunk down on this model. My first impression when I opened the box was that the coffemaker was solid and well constructed, but that the carafe was too light and thinly formed. But after two weeks of use I really cant find anything to complain about.

Yes, the carafe is very light, but I like it. And it pours well with no drips. I havent yet attempted to program the machine cause thats not a necessity for me, but hit the "ON" button and in about 5 minutes you have a fast, hot, and extraordinarily flavored pot of coffee. And this is honestly the best coffee I''ve ever had from this machine, even much better than my old Pro Aroma from the same manufacturer.

I dont know how Krups does it, and I dont care, this machine is just one of the best on the market today, and probably thee best when we''re talking about the quality of the end result...which is all that matters. 5 beans

Let me start by saying two things:

1. I love coffee. Personally, not counting my wonderful wife and staff at the office, I drink at least two _pots_ of coffee per day. Yes, that is over 120 fluid ounces every day, seven days a week. Needless to say I was pleased with each of the new health benefits announced regarding excess coffee consumption!

2. After researching reasonably priced, reliable coffee makers, we bought two of these Krups FME2-14 units: One to replace our aging Braun, and the other for our daughters'' apartment. This review encompasses experiences from both households.

There are many things to love about this coffeemaker, and a few (3) minor issues. I''ll touch on the issues first: With typical German precision, the water reservoir is designed to hold 60 fluid ounces, or 12 5-ounce cups worth. Not more, but I''m sure it can handle less, being well equipped with a 1-3 cup "small pot" mode. However, if (1) you launch into cleaning it and brewing coffee without really reading the user manual, and (2) you have the tendency to brew the fullest possible pot (as a conspicuous consumer such as myself might), you will quickly discover that the overflow port in the back wall of the water reservoir works exceedingly well. I did. As I wiped up the extra few cups of water rapidly dispensed upon my counter I made the mental note to only fill it with 12 cups henceforth. This is, obviously, a user issue; others who are experienced with pots brewing less than advertised will be pleased to note that 12 cups of water in really translates to 12 cups of coffee out. You do not need to overfill this coffeemaker''s reservoir, but you may have to relearn some behaviors.

The glass carafe, while well made and shaped in handling terms, is thinner walled than previous pots we''ve owned. This has two effects: First, the coffee cools faster when the hot plate turns off. Not that my coffee sits around too long, but if this is a potential issue for you I would buy the insulated carafe model. Second, it does not withstand much rough handling, as indicated by our need to purchase a replacement already for the daughters. One "light bump" in the sink was sufficient. It did make me wonder if the same engineer who designed windshields for the 60s VW Beetle was involved... regardless, don''t whack it or you''ll be picking up the pieces as well as the tab. My wife also adds that the replacement carafe, at over $20, was more costly than expected. Again: Exercise care in handling!

The final issue I have is the engineer''s choice of material for making the feet: Two round plastic knobs (in front) and two square rubberized feet (in back) give the coffeemaker a firm grip on your countertop. Unfortunately too firm if you keep the unit under a close overhang as we do. It does mean you have to lift the unit slightly when moving it in or out, something that''s easier to do when empty than full due to the overflow port mentioned earlier. Again, this is easily fixed with something slippery (like a silicone glide pad) that the machine can rest upon.

And as you can tell, none of these issues are true defects. In every other regard the Krups FME2-14 has been the best under $100.00 coffeemaker I have ever owned. The controls are logical and easy to operate, and it makes great brew. Unlike many inexpensive units, the steam does not readily escape from vents or cracks in the heating chamber or drip basket, so you can place it in a more confined space than others (bearing in mind the rubber feet) and it blends well in a modern kitchen. Most importantly, the product itself the coffee is consistent time after time. Whatever your personal formula for the perfect cuppa you''ll get it here!

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I had a Krups purchased in 1999 that lasted 7 years it was the best coffee maker I have ever owned. After it died, I noticed that Krups was not making the same model so I bought a Braun KF510 (which I love and highly recommend).

I bought this Krups as a Christmas gift for my parents, and I was disappointed in the quality. The pot itself feels extremely thin (much thinner than my $35 Braun machine). It did not come with a gold mesh filter (or any filter)and the filter basket does not really fit properly with the machine, so it snags every time you close it.

Another problem is that you cannot turn the pot back on once it turns off: the machine tries to brew all over again, and then turns off after indicating there is no water. So, you must program the coffee pot to stay on longer, and if you want to keep it warm after it turns off, you cannot. I have never seen a coffee pot do this.

Overall, my Braun KF510 machine is sturdier and more well-made than this one. The Krups does make a good-tasting cup of coffee, and my parents seem happy with it. I think a better machine could be purchased for less money. I do not think it is worth the price.

Note: In all of my research while looking for decent coffee makers, Braun and Krups are the best on the market.

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When my old roommate moved out with the fancy coffeemaker, I began searching for a replacement. Timer functions, 8+ cup capacity, and ease of use were indispensable features, but I just couldn''t afford a $100 machine. After a few weeks of comparison-shopping, I managed to find this model the only reputable one under $60.

Usage:

I have owned this for 1 year, and I use the machine every day, setting the timer function to brew a 2-cup pot every morning (for which the "1-3 cup" button is helpful). Occasionally I have brewed a full pot for company, and that''s worked fine.

The Good:

Brews well! The coffee may not be scaldingly hot, but it brews hot enough to retain heat in a mug while drinking, and if left in the pot on the hot plate it''s still the perfect drinking temperature 2 hrs later. Also, no strange flavors are imparted on the coffee.

Brews FAST! Seriously, the coffee is ready ten minutes before the toast unless I time things perfectly.

Very easy to clean and maintain the filter.

Very easy to settle pot onto hot plate, ensuring the coffee drips directly into carafe (unlike the comparable Cuisinart I tried, which resulted in dribbling coffee unless placed perfectly).

The Bad:

The carafe IS thin. I was initially very concerned about breaking it, but I have accidentally banged it several times in the sink and no chips yet...

The swing-out basket is a little cheap (well, compared to the $150+ mahcines). Sometimes if it''s not placed perfectly, I have to push it in with a clunking of plastic that doesn''t sound too elegant. But, it functions perfectly, so I don''t mind taking the time to set the basket in properly.

Higher-level programming is not intuitive. You really do need to read the manual for programming the timer, etc, although it''s not complicated, and you''ll remember it after 1 or 2 times.

The steam vent is quite strong, and if tucked away under a cabinet can warp the finish on the underside.

Common Complaints Addressed:

"The water level indicator on the front traps air and is inaccurate." Unfortunately, this is true. However, the gradations on the side of the carafe give me a fairly decent idea of how much water I''m adding, so I don''t feel the need to refer to an additional indicator.

"The machine will turn on automatically if the timer function is set." Well, yes it does. That''s why I just turn off the timer when I''m going out of town or don''t want coffee I drink it often enough that not having to set it every time is actually helpful. Some reviews have expressed concern of this being a fire hazard, but when there is no water the machine will not brew and instead display an error message, so I don''t think this is a danger.

"The machine/no-drip lid dribbles coffee while percolating/pouring." Huh... this has also never happened to me, not even when I brewed the full pot. Occasionally the "pause" mechanism doesn''t engage quickly when the pot is removed, and some coffee dribbles down, but this cleans up very easily afterwards. I have never had the lid leak while pouring a cup, or while the coffee was just sitting and percolating.

Summary:

For ~$60, I am very pleased with the performance of this model. It probably wouldn''t end up on a wedding registry, but for the basic needs of a daily coffee drinker, this is a great bargain. In fact, the only drawback I have encountered from using this coffeemaker is that I find myself drinking far too much coffee because it''s a breeze to make!

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After a gazillion (happy) years with the Krups ProAroma, I decided to contemporize. Committed to staying in the Family Krups, I read bundles of FME-2 reviews and dismissed the negative, too-hard-to-program complaints, figuring that it''s a coffee maker -how hard can it be? I ordered the coffee maker, and after devoting waaay too much time to trying to understand the instruction manual, I decided to just eat the money spent and search for a different brand. But after seeing complaints of one sort or another about all brands/models, I decided to baby-step the FME-2 manual ... and now I''ve got it.

The automatic-on part was the trickiest, but it''s not as bad as some reviewers report: if you use the auto-on, let''s say, M-F, just tap the "h/min" just once after the coffee is made on Friday to deactivate the auto-on. Then (still with me?) on Sunday evening after you do the coffee/water thing, tap the "prog" button 3 times (think Kansas if it helps): you do NOT need to reset the time. It will hold the time you have already set, and you''ll see 6:30 AM (or whatever) flash before your eyes as you do it. The little clock icon will light, and you''re good to go.

True, the clock, itself, does not stay lit, and there is something sort of weird about not seeing the friendly glow as you waltz past the kitchen; but there''s always the stove clock, cable box clock, and microwave clock all aglow to reassure you that time is still marching on in the kitchen.

And ... the coffee is great, hot, and as long as the warmer plate is on, so is the ever-so-pretty blue clock (noting "on"). If the handle on the pot holds out (it does not have the "hook over the pot top" feature that we''re all used to), this seems to be yet another Krups success. (I still have to wonder, however, if the designers sat around a table deciding how to complicate the set-up process that had been so sensible on the ProAroma.)

May 2006 addendum: So much for being clever. To reactivate the automatic set time after deactivating it, tap the "prog" button 4 times, not 3: the first tap shows "PROG," the second shows the hour, the third shows the minutes, and the neglected-to-mention fourth completes the reactivation. Sorry about the error. So instead of thinking Kansas, think, um, the Beatles. Or the corners of the world. Or just try to remember it''s 4 taps....

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Electrolux Jetmaxx Green Canister Vacuum Save 34% Off

Well I love the suction, and the power upholstery attachment, however there are a number of serious design flaws. The worst flaw is the hose, it is very cheap and stiff, although it can theoretically swivel on both ends, you will have to twist it with your hands for it to do so. The hose comes out of the canister at a nearly vertical angle so there is not enough sideways force to make it swivel even if they did have a half way decent swivel attachment. The result is that the hose is constantly kinking and every time you move a few feet the canister flips upside down. Adding to the flipability of the vacuum are the two large wheels on the sides that prevent the canister from turning easily. Rotating wheels would have been a big help here. I have a 1980''s Hover canister that has never flipped. If I could buy an old Hover I would.

My next disappointment was the swiveling arm, which by the way swivels like a dream, so I know they can make a good swivel (try putting it on the hose). I thought I would like this feature however I have found that it makes turning the power head very difficult. When I push the arm to the side instead of moving the head to the side it just swivels the arm. To actually change the direction of the head I have to pick it up turn it and put it back down again (this can get very tiring). Additionally since the hose is kinked all the time, it puts sideways pressure on the arm as a result I am constantly fighting to keep the arm vertical.

On last flaw regards how attachments attach to the arm. The power attachments have a very loose connection and will come off with just a little pressure. When vacuuming under the couch I have pulled the arm back out and found that the power attachment was left behind.

We ordered this canister vacuum because we wanted a canister type vac for versatility, a bagged as opposed to bagless, and a pet hair attachment. The Jetmaxx seemed to have a lot of good features and the build quality is pretty good, but ultimately it fell too short of expectations to be a keeper.

After taking the Jetmaxx for a test drive against a Panasonic Optiflow, we noted the following positives and negatives:

Pros:

-Jetmaxx has a long 5-year warranty.

-HEPA filtration and included filter is washable.

-21'' retractable cord.

-Full bag indicator.

-Fairly quiet operation, especially with canister running only. Power nozzle definitely ups the decibels, but still not as loud as the Eureka Boss upright we were replacing.

-Good selection of included tools: wide, high quality bare floor brush, crevice tool, upholstery tool, and dusting brush.

-"Crush-proof" 7'' hose.

-Quality filters.

-Convenient dust bag basket.

-Dust bags have a tab you can pull over the hole once the bag is full to seal the dust/dirt from blowing out when it''s time to change to a new bag.

-Slots for accessories, such as the bare floor brush.

-Automatic height adjustment of power nozzle. Not totally sure how well this worked in terms of proper suction, but seemed kinda nice to not have to worry about what height you need to set the power nozzle to.

-Compatible with EL8BS2 Electrolux One Pet Hand Powerbrush Accessory.

Cons:

-Dust bag is tiny @ 1.2 quarts. While the bag technically has a capacity of up to 2 quarts (the same bag is used on other models which have larger compartments), the basket this bag sits in constricts its full capacity to just the 1.2 quarts.

-Dust bag quality is questionable. This vacuum comes with two bags and when we attempted to remove the first one from the basket for initial inspection, the cardboard tab easily separated from the bag.

-While the hose may be crush-proof, it''s also very stiff compared to a more traditional wire-reinforced hose. This means the hose gets in your way more and reduces the overall maneuverability of the vacuum when using the power nozzle.

-Poor handle design/placement. The handle on this vacuum is placed in-line with the hose and wand. We found that vacuums with the handle placed above the hose/wand connections provided more leverage and increased overall maneuverability of the vacuum, and ultimately a more pleasant vacuuming experience. Each time my wife and I tested this vacuum, we noticed the Jetmaxx was more grueling to "drive" and couldn''t imagine wanting to put up with it for the next several years.

-Despite what is suggested by the photo here on Amazon, the EL8BS2 Electrolux One Pet Hand Powerbrush Accessory is *NOT* included when you buy this vacuum from Amazon. It is included on some other sites, but note the increase in price. Just be warned that if you buy it from Amazon, you''ll have to buy this tool separately.

-I think there was a slot to store one tool on the outside of the canister, but overall, there''s no dedicated compartment for tool storage as there is on most other canister vacuums. However, the crevice tool and dusting brush do snap into the underside of the handle area.

-Overall suction and amount of dirt and pet hair picked up by this vacuum seemed to just be so-so.

At the end of the day, it became clear that although this vac seemed to have solid build quality and a good warranty, it would not be a keeper mainly due to the small dust bag size and because over the overall poor maneuverability. We ended up going with the hard-to-find Electrolux Ultrasilencer Delux, which has sealed HEPA filtration and a better designed handle. Our second best choice was the Panasonic "OptiFlow" Canister Vacuum Cleaner, Twight Green, MC-CG917, which I highly recommend if you have a smaller budget.

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i haven''t had any problems with this vacuum. i bought it to replace a two year old sears kenmore, which was an expensive clunker that fell apart, so we decided to buy a cheap canister. bought this in sam''s club for around 250.00. and fell in love with it from the first day. the suction is terrific, The hose is a bit stiff and does fight you and it could swivel better, but the canister stays put on the floor and follows you well. The attachments are easy to get to, easy to get on and off. The vac.just does the job like a good little elf. i''ve had this for about four months now and actually enjoy using it. far superior to the big, pricey kenmore. smaller but just as powerful. the brush head is great. very wide, so it covers a large area an easy to get under furniture. i am planning to get another one for upstairs to replace that kenmore. i highly recc. this item.

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I love my vacuum!

I have four parrots, so the first test was running the carpet head over their "spills", it made a totally clean path trough it with no seeds, crumbs, pellets and what not coming back out and hitting my legs, nor spraying out the side. It''s a first, and I have had many other vacuums. I tried it around the Christmas tree, and it just sucked up those pesky sticky pine needles, without clogging the brush or hose. Then I tried it on my hardwood floors, and it got every little piece of dirt from there too. What I have done before is to go over them with my regular vacuum, and then use my little Swiffer vacuum to get all the fine stuff that always was left behind... No more! :D

I saw that some people have problems with the hose kinking and the canister tipping. I can''t say that I have experienced the same. The hose swivels like a dream, and the canister stays upright the whole time. Nor do I have problems with the power tool coming off, like I saw some customers comment upon.

The reason for me finally deciding upon an Electrolux was that I remember being a small child (some 45 years ago) and my mom had an old Electrolux canister vacuum. As it was getting up in age my brother got her a new non-Electolux pretty expensive vacuum. I think it was a Panasonic. Well, she tried it, got rid of it and went back to using her then already old Electrolux. I know she had hers for over 35 years. I don''t know if mine will last as long, probably not, but that''s not really the point. It''s that I also remembered her saying that her new "fancy" vacuum, did not clean nearly as well as her old trusted Elecrolux.

I only wish that it came with a stair attachment.....

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I purchased this vacuum a few months ago and can honestly say I really enjoy cleaning with this vacuum and I do not like vacuuming. It has powerful suction and cleans bare floors, wood floors and carpets very well. I did lots of research before purchasing this vacuum. I needed one that was not too heavy as my old kenmore was as I have to carry it upstairs and one that was good on carpets, as I have a dog. So far, it has been fine. The bare floor brush is wider than the one on my kenmore, which can create issues for manuevering around items at times, but it can also help get the job done quicker as well. The hose is a bit thin and can get twisted at times, but I really haven''t had major issues with this and it has not caused the vacuum to tip. There is no on board storage for all the attachments, just a few of them. This may help to keep the weight down. I got this at my local BJ''s for about $350. I am happy with my purchase.

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PUR 2 Stage Water Pitcher Replacement Filter Save 16% Off

I''ve been using this filter for many years now and we feel good that PUR filters filter out more unhealthy stuff in the water than other brands do. However, the new design for this replacement filter doesn''t come with the red moving reminder (for you to know it''s time to change the filter) anymore. I don''t know the reason why PUR would give up such good design. Now they tell you to just change the filter after a certain time. I still think the reminder design is more accurate since it goes by how much water that''s gone through the filter, not by how many days.

I''m currently a college student living with 5 other guys and we use Brita filter at the apartment. When you cook with Brita filter, you can''t taste a thing, but when you just drink the water, it taste like tap/toilet water. It also leaves those black stuff (part of the filter) on the bottom of the container. Personally, that''s just weird and nasty, but maybe people like eating those filter-particles.

Back at home, my family use Pur water filter and I have to say, you can definitely taste the difference. I think that the water filtered by Pur taste like Fiji water. It''s awesome. Instead of buying those ridiculously-good-looking bottled Fiji water, I bought huge water containers and take water filtered from home to my school apartment and just drink it myself.

The only downside of Pur water filter is that it costs more than Brita filter. Being an Economics major, I calculated the cost of water per gallon (filtered). With each filter (Pur or Brita), it filters 40 gallons of water. Pur cost $24.99 for a 3-pack (Amazon.com), this means that it costs $.208 to filter a gallon of water (excluding the cost of water itself). Brita filter cost $15.99 for a 3-pack (Amazon.com), this means that it costs $.133 to filter a gallon of water (36% cheaper than Pur). Although it costs more, I still think it''s worth the money. I rather spend the extra $.075 per gallon of water than to drink toilet water.

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I have been using the 950Z filters for the past 6 months or so with my PUR pitcher. These filters start to clog up (all of the water does not flog from the top reservoir to the bottom reservoir) after only 25-50% of the rated usage.

Read Best Reviews of PUR 2 Stage Water Pitcher Replacement Filter Here

I was shocked when I saw that the new filter we bought from store didn''t had red indicator. We thought we bought inferior 2-stage instead of 3-stage. After hours of searching, we realized that our previous filter was CR 950 which is now discontinued by P&G and the new filter is CR 950Z which doesn''t have red indicator any longer. Both were 2-stage filters. The phone# for PUR is 1-800-PUR-LINE. According to 70+ reviews from frustrated customers on Amazon, P&G decided to remove red indicator because it was "inaccurate". However my guess is that they might want to simply reduce the cost. Other reviews suggest that 950Z isn''t certified for lead any longer (although package do says it does) however from NSF website it looks like PUR they never made broader claims. From same NSF website, however, it looks like 950z is certified for zinc reduction while 950 is not. Those who are opting for 950 instead of 950z should keep this in mind. There was another type called 950L which supposedly was the best of the best in line of the PUR filters (although 950 was labeled as "Ultimate" probably purely for marketing reason). I''m not able to find absolutely anyone selling 950L right now.

In any case, 950Z looks downgrade. My guess is that PUR is more and more leaning towards reducing prices to beat Brita and in the process compromise the quality. They will definitely snatch more consumers from Brita who usually asks for reasonable quality at lowest prices than the best quality at twice the price. So I tried to see if there is anything better on the market than these two brands that serves needs of more demanding consumers. One of the filters I found was 10-stage filter from New Wave Enviro. But this looks like fad because it is not certified by NSF (which is lot difficult than EPA) and it works off of faucet at same speed which can never be as good. Market is full of other bogus filter many of claiming to make "live water" and "hexagonal crystals". What a BS!

After hours of search and reading reviews, one excellent filter I found was from Crystal Quest. They have this 6-stage Filter Cartridge ULTRA RC-10 and its not only certified by NSF but they have even put their test results online (http://www.crystalquest.com/test1.htm)! Brita and PUR haven''t had courage for this yet. Also from the diversity of Crystal Quests''s offerings it looked to me that these guys are "water filtering" experts and knows their stuff. Some reviews on Yahoo Answer suggested that Brita/PUR have commodity filters design to satisfy average middle-class market but if you are willing to shell out more money and want best in the class then Crystal Quest is probably a way to go. One other thing that attracts me to them is they have "mini-coolers". I hate pitchers and I hate filling them up every now and then. I hate even more waiting for it to fill water. It''s just a mess when guests are in the town. The mini-coolers that can hold enough water for 2-3 days and nicely sits on the kitchen top is the best solution.

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I purchased the "new model" Pur 2-stage filter without the U-shaped usage indicator. I was very interested in the "change" in design and how it affected usage. I use the Pur water pitcher in a very unusual manner that is NOT typical of most users. Firstly, I use a Premium 10-Stage water filter manufactured by Enviro-Products as a pre-filter for my little Pur 2-stage water pitcher! I only water run through the little Pur Water Pitcher because I think that the final product that I get tastes a little better that than when I don''t use it. It''s very subjective, but that''s how I feel!

I have run the old Pur Filters with the U-indicator on a daily basis for as long as a year without replacement. Obviously, I would not recommend this for anyone, but understand that it ONLY sees pure pre-purified water. After purchasing the "newly designed" Pur 2-stage filter I noticed that after approximately 60-days, water flow was being significantly reduced to a point where it was alarming to me. I couldn''t be a matter of the filter media being clogged because it ONLY sees perfectly clean water.

We''ll out comes my little Dremel cutting tool, and I carefully remove the top dome in a effort to determine the source of the problem. Low and behold the whole top section of the filter is crammed with a product that appears to be Cellulose fibers similar to what you would find in a single stage filtered cigarette. Anyway, Pur is using this cellulose type product as a "roughing filter" or strainer before the water reaches the lower filter media. The fiber, whatever it is, has swollen to the point where it will no longer past ANY WATER. How about that, a couple of months of use and the water filter is useless!

I further checked on the technical attributes of Cellulose fibers and discovered that they have a strong affinity for water and that they swell up when exposed to water and then shrink when allowed to dry out. I find it particularly interesting that Pur would choose to use a cellulose type filter as a roughing filter (and clogging agent) in front of the other media within their device while full well knowing that it would eventually choke off the water supply to the filter in a relatively short period of time and render it useless!

The only thing that''s left for you to do with your clogged filter is to go out and purchase another one that will also clog in a short period of time. I really feel sorry for the "poor Pur" people and all the new replacement filters that they keep selling to uninformed consumers. ie. "suckers"

Shameful, really shameful. Yes, I''ll place them on the "Wall of Shame".

One Star!

I''ve made modifications to my Pure 2-stage filter, but that''s another story!

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Holmes HM1700 2-Gallon Cool Mist Humidifier

I''ve had this machine for a few years now and since I was getting a couple more filters, which are ridiculously easy to find on-line, I thought I would throw in my 2 cents.

Yes, the tank only lasts about a day and a half, but that is what you want with any machine in this style. The longer a filter sits in water, the quicker it will get moldy (any filter will do this sitting in water). Regularly run dry and leave running without water a couple hours to dry out the filter and it will last longer for you. I let mine run w/o water while at work and generally replace the filter once per season even though I don''t need to.

The tank is easy to fill, doesn''t drip when carrying from the sink to humidifier and is easily placed back on. While its definately not quiet, the "Low" setting provides a modest amount of background white noise to doze of and sleep comfortably (which I like). Overall I think its an excellant design.

You get what you pay for. It is great for larger rooms, but it definitely does not last anywhere near 24 hours on a fill. Its more like 8. It can be a little loud, but it does work very well, and you can immediately feel the effects.

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Mine has been running 24/7 for over 4 years. Only problem is "valve" inside cap disintegrated 6-9 months ago -just be quick in flipping tank. Minor problem.

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Am replacing with same model (fan motor wearing after running 35,000+ hours). Live in semi-arid climate, in 300+ sq ft studio apartment, need moist air due to asthma. Many people comment on "softness" of air compared to building corridor.

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Yes, is loud. Run on high during day, low at night. You get used to it.

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Fill 2+ times daily -morning, late afternoon, top off at bedtime. Have VERY "hard" tap water (mineral salts rich), so filters fill up with salts quickly and need replacing every 4-6 weeks (depends how much evaporation leaving salts behind).

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Filters easy to find -Amazon or Holmes. Can request mailing list at Holmes for sales brochures on filters.

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Best humidifier ever had (had 1 gallon to 13 gallon units). Easy to use and operate. Recommend it highly.

Read Best Reviews of Holmes HM1700 2-Gallon Cool Mist Humidifier Here

I believe it says: "Whisper Quiet" on the box. I guess it''s "whisper quiet" when I''m three rooms over in the Kitchen with the dishwasher running! Even on the low setting, this humidifier is unbearably loud!

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I loved this humidifier until I broke the tank while filling it. It was perfect for my baby''s room -it provided a lot of moisture in his room (almost tropical) and in the summer, I took the tank off and removed the filter and used the fan noise for his naps (great white noise). I am going to buy another one immediately. If you need to add humidity to a room and like white noise this one is for you -just make sure you are holding it securely when filling the tank.

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Fluidmaster 8302 Flush Sparkle Bleach Replacement Cartridge Save 22% Off

• Installs Easily
• Provides cleaning solution directly into the bowl without harming the toilet tank components

For years we used chlorine tablets in the tank and all they did was damage the internal hardware in the toilet. When refurbishing all three toilets in our home, I saw these units and decided to give thema try. Fantastic product and for three months they have kept the toilets spotless. I don''t like the "Blue" as they don''t keep the bowls clean and the "Enzymatic" cartridges are for septic tanks. The bleach tablets are my favorite.

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I have been using the 8302 bleach version of FluidMaster 8300 Series Cleaning system for years. I have a well water supply in which the water is chlorinated and then the chlorine is removed by a whole house carbon filtration system. Hence, no chlorine is present in the water supply in the house. The 8302 chlorine refills have solved the toilet bowl cleanliness problems, as well as preserved my toilets'' internal plastic parts. The softer the water and the more frequent the toilet use, the more of these refills are required.

Here''s the big tip if you are handy, this is easy; if not, it''s still not very hard. Pool and spa supply stores sell chlorine tabs for spa chlorinators which will fit inside the FluidMaster cleaning system. Example: 100 250 tabs for $20. All you need is a vise and a few scredrivers to secure the refill cartridge and pry off the end cap, which is fitted pretty tight. I use a suction base swiveling hobby vise ($25 or so). Insert new tab, replace cap, done. Have some spare cartridges on hand and refill them all at once. I have replaced the tabs in this manner at least 15 to 20 times per refill cartridge. Eventually you will have to replace the refill cartridge, as your prying efforts will gouge the end cap too much for subsequent use, and the cartridges themsleves become brittle over an extended length of use (years). I have reduced my costs using this method to practically nil.

Read Best Reviews of Fluidmaster 8302 Flush Sparkle Bleach Replacement Cartridge Here

Amazon''s photo with this item (as of November 2008) is of the wrong product. The photo shows the blue refills, which are worthless unless you just like blue water. This product, Fluidmaster 8302, is bleach--not blue--refills for their Flush ''n Sparkle cleaning system. I added my own "customer image" of the correct product; look closely and you can see both "8302" and "bleach" clearly printed on the tab at the top of the box.

The bleach refills are the best toilet-cleaning product you can buy. Even if the Flush ''n Sparkle system you installed in your toilet originally had a blue cartridge in it, you can use bleach refills, which I strongly advise.

Their only disadvantage is that you can''t tell just by looking at the water when the cartridge is empty. But removing the cartridge every few months to see if it''s empty is a lot easier than scrubbing the toilet bowl every week, which is what you''ll be doing if you use the blue cartridges.

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I am writing a review of three toilet cleaning systems I''ve bought here on amazon:

Fluidmaster:

Uses a cartridge containing a chlorine based tablet.

Cartridge is not meant to be refilled.

Chlorine odor noticeable in the bathroom.

Cartridge can be modified (I used a dremel) so it is easily refilled.

NeverScrub:

Uses a cartridge containing a chlorine based crystal.

Cartridge is not meant to be refilled.

Chlorine odor noticeable in the bathroom.

Kaboom:

Does not use a cartridge. Bromine tablet refill inserts directly by unscrewing a cap.

No odor noticeable in the bathroom.

All three of these systems work the same way and all are really easy to install. All of them put a toilet cleaning chemical (tablets or crystals) in-line between the water fill valve and the toilet bowl fill pipe. All of them prevent the chemical from getting into the tank water (so there is no damage to the plastic parts in the tank). All sell refills for their systems. All keep the toilet bowl equally clean for about 1-3 months depending on how often it is flushed.

Amazon also sells Pool/Spa Cleaning Chlorine and Bromine tablets, which as far as I can tell do just as good a job keeping the toilets clean as the refills but at a fraction of the cost. I have tried all of the following, each of which provide enough tablets to keep all the toilets in the house clean for 10 years and they are all very cheap:

Kem-Tek 177:

The tablets fit well in the dremel-tool modified Fluidmaster cartridges.

The tablets fit well in the Kaboom.

The bathroom has a slight chlorine odor.

Spa-Kem 267:

The tablets are too large to fit in the Fluidmaster cartridges.

The tablets fit well in the Kaboom.

No odor.

Tropi Clear:

The tablets fit well in the dremel-tool modified Fluidmaster cartridges.

The tablets fit well in the Kaboom.

No odor.

Chlorine and Bromine are fairly equal in cleaning ability. Chlorine has that chlorine odor. Bromine is broken down by sunlight. Which is why, on a sunny day, outdoor pools use chlorine. But at night, or indoors, or on a cloudy day, they use bromine since there is no smell.

Summary. The Fluidmaster system works but the cartridges are expensive. To refill the cartridges easily requires a small modification with a dremel tool. The cartridge is too small for any tablets larger than 1 inch in diameter. The NeverScrub system also works but the cartridges are expensive. What I am using is the Kaboom system with the bromine tablets (either the Tropi Clear or the Spa-Kem 267) as they have no odor and clean just as well as the chlorine tablets.

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First of all, Fluidmaster is a very fine company and the cartridge bleach concept is a wonderful way to keep the toilet clean and, at the same time, not damage the components in the tank.

However, the price of at least $5 per bleach cartridge and their lack of ready availability is a negative. Here is another approach for the handy guy (or gal).

Carefully pry off the BOTTOM cap of the empty cartridge using a thin flat blade screwdriver. Hold the cartridge firmly while doing this. Once it starts to show a gap, use a larger flat blade screwdriver to remove this cap.

Go to Lowes and buy the 3.75# bottle of Aqua Chem 1" x 1" chlorinating tablets. Price is about $23. Put three of these in the cartridge and press the cap back in place. You are ready to go. Just use safety precautions handling the bleach.

If you screw up the "O" ring at the top of the cartridge, get a new one at ACE hardware for about 70 cents.

This review adds additional detail to an earlier post.

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Austin HealthMate HEPA Air Filter

Note: this review is for the Austin HM 400 Black model.

This purifier generates three different levels of white noise, depending on which of three settings you use. It''s quiet on the first setting but the 2nd and 3rd highest are nice for masking background and outside noise when you need to sleep without interruption. Unfortunately, my HM 400 developed a minor rattle after about three years of moderate use.

I didn''t use it every day, nor did I run it at top speed very often. I mostly used it at night while I was sleeping and often I''d go for months without running it (e.g., during the warm months, I mostly relied on my fan and open windows for fresh air, and even when I used my air conditioner, I didn''t usually use my air machine, save for this past summer).

I was going to send the machine back for warranty repair back when it was still only a few years old, but the noise was only intermittent and ultimately went away after a brief while. Meanwhile, the power cord frayed because there was no rubber shield around where the cord came out of the cabinet. Very poor design! I had to repair that myself (and no the motor fluctuation issue is not due to a shorted or faulty power cord).

Anyway, after seven years of what was at mostmoderate use, the motor is now not working properly at all. It starts out normally but after a minute or so, it begins to vary speed until it slows down and stops working. I tried replacing the motor run capacitor after reading another Amazon review that documented a similar problem, but the machine is still varying its speed and stopping even after I replaced that part. Furthermore, there is no place on the motor to inject lubricant, unlike the motor on my old box fan (which I have have had and used almost daily for many years).

I am very disappointed in the poor quality of this machine. I took very good care of it, keeping it clean and replacing the expensive ($200) filter when it needed one. This thing should not have failed, considering how expensive it was and all the good press about it.

Be warned if you buy one and it breaks, you have to ship it back to Buffalo, NY. You can''t take it back to a dealer or authorized repair center for warranty service. And Austin is not clear about whether you have to pay the shipping and insurance even when you are within the warranty period, so get something in writing before you ship it back.

In any case, you are risking your money if you buy one you cannot assume you will get a quality product.

UPDATE: January 15, 2012 I did ultimately get some Zoomspout oil into the motor, even though it''s clearly not meant to be lubricated. That definitely helped. I was able to get this thing to run for at least a half hour without any problems (I probably could''ve run it longer without issues). But when I looked inside after each test run, I noticed some oil getting to places where it shouldn''t. Good thing I removed the filter, because I could have ruined that. I also notice a faint electrical burning smell in the motor housing after each run.

So, I decided to get a used HM 400 on eBay. I also got a couple of Austin Juniors (HM 200s). I now run one of the little ones quite a bit and it''s a nice machine.

The people at Austin Air have been helpful to me on the phone and online. But I wonder about the quality of their newer machines. Two machines I got from eBay are older, more than ten years old, and I think they''re better made than the one I already had, which I bought new in 2004. So, I think the issues with their products are probably more from the newer machines, which I think are made in China now.

One other note: the new filter I bought for the HM 200 (Austin Jr.) was defective and I had to return it after only about three weeks'' use. But my filter was exchanged, with free shipping and with no questions asked.

Why do I continue with Austin Air purifiers amidst such issues? Nothing beats them when they''re working properly. They make great white noise if you want it (you can use a quiet setting if you don''t want white noise), they really do seem to clean the air, they''re economical (other machines require about $15-$30 a month in new filters while Austin filters can last 3-5 years), and the older ones are pretty durable.

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NEW Rainbow Vacuum Cleaner 4 qt Water Bowl for D3 D4 SE

you can even add essential oils to the water while you vac it gives the area a nice lingering aroma.

My grandson vacuumed the car and DISCOVERED the original water pan was cracked. I ordered the 4 qt pan thru Amazon after my locate parts store said he wanted $70.00. The water pan arrived promptly and well packaged. The bigger water pan is excellent for continous vacuuming without stopping to clean out the pan.

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This item is exactly as described. It is in perfect condition. I would have paid a lot more for it at the local store. Would buy it again.

Read Best Reviews of NEW Rainbow Vacuum Cleaner 4 qt Water Bowl for D3 D4 SE Here

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Berkey Light With 2 Black Filters and 2 Sport Bottles Save 11% Off

This is AWESOME!!!! If you have concerns about the garbage that finds it''s way into your water, then you should have this. The water is the best. No strange taste, only clear clean water. As I read more and more about the harmful effects of some of the chemicals they now use to "clean" our water, I am glad I have this. Easy to assemble and use.

In 2008, Berkey Light systems were moved to a BPA free material. Yet, they still have the 7 recycle symbol on the bottom.

Search "Berkey Light(tm) systems are now BPA Free":I''ve talked to New Millennium Concepts on the phone. Sometimes they don''t get back to you the same day, but when they do, they will spend as much time answering every question you have about their systems.

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Well, we have been using the berkey light water filter for about six months now. The water tastes great. However, my wife put it together when it first came in. Recently, we pulled the filters off to clean the plastic bin. Well, what do you know, there is a #7 on the bottom. I do not suggest buying the Berkey light unless you like adding BPA to your nicely filtered water. After paying 200 dollars I realize I should have gotten the aluminum one.

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Blueair 450E HepaSilent Digital Air-Purification System

I am extremely pleased with the Blueair 450E. It is very quiet and very effective. It is so sensitive in auto mode that punching a dusty pillow on the other side of a 15-foot room will soon start it running. So, I just keep mine set to auto.

UPDATE 02/19/2012: I did some remodeling in my apartment during which my 450E ingested substantial amounts of spackling dust. The auto-mode stopped working. It sounded as though it were trying to reduce power to medium setting, yet remained on high constantly. I used a small soft brush to clean the sensor screen which is about 60mm x 15mm and located at the outlet end. This did not cure the malfunction. I dipped the brush in denatured alcohol then tried, gently, poking a little, to get the bristles of the brush through the mesh opening. (The mesh is not rigid.) Finally, I set the machine with outlet side up, then poured 2 fl. ounces of the denatured alcohol through the mesh, which then soaked the sensor element. I waited 30 minutes. Works like new!

I have this air purifier for a few weeks now and in general I am very satisfied. I like the rugged, all metal case construction, and the very powerful fan that can really move the air around when you want it to (as opposed to some other purifiers which produce rather feeble air flow). Operation is simple and straightforward.

Here are some caveats though: The first unit I purchased had some slight rattle coming from the fan in silent mode. I returned that and it was fixed with a replacement unit. Also, the circuit boards in both the first and second unit I got emitted some quite noticeable "new computer smell" for the first couple days of operation. After about a week of use this was gone though. If you are sensitive to this kind of electronics smell you might want to run the unit for a few days in a different room before moving it to your bedroom. The quiet mode is very quiet but still ever so slightly audible (my wife is still bothered by it at night when the unit is close to her side of the bed), I wish the unit had an even slower, quieter mode.

Customer service was very helpful and went to great lengths to resolve questions and issues I had.

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We have had this Blueair silent air purifier for a couple years now and love it! My wife and I both have allergies and we run it in our bedroom every night. It is so quiet in fact that sometimes we forget to switch it off in the morning!

We live in a major city, which is very polluted.

It helps very much with dust and allergies. In fact, if I am having a really bad allergy attack (spring or summer after mowing the grass for example), I can go in my room, turn on the Blueair on high, and in a couple minutes my head and ears clear, my chest relaxes and the old "allergy headache" goes away.

This thing is better and faster than taking medicine!

Blueair customer service has been very responsive as well! When we order filters they always arrive even faster than promised.

Keep the filters changed, wipe off the outside from time to time, and you will enjoy clean air and fewer allergy headaches too!

Read Best Reviews of Blueair 450E HepaSilent Digital Air-Purification System Here

The strength of the Blueair 450E is its quiet operation (claimed to be only 27 dB on the lowest setting). On the two lowest speeds the noise levels are very modest. The highest setting, at which the air flow ratings are measured, is noisy, but that is true of all HEPA filters. The system includes gas and particle sensors (poorly labeled as "smell" and "dust" sensors) with a primitive readout of 1, 2, or 3 bars; the display also includes a frowning face at 3 bars and a smiling face at 1 bar--I find this type of labeling annoying but have not allowed it to affect my rating). The sensors permit an auto mode that adjusts the fan speed so that the room is kept clean. The sensors do seem to correspond moderately well with the air quality, but the auto mode has a tendency to kick into high gear for brief periods when a longer burst on the level 2 setting would suffice. Given that the level 3 setting is quite a bit louder than the other two this is a flaw that could easily have been avoided. (For example an auto mode that is optionally limited to the two lower speeds would be convenient for night time when one is trying to sleep.) This purifier is well constructed and should last for many years. The most significant flaw is that the filters must be exchanged every 6 months and the filters with activated carbon costs $120 each--this makes the Blueair maintenance costs among the highest for models in this class of air purifiers. I have not tried operating the purifier with the cheaper HEPA-only filter (which costs half as much as the "smoke-stop" filters) and I wonder how well the auto mode will function when using a filter that only removes particles (you need activated carbon to remove gas contaminants so the particle filters don''t seem to have any way to remove the gas contaminants that the sensor detects).

HEPA filters can, in principle, remove 99.97% of particles that are 0.3 microns in size from the air. The actual performance however depends strongly on the quality of the air purifier because if air leaks around the filter you won''t get anywhere near 99.97% purification. I have seen independent tests indicating Blueair purifiers achieve 98% efficiency whereas some premium brands only have scores of ~80-90%. Of course, with multiple air changes per hour, even 80% filtering efficiency will ultimately get the job done, but the higher ratings will do a better job for a given amount of air flow.

If you as concerned about noise levels and not especially concerned about replacement filter costs the Blueair 450E deserves strong consideration. If you want low operating costs and can tolerate high noise levels there are more cost effective options out there.

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I live in an old house converted into a duplex, I don''t smoke, my downstairs neighbor is a chain-smoking cigarette hag. In the winter when the windows are closed up the awful smoke smell from the downstairs apartment is strong enough make my hair and all my clothes stink, and my eyes and throat burn. I tried several other (cheaper) air purifiers but none worked very well, so after much research I decided to try a much higher quality purifier and bought a Blueair 450 with a smokestop filter. It helps. It definitely takes some of the nastiness out of the air and makes the air quality better. There will still be a smell, cigarette stink is pervasive and awful and extremely difficult to get rid of completely, you''d really do better to find a different place to live if you can, but if you are stuck living with or adjacent to a smoker this helps make it a little more tolerable.

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BRITA SPACE SAVER PITCHER Size: 1 Save 50% Off

If you are looking for ways to work on being more patient, enjoy banging your head against the wall daily, or are conducting a study on poor design, then this is your Brita pitcher.

I have owned several Brita pitchers in the past and had no reservations about purchasing another one because the others worked great. However, the design of this model is idiotic. The lid is made out of a poor quality plastic that flexes making it difficult and annoying to take it on and off or flip open the top opening. The lid also falls off (possibly because it is so hard to put on completely) when you pour from the pitcher unless you hold it on while pouring. This causes a mess if is knocks the glass you are pouring into or the reservoir is full and spills out a bunch of unfiltered water. Where the handle connects to the top, there is a significant dip (basically a hole) so that if you fill the reservoir close to the top, it is extremely easy for the water line to go above the hole. The handle is covered with another flimsy piece of plastic that is merely snapped on. When the water from the reservoir spills out of the hole, the handle fills with water. Since the covering of the handle is only snapped on and not sealed, if you don''t notice this immediately, water will start streaming out of the bottom of the handle all over you or your table or whatever. Even if you were careful not to fill the reservoir above where the hole is, when you go to set the pitcher down, some water will inevitably slosh through the hole and you have the same problem or water going into the handle and streaming out.

This is a terrible product. I gave it two stars because the filter itself functions just as well as any other Brita filter, but the pitcher design is a nightmare.

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Amway A101, E84, E-85, E-9225 Compatible Fit Replacement Water Filter

Well....Amazon needs to provide more information because even though it is marketed as Amway compatible it is not the same as Amway''s.

First the filtering surface area of the filter is about ½ of the real Amway filter. Also, the filter is good for 6 months where the Amway filter is good for a year. Last, there is no documentation or any paper indentifying who makes the filter, how does it compare to Amway''s, and who assumes product liability. I was given the name of the company that makes it but there is nothing in the filter that identifies the manufacturer. For all you can tell, it could have been made in someone''s garage in China.

In all, you pay ½ the price but you get what you pay for: ½ the time, ½ the filter surface area and no company willing to assume product liability.

Won''t buy it again.

This product is O.K. as a replacement but a bit smaller than an actual Amway brand filter.

I will probably spend the little more and buy an actual Amway softener next time.

The water tastes great though. I''m just not sure it takes out all the impurities Amway claims theirs does.

Not terribly dissapointed though. As I said...it''s O.K.

Buy Amway A101, E84, E-85, E-9225 Compatible Fit Replacement Water Filter Now

I purchased this filter as a replacvement for an Amway filter. Price seemed attracted. No place in the data did it indicate it was an undersize replacement. It performs poorly.

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Common sense will tell you

The beep you get is to "remind" you to replace the filter not a true test of the filter efficiency.

It is the Max Time length specified before changing, not gallons filtered.

Replace the battery and you''ll get another year of service, may or may not be efficient.

1250 or 1000 gallons is the test and an estimate usage in a year.

No Filtration Specs to compare gives me Warning.

May give you good tasting water but the reason I bought this filter is to FILTER OUT THE BAD STUFF!

doe''s it do that ?

I guess my only option is to order one to read the specs & compare the ANSI/NSF Standards.

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The size is smaller than the original filter, but works well (so far).

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Waterpik Power Spray Shower Head Save 35% Off

When I first purchased this product I had high hopes but was initially disappointed. The previous Waterpik showerheads I had purchased had flow regulators located within the brackets that I''ve always removed for greater water pressure... The instructions have always detailed how to remove the device if you desired to do so. This showerhead and its paperwork made no mention of a flow regulator and no such device was located in it''s typical location (the showerhead bracket) so I figured that the flow of water was solely regulated by the adjustment on the handle that enables the user to set the pressure from high to a trickle and anything in between. Unfortunately, once I started using the product I felt that the water pressure wasn''t sufficient even set on high. I had this product uninstalled and was ready to repackage it for return before I decided to start tinkering with it. Though the instructions do not make mention of it, they moved the flow regulator from the bracket to hid it inside the handle of the showerhead itself. They obviously did not intend on people removing this part because you need a pair of needle nosed pliers to reach in far enough to pry it out, however, removing this device has transformed this product into the best showerhead I''ve owned with more than enough water pressure. It takes some of the "eco" out of the equation, however, you still retain the ability to adjust the water pressure anywhere from full power to a trickle using the adjustable knob built into the handle so you get the best of both worlds. I''ve also uploaded a picture in the customer images for a visual description of the flow regulator that needs to be removed should you also desire the best water pressure possible.

If you''ve read Waterpik reviews on some of their other products, you might not want to buy their products. Common descriptions are "cheap", "plastic", and so on. I''d purchased this product before reading those reviews, and was pretty nervous about installing it. We were replacing our Hansgrohe showerhead, a very expensive and well made showerhead that started falling apart after 10 years.

Warning: my husband cut himself on the sharp plastic packaging, so be careful. That was the worst of it, though, because the showerhead took all of 5 minutes to install. All you need is a plumbing wrench. You don''t need any plumbing tape (like Hansgrohe), and it promised not to leak. I was pretty skeptical.

This showerhead was so much better than I''d expected. It doesn''t drip at all, not at the base and not thru the unused shower holes. It has 7 settings (you have a choice of waterflows: high, medium and low) which are so much fun to switch around! The High and Medium waterflow settings gave us so much more power than our Hansgrohe showerhead that rinsing my long hair took seconds, compared to minutes with our old showerhead. This thing makes showering great.

The true test came when our waterbill arrived. I was expecting a higher waterbill since we''re getting such powerful showers. But No! Even on high waterflow, our bill was lower than it was with our old showerhead. We''re actually saving money because we don''t need to spend so long in the shower.

Here is the thing: I paid less than $40 for the showerhead and you should too. Good luck!

Buy Waterpik Power Spray Shower Head Now

The installation was a breeze with barely the need for any tools.

The material looks quite pricey .. and not some cheap plastic.

Although for a "green" supporter you have the eco option the shower with a high option is simply out of this world.

The jet spray does give you quite a massage and a good one at it.

All of a sudden my entire family is now spending a lot more time taking our shower.

Guess what, no one is complaining!

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I bought this upgrade on sale elsewhere and was very disappointed. In fact, when I finish this warning I''ll write Water-Pik directly to share my complaints. I''ve used Water-Pik shower massage products for over 30 years; love ''em. I highly recommend massaging to stimulate circulation. But Water-Pik has so limited the flow with this model that the massage function, which is the only reason to buy one of these in the first place, doesn''t "massage" at all. You can tell it''s trying to pulse but not strongly enough to do anything. but there is hope. Thanks to Kevin''s picture I was able to finally defang this thing. I''d unscrewed the two basket-strainer/pressure-reducers, one in the mounting assembly and one in the handle''s inlet. I''d even disembowled the backflow preventer, as it too adds pressure drop. And I''d upped my water pressure from 45 psi to 60 psi all to no avail. Then I tried Kevin''s trick and plucked out the red restrictor deep to the basket filter in the handle base. Voila! Now I''ve got a Shower-Massage! Water-Pik should really have included this tip with the instructions (and a pair of needle-nose pliers). I wonder how many people have either thrown the thing away or returned it to the store in disgust before finding this fix. Oh, and can someone explain the advantage to designing the mounting lock ring with left hand theads?

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This showerhead has a great variety of modes from pulsating, to mist, to concentrated, to a mixture of all of those. It has very good water pressure, so you won''t have trouble getting the conditioner out of your hair, and the fact that it is removable is awesome. I find zero problems with it. Great!

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