GermGuardian AC5350B Elite 4-in-1 Review

GermGuardian AC5350B Review

AC5300 is the same air cleaner, but with fewer features, AC5300 has only 3 speeds.

GermGuardian AC5350ba arrived on the air purifier market stage after the 2009 peak.

Guardian provided good value and supported products fairly well.

GermGuardians are competitive on price AND service, among the top selling purifiers at Amazon.

The result is the $143 GermGuardian AC5350B 28-inch tower air purifier is selling well enough to collect 339 Amazon buyer reviews, averaging a decent 4.3 stars.

Only two negative reviews, both mentioning strong initial odor issues.

Controls on top flush buttons that adjust the fan speed 1-5, a timer, an on/off switch, and a UV button.

Notice there is NO Auto-Mode switch.

CADR

AC5350ba is marketed as having "125-plus" CADR, "for small to medium rooms", but is NOT LISTED in the official AHAM tables.

There is NO CADR rating for any Guardian air purifier.

Airflow in Cubic Feet per Minute (CFM) is also scarce.

So we'll have to rate the AC5350 based on room recs of "up to 199 sq. feet".

That seems a bit generous, I like 125 sq. ft. much better.

Filter Train

This is a plug-n-play, right out of the box, nothing elaborate. ad boy

There is a thin, 1/8 inch, prefilter.

Then a True HEPA Filter captures 99.97% of allergens and dust as small as .3 microns.

Guardian 5350 uses just one, reasonably priced, single combination filter with multiple levels: Pre-Filter with a charcoal layer, and HEPA.

GermGuard says the filter has met True-HEPA standards, (99.97% of .3 microns).

One filter, filter Size C, needs to be replaced every 6-8 months.

Carbon fabric, maybe one eighth of an inch thick, is layered as a prefilter.

User reviews say "filter replacement is easy".

The filter replacement lamp, turns red when the filter is ready for replacement.

Of course, air cleaners in his price class are targeted toward first-time buyers, most owners will hurry to buy the replacement filter at the first flash of red.

Buyers should remember that HEPA filters are used up when BLOCKED, not when darkened.

I would run GGAC5350ba until airflow is 50% restricted before ordering the replacement filter.

Remove the back once a week, vacuum the filter.

Air is inhaled into the back, and exits through the front sides - this means the AC5350 must stand a bit out from the wall.

Not an ionizer, NO ions.

AC5350ba's UV ring is fairly bright, but many user reviews say facing it away from the bed is OK.

A 7 watt bulb, weak, powers the UV-C operation.

The UV lamp can be independently extinguished, as some will want to do, though many say the light is OK when turned around.

PHOTOCAT (PCO) ?

Most buyers have no idea about PCO, including most Amazon AC5350ac reviewers.

UV-C light strikes the Titanium Dioxide (TiO2) film on the surface of a plate, usually Aluminum, causing some electrons to jump up one energy level, creating oxidants.

These oxidants, primarily superoxide and hydroxyl radicals, operate at the molecular level, eating odors, killing microbes, and oxidizing very fine particulate in the .1 micron size (very small particles ONLY).

These oxidants do NOT persist (as ozone does) - switch it off, in seconds the oxidizers die out.

UV-C comes from a 7W bulb, scheduled for replacement every 10 months.

Mercury lamp disposal is regulated by EPA, and replacement lamp buyers are supposed to send the old bulb back for EPA-approved disposal.

DO NOT TOUCH the glass, and DO NOT to LOOK at a lit UV lamp.

Children should NEVER be left alone with a UV-C device.

GermGuardian AC5350ba PCO has a good reputation as a normal household odor eater.

Emissions

GermGuard AC5350ba is on the California Air Board's approved air purifiers list.

Ads for the replacement UV-C lamp say "produces no ozone."

Germ Guardian AC5350 is a very quiet air purifier, a bit noisy on high, but many say they run it on high 24/7.

To remove the aluminum fin and replace the UV-C bulb, a Philips head screwdriver is needed.

There are a couple reviews complaining of new filter odor, both at break-in and filter replacement.

There are no remarks concerning persistent odors.

Utility

Measuring just 9.1 by 6.7 by 27.6 inches, AC5350 is compact enough for most applications.

It weighs just 11 pounds, with a built in handle with space for your hand.

AC5350ba does exhaust air at a leftward angle, making it require about 12 inches clearance from objects.

Monthly maintenance is required.

Corporate and Warranty

Guardian is located in Ohio:

Guardian Technologies LLC
26251 Bluestone Blvd.
Euclid,
Ohio 44132
"attention: Customer Service"

While websites selling the AC5350ba say "3-year" Limited Warranty, the Guardian User Manual says "5-year."

Buyers MUST save their sales receipt, and are encouraged to register on line.

I wouldn't bank on a big windfall on a warranty claim when the purchase was just $143, shipping costs hafta be at least $60, they will charge you for parts and labor, and there is some risk of loss/damage in post.

It looks to me like a small percentage of these Chinese air cleaners fail in the first few months.

If you make it past that first batch, you will do well.

Conclusions

PROS

price
small footprint
good for moderate odors

CONS

filter & lamp replacement costs, $90/yr?
weak CADR
small room size 100 sq. ft. - dorms and closets
filter outgassing three days with each filter buy
some sensitives object to filter outgassing

GermGuardian AC5350ba, the air purifier, is available for $143:

GermGuardian AC5350BA Elite at Amazon.com.

HEPA Filter C is $35:

GermGuardian FLT5000 GENUINE Replacement Filter C at Amazon.com.