4 ms·

I'm using an Awair Element, I didn't do a ton of research on alternatives, but the app is pretty good and it "just works".

newfonewhodis 5y ago
I've been thinking of getting it what are your thoughts on longevity of it? Will it last at least a few years? I also see in some Amazon reviews that measurements get "stuck" to some extreme. Have you noticed that too?
- richardfontana 5y ago
  I've had an Awair Element for about 16 months. The only time I've experienced what you may mean by "stuck" measurements was about a month ago, when PM2.5 was puzzlingly and worryingly at a consistently higher than usual level for a couple of days. Trial and error eventually suggested that there was a piece of dust stuck in the sensor or something like that. Upon blowing on the sensor, the measurement returned to normal.
- macNchz 5y ago
  After a year I don’t see any issues with it, the sensors don’t seem to have drifted or changed in their responsiveness at all. It has crashed once or twice and stopped responding but was fine after a power cycle. With any IoT device I’m wary about longevity re app support, I can’t say how long Awair will support this device or whether they’ll provide access to it after they stop, but I’m less concerned for a device like this vs, say, a major appliance.
tclancy 5y ago
Like you, and for the same reasons, I recently bought an Awair. At the risk of a derail, one thing I have been thinking about ever since: when I played D&D as a kid, they said the difference between Intelligence and Wisdom was, "Intelligence is knowing that it's raining, Wisdom is knowing to go inside." How much of these things are adding to our intelligence without adding to our wisdom? I am now constantly aware of particulates and everything else it cares to send me alerts about (which I will soon shut off) but how much better off am I once I established my air quality is basically Very Good. The problem with all this "intelligence" is the Internet is very good at showing you search results for what you want to see, so Googling "Should I be worried about fine particulates" is a search destined to turn your anxiety into a full-blown panic attack. No idea what the answer is, and I am impressed with the level of effort that went into the Awair app, but it would be nice to have more reasonable context in all IoT devices. Yeah, I know.
- macNchz 5y ago
  I definitely see where you’re coming from. When I first got it I was freaked out by the frequent spikes of VOCs, before determining that it’s actually hypersensitive to farts. I’ve come to ignore most transient fluctuations and just use VOCs/CO2/PM as guides for when to open or close the windows. I’ve also found that regularly glancing at the 5 minute resolution charts of just temp and humidity has helped me get a better sense of my own comfort range…for example I like to run my AC as little as possible in the summer, but I’ve learned that playing chicken with the heat is foolish beyond 81F as I only wind up sitting at my desk grumpy and unproductive.

newfonewhodis 5y ago

I've been thinking of getting it what are your thoughts on longevity of it? Will it last at least a few years? I also see in some Amazon reviews that measurements get "stuck" to some extreme. Have you noticed that too?

richardfontana 5y ago
I've had an Awair Element for about 16 months. The only time I've experienced what you may mean by "stuck" measurements was about a month ago, when PM2.5 was puzzlingly and worryingly at a consistently higher than usual level for a couple of days. Trial and error eventually suggested that there was a piece of dust stuck in the sensor or something like that. Upon blowing on the sensor, the measurement returned to normal.
macNchz 5y ago
After a year I don’t see any issues with it, the sensors don’t seem to have drifted or changed in their responsiveness at all. It has crashed once or twice and stopped responding but was fine after a power cycle. With any IoT device I’m wary about longevity re app support, I can’t say how long Awair will support this device or whether they’ll provide access to it after they stop, but I’m less concerned for a device like this vs, say, a major appliance.

tclancy 5y ago

Like you, and for the same reasons, I recently bought an Awair. At the risk of a derail, one thing I have been thinking about ever since: when I played D&D as a kid, they said the difference between Intelligence and Wisdom was, "Intelligence is knowing that it's raining, Wisdom is knowing to go inside." How much of these things are adding to our intelligence without adding to our wisdom? I am now constantly aware of particulates and everything else it cares to send me alerts about (which I will soon shut off) but how much better off am I once I established my air quality is basically Very Good. The problem with all this "intelligence" is the Internet is very good at showing you search results for what you want to see, so Googling "Should I be worried about fine particulates" is a search destined to turn your anxiety into a full-blown panic attack. No idea what the answer is, and I am impressed with the level of effort that went into the Awair app, but it would be nice to have more reasonable context in all IoT devices. Yeah, I know.

macNchz 5y ago
I definitely see where you’re coming from. When I first got it I was freaked out by the frequent spikes of VOCs, before determining that it’s actually hypersensitive to farts. I’ve come to ignore most transient fluctuations and just use VOCs/CO2/PM as guides for when to open or close the windows. I’ve also found that regularly glancing at the 5 minute resolution charts of just temp and humidity has helped me get a better sense of my own comfort range…for example I like to run my AC as little as possible in the summer, but I’ve learned that playing chicken with the heat is foolish beyond 81F as I only wind up sitting at my desk grumpy and unproductive.