Best Air Quality Sensor? I pull apart the Apollo AIR-1… and find four great company traits....

[@Bunton33]

Katie, I'm not mad at all! Haha! We're happy you tore it apart and showed it off! What a review! Cheers, Justin Apollo Automation

[@handsonkatie]

...well I can report it's still working well, so if it survives 'me', then it's worth extra points... 🤣🤣🤣

[@rawhideslide]

Katie, the second video I have watched of from you and it was amazing too! I love how you started by discussing the company first. I have never seen anyone try to define what we want from our preferred suppliers (Transparent, Integrated, Free and Passionate). Until we specify what we want, we cannot hold them accountable, including building support for companies that do it right. Please keep producing such incredible videos.

[@SgtMow]

Katie I absolutely love your videos. You break down topics Ive never heard of in such a comprehensive and well explained way. I learn something new from each video and your style, graphics and presentation are all 10/10!

[@handsonkatie]

Thank you SgtMow - that's a lovely thing to say, I've only started a few months ago, so very much still learning - so great to hear I'm getting at least some things right!!

[@Colin_Ames]

An excellent review of what seems to be a great product from a great company. My only experience of this type of sensor is the SCD40, which I am using in a bedside clock. Definitely a useful thing to have.

[@DPCTechnology]

Great stuff. Love ur storytelling, it's very entertaining!

[@handsonkatie]

Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it! 😊

[@BeInspiredwithDominic]

Awesome video, Katie! I was pretty sure I wanted one, but you convinced me that I actually needed one! Thanks for sharing!

[@handsonkatie]

They are brilliant little devices, they're just so handy for loads of places in your house!

[@anthonyhope2589]

Looking hard at moving to Home Assistant and this sensor will be a great trigger for the air purifier. Instead of running it all the time, this could turn it on when the PM 2.5 gets to a certain level. Thanks for bringing this to our attention. And yes, companies that don’t hide their stuff behind a paywall or require a subscription get my vote.

[@handsonkatie]

Absolutely spot on - and not only that you could create a series of smart conditions very easily, eg if the pm 2.5 or CO2 or NOx or x,y,z goes above each threshold, then turn the purifier on. Makes it very smart, very simply!

[@iainhay2823]

I use something similar I built myself to turn on and vary speed of my Ikea air filter based on particulates and VOCs from 3D printer automatically. It works great. That said I’ve had my eye on the Apollo stuff as it is so nicely done and I’ll probably pick up a couple. Nice video👍

[@handsonkatie]

Love the variety of ways to tackle these sorts of challenges, Iain! I've done similar - these are really for when you want the 'ultimate' all in one for general environmental use - your use case is brilliant (indeed I was pondering showing how you can hack an Ikea air sensor to make it a ESP Home device - it sounds like you've done the same!)

[@iainhay2823]

@@handsonkatie Exactly that, hacked the original sensor with CO2. VOC, atmospheric pressure etc. the case is a little cramped so made an little extension off the back (3D printers are so useful). I'm not quite at the level of trusting it for ABS printing without outside venting as well but for my routine printing it works great. Would love to see your take on hacking one, it's a nice project for folk who have no 3D printer, everyone should though ;) Anyway I best get back to my gridfnity printing!

[@handsonkatie]

@@iainhay2823 sounds like a great approach!!

[@paulholstein9448]

I use the Apollo Air-1 to trigger my ERV system when the air quality goes to abnormal or worse. It's working out great. I was shocked to see how bad my air quality was and how easily I could improve it by automatically running the ERV on turbo mode for a while. Everything is integrated in Home Assistant and works automatically in the background.

[@handsonkatie]

Great example - I'm doing very similar in my workshop, you're right though, it's amazing what they reveal!

[@robgatlas]

I've had PM / CO2 / VOC sensors in my home for years now. I think it's very important to keep an eye on carbon dioxide levels in rooms. I find if it goes over about 1500 for too long you will start to feel pretty fuzzy headed. Just turn an extractor fan on or open windows and doors to quickly get levels back down to normal 400 ish and you will soon feel better. BTW, I could listen to you talking all day, always interesting whatever video you upload 💜

[@handsonkatie]

Great comment and I really was surprised as I repeated at the start of my latest video - in hindsight, I was consciously drowsy, but just having the data on CO2 helped me 'put my finger on it'. Exactly as you say it's so easy to fix, I feel a bit silly for not realising it sooner!!! And thank you for your lovely comment, keep watching!

[@mediaearssoundtracks8985]

Really good Katie! I look forward to more of your work!

[@josecintron85]

My main things to look for are... 1. Free to use. 2. Open and transparent. It would be nice if there was a place that listed more companies like this for home automation, companies that do not make you buy a cloud subscription to use the product that you already paid for, companies that do not change the terms of the contract after you purchased a product and all of the sudden functionality is stripped.

[@handsonkatie]

Great thoughts and I was thinking the same myself - I thought I could create a catalogue of the very best components.... one to muse!

[@Esralabu]

Excellent review! Thanks a lot! There is a German company which seems to follow a quite similar philosophy with their „air-q“ air quality sensor. Not as much open source and quite more expensive, but looks interesting too.

[@handsonkatie]

Cool! What's the brand?

[@Esralabu]

@@handsonkatie Manufacturer is „Corant GmbH“ and their products are „Air-Q“. I am wavering between theirs and the apollo ones ;)

[@janklamer]

When renovating, I added a ventilation unit of Itho to my home, plus an air valve for every room. Ideally my athom homey could regulate this, but there is no interface. I hope home assistant has. Together with the Apollo sensors it would make the perfect system.

[@handsonkatie]

Don't know Itho myself, but just googled 'Itho Home Assistant' and there's lots of integrations that people have made, so might be worth checking out!

[@luisinigo5572]

New subscriber here! I love the way you explain stuff. I'm a Home Assistant user and this is an awesome device but...more than 80€. Omg, I don't know if I really need it. 😅

[@handsonkatie]

Thank you & welcome aboard! Oh yes, this is pretty much the ultimate sensor, for simpler use cases, I'd recommend as I suggest just learning to throw one together yourself... indeed.... I might have a video covering this in the next few weeks.... !

[@milicsantiago]

Nice review! Greetings from Argentina

[@handsonkatie]

Hey, thanks!

[@DanBrown1010]

Great video! 🙌🏼

[@chrisdixon5241]

Oooh! Katie has a dark side... I'm really impressed with the engineering that has gone into that Apollo product, I definitely intend to get one - did you choose your outfit to match the look of the case? Top new word for this week, love it! :)

[@handsonkatie]

Of course I do, Chris, what else do you think happens to all those viewers who don't buy a 3d printer???? 🤣🤣😈 They are a brilliant little product though, so highly recommend!

[@philmurphy3662]

Another good video, thanks.

[@NicksStuff]

Have you tried Airgradient's sensor as well?

[@handsonkatie]

I have!! It's on my list to cover!! They're great too!

[@NicksStuff]

@@handsonkatie Quickly: if you had to choose between the Air-1 and Airgradient One?

[@handsonkatie]

@@NicksStuff they're actually a bit different - air gradient for outdoor and workshops, air one for household!

[@NicksStuff]

@@handsonkatie Airgradient has two sensors, the One and the Open air.

[@alejandrotaudil3689]

I will install it on the kitchen, so when the gas or co2 are hi turn on the fan

[@handsonkatie]

Ooh, I'd not thought of that! It'd be interesting just to see all the different gas levels in the kitchen throughout the day - I'll test this!

[@scottrabinow2773]

Not only gas or CO2, but how about NOx levels from cooking?

[@handsonkatie]

​Love the thinking! ❤❤❤​@@scottrabinow2773

[@Battlewear]

I have to ask, when you showed the dashboard, it said Unifi, does Unifi have a home assistant software? I’m asking because I’m installing a complete Ubquiti system in my home this coming week, I’d love to do something like that!

[@handsonkatie]

Yes it integrates very well to HA, so it has loads of sensors and entities that you can use!

[@Battlewear]

@@handsonkatie will have to see how to incorporate it, still ultra new to Unifi, and even more so to HA.

[@gandalfgreyhame3425]

I was strongly considering this device, but I want an air quality monitor that can record the data for a long period of time (months to years), and when I asked their tech support if they had a turnkey solution to do this, they said nope, this device was not for me! Do you know how to make this device keep a long term record of its data? Anyway, I ordered an Air Gradient instead of this because of this issue.

[@handsonkatie]

Yes, I just set up an Influx DB instance for my home assistant install and it streams all my sensors to that (including Apollo Automation) - but think they're definitely right, if you want a turnkey solution, then Airgradient are great too! I have both their internal and external sensors running!

[@commentsonthetube14]

I think I may get one of these and have it switch a smart plug on and off on my air filter when my workshop gets all sawdusty

[@handsonkatie]

Exactly what I've done!! Also a great idea to hook up any old smart light you have and set a colour to let you know - eg green=breathe easy, amber=go carefully, red=danger zone.... in fact if you have a smart speaker, you could even play Kenny Loggins...... 😎

[@cyberhikerdd]

Should do a review on the AirGradient sensors- slightly different use case than this one.

[@handsonkatie]

Guess what I was setting up yesterday.....? 😉

[@JustAnOldGuyGaming]

Im so needing one of these

[@handsonkatie]

They are brilliant little devices - so handy for lots of things!!

[@JustAnOldGuyGaming]

@@handsonkatie thank you Katie and thank you for the videos 👍🏻

[@handsonkatie]

Delighted you enjoyed - in fact your handle has inspired me for another video in future. It'd be interesting to see how CO2 levels and other factors affect gaming performance.... 😎😎

[@JustAnOldGuyGaming]

@@handsonkatie glad I inspired you 🙌

[@davocc2405]

Given the quality of components, ease of integration and quality of documentation alone that's not too bad at all; the chances of getting such a device wrong are pretty high and you don't want to be have-a-go-Henry at such a sensor or it might not give you the readings you really need. As for reactive response - do you have an intake fan that can open vents and force air into the workshop when air quality drops below a certain level? Also for air particle problems - we used to have a "Rainbow" vacuum cleaner which was a savagely overpriced American device which forced the air intake through water using a fin system to shatter the incoming bubbles; it was so effective at this that you could turn it on for 30 minutes a day and clean a fair bit of the air in your house. Do you have anything like this in the workshop or house generally? You mention being in Scotland so I'd envisage air quality isn't too bad outside of industrial areas; though heat retention may be an issue.

[@handsonkatie]

Yes, they're pretty impressive - well worth as you say pricing up the cost of all the components, testing and modelling! In the new workshop that's exactly what I've just been brainstorming with Patreons and Discord members, essentially the fact I've got this as 'data' in my Home Assistant instance, means it's super simple to set any triggers - eg lights flashing when levels are high or turning on ventilation as you describe. Air quality is great where we live, but I've got an amazing xTool air filter which is one of the best I've ever seen for filtering just about everything - so this with a smart switch becomes very cool, very quickly!!

[@davocc2405]

@@handsonkatie I know how essential that is, a while back a firm I worked for had to switch from CFC cased cleaning and board freezing (used for dry joint detection) to purely alcohol based solutions for all cleaning and a similar substitute for board freezing; the poor tech was suffering constant nose bleeds from the fumes. They had to spend $3k on a ventilation system just for his workstation alone. There are also some concerns about plastic dust and similar fumes in the longer term, good environmental control is rather critical.

[@handsonkatie]

Great example and totally right!

[@JohnVanderbeck]

Formaldehyde. That's the sensor missing in most all of these types of devices. Had to pay nearly twice as much to get it on one.

[@handsonkatie]

Ooh nice idea, I'll have to check that out!

[@JohnVanderbeck]

@@handsonkatie Especially useful if you use a Resin printer

[@ciriousjoker]

How does this stack up against the airgradient stuff?

[@handsonkatie]

funny you should say that..... ;) My Patreons were just voting on what I should look at next and these were sitting on my table....! Watch this space

[@ciriousjoker]

Nice!

[@ciriousjoker]

I have one, I'm pretty happy but they're more expensive and no mmWave sensor. I have no experience with the mmWave, what can you do with it? Anything practical?

[@handsonkatie]

mmWave is a separate component, but yes they're super handy - old PIRs you'll remember from offices where you had to wave your arms because the lights went out when you were sitting still, newer mmWave sensors allow you to a) set target zones b) track objects and c) detect movement to the sub-mm level. Put this together and you realise it means you could stick one in your lounge and it would 'know' which seat you were sitting in and adjust lighting/audio to suit, in your bedroom and it can detect if anyone is in the bed, in your office it can turn on your PC monitors when you sit down at your desk and sleep them instantly when you walk away - there's loads of cool use cases like this, well worth a play!

[@ianbeck5897]

Festool mitre saw - serious bit of kit (I also have one), .... air sensor looks interesting too :=)

[@handsonkatie]

Yes, domino, ts55, kapex, rotex... I'm a sucker for the green..... 💚🤣

[@ianbeck5897]

@@handsonkatie Real fangirl then! I only have the TS55 and a load of rails, the Kapex and a Domino. The rest of my kit comes from a huge variety of cheaper sources, most, almost as good. Thankfully, Festool don't make tractors or fast cars. If they did, we'd be bankrupt.

[@handsonkatie]

Oh likewise, I'm a Festool girl by passion, but a dewalt girl by budget!! 😁😁

[@ianbeck5897]

@@handsonkatie funny that,, DeWalt is my other main brand too. Plus Axminster for the woodworking machines.

[@handsonkatie]

Great minds, eh? Love Axminster stuff too, have a few of them (eg dust extractor) - they're nice quality machines!

[@nath042]

you are great!

[@Gamen4Bros]

She even made a Spidey sense joke! Looking for a 2nd husband?😇😂❤️

[@scottrabinow2773]

It would be the ultimate sensor if it also detected and tracked radon!

[@handsonkatie]

Ooh great thought, although I thought most radon sensors had a shelf life.... I'll mention to the Apollo guys (there is that spare expansion port on it already ..!)

[@reinux]

Been looking for months for a good AQ sensor for HA. Check. Been looking for a grid system for larger items, especially in my bathroom and kitchen. Check. Been looking for my underware. Check. Been looking for validation for having started with gridfinity before multiboard. Check. Been looking for reviews on curtain rail robots. Check. GET OUT OF MY HEAD

[@handsonkatie]

Get a 3d printer, laser cutter, join the dark side.....

[@CamAustralia001]

Leaking gas warning.

[@handsonkatie]

Great suggestion...life saving even!!

[@Harko-]

Working for 25 years in product engineering for (mass) consumer products, your “value engineering” sketch looked way to real 😬

[@handsonkatie]

🤣🤣🤣 Yes, you only get that blue tint and background music on corporate versions of zoom.... !

[@falconhawk8064]

❤

[@jonnydoe4588]

I could build this for $40, easy. $150 for all the bells and whistles is highway robbery. The BME680 can get me 75% there for $10 or so and a ESP32 is another $5-$10.

[@handsonkatie]

Hmm, I agree with your instinct (in fact it was mine too by default), but not sure - much like a dht22 could do the temp/humidity even cheaper than the bme680, there's a point of quality also, so for very vague air quality sensing then the bme is awesome, but you're a long way off 75% of the way there. Of course there's a markup and if you value your time at zero or enjoy building everything, then great - I mean they list every single component they use on their site, so you can precisely see the mark up and if it's worth your time. So I was actually quite surprised at the value of it, even though I'll always itch to build it myself (much like you) - each to their own though and even better if you can improve on it, that's the wonderful thing about open source!

[@Bigglare]

A corporation would include cheaper products then offer an alternative with better parts for a subscription fee.

[@handsonkatie]

Been there too, eh? 🥰🥰

[@Bigglare]

@@handsonkatie everymonth when I pay NabuCasa! #Matter #matterbridge

[@handsonkatie]

Oh we do need to fix the subscription economy - but that's a topic for a future video......and probably a long one!!!

[@Bigglare]

@@handsonkatie Like if a company with a subscription shell company developed Matter bridge functionality so that we could connect all our devices to other voice assistant platforms locally even if the voice control was cloud based? A Matter bridge function, like that of Hue Bridge, or Third Reality, would allow us to pair zigbee and zwave and WLED to Amazon and Google locally much like Apple Home without needing any cloud services at all.

[@clij5202]

You are the female version of Paul Hibbert … hope you never collaborate because it would burn the net 😂

[@handsonkatie]

...well I like to think I have a little more hair...??? 🤣🤣 @paulhibbert is brilliant, I love his videos and he seems like a really lovely chap!

[@Tntdruid]

I made my own pcb for less this one.

[@handsonkatie]

Great job! As I cover, highly recommend this and all the details on Apollo's site to make it even easier for you! 😊