GermGuardian Genuine UV-C Replacement Bulb AC5000 & AC5250PT Air Purifiers

This was the first time replacing the bulb in my Germ Guardian AC5000 Air Cleaner. I've had the unit for 15 months and have had it running almost constantly, but not always with the UV light on. The filter provided what I was in most need of - clearing dust and allergens from the air. Using the UV light to destroy bacteria, viruses, germs and mold spores was equally important, but, as others have said, if you have the unit running in your bedroom, the blue light is bright and annoying. Eventually, I moved the unit out to my living room and turned the light on. Using the UV light gave me a better feeling about the air in my apartment. It was on almost all the time- close to 24/7. I'd say that I got a good 10 months of practically continuous use out of the original bulb. Replacing the bulb is easy enough, just follow the directions provided in the manual, which is available online. UNPLUG the unit. Remove the back cover and the filter. You'll need a Philips head screwdriver to remove the metal plate covering the rear of the bulb. Using a soft cloth to grasp the bulb, give it a 1/4 turn - you'll see the pins become visible in the small opening at the top of the bulb. Once you've got that, the rest is simple. Gently pull the bulb straight out. Place it inside the tube that the new bulb arrived in. (Very sturdy cardboard tube!) Slip the new bulb in, turn it 1/4 turn to lock it in place. Replace the metal plate and screws. Vacuum your charcoal filter while you have it out, replace it and snap the cover in place. (It will not operate until the cover is in place.) When you turn the unit on, the bulb may or may not be flashing. To reset it, simply hold the power button down for 3-4 seconds. All set! I was a little intimidated by reading some of the other reviews... so I hope this is helpful. If the bulb doesn't work, contact Amazon for instructions on replacing. Good Luck! July 21, 2016 Update -addressing a question about where blue light shows: You should see the large blue V shaped light right below the chrome panel, which indicates the UV light is turned on, and through the screened vent in front you can only see a small sliver of blue light. Best to look at the whole unit in the dark - the UV light glows slightly through the vents in front and back. Not bright blue, just a faint glow - turn UV off and on again, you'll see it. Keep in mind that the UV is not meant to be shining out at you - its surrounded by metal and filters to treat the air in that small space as it passes through.

Arrived intact and works just fine. Fits my AC5250PT perfectly. Two tips and a note though:Tip 1) You replace the bulb by hold it at the edges, turning it, don't yank it, and once you see the contacts, you can pull it out. When taking the bulb out and putting it in you will likely encounter some resistance, what with the bulb being held in place by spring tabs, just muscle through it, the bulb wont break.*Tip 2) At leas ton my model of air purifier, the AC5250PT you will see some light bleed through the front, and that is perfectly normal.Note: I bought this bulb once my air purifier started yelling at me that it required a new one, after just about a year in service. When I put it in I realized there was light bleeding through, something it has never done before. My old lamp was burned right out, and this made me think that my original unit that I bought over a year ago, came with a defective lamp! I installed this one, called Germguardian, a minute later I was talking to a nice American woman, told her my story, didn't even wait for my excuses, she just said "don't worry about it, we apologize for the original defective lamp, we will send you another one so you will have a spare once this new one inevitably burns out." I didn't have to fight about it being only a one year warranty, I didn't have to try to talk to a supervisor, I didn't need to ask her to repeat herself, in under 5 minutes from picking up the phone, I had another bulb shipped to me. Arrived in two days! You may be able to get a bulb that will fit for a bit cheaper, but you can't get that kind of service direct from China, and personally I'd rather put my hard earned money towards the people who make good quality products of a standard high enough that they are proud to stand by them. My hats off to Germguardian.*These lamps do contain mercury and very sharp glass (yes, even in 2017, for these kinds of bulbs we need that, I think in theory you can use LEDs, but it would require a redesign of the whole thing, and it probably would be far less user serviceable, and more expensive to manufacture, so just don't break it and you wont have any issues, jeese), among other things. Even though exposure to a single broken lamp would likely cause no harm, I take no responsibility if proper precautions are not taken, and you somehow hurt yourself replacing the lamp.

Easy to install!

I read reviews that this was difficult to install. Folks this installs just like a florescent light bulb, turn, pull out. How hard is that? Reading some of the reviews almost made me not order this and I'm glad I ordered it anyway because it was so simple. I installed 2 bulbs in two different units in about 5 minutes. The other unit is the shorter unit with a different type bulb and that one just pulled straight out.You just open the back, take filter out and you'll see a metal plate with 4 screws. Take screws out, pull plate off and you'll see bulb. Do not touch bulb with bare fingers. Use gloves or paper towel. Give bulb a quarter turn pull out, replace, put plate and screws on and done.

Running this UV-C bulb in my GermGuardian purifier helps reduce allergens that can trigger sick days. I seem to sleep better with the UV-C purifier on and experience less respiratory irritation. I've had to replace this bulb 4x times and need to consider it as a consumable.