Blue Air DH-R1 Replacement Water Filtration Cartridge for Ice Machines, 21,000 Gallon, 0.5 Micron
Blue Air DH-R1 — Replacement Water Filtration Cartridge for Ice Machines
The Blue Air Commercial Refrigeration DH-R1 is the consumable half of a Blue Air DH ice machine filtration setup — the replacement cartridge that screws onto a head already plumbed into your cold water line, so a filter change costs a few minutes instead of a service call. Each cartridge is rated for 21,000 gallons at 0.5 micron and 2 GPM, works through 3/8" inlet and outlet connections, and is built for scale reduction plus chlorine taste and odor reduction — the two things that shorten an evaporator's life and end up in the glass. It is NSF certified for potable water service.
Key Features of the DH-R1
A replacement cartridge only earns its price on three counts — how long it lasts, what it takes out of the water, and how little of your day the swap costs. Here is where the DH-R1 lands on each.
21,000 Gallons at a 0.5 Micron Rating
The DH-R1 is rated for 21,000 gallons of throughput at a 0.5 micron filtration rating, which is fine enough to hold back the sediment, silt and rust flake that cloud cubes and grind away at an ice machine's pump and float valve. Because the rating is quoted in gallons rather than months, a low-volume café gets far more calendar time out of one cartridge than a machine running near capacity through a summer — the cartridge is sized to the water you actually push through it.
Scale Reduction and Chlorine Taste & Odor Reduction
Blue Air builds the DH-R1 for two jobs on the same pass: scale reduction, which keeps hard-water mineral from plating onto the evaporator and stretching harvest cycles, and chlorine taste and odor reduction, which is the part your customers actually notice. Municipal chlorine goes straight through an unfiltered line into the cube, and from there into every soda, iced coffee and cocktail poured over it.
Built for Ice Machine Duty at 2 GPM
The cartridge is rated at a 2 GPM flow rate, matched to the intermittent fill demand of a commercial ice machine rather than to a continuous drinking-water tap. Blue Air's DH sizing chart groups ice machines by daily production — an up to 500 lbs tier, a 650 lbs through 900 lbs tier and an over 900 lbs tier — and names the BLUI-150A, BLUI-250A, BLMI-300A, BLMI-500A, BLMI-500AD, BLUN-120A and BLDN-280A among the machines it covers. Size the system to the machine's published daily output, then stock the DH-R1 as the recurring cartridge for it.
Rated Operating Window: 30-100 PSI, 35-100°F
The DH-R1 performs to its ratings on cold potable water between 30 and 100 PSI and between 35°F and 100°F. That window is worth checking before you blame a cartridge for weak output: a building running under 30 PSI will starve the ice machine no matter how new the filter is, and a supply above 100 PSI needs a regulator upstream of the filter head rather than a heavier cartridge.
NSF Certified, Drop-In for the DH-S1 Head
The DH-R1 is NSF certified and carries the same 21,000 gallon, 0.5 micron, 2 GPM and 3/8" port ratings as the cartridge supplied in the Blue Air DH-S1 single filtration system, so performance does not change at swap time. The head, its mounting bracket, its pressure gauge and all of the plumbing stay exactly where they are — only the cartridge is consumable, which is the whole point of buying the system in the first place.
Buy the cartridge before you need it: 21,000 gallons is a throughput rating, not a date, so the practical trigger for a change is falling downstream pressure on the filter head's gauge or a drop in the ice machine's output — both of which show up mid-shift, not on a schedule. Keeping one DH-R1 on the shelf turns that into a five-minute swap. Shut the upstream valve first, relieve the line pressure, then change the cartridge; the water going into it must be cold potable supply within the 30-100 PSI and 35°F-100°F operating range.
DH-R1 Specifications
| Model | DH-R1 |
|---|---|
| Type | Replacement water filtration cartridge for commercial ice machines |
| Rated Capacity | 21,000 gallons |
| Micron Rating | 0.5 micron |
| Flow Rate | 2 GPM |
| Reduction | Scale; chlorine taste and odor |
| Operating Pressure | 30 - 100 PSI |
| Operating Temperature | 35°F ~ 100°F |
| Inlet / Outlet Size | 3/8" inlet and 3/8" outlet |
| Fits | Blue Air DH series ice machine filtration systems, including the DH-S1 single system |
| Water Supply | Cold potable water line ahead of the ice machine |
| Sold As | Replacement cartridge only — filter head and bracket not included |
| Certifications | NSF |
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the Blue Air DH-R1 cartridge fit?
The DH-R1 is the replacement filtration cartridge for Blue Air's DH series ice machine water filtration systems, including the single-cartridge DH-S1. It matches that system's 21,000 gallon capacity, 0.5 micron rating, 2 GPM flow rate and 3/8" inlet and outlet sizing, so the head, bracket and plumbing already on your wall stay untouched and only the cartridge is replaced.
How often should the DH-R1 be replaced?
The cartridge is rated for 21,000 gallons, so the interval depends on how much ice you actually make rather than on a fixed number of months. Watch the pressure gauge on the filter head — a steady fall in downstream pressure means the media is loading up — and treat a drop in the ice machine's daily output as the same signal. Many operators pair those checks with a standing six-month inspection so the change is planned instead of urgent.
What does the 0.5 micron rating on the DH-R1 do for my ice?
A 0.5 micron rating means the cartridge captures very fine suspended particles — sediment, silt and rust flakes — before they reach the ice machine's pump, float valve and evaporator plate. That is what keeps cubes clear and hard instead of cloudy, and it protects the components that fail first on unfiltered water. Alongside the particle filtration, the DH-R1 is formulated for scale reduction and chlorine taste and odor reduction.
What water pressure and temperature does the DH-R1 need?
It is rated for cold potable water between 30 and 100 PSI at 35°F to 100°F, flowing up to 2 GPM through 3/8" inlet and outlet connections. Below 30 PSI the ice machine will be starved for fill water regardless of filter condition; above 100 PSI you should fit a pressure regulator upstream of the filter head. The cartridge is not intended for hot water service.
Can I run an ice machine without a water filter cartridge?
Mechanically yes, but it is a short-term decision. Untreated hard water deposits scale on the evaporator, which lengthens harvest cycles and cuts daily ice production until a descaling service or an early evaporator replacement is needed, and chlorine carries straight through into the cube and into every drink served over it. A DH-R1 is the least expensive consumable in that chain, and most ice machine manufacturers expect filtered water as a condition of normal service life.
Is the DH-R1 NSF certified?
Yes. The DH-R1 replacement filtration cartridge is NSF certified, which is the listing most health inspectors and equipment specifications look for on anything plumbed into a potable water line ahead of an ice machine. Keeping a certified cartridge in the head — rather than a generic substitute — is what preserves that status on your installation.
| Brand | Blue Air Commercial Refrigeration |
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| SKU | DH-R1 |
| Brand | Blue Air Commercial Refrigeration |
| Height | 19.00 |
| Filter Type | chlorine, taste & odor, scaling |
| Service Flow Rate | 2 - 2.49 GPM |
| Capacity USA | 10,001 - 25,000 gallons |
| Micron Rating | .50 microns |
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