Honeywell Air Purifiers

Honeywell, owned by parent company Kaz, tends to target the lower end of the air purifier market with affordable products sold at big box retailers.  Honeywell has also submitted many of its portable air purifier products to be tested under the Clean Air Delivery Rate program.  Unfortunately, many of its products do not test favorably under this program for removing particles from the air.

Honeywell also makes whole house units designed to integrate into existing HVAC systems.  These units range from affordable to expensive and consequently provide a variety of filtering ability depending on technology used.

Honeywell Models

Honeywell Company Info

Honeywell’s roots go back to 1885, and corporate headquarters is located in Morristown, New Jersey since merging with Allied Chemical Corp. in 1958. Honeywell’s line of air cleaners includes whole-house filtration units, freestanding room conditioners, tabletop units and UV treatment systems.  Many of Honeywell’s air cleaners are actually manufactured by Kaz Corporation.

Whole House Air Cleaners

Honeywell recommends professional installation for whole-house units because some sheet metal work may be required. Whole-house units are installed in the return air duct of an HVAC system — whether run by oil, gas or electricity — and do not require electrical connections. Many Honeywell products offer “lifetime” HEPA filters that can be vacuumed about twice a year but still need to be replaced periodically, since the term “lifetime” is a brand name, not a guarantee and they will lose effectiveness over time.

Honeywell Portable Air Purifiers

Honeywell offers a wide variety of portable air purifiers, typically at the lower price range in the industry.  Information on various models and technology used is listed below.

Honeywell Air Purifier Models

Table Top Models

• Honeywell 16200 HEPA-Type Air Purifier – recommended for small rooms up to 80 square feet , captures up to 95% of the airborne particulates and retails for $59.99. The unit includes Odor-Lock™ Filter Technology and a Protec™ antimicrobial treatment to remove household odors and prevent the growth of mold of bacteria on the filters. It has a 3-speed fan and an electronic filter indicator that signals when it is time to replace the filter, has a three year warranty and draws 44 watts of power.
• Honeywell 17000 Air Cleaner series retails for $78.00 to $155 and the newer models feature two “lifetime” HEPA filters and a pre-filter that should be replaced regularly at a cost $19.95. This unit is highly rated by consumers and has a 3-speed fan and a CADR of 130 that is enhanced by the bolt lock system which effectively seals the air import casing so all captured air is purified. Unit is housed in a 14″ round case that fits on the table top, and the unit is considered quite loud when operating.

Single Room Models

• Honeywell 18155 air purifier retails for $125.99 to $169.95 and comes with a 5 year limited warranty, much longer than most products in this price range. These models have “germ reducing” filters and a “lifetime” HEPA filter and coversan area of 187 square feet, or medium 11’x 17′ room. Pre-filters should be replaced approximately ever three months and cost $13.00 to $15.00 apiece. The Honeywell 18150 model has all the same features, except the “lifetime” HEPA filter. The unit measures 17″ tall x 18″ wide and is 16″ deep and weighs 21 pounds.
• Honeywell 50250 air purifier retails for $147.00 to $200.00 and requires a Universal Carbon Prefilter replacement every three months at $16.95 and includes a “lifetime” HEPA Filter that must be replaced periodically at $45.95 to $59.97 per 3 pack or a one piece, non-lifetime HEPA Replacement Filter for $89.99. Ranked fourth in Consumer Reports 2005 survey, it will clean a 370 square foot room and has a CADR of 250. The unit measures 17.75″ wide, 17.75″ tall and is 19″ deep and weighs 21 pounds.
• Honeywell Germicidal IFD HFD-130 Air Purifier is identical to the Honeywell Enviracaire IFD 60001 that is no longer available directly from the manufacturer, but is still widely available online and retails for $180. These models feature the Intelligent Filter Design (IFD) that never needs replacing due to a clever electrostatic collector grid and a polyester foam honeycomb-like collection grid which can be easily removed for cleaning. The unit has a 3-speed fan with a 12 hour timer and measures 14″ x 10″ x 23″ and weighs 13 pounds. Even though the energy consumption is a bit high at up to 150 watts on full speed, the unit is EnergyStar certified, and has a CADR of 145 for tobacco smoke, 140 for dust and 130 for pollen.

Whole-House Systems

• F100 retails for $249 is the most basic whole-house model. It has a deep pleated furnace filter that captures particles as small as 1.0 micron. The filter is easy to replace, but the unit does not come with a change filter indicator, although an air watch indicator can be purchased for $31.00.
• F200 Whole-House Media air cleaner is effective at catching particulates as small as 0.3 microns and retails for $299.99 The stury case can support the weight of a residential furnace and can be mounted in any position. It does not require an electrical connections and mounts in the return air duct and includes a wireless air watch indicator to notify when the filter requires changing, about every 6 to 12 months. Unit comes with a five year warranty and is easy to upgrade into a higher performance Electronic Air Cleaner.
• F300 Electronic Air Cleaner retails for $550 and uses a 3-stage filtration system with an electrostatic charge to collect 99% of the particulates in an air stream. The unit comes with a 10 year Clean Coil Guarantee, and the filter cell never needs replacing, just washed off every 3 to 6 months. Electrostatic air cleaners do emit ozone, but this unit does not exceed the FDA safe levels.
• F500 – Honeywell’s top of the line whole-house air cleaner is a 3-stage F500 retails for $1800 and includes a pre-filter, a HEPA filter, and activated charcoal filter and comes with a 5-year warranty. It can be plugged into a regular 120 volt system and captures 99.97 percent of the airborne particulates and requires no maintenance except periodic filter replacement.