Honeywell 18155 SilentComfort Permanent, True HEPA Air Purifier
by Honeywell
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Tools and Hardware Reviews of Honeywell 18155 SilentComfort Permanent, True HEPA Air Purifier
Customer Review: Good for a small bedroom. Lots of pros and cons.
Summary: 4 Stars
First of all, I have to chuckle about the person that found 'packing material' in their filter and broke it all apart.
The motor housing is made of styrofoam, in an effort to quiet the motor and blower wheel. Don't take it apart and take out the 'packing material' out of it, it's supposed to be there.
Also, the styrofoam is porous, so, don't let it get wet inside, or it can actually be a source of mold, mildew, and musty smells. It may also retain odors like dog, cat, smoke, etc in this styrofoam if you get it used, or sell it. Replacing the hepa filter or pre-filter may not be enough.
Also, it's pretty poor at dealing with odors, as the carbon pre-filter is much smaller, and the air doesn't spend very long in the carbon part of it, so it's just not that effective. Just the way it is. You can help it out by wrapping the pre-filter around the HEPA filter, and think of it as a post filter. This won't get dusty, because the air gets blown through the filter from the inside out, so the dust is trapped in the inside of the filter, rather than the outside, like most round filters.
Air spends more time in the post-filter as the air leaves the filter evenly, and on low it actually works pretty well as absorbing odors if used this way. If you want to be frugal, you can re-use the 'post' filter as a pre-filter if you cut it down to size.
Just make sure you have a pre-filter installed in the bottom as well (And don't use the dusty pre-filter as a post filter, or you'll re-pollute your filtered air.), as without the pre-filter properly installed, the HEPA filter won't last long. It's designed to 'chirp' when the HEPA filter needs cleaning or replacing, as the fluctuations caused by the plugged filter will make the styrofoam motor housing rub against the blower wheel, eventually damaging it. If you don't install a pre-filter in the bottom this will happen very quickly, and the unit will basically just annoy you rather than filter any air.
If you keep the pre-filter clean, and keep it on low in your bedroom, it will keep the dust from getting too bad.
It's really quiet, as the HEPA filter acts like a muffler, and the motor housing is made of sound absorbing material.
I'd vacuum the HEPA filter with your HEPA vacuum every time you change the pre-filter.
I can see why they designed it like this, but I can also see the downsides.
If you want a filter that's QUIET and doesn't disturb the air a lot, this a good choice.
It's not good for entryways, pool/spa rooms, pet rooms, living rooms, for use as a fan, or a smoke-eater.
It's for bedrooms.
If you like to have air blowing on you as you sleep, pick the 17005 instead (It makes more noise, but moves all it's exhaust in one direction.), or better yet, have the 17005 on a nightstand on low 24/7 blowing on your pillow, and have it moving air in the direction of a 18155, so the 17005 can provide fresh air for you as you sleep, and the 18155 keeps the dust down so you don't have to vacuum as often. Yes, I have 2 HEPA filters in my bedroom. 2 on low are MUCH quieter and more effective than 1 on high. The 17005 also has a timer and remote- built right in.
The 18155 is much quieter than the old round style 11520, and work just as well for dust and allergies.
The old venerable 11520 is much more durable, but really loud on high, and didn't move much air on low.
I bet the 18155 is quieter on high than the old 11520 is on low.
Customer Review: FANTASTIC and VERY QUIET...
Summary: 5 Stars
"HONEYWELL: 18155 SilentComfort Air Purifier"
First off, I'd like to say that this is the only air purifier I've ever owned so I cannot compare it fairly to others so I won't even try. But I've read dozens of reviews about the Honeywell QuietCare 17000 and noticed the main complaint is that it's not really queit at all. Well...I hope this helps.
As far as the noise level goes this SilentComfort 18155 is very quiet on MED and LOW. On HIGH, right next to it, it's about as loud as our dishwasher about 30 feet away. So it's not bad at all. I can still hear the television and have normal conversations with the family without yelling.
I've done some of my own studies to see how well the dust is being pulled into the machine and can see there is dust building up in the pre-filter over time. It seems to work very well. I've also noticed a difference on how fresh the air smells. My sneezing is almost down to zero, when it's running, and that tells me it's really working.
It does NOT have an IONIZER which IS A GOOD THING in my opinion. I've learned that these ionizers omit ozone. Which inside the home this ozone builds up and can be very harmful to the lungs. I did NOT like the sound of that so I turned away from the "ionizer" models.
It is very sturdy, a little bulky, but not too heavy to put in other rooms from time to time when I feel the need to relocate it. It blows cold air, not like a fan and not too direct, at a 360 degree radius(it also pulls from every direction). The cold air will be nice in the summer but it's not so nice right now in the winter. I like to put it next to the bed and it can get a little chilly when my covers come off. It has a very comforting and relaxing white noise hum to it. The motor runs very soft and consistant. No rattling or buzzing of any kind. It seems very well built.
MY ONLY CONCERN is that the return/exhaust does NOT blow straight up. It blows outword on the top/sides and it pulls from the bottom. This may be a brilliant design or a serious flaw? I question...is it just filtering the same air over and over again or is it like a vortex that pulls the dust into it with the pushing air(kind of like a tornado)? In my studies I found that was a tough call for me to make. But it really does help with my allergies so I must conclude that it's working properly.
I ordered it directly from Amazon and it arrived in 4 days(that includes the weekend) and that was with the FREE SUPERSAVER SHIPPING. Amazon is always fantastic about that, so no complaints there.
OVERALL... I am very pleased, though it may be a little early to give a longevity review right now, the HoneyWell SilentComfort 18155 really seems to work great and I have no complaints. If anything faulty or negative develops I will amend it into this review accordingly.
2 THUMBS UP...and I breathe much easier now.
Customer Review: FANTASTIC and VERY QUIET...
Summary: 5 Stars
"HONEYWELL: 18155 SilentComfort Air Purifier"
First off, I'd like to say that this is the only air purifier I've ever owned so I cannot compare it fairly to others so I won't even try. But I've read dozens of reviews about the Honeywell QuietCare 17000 and noticed the main complaint is that it's not really queit at all. Well...I hope this helps.
As far as the noise level goes this SilentComfort 18155 is very quiet on MED and LOW. On HIGH, right next to it, it's about as loud as our dishwasher about 30 feet away. So it's not bad at all. I can still hear the television and have normal conversations with the family without yelling.
I've done some of my own studies to see how well the dust is being pulled into the machine and can see there is dust building up in the pre-filter over time. It seems to work very well. I've also noticed a difference on how fresh the air smells. My sneezing is almost down to zero, when it's running, and that tells me it's really working.
It does NOT have an IONIZER which IS A GOOD THING in my opinion. I've learned that these ionizers omit ozone. Which inside the home this ozone builds up and can be very harmful to the lungs. I did NOT like the sound of that so I turned away from the "ionizer" models.
It is very sturdy, a little bulky, but not too heavy to put in other rooms from time to time when I feel the need to relocate it. It blows cold air, not like a fan and not too direct, at a 360 degree radius(it also pulls from every direction). The cold air will be nice in the summer but it's not so nice right now in the winter. I like to put it next to the bed and it can get a little chilly when my covers come off. It has a very comforting and relaxing white noise hum to it. The motor runs very soft and consistant. No rattling or buzzing of any kind. It seems very well built.
MY ONLY CONCERN is that the return/exhaust does NOT blow straight up. It blows outword on the top/sides and it pulls from the bottom. This may be a brilliant design or a serious flaw? I question...is it just filtering the same air over and over again or is it like a vortex that pulls the dust into it with the pushing air(kind of like a tornado)? In my studies I found that was a tough call for me to make. But it really does help with my allergies so I must conclude that it's working properly.
I ordered it directly from Amazon and it arrived in 4 days(that includes the weekend) and that was with the FREE SUPERSAVER SHIPPING. Amazon is always fantastic about that, so no complaints there.
OVERALL... I am very pleased, though it may be a little early to give a longevity review right now, the HoneyWell SilentComfort 18155 really seems to work great and I have no complaints. If anything faulty or negative develops I will amend it into this review accordingly.
2 THUMBS UP...and I breathe much easier now.
Customer Review: After six months... excellent product
Summary: 5 Stars
Like a previous reviewer, I too have never owned an air purifier before. I live in a small, 1 bedroom apartment (about 950 sq/ft). I was concerned that the specs mentioned that it (and most others) are rated for a certain, smaller sized room. Don't be put off by that. It may not recirculate the air 15 times per hour for the whole apartment, but who really needs that? It's just a spec. For my apartment, it refreshes the air perfectly. Honestly, I noticed the difference within one minute of turning it on.
Living in Oregon (like many other places), you can't reasonably open the windows in the winter. Stale air and cooking odors quickly make things unpleasant. This has made an unbelievable difference.
The unit seems quite well built, and running on the low setting (which is where I leave it) there is very little noise.. certainly not enough to bother me. I was impressed by the apparent quality - there are some cheap components internally, but not things that would effect the quality of the unit.
I had no experience with unpleasant smells as were mentioned in some previous reviews. I was a bit unsure when I purchased this, but I am so glad that I did. What a difference fresh air makes.
I'll update this review once I've had it a bit longer, and talk more to the quality. For now, it's a new purchase and so far, I'm thrilled with it. Hope this helps.
SIX MONTH UPDATE: I've had this unit for about six months now, and I am so very satisfied with it. You may get a little bit of the 'wet dog' smell when you put in a new pre-filter (about every 3 months), but to me it is only noticeable when I put my nose right up to the air exhaust - which is not a normal activity for me.. Haha. That smell only lasts for about 24 hours or so. When a day comes along where you have had the windows closed (it's not too effective if you have your windows open), I notice the clean air within a minute of turning it on.
One thing to consider.. when you buy the pre-filter replacements. I thought it would be smart to buy one to use in 3 months (recommended replacement interval), then buy another to have one on the shelf. Well, for this unit each pre-filter is only a portion of what you ordered (you cut them to get the correct size for your unit - each unit type takes a different width of pre-filter material). For this unit, you get 8 pre-filters from the replacement package. So now I have enough pre-filters for 4 years! Oh well, they are not expensive.
Customer Review: Almost a 5
Summary: 4 Stars
My husband had been having wheezing and coughing fits for several months now. It had gotten to the point that he was afraid to laugh or do anything that would make him breath deeply for fear that it would trigger another fit. I've never needed an air filter before, so I researched for hours before settling on this model and couldn't be happier with our choice! We put it in our bedroom on low(he had the most discomfort while sleeping) and in a couple hours he said he could tell the difference in the air. I laid awake for what seemed like forever that night, just listening to him snore! It was fantastic! No wheezing or gasping for breath. No tossing or turning. It has been a week and no coughing fits since.
Is is silent?
No. On low it reminds me of a bathroom exhaust fan when you are a room away. I easily forget it is there. We had it on high for a while and were still able to watch TV comfortably. on high it reminds me of a clothes dryer.
Filters:
This has two filters: the hepa one that you are supposed to vacuum twice a year, and a "pre-filter" that looks like a strip of mesh and carbon that you replace every 3 months. Easy to get to the filters. No worries about difficulty cleaning or changing them.
Customer care:
We had issues doing the initial set-up of the filter and had to call the Honeywell customer hot-line. Its not that it was difficult to set-up, but that my husband tossed the instruction booklet to the side (typical male!) and we couldn't find it and we couldn't agree on where the pre-filter was supposed to go (we found the instruction booklet later and it has diagram). The woman we spoke with was very helpful and after telling her the model number she was immediately able to tell us where it went and how to put it there. Seemed very knowledgeable about the product and didn't rush us.
The only reason I didn't give this product 5 stars is because I've only had it a week and have yet to find out how it will stand the test of time. I don't give credit where it isn't due.