Honeywell 50250 99.97% Pure HEPA Round Air Purifier
by Honeywell
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Tools and Hardware Reviews of Honeywell 50250 99.97% Pure HEPA Round Air Purifier
Customer Review: Effective, economical HEPA filter
Summary: 4 Stars
I have purchased several Honeywell air cleaners recently for my family (children, parents and brother's household) and have been very pleased with their performance and and engineering. I was looking for an air cleaner for my daughter's room and was given an older model by friends who had used it briefly before buying an Ionic Breeze instead due to the noise level- the only reason I didn't rate it 5 stars. While that machine is a Sears labelled appliance, it is identical to a small Honeywell. It has effectively reduced her symptoms, and the noise hasbn't been disagreeable on lower settings with any of the machines. Using the higher settings an hour or so before bedtime and reducing the fan speed to low during the night produces a 'white nboise" that I find soothing.
Replacement filters (permanent) arte readily availabvle and economical (under $15.00 at Amazon). Other Honeywell air cleaners we have purchased differ in that they have no ionizer (not recommended by medical authorities- i am myself a family physician) and in their capacity. All of the machines I have bought are the round hassock-shaped ones and this is an imiportant design feature in that these models use either og two sizes of replacement permanent filters as above. Larger models may use up to three stacked filters in place of the original and expensive non-permanent filter. All use a cut-to charcoal-containing pre-filter which may be vacuumed periodically and used for substantially longer than the packaging indicated (at least 6 months). The HEPA filters may be vacuumed as well, a simple maintenance task.
The filter that comes with a filter that is NOT permanent but is instead a "long-life" singlre filter with a recommended replacement interval of five years. It does not have a "permanent filter".
one of the big pluses for these machines is the excellent 5-year warranty. No machine in this price range except a few Hunter models offer a 5-year warranty, and Hunter permanent filters are far more expensive and hard-to find. I have noted some complaints about warranty service in other reviews of Honeywell products, but nonetheless it is still a very good value.
I ofund some of my machines in the local Goodwill for $10 or so- check it out!. On new machines, I really couldn't beat the Amazon deals substantially and ordered one of these and another odel for family. My brother was so impressed he went out and bought 2 other machines (regrettably, not Honeywell) for his fairly severe allergy problems. t wouldn't count on these machines to eliminate strong odors vcompletely but they do make a difference.
I would add a final note about my experience with central air conditioner filters. A NMERV of 8-10 is sufficient to remove almost all common allergens. Higher filtration requires larger surface area to prevent excessive air obstruction. We bought a filter some time ago that we couldn't use for that very reason. The most economical is the Lysol brand filter available in Lowes stores.
Removing bacteria from the air is unimportant- "air sdanitizer" are a waste of money. Airborne bacteria rarely survive long and DO NOT cause odors in and of themselves- they must be in a nutrient rich medium and actively growing to cause odors. As for mold, remember that removing moisture is the answer to that problem. A relative humidity of 40 % or less will take care of mold and mildew very nicely. So, use your AC, dehumidifier, or pipe wrench as needed to control moisture problems. As for vacuums, they all work- IF YOU USE THEM! A central system that exhausts to the outdoors or a garage area that can be aired is a great option. bagless vacuums, water trap vacuums, etc really don't make much difference in air quality. We find that using simple bedlinens in the children's rooms which can be tossed in the dryer for 10 minutes are useful ways to control dust mites and remove some of their allergens. Stuffed animal toys can also be given a spin for the same reasion.
Sorry if I get carried away, but I have always felt a duty to teach my opatients to take care of themselves. I hope this has been helpful. The Honeywell air cleaners are a great way for allergy sufferers to take control of their symptoms in part.
Customer Review: Things to know...
Summary: 4 Stars
I did a lot of research before buying this unit. I have pretty bad allergies from dust, and I rent an old house whose ventilation system probably hasn't ever been cleaned. In the winter, the moment the heat starts running regularly, I end up feeling miserable. The bedroom where I sleep appears to be the worst culprit.
I wanted to try an air purifier, but under a really tight budget, I just didn't have $300 for a better unit, let alone the $1000 it costs to buy a REALLY good unit. I knew I wanted HEPA, with low maintenance filters, and one that I wouldn't have to take out a loan in order to buy. This one was the one.
I bought it, and here are my experiences so far:
1. I DID receive the permanent filter version. I know there were some people asking about that. It doesn't say -N here on Amazon, but it's still the permanent filter version that shipped. That was good; however, when I opened the box, I noticed that the unit didn't come in a plastic bag, and the cord was loosely bound with a twist-tie. It really looked as if the unit had been re-packaged. I very closely examined the unit to see if there was any other evidence of use. There wasn't, but that doesn't mean it wasn't a refurbished model with new filters. We shall see...
2. There was a pre-filter in the box, but it was just in a small plastic bag. The label said that it had to be installed before running the unit. It warned there might be a "new" smell.
3. I installed the pre-filter, which was really pretty simple. It's amazing, actually, how little there is to this machine. I turned it on. On high, it really does sound a bit like a jet engine. This puppy is moving air! That's great. Unfortunately, the smell chased me out of the room after about two minutes. When they said "new" smell, what they really meant was "terrible chemical smell." Ugh! I was thinking that I need a purifier to purify the air emitted by the purifier! I turned it off and called the company. My experiences there were a little disheartening. They told me the unit had been discontinued and wondered where I'd gotten it. I said Amazon, where it appeared to still be selling quite well. Long story short, she told me that the pre-filter would emit a smell, and that I should run it outside for a while. (The instructions implicitly state not to do so.) She then said to run it in the garage. Urrfff. That's Koz (who bought Honeywell) for you.
4. Since I'd read before that some of the generic pre-filters can emit a nasty smell, I decided to give this unit a chance and lugged it down to my basement, where I ran it on high for a few hours. That did the trick. The smell went away.
5. I lugged it back to my bedroom and turned it on low to sleep. Low was tolerable for me in terms of volume because I like to sleep with white noise. It was the equivalent of a box fan on medium or high, I would say. If you are REALLY sensitive to noise, this unit would probably be too loud for you.
6. This morning I woke up to far less allergy symptoms. It is too early to say whether this thing is working, but I'm definitely feeling optimistic about it.
Summary: Be forewarned that there might be an initial fairly nasty smell when starting this unit for the first time. You might be able to bypass this by buying a true Honeywell pre-filter. (They might sell them still at Target.) If you are really sensitive to smell like I am, it would be best to run this in a garage or basement for the first time if you can't change out the pre-filter.
After that, I think it might work out. I'll update after a bit more time, but hopefully this will help other buyers who are desperate for a halfway decent purifier but can't afford the really expensive models.
Customer Review: I LIKE IT A LOT but there are SOME ISSUES
Summary: 5 Stars
Picked it up a few weeks ago from a Home Depot. I did end up paying probably $15 more for it than if I had bought it online. That is the way I wanted it because if it didn't work well I could easily return it with no hassle and maybe pick up another one. So I have 90 days to check it out. I purchased it for my basement rec room that is 16'x30' with an 8' ceiling. So I am looking at 480 sq feet. I think the purifier is rated for 340 sq feet... So I consider that close enough. I live in the southwest where it is dusty all the time. I also have a 16 year old cat that needs a good spanking. After two weeks of using the purifier I LIKE IT A LOT. It filters the room fast and leaves you with a really clean smelling room. When I come down the stairs and turn the corner to the rec room you can smell and feel the difference right away. So up to now (two weeks) everything is great. NOW FOR THE ISSUES: My purifier does indeed wobble at low and slighly at the mid range settings. The purifier is sitting on carpet so the amount of vibration that you see is extremely small. I think it may be more of a visual problem than a real mechanical problem. If it was sitting on a wood floor it might bug me but if I liked it I would put it on a rug or get some felt or rubber pads to put under the feet. The way it is now for me is just fine. I also wonder if you could put a small piece of duct tape on one of the blades to try to offset the wobble. You can do this sort of thing with ceiling fans and it seems to work... Just a thought. The second issue is indeed the NOISE. I have read all the reviews and some people are saying that it isn't loud. To these people I say you need to go to an ear doctor (LOL). It is loud on the high setting (Trust Me). However the way I look at the noise is, That's fine with me because I know it is really pushing the air through the filter and that's what I wanted in the first place. I think very few people could stand to listen to it on the high speed setting for more than a few hours. The medium speed is just barely acceptable and I could probably get used to it if I had to. The low speed, to me, is very acceptable. How you intend to use this purifier is a big factor in whether you should buy it or not. The way I use it is like this: I bought a $5 mechanical plugin timer which has the ability to set two settings per day. I have the filter set to HIGH and the timer is set to start at 11AM-2PM (3 hours on high) and then it shuts off and starts again at 3AM-6AM (3 hours on high). The rest of the day the filter is not running. We have no bad physical conditions where we need to run it 24/7 so the six hours that we run it keeps everything fresh. Unless you need it running 24 hours a day there should be a schedule that you can come up with where the noise is really never an issue. This purifier is really cheap to operate when comparing to the more expensive makes and models - And especially if you never have to change the Hepa filter (My purifier says on box that you don't have to change it) but I will probably change it once a year or so. So, in conclusion, this Honeywell is a great purifier if you can work around the sound issue. I think the vibration issue is more a problem in your head than an actual mechanical problem. I do realize that my two weeks of operation is not a great test but if anything goes haywire I will be sure to let you guys know. Also consider buying it somewhere where you can return it if you don't like it.... Worth paying a few extra bucks I would think. Hope this helps.Customer Review: Fantastic Air Cleaner!
Summary: 5 Stars
While this product has both pros and cons, having lived with it for a month, I'm VERY pleased with its overall performance. There is absolutely no dust visible in the air, even when looking for some particles near a sunlit window. None. Zero.
The unit is fairly large, about half the size of a steel garbage can brought to the curb. This may be an issue for some people, but conversely, a smaller unit would not move (and therefore not filter) as much air.
It moves A LOT of air, so it can get windy sitting nearby. But because it moves so much air, it works so well. We leave it on the lowest setting 24 hours a day, because turning it up to medium or high would be ridiculous. It really moves a lot of air. The air enters into and flows out of the unit in a 360 degree pattern, so the unit cannot be "aimed" towards, or away from, nearby objects.
Some have compared this unit to a Sharp model (which costs twice as much), but they should be comparing two of these to a unit costing twice as much, and three of these to a unit costing three times as much.
Some consider the unit loud, but it doesn't bother me, and the "white noise" puts me right to sleep at night.
Construction quality is EXCELLENT. They generally "don't make stuff like this anymore." Mine was made in Mexico. The plastic is high quality -- the vents, the controls, and the convenient carry handle built into the top, all feel solid. I opened the unit up (there's a large plastic nut on the bottom) to examine the HEPA filter (which is huge), and even the filter felt solid and well made.
The unit sold directly from Amazon (can't comment on ones from 3rd party sellers) is the current model with the silver control panel on top, and is very handsome (much nicer than the older model visible in some customer-uploaded photos above). This unit is the "50250N" model, which was apparently an internal model number used by the manufacturer, and never actually labeled on the packaging/unit as "50250N." The difference is the "N" (new) model features the "lifetime" HEPA filter which doesn't need to be changed. The current "N" model is also cosmetically nicer than the prior version. To be clear, there is only one current model of this air cleaner, the 50250 (which was internally called a 50250N by the manufacturer). The 250 in the model number refers to a CADR (Clean Air Delivery Rate) of 250.
The unit has a fairy bright blue light visible at night, but this is likely a safety feature so people don't trip over the unit while heading to the bathroom late at night. It didn't bother me, and I actually find the "night light" helpful. The markings on the blue lighted dial were unreadable, however, but given that there are only 4 positions (Off, Low, Medium, and High) this isn't a big deal.
Note that the manufacturer recommends turning the unit on "High" for a few seconds EVERY time the unit is switched on, to create extra suction on the filter gaskets for the tightest possible seal. Then switch it to Medium or Low as desired after a few seconds. We let it run 24 hours a day on low.
If you can live with the size and the amount of air it moves, you will be very happy with this unit.
We are very happy with the unit, and will buy additional units for other areas of the house in the future.
Customer Review: Just what I expected
Summary: 4 Stars
Ever since moving to a new home just over a year ago, my husband and I have had an increase in our allergies and sinus problems. We decided on an air purifier for the bedroom since our symptoms were worse in the mornings, and we researched air purifiers for several weeks before deciding on this one. It was the least expensive model recommended by Consumer Reports, and the most conveniently sized for our very small bedroom. As a reference, our bedroom is 14 x 15.
Good points first: this baby moves a lot of air! On the high setting, you'll notice a difference in the smell and quality of air within just a few minutes. When it's on high, we can leave it in the bedroom but still tell that it's working in other rooms that are 30 feet away.
This purifier really does work well at removing smells. That's my favorite part of the purifier. It also seems to help with the allergies. It hasn't cured us, but my symptoms have reduced significantly, and I credit the purifier with that.
Now the not-quite-so-good: This purifier is loud. Believe what everyone says, if you have trouble getting to sleep with noise, you won't want this unit on at night. We like white noise so after just 1-2 nights, we were able to sleep just fine. On high, we can hear it through the whole house, and if it's in your living room you'll have to turn up your radio or TV to hear properly. While it's much quieter on low, it's still a bit louder than what I would choose for white noise. The blue light on the switch is pretty bright, too, and we had to cover ours so it wouldn't light up our whole room.
The air it puts out is warm, so in the summers, we have to turn the a/c down to compensate since it warms up our whole bedroom.
The fan is a bit off-balance, especially on low. It doesn't cause noise or affect the air output so we haven't returned the unit, but it's noticeable. The unit is kind of ugly and quite large. Before buying, I recommend deciding on where you'll put the unit and then carefully measuring a spot the size of the unit, just to see how much room it needs, especially if you have space issues like we do.
All in all, the concerns I had (noise, aesthetics, size) before buying it ended up being valid, but for the price and the good it's doing, I think it's worth it. I'd give this 3.5 stars but since we can't, I'll round up to 4.
Edit 8-7-07: My original review is from May 22, 2007, but I wanted to add a brief update. A few weeks ago we decided to get a second purifier for the other end of the house. This purifier is in our living room which is part of a large kitchen-dining-living room. The best thing about this second Honeywell is that it really gets rid of cooking smells quickly. The whole house smells fresher. As for allergies and sinus problems, last year at this time I'd already had 4 solid months of sinus problems. This year I've just had one episode and it was much milder than what I experienced last year.
This second unit doesn't have the wobbly fan problem our first unit did. The only problems were what I mentioned before: hard to find the room for the unit, and the sound is loud enough I have to turn it off to hear the TV or radio. I'm glad we have two of these purifiers and I definitely think it's worth the 4 stars.