Honeywell 17000 Air Cleaner

My favorite feature on the 14 inch round Honeywell air purifiers is the bolted locking mechanism. On the 17000 series it provides side mounted access to the filter compartment. Unlike many air purifying devices in this class, these air cleaners seal tightly, allowing little bypassing of unclean air.

Air cleaners in the near $100 area often cut corners, but the 17000 Honeywell has a 99.97% at .3 micron true HEPA filter. Others have HEPA-type air filters, which do not have any standard to conform to.

Honeywell has gone to a modular filter system for their 14 inch round air cleaners. These common filters are stacked 2 or 3 high, depending on model. Honeywell 17000 air cleaners use 2.

Filter monitors, one for the prefilter and one for the HEPA, are merely timers, not true pressure switches. They give you a reminder to check for dirt build-up, nothing more. A quick tap on either filter monitor button will cause its light to flash up to 3 or 4 times, showing approximate used filter life.

A recent upgrade to the Honeywell line is the "lifetime" HEPA filter. This permanent HEPA filter can be gently vacuumed about twice a year. For cleaner air, the "permanent" HEPA filter still needs replacement eventually after several vacuumings, as performance has been found to decline.

Make sure you are getting the lifetime HEPA filter, many 17000s are still in inventory with the old part number 20500 HEPA filter. If the air cleaner has the older filter style, be sure it is discounted accordingly.

Neither the activated carbon pre-filter, nor the HEPA filter are washable.

Air filters are easy to change, without tools, just by unscrewing the round locking mechanism.

No Airborne VOC Chemical Capability

This is about as inexpensive as a HEPA air purifier can be, yet it still does an adequate job in a properly sized room without airborne chemicals. One user complained that filters had to be replaced after use in a room with fumes like glue, paint thinner, paint, and nail polish remover. Here is the biggest mistake air purifier buyers make: thinking a little air cleaner can clean up this type toxic environment. Please, at minimum, take these toxic chemicals to the garage!

Quietcare is not Quiet

Honeywell declines to publish noise specifications. Marketing hype is offered instead, preventing consumers from making informed decisions. Without actual decibel level tests, we are left with subjective interpretations of sound. The inexpensive Honeywell air purifiers are not among the quietest. Users uniformly rate them as loud.

I have two 14 inch air cleaners by Honeywell; a 12520 and 50250. I like these dust gobblers; low priced, well sealed HEPAs. But they are loud for bedroom use and I would never think of them as a defense against chemicals.

Measuring 15.8 x 13.1 x 17.1 inches and weighing 13.4 pounds, 17000 is among the most portable air cleaners. Yet many complain of its bulk and obtrusiveness.

Air Purifier Warranty

A 5 year limited warranty applies to repair or replacement of products defective in material or workmanship. Consumer pays shipping, including $13.00 for return from Memphis, TN. This is a very long warranty for this price range. Some user reviews report slow communications from the company on warranty issues.

Excerpts from Consumer Reviews

"...there's nothing quiet about this thing but man o man i works wonders for my allergies!"

"There is no pre-filter in the box...manufacturer has not responded to phone calls and emails."

"...my real concern is the noise level...."

"...QuietCare... It's not all that quiet..."

"This isn't some cheap air filter with a weak fan. You could dry your hair to this thing."

"With a smoker and a cat...This air cleaner does its job!"

"...very disappointed. It is loud, bulky and does not do a good job filtering the air."

"I've had this product for about 3 years and am very pleased."

"It gives off a strange chemical odor..."

"I bought the Honeywell 17000 and after trying it sent it straight back. It is really noisy..."

"I like this unit...had mine for 3 years..."

"It worked well . . . for a year, then it died. I contacted customer care twice via their Web site and got no reply."

"Too loud, too big, doesn't reduce pet odor..."

"After using it for about a month I discovered that it would no longer turn off. The only way to stop it was to unplug the unit."

"Noisier than a small plane..."

"...using this air cleaner for well over a year now without any problems"

I have read thousands of consumer air purifier reviews, what stands out to me is how few received a Honeywell air cleaner that did not work. This is unusual in this bottom price range, where a certain percentage of shipped units will often fail within a few days. Many uses reported allergy relief. This strikes me as good value in a bottom end air cleaner.

Air-Purifier-Power Rating

Each of ten factors gets up to 10 points, 100 is perfect and very unlikely.

1. First do no harm; minimal out gassing, no ozone.

Score: 7 of 10, some users report break in smells.

2. Serious gas and odor removal is a requirement if health benefits are expected: Units with real carbon VOC capability rank higher.

Score: 5 of 10, carbon prefilter is for dust and very light odors only.

3. Quality construction; case, gaskets, seals, and precision fitting eliminate bypassing and assure high efficiency at filtering sub-micron particles.

Score: 10 of 10, tightest construction in price range.

4. The design maximizes the lifespan of each filter stage by allowing independent filter replacement. Ideally this is combined with electronic filter monitoring.

Score: 9 of 10, filter monitor is a timer.

5. Air cleaning unit has long filter life, low maintenance requirements, and reasonable operating costs.

Score: 10 of 10, "lifetime" filter hype aside, Honeywell 17000 has low filter costs.

6. Purifier produces low noise levels and meaningful air flow rates relative to noise.

Score: 6 of 10, a bit loud for bedtime use, turn the TV up or air cleaner down.

7. Manufacturer has a track record, with many units in the field and a reputation for supporting what they sell. Warranty period and average service life are long.

Score: 7 of 10, 5-year warranty but complaints about response.

8. Purifier is a value in terms of price/performance ratio. Every price range should be included, “models above $1,200 are best”, while true, is not useful to most consumers.

Score: 10 of 10, worth the money, but don't over install or expect chemical or smoke miracles.

9. No dirt; unit and manufacturer should be devoid of class-action suits, high returns, recalls, consumer complaints, and legitimate negative consumer reviews.

Score: 8 of 10, manufacturer makes full line of clean air products.

10. Air cleaner is stylish, portable, comfortable, and convenient for consumer use.

Score: 7 of 10, remote available on 17005 model, easy push button interface.

Air-Purifier-Power Numeric Rating; 79 , low priced HEPA.