Hunter 30401 Air Purifier Review

Hunter 30401 Air Purifier $184.99 to $269.95

Replacement filter 30940: $54.95 to $82.95

Replacement carbon prefilter 30901: $22.95

These Hunter air purifiers are rated 7th overall in Consumer Reports Oct 2005 room air cleaner ratings. Hunter Quietflo 401 has few reviews elsewhere on the web.

AllergyBuyersClub.com rated the Hunter air purifiers 3.5 stars. Air quality tests with particle counters were performed.

They reported:

"These air purifiers get the job done; our testing team found that virtually all allergens down to .3 microns were eliminated in an efficiency test."

Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM) certified for rooms up to 403 square feet, 30401 Hunter air purifiers are above average in air purifying power.

AHAM certified Clean Air Delivery Rate values are; smoke 260, dust 260, and pollen 245.

For a minimum six air changes per hour, I recommend a maximum room size of 315 square feet.

At the lowest price I found, $170, this Hunter purifier is a good value at 1.52 CADR/$.

Hunter Air Purification: Two Filters

The Hunter air purification system consists of a pair of filters.

An activated carbon prefilter removes airborne odors from cooking, smoking and pets.

Lint, hair and large dust particles are collected by the washable prefilter.

Suggested prefilter change time is 3 months. For real odor control a tighter schedule may be needed.

The Hunters HEPA filter element collects 99.97% of airborne particles down to 0.3 microns in size, "that pass through the filter."

The Hunter air purifiers have a true-HEPA 3M Filtrete filtration system in a fairly rigid frame with flanges to reduce bypassing.

1 year suggested HEPA air filter life combines with 4 prefilters annually to yield filter costs equal to purchase price in the first year. This is not economical relative to other air purifiers.

Both prefilter and HEPA air filter have run time counters that warn when filters may be dirty. These are not air pressure switches, just timers.

Hunter air purifiers have a digital LCD screen which displays time and cleaning speed.

Hunter 30401 air purifiers can be programmed to automatically adjust the three speed fan up to four times daily.

Quietflo's design exhausts purified air into the room through the top, as recommended here.

Hunter Air Purifier Noise, Warranty

Vendors claim this Hunter air purifier is designed to operate quietly and efficiently.

Hunter Air Purifier

One user retorts: "Quiet when turned off" in a 30400 sister unit (same but has remote) review.

The Air-Purifier-Power noise spec:

The low setting looks a bit loud for bedroom use, but mid and high speeds move serious air relative to sound.

I'd like to see a "silent" lower speed on the Hunter, say "22dBA@60cfm."

Measuring 18.25" wide by 11.4" deep, and 22.4" high, the 19 pound 30401 Hunters are reasonably compact and portable.

The Company, founded in 1886 by John and James Hunter to market their ceiling fan, began building air purifiers in the 1990's.

The current home air purifier by Hunter line has been around since 2004.

Buyers will be responsible for insurance and freight or other transportation back to the Service Department in Memphis, Tennessee. Hunter will fix the air purifier and pay return freight.

The 3401 Hunter air purifier is an acceptable air purifier for asthma and allergy, where particulate matter is the main trigger.

It is not recommended for the chemically sensitive, or serious allergy relief.

This inexpensive mid-quality air purifying machine is subject to very substantial price discounting, but as of 10/05 was backordered 60 days at the manufacturer.

Some drop-ship internet purifier dealers warn of delays: “Hunter generally ships within 3-4 weeks.”

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: 8 of 10.

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

Score: 5 of 10, Hunter air purifiers have limited carbon in prefilter.

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

Score: 8 of 10, better sealing than some 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: 8 of 10, filter minder a timer.

5. Machine has long filter life, low maintenance requirements, and reasonable operating costs.

Score: 7 of 10, filter costs excessive.

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

Score: 8 of 10, a bit loud on low, but moves air on high with only 57 dBA.

7. Manufacturer has a track record, with many purifying 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 only on motor.

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, Hunter air purifier is worth the money in the lower part of price range.

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

Score: 8 of 10, manufacturer not air quality specific, one 1996 product recall insignificant.

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

Score: 8 of 10, easy to use.

Hunter Air Purifier 30401 Rating: 77 "good"