This is the Honeywell HPA3300B. It's part of Honeywell's Power Plus™ series.
We use this in the family room and I also occasionally use it in my workshop if
I'm going to be in there for a long time, which these days seems to be quite often.
I also plan to use it the next time I do some interior painting since it has a
VOCs sensor and it reduces odor. While this unit is large and roughly the size
of a portable air-conditioner, it's not heavy.
It weighs roughly 21 pounds, and while it doesn't have wheels, there's a handle
built into the top for easy transport. There are four cleaning levels. The lowest
is Germ, and the manual says that that optimizes germ capturing performance
during cold and flu season. General Clean, which is a medium fan speed for
dust and everyday air cleaning. Allergen, a medium high speed for allergy season,
and then there's Turbo, which is a very high and the maximum fan speed. There's
also an AUTO mode, which automatically adjusts the fan speed based on indoor
air quality. We use that most of the time. And of course we only use the unit
when all doors and windows are closed. Regarding noise level, on low, which is
Germ or in AUTO mode when the air quality is good, the unit's quieter than
a white noise machine. It's soothing and you wouldn't hear it from the next room.
Have a listen! On General Clean, or the medium fan speed, it's not bad either
and it's as loud as a white noise machine. Allergen, which is medium high,
sounds like an air conditioner's fan on low or medium, and then there's Turbo,
which is a lot like an air conditioner's fan on high. Unfortunately Turbo has a
high pitch frequency that is the tone A flat for
folks with perfect pitch, and for that reason we only use Turbo if no one's in
the room. It's loud enough to hear from the adjacent room as well. The unit is AHAM
verified and circulates and cleans air once every 12 minutes. So roughly five
times per hour. That assumes a 550 square foot room with eight foot ceilings. Now
having said that, keep in mind these statistics are measured based on running
the purifier on the highest setting, so in this case Turbo, which is loud!
So what we've done to avoid the excessive noise is we've chosen to oversize the unit
so we can run it on a quieter, lower setting since the minimum turnover for
allergy relief is typically four times per hour. The unit captures 99.97% of
allergens as small as 0.3 microns and the CADR ratings, which stands for clean
air delivery rate, and that's measured in cubic feet per minute, are greater than
240, which is very good. So for smoke, dust, and pollen the ratings
are pretty high compared to others I looked at. I should point out that while this
purifier is, and I'm quoting here, "proven to help reduce 99.9% of certain airborne
viruses, bacteria, and mold spores," unquote, the manufacturer makes no claims and in
fact provides a disclaimer regarding its effectiveness to reduce COVID-19 or any
disease-causing viruses. So keep that in mind. The air quality indicator on top
provides color coded feedback, which is helpful. For example, green means air
quality is good, yellow means air quality is moderate, and red means air quality is
poor. A few more things worth noting. I like that the control panel can be
dimmed as to not wake us up when it's in the bedroom. The display can be dimmed or
turned off except for the dim display light, which makes sense. That way you're
not fumbling around for it in the dark. And while there's no remote control on
this unit, I'd like to say, "Thank you!" to Honeywell for not adding beeps when
buttons are pressed. I had a purifier by another brand that beeped
every time I pressed a button. It would wake my other half up when I turn it on
or change the settings in the middle of the night.
There's also a two, four, and eight hour timer, which I like. So if we don't want
to run it all night the unit will shut off automatically after the selected
time. That's helpful to our energy bill since this model doesn't say anywhere
that its energy start certified so I'm assuming it's not. I do find that
surprising though in this day and age given this appliance is expected to run
24/7. Unfortunately I have no idea how much this thing is adding to the monthly
utility bill. All I know is that it's rated 120 volts at 60 Hertz, which is
standard U.S. power, at 1.35 amps. So assuming a hundred twenty
volts at one point three five amps, that would be a hundred and sixty two watts
and my guess is that's when it's running on Turbo mode. The unit we'll let you know
when to change the filters with the indicator lights on the top panel and
speaking of filters, I should talk about the replacement filters, which are always
a significant consideration. Thankfully the unit comes with what's needed to get
started .There are three HEPA filters, and yes I said three that all you used
at the same time, and there's one pre-filter. The guideline for replacing
the HEPA filters is once per year and four times a year for the odor reducing
pre-filter. Just keep in mind that the replacement interval is intended as a
guideline and that the performance of any filter is going to vary based on the
amount of time you use it and the concentration of contaminants that go
through the system. The HEPA filters are model R and the pre-filter, which
captures VOCs, odors, and larger particles can be either Model A or A+.
A is included in the box. For enhanced odor and VOC filtering
this model can accommodate optional S filter models specific to smoke, kitchen
odors, home renovations, so like paint, and pets. Just be aware that none of the
filters should be washed or vacuumed. If you tried vacuuming a HEPA filter with a
vacuum that doesn't have its own HEPA filter you'd likely be blowing the
particles back into the room. Not a good idea!
Since none of the filters are washable and reusable filters may become
a small investment. I will say though I was pleasantly surprised to find a
barcode inside the front cover of the unit, which when I scanned with my iPhone,
directed me to the Honeywell PluggedIn website where I could purchase a
one-year supply kit which included 3 HEPA filters and four pre-filters. I believe
you can get these at your local Home Depot as well but when I check the Home
Depot website I only found single HEPA air filters, which means I would need to
purchase three, and I couldn't find the A or A+ filters there.
The optional S filters won't be available until fall 2020 and the unit
would need three of those. I hope homedepot.com will carry them eventually.
The filter replacement indicator lights on the top panel will let you know when
it's time to change the filters and I appreciate that there are separate
indicator lights for the pre-filter and HEPA filters. To reset the pre-filter
light you keep the unit plugged in but keep power off, and press the filter
reset button two times in one second. To reset the HEPA light you keep the unit
plugged in but power off, and press and hold the filter reset button for two
seconds. Lastly, the purifier comes with a five year warranty and we're pleased
with it, which is why we also got the HPA 3100B for 200 square foot rooms. I hope
this video has been helpful. Thanks for watching!