Honeywell hcm350b Germ Free Cool Mist Humidifier Filter

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2.0 out of 5 stars Mold grew on “antimicrobial” filter in less than three months

Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on 20 January 2019

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The filter is advertised as treated with “Protec Antimicrobial that prohibits up to 99.99% of mold growth on the filter.” Mold grew on the filter in less than three months. The humidifier was cleaned regularly.

2.0 out of 5 stars Mold grew on “antimicrobial” filter in less than three months
Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on 20 January 2019

The filter is advertised as treated with “Protec Antimicrobial that prohibits up to 99.99% of mold growth on the filter.” Mold grew on the filter in less than three months. The humidifier was cleaned regularly.

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4.0 out of 5 stars Works well as long as the filter is in good condition

Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on 19 November 2019

Verified Purchase

This review is based on use over a full winter season of this version of the HCM350 with the internal UV light that is supposed to kill 99% of bacteria, mold, etc.

The humidifier was used in a ~130 square foot bedroom during the winter with forced air heating. It was able to effectively raise relative humidity from 20-25% to 40-50%, depending on the speed setting used. We typically had it on the lowest setting for gentle white noise at night; humidity levels averaged in the high thirties to low forties.

We live in a hard water area and initially contemplated using distilled water, but at a cost of about $1/gallon and the use of about one gallon per night for the bedroom would quickly exceed the cost of a couple filters. We used tap water and the filter eventually developed a light brown, crusty appearance along its edges, even when flipped daily with each reservoir refilling. This was due to iron and hard water, not due to mould. To prolong filter life, we used two filters during the season on a rotating basis. One in use while the other soaked in a strong white vinegar & water solution until needed. The vinegar solution was effective at removing the hard deposits, but was never able to quite restore the filter to 'like new' appearance (we didn’t try bleach, which might also be effective for those complaining of mould). But this pretty much maintained effectiveness. IIRC, we rotated the filters probably every couple weeks. Eventually the filters lost some structure and were replaced for this winter, but two for a full winter season seemed fairly reasonable. The humidifier was used every night and rarely sat idle longer than 12 hours, therefore can't comment on how the filter would handle being left in a wet but unused state for prolonged periods, which probably isn't ideal. We felt the lack of auto shutoff was not a major problem because it’s effectively just a fan inside an enclosure (though there’s also the UV light, which apparently has a finite lifespan).

We did not have any problems with the glued seams of the replacement filters breaking, though we were careful not to put much stress on this area when in the vinegar soak, or while handling during the rinse process. That said, compared to the original filter included with the humidifier, these seemed to be slightly thinner walled.

Overall, it works for us and we continue to use it this winter season.

1.0 out of 5 stars No automatic shut off

Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on 13 November 2018

Verified Purchase

I gave it a “one” because it does not have an automatic shut off when it runs out of water. I assumed, incorrectly that this was a standard feature especially having regard to the cost. Previous units that we have had & less expensive, all had this feature. Have had to replace filter because it dried out. I would not recommend this unit.

4.0 out of 5 stars Filling the tank can be a challenge

Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on 9 January 2020

Verified Purchase

It certainly humidifies a bedroom! This was an upgrade from an old one. I find the steam (which is invisible) cleaner than my old one. It doesn’t have a stale smell to it which was a common issue I had before. I like that this one has a filter too because tap water might be ok to drink but I’m not sure about inhaling fluoride and bleach. I deducted stars from “easy to use” because I need to fill the tank in the bathtub since it doesn’t fit in my sinks. I also am not a huge fan of having to flip it over to fill the bottom of the tank and that, in the upside down position, it’s unstable so you must hold it continuously to fill and then screw on the lid. My old one you could just dump water in it which required a water pitcher, but was, in my opinion, easier. Maybe it’s just because I’m currently pregnant but kneeling beside the bathtub waiting for it to fill up and then trying to get the cap on without it tipping over is tedious and physically uncomfortable. If I was old, had a bad back, or no bathtub I wouldn’t recommend this item. However, it’s a good humidifier, quiet, and clean.

3.0 out of 5 stars Okay good so far, we'll see how long it lasts

Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on 17 October 2018

Verified Purchase

Pretty simple design and construction, which is good (the less complex, the easier it should be to maintain). Water tank has a wide mouth and is easy to refill. Most hands won't fit through the mouth to scrubs the inside of the tank, but you can quickly disinfect it with a diluted bleach solution with no scrubbing. UV light is an interesting feature - I'll wait to see how effective it is in the long-run by observing if the plastic exposed to the UV light discolours over time.

I live in an area with really hard water so the filter was quick to discolour, but I try to briefly rinse it out between tank refills to help with it.

I live in a condo that's just under 600 sq. ft. I bought one unit hoping it'd be enough, and it helped raise my condo's humidity level from 39% to 45%, but it's not steady and will drop from time to time, meaning one of these units isn't enough to keep my condo at a good humidity level. So I'm now buying a second one! Cold Canadian fall and winter seasons really take a toll.

I really like that the unit is stylish (compared to other humidifiers out there). It's pretty quiet - my current unit is sitting on my nightstand next to my bed and I can keep the fan on the medium setting with no issue. It is audible on the high setting so I'd avoid that when trying to sleep. The one feature I wish this unit had was auto-shutoff when the tank is empty so that I don't need to worry about it, but I tested running the unit on high for 8 hours straight and there was still ~1/6th of the tank left, so it should be fine to leave on while you're at work if you're out of the home for 9-10 hours.

20/10/2018 UPDATE: my one unit is starting to struggle now as the weather gets colder and drier. Even on the high fan setting, it's not able to raise the humidity past 37%. So one unit won't be very effective in a 600 sq. ft. space. Very much hoping the 2nd unit will get the humidity up when it arrives.

02/11/2018 UPDATE: with 2 of these units running for a week now (with one always on high and one always on medium), I've been able to maintain 41-44% humidity in my condo. Kind of disappointing to be honest, and I'm worried when the real winter hits in a couple months, these units will be very ineffective.

One trick I did pick up to help with reducing the amount of mineral build up and hardness on the filters is to flip the filters to the other side once a day. Since I started doing this, I've noticed the mineral discolouration (from build up) on the filters are noticeably less, and the filters don't feel as hard.