4/30/2010

SPT SU-4010 Ultrasonic Dual-Mist Warm/Cool Humidifier with Ion Exchange Filter Review

SPT SU-4010 Ultrasonic Dual-Mist Warm/Cool Humidifier with Ion Exchange FilterPros:

1. It actually turns on. I got this unit after my Crane Adorable Humidifier (Penguin shape) refused to turn on.

2. It just works. I have a 10x13 room and this humidifier took my room's humidity from 21% to 42% in about 3 hours.

3. I really like the form factor. The unit is only 5.31 inches deep so it can easily fit on top of a short bookcase that also has a small depth. Few other humidifiers would fit where I have this humidifier right now.

4. It is fairly easy to fill. The top of the tank is flat so that when you turn the tank upsidedown to fill it, it can lie flat.

5. I'm pretty happy with the mist quality. Even on the highest setting, you're not going to see fat droplet sizes coming out. You are not going to end up with a puddle on the floor as long as you put it on a surface at least 2 feet above the floor.

Cons:

1. Some reviewers have complained about water leaking out of the tank. I noticed that on my unit, the washer (or o-ring) for the tank cap is a little bit too big. If you turn the cap shut too tightly, the o-ring will roll on itself, and the next time you unscrew the cap and screw it back on, the washer may not provide a good seal because it is out of place. Even the manual tells you to make sure the washer is in place when screwing on the cap. As long as the washer is in place, it won't leak. This is just a slight annoyance.

2. If you are blowing warm mist and you want to change it back to cool mist, it'll take awhile for it to become cold again because the unit does not actively cool the water. You'll have to either pour out the existing warm water in the base or wait until all the warm water in the base gets sent out. I am not a big fan of warm mist so it's a non-issue.

3. The unit is fairly quiet and I am pretty sure most people can sleep with the unit on without a problem. However, I am an ultra-sensitive sleeper and anything louder than completely silent is too much for me. If it was the just the humming noise, I think I would be able to take it, but what bothers me the most is the inevitable random water sounds caused by the ultrasonic plate generating large droplets of water and those droplets of water coming back down. Almost every humidifier will do that. The water noise is fairly low, it is just the randomness of the noise that annoys me when I try to sleep. When I am awake and my computer is on, I barely notice the humidifier because my computer is many times noisier than the humidifier and my computer is already pretty quiet.

Tradeoffs:

1. Yes, the tank is only 4 liters, but do you want a humidifier that fits on a bookcase or not?

2. Sure, the tank only last 12 hours on the maximum setting, but isn't that the point of a humidifier? If you desperately want humidity, wouldn't you want the humidifier to empty the tank as quickly as possible?

Other thoughts:

It is nice that this unit comes with a water filter, but of course the manual will recommend that you fill it with distilled water rather than tap water. Considering that I'll be breathing the water I put into the humidifier, I've been filling my tank with water that I've passed through a Brita filter in a water pitcher. However, doing that is somewhat a pain because it takes multiple pitchers to fill up the tank. I am thinking about getting a faucet filter so that I can fill the tank quickly.

UPDATE: My 10x13 room just hit 50% relative humidity and I'm loving it. My windows are starting to fog up, maybe I should turn it off.

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Product Description:
Breathe easier and sleep more comfortably with this virtually silent dual-mist humidifier. It helps provide year-round relief from the drying effects of air conditioners and heaters, including dry nose, throat, lips, and itchy skin. The ultrasonic humidifier disperses warm or cool mist, while its 360-degree adjustable split nozzles offer bi-directional mist for wider coverage. In addition, the unit's ION exchange filter demineralizes and treats water to remove scale-forming calcium and magnesium from hard water. This prolongs the life of the ultrasonic generator and prevents white dust particles from depositing into the air. The humidifier's 90-watt warm-mist setting delivers about 400 ml of humidity operating up to 10 hours on high, while its 43-watt cool-mist setting delivers about 330 ml of humidity operating up to 12 hours on high. The unit comes equipped with a 4-liter water tank, overheat protection, a 5-8/9-foot power cord, a cleaning brush, and a sleek design with easy-to-use control knobs and a carrying handle for convenient portability. Designed for rooms up to 500 square feet, the ETL-approved humidifier measures 5-2/7 by 13-1/5 by 12-2/5 inches and carries a one-year limited warranty.

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4/29/2010

Vicks Warm Mist Humidifier with Auto Shut-Off Review

Vicks Warm Mist Humidifier with Auto Shut-OffI knew i needed a humidifier, as i'm just not used to the dry air of east coast winters. But after shopping around on amazon for warm mist humidifiers, i was horrified by the reviews. Every humidifier seemed to be loud, leaky, and a hassle. I ended up getting this one because of the relatively low price, thinking that if it was as bad as all the others, at least i wouldn't have spent too much on it.

I have no complaints.

On the low setting, it's about as loud as a pot of water boiling in the next room. On the high setting, it might compete with a pot of water boiling in the same room. Every once in a while it gets a bit talkative, but that's rare and doesn't last long. I'm a light sleeper, and this unit never wakes me up.

On the low setting, a full tank of water lasts a little over 24 hours. On the high setting, it goes through in about 8 to 9 hours, perfect to run overnight.

The auto-shutoff works just fine, so i don't even bother turning it off before i leave the house.

It is a bit annoying to clean the unit, but that has a lot to do with the tap water here being less than perfectly clean. We switched to using filtered water, and now the humidifier is actually our way of knowing when to change the filter. When there's build-up on the heating element, the filter isn't working as well anymore.

The daily maintenance takes no more than a few minutes. The weekly maintenance takes longer, but that's mainly because you throw some of the pieces in to soak. It's maybe 10 minutes of effort, plus however long you want to soak the pieces.

In all, i'm very glad i purchased this unit. (And the water tank isn't nearly as blue as it looks in the picture.)

Click Here to see more reviews about: Vicks Warm Mist Humidifier with Auto Shut-Off

Product Description:
Vicks Pure Warm Mist Humidifier for Relief of Cold & Flu Symptoms.This humidifier boils water to a pure steam vapor up to 96% bacteria free.This mixes with dry air in the cooling chamber to release warm, moist air into the room.

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4/28/2010

Vicks UV 99.999% Germ Free Humidifier Review

Vicks UV 99.999% Germ Free HumidifierAfter buying two other humidifiers and throwing them away we finally bought this model last year and are very happy with it. The main feature we hated about the other models were Noise and the filters. This model is nice and quiet, it has a low humming sound and a gurgling sound that actually is very tolerable, and maybe even soothing. Our two year old doesn't mind it at all, he sleeps better with it I think. Another advantage of the warm steam is that it keeps my sons room nice and warm and he needs that since he kicks off his blanket most of the time. The warm steam might be a disadvantage for people living in warm dry climate but it works great for northwest winters.
Although this unit does not have a filter a mineral pad comes with it and is recommended to remove minerals from the water if you use tap water. You can't find the pad in most retail stores but can buy it here on Amazon.
Also it has a Ultraviolet Light bulb (great Feature) and after a year of use the Ultraviolet light finally went out and again I bought it here on Amazon. The unit is fairly maintenance free, you should clean it often but its not too bad.
Another great feature is the two water chambers, they hold enough water for the overnight operation so you don't have to worry about running out of water in the middle of the night.
Overall this is the best humidifier that we have owned and I do recommend it.

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Product Description:
Vicks UV 99.999% Germ Free Humidifier. Worry Free, Healthful Moisture for Your Family.Please note that steam production time may take up to 6-7 minutes.

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4/27/2010

Crane 2.3 Gallon COOL Mist humidifier Review

Crane 2.3 Gallon COOL Mist humidifierI received this humidifier 2 weeks ago after searching for a decent humidifier to replace the one i owned that was famous for robbing me in replacements filter, etc. fees. This thing fits the bill.The design is great, it's super quiet, and gets the job done.In choosing this product i read all the reviews.The reviews that made me hesitant to purchase this were the complaints that said: a)that the furniture on and around the humidifier got wet all the time, b)that the machine did not cut off if empty, as advertised, c)that the machine is hard to clean, and d) that it makes a lot of noise.

With hesitation, I purchased the product in good faith.

I was immediately pleased by the design. I read the owner's manual even though i thought it all was a "no brainer".The manual actually explained a)how to adjust the mist as to not wet the furniture around it, and b)that the machine will turn off when empty, but the light on the device will remain lite...obviously the part those that said the machine did not turn off failed to read, and c)how the machine is easy to clean with a vinegar or chlorine solution.

Cleaning is easy. I recommend using the bleach solution as bleach will kill anything..not to mention it also gets rid of the discoloration.

Lastly, the sound the comes from the machine is very subtle, but when u hear it, it is exactly like the soothing sounds of a filter running on a fish tank.It actually helped me sleep... having this white, very subtle noise.

I like this thing. My skin and nose are happy.

I hope this clarifies some of the ambiguity i found in the other reviews....

Click Here to see more reviews about: Crane 2.3 Gallon COOL Mist humidifier

Product Description:
Crane Cool Mist Humidifier provides additional comfort to cold symptoms, dry itchy skin, and chapped lips.The whisper quiet humidifier operates on a low power consumption providing min. 10 hours of moisture from a removable water tank. Includes an automatic shut off safety feature when water tank is empty.

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