Showing posts with label best cool mist humidifier. Show all posts
Showing posts with label best cool mist humidifier. Show all posts

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Lasko 1128 9-Gallon Evaporative Recirculating Humidifier

Lasko 1128 9-Gallon Evaporative Recirculating HumidifierI have the predecessor that was black in color. It's 3 years old and still works great. Definitely evaporates lots of water into the air. The reservoir must be filled 2 to 3 times per day depending on how often your furnace comes on. It's somewhat of a chore but I get used to it. Keeping the household humidity at 60% or better surely makes lower thermostat settings tolerable so it's a money saver in that regard. The unit uses about 100 watts during its intermittent runs.

Mine is so accurate that it is almost perfectly synchronized to furnace operation. Furnace comes on and shortly thereafter the Lasko humidifier starts up. Furnace shuts off and shortly thereafter the humidifier shuts off. I presume the same accuracy is maintained in this newer white model.

These do use disposable paper filters. I use 2 per season. Cheapest source for the filters is direct from Lasko. I bought a box of 10 for $50 right after I bought the humidifier and I've got about 5 filters left. Even if you throw away about half of them, you'll save money compared to single filter prices at brick and mortar stores. The shipping was free at the time. Maybe it still is.

Humidifiers require periodic maintenance. These Lasko's are no exception. Each year, I sit the thing in the bathtub and fill it's reservoir with vinegar/water and let it run about 30 minutes. This dissolves or loosens the mineral deposits. After rinsing, I then fill it with a bleach/water solution and let it run about 30 minutes to kill mold spores and dormant bacteria.

That yearly demineralizing/disinfecting is somewhat of a chore but I only have to do it once. That's enough to get me through the entire heating season.

All humidifiers require some maintenance--even the ones connected directly to your furnace. I've read operator's manuals for most every one of the furnace mounted units and some of the maintenance procedures are complex and labor intensive compared to the little bathtub routine I've developed for this Lasko.

When I think I will install a furnace mounted unit I search the internet and read the reviews and realize why I put up with this Lasko cleaning routine. Many of those furnace mounted units require demineralizing and disinfecting just like the Lasko--except that I can put the Lasko in a bathtub and keep the mess contained. If I had to rinse and clean a furnace mounted unit, I'd have to use a wet/dry vac to sop up the spillage all over the basement floor, I'm sure. On top of that mess, it seems that furnace mounted units die at an early age due to mineral deposits that can't be controlled.

When the temperatures drop to about 15°F or below, our furnace runs a lot. The more the furnace runs the more the Lasko humidifier runs. I'm sure I have to fill the removeable reservoir 3 times a day or more. It seems to be sized so that a full reservoir lasts about 8 hours. That's enough to get a full night's sleep. Actually, the removeable reservoir holds about 8 hours worth. There's another several gallons in the base to supply the unit with water so you can easily stretch it to 12-14 hours between fillings. I do it all the time. It's just that if you stretch it to 12 hours or more, you'll have to fill the removable reservoir 1.5 times to completely "fill 'er up" again.

All in all, I don't think I could live without a humidifier. We feel warmer, the children cough less while sleeping, there's no static electric sparks when we touch objects or each other ... it's worth the hassle, I think.

This unit says it will do a 3200 square foot home. I guess that's so, but, it's quite nicely sized for homes smaller than that because it won't have to run on high to do the job. Buying the biggest humidifier means you can run the fan on low so it's as quiet as possible.

Once a year I also take it apart to clean the dust from the fan blades and the vortex shroud. This isn't absolutely necessary but it makes it look new again. About 6 or 8 screws removed lets the thing come almost entirely apart for cleaning.

So, a humidifier takes some work no matter what type you get. For a household humidifier, I like this Lasko but I've also got a wife and kids to share in the task of refilling it 3 times a day.

I'm a home handy man so I'll be able to replace the motor in this thing when it goes bad. I don't think it will cost much.

Lasko sells parts and that's what I truly love! Unlike other companies, Lasko actually has parts available and they sell them at reasonable prices.

We use Lasko ventilation fans year round as a sleep aide to produce "white noise." I've got a remote controlled fan that I've come to depend on. After about 4 years of daily night time use, I needed a motor for it last year and, sure enough, Lasko sold one to me and the cost was about 1/3rd that of a new fan.

For the home do-it-yourselfer types, Lasko is the only way to go because they sell parts. Other companies, like Holmes, don't stock any parts at all. Once the complete Holmes unit comes from Taiwan or Sri Lanka to your store's shelf, that's it--you can't get a part even if it was missing from the package before you bought it.

Lasko has a respectable warranty and they don't charge a fee. Holmes and other companies like them charge you a fee that they call "handling" just to get a warranty remedy. That "handling" fee is usually 2/3 or more the cost of a new fan. In other words, you have to pay to return the defective item to Holmes, you also have to pay that "handling fee", and then they might send you a replacement. Lasko doesn't do that. I think that they do require that you ship the item back to them at your cost.

This is a recirculating type of humidifier so it doesn't throw white dust all over everything. The other type of humidifier uses heat to evaporate water (like a distiller) and in the process, all of the minerals of the water become airborne grey-white dust. I don't like that idea. These recirculating types just trickle large quantities of water through a paper filter. The filter retains the minerals.

I remember as a kid, about 45 years ago, I used to sit on my grandmother's floor and enjoy the breeze from a "ottoman" style fan and it had the name "Lasko" on it. I used to think it had something to do with Alaska. I presume it's the same company--still making fans and things that circulate air.

Our house is so well insulated that the furnace doesn't run often enough for a furnace-mounted humidifier to work well in our 255 s.f. house. As a result we've tried a number of different kinds of portable humidifiers.

The ultrasonics don't put out enough volume. Nor do the spray mist ones. The warm mist ones have a very high operating cost. For a couple of years we used a wick-and-fan humidifier that had plenty of capacity and ran quietly. The problem was that the wicking filters were expensive ($16 each) and rapidly lost their capacity: a filter that would wick 5 gallons a day was down to 1 gallon a day within two weeks. So even this solution cost us almost $1/day for filter replacements.

The Lasko Recirculating Humidifier seems to have solved this problem: instead of water being wicked up by the filter, the filter is wetted from the top by a little built-in aquarium pump much in the way that furnace-mounted humidifiers work.

We've been using this humdifier for three weeks now. It is slightly noisier (even on its lowest setting) than our old one; but the noise is not objectionable, and the volume of water being put out has not decreased at all.

I can't speak for the longevity of the product, but its operating costs should be very low, and its technology is exactly what I've been looking for for years.

Buy Lasko 1128 9-Gallon Evaporative Recirculating Humidifier Now

This is my second one of these. The first one performed well but quit working after 3 years. It was inexpensive so I bought another one. I bought a cheaper model this time that didn't have the LED displays the first one had. This one just has a knob with no readout of setting or room humidity. The reason I did that was the LEDs on the first one quit working after about two years. I figured this simpler one would be less likely to fail who knows?

I keep it in the master bathroom and fill it twice a day from the tub. It uses a lot of water which is what I want it to do, but without the convenience of the adjacent tub it would be a pain all these portable ones probably have this problem.

I keep it on the medium fan setting and it seems fairly loud for the first few days but now I'm used to it and I don't notice it coming on and off.

The area around the unit remains dry so it works well as an evaporative humidifier which is what you want it to do. It puts moisture into the the air, not the floor. I keep it on a bath mat to catch the drops that result from the filling operation.

My bedroom ceiling and wall joints have quit coming apart in the wintertime like they did before I added this humidifier so it does the job well.

Read Best Reviews of Lasko 1128 9-Gallon Evaporative Recirculating Humidifier Here

For some reason I find many of the 1-star reviews of this product frustrating...almost all of them can/should be attributed to human error and not defects in the device itself.

Yes, if you hold the jug by the one handle water can leak from the valve at the end. Guess what? It has two handles. Use the one at the other end and it doesn't leak at all....use the top handle only when loading the thing into the unit itself.

Yes the little pictograph at the far end says you press the little spring-loaded lever to fill it at the tap. But the entire lid also unscrews to fill using a larger source (like a bathtub).

If you can fill a glass with tap water and not smell the nastiness within, great. Fill that glass then let the water evaporate from it completely. Repeat. Eventually that glass will smell (and look) REALLY bad from the contaminates left behind by the water. This is the process your humidifier goes through daily on a large scale. This is why they have filters. The nastier your water is, the more you have to change filters and clean the unit; and if your water smells, then there's absolutely nothing ANY humidifier can do to help you with that problem. If the water rings your toilet or sink drains, you're going to have problems with any device that is built to evaporate water.

Is it noisy? It can be; it has a big fan that runs to pull the moisture through the filter. It also has 3 speeds and the lowest isn't objectionable. It also has a humidistat so it will run automatically. No, it doesn't have a digital gauge and a build in hydrometer, so you will have to buy a hydrometer ($3, walmart) and play it by ear; here's a hint: Crank it to the max; watch the gauge over the course of a day. Dial back a bit. Repeat until desired humidity level is reached. Why is this is a difficult procedure?

If you find that your humidifier isn't humidifying your house like you would like it to, instead of spending 10 minutes writing a review on Amazon bashing the unit, spend 5 minutes googling for "humidifier placement" and discovering that placing the unit near a cold-air return will allow it to humidify the entire house instead of just the room its in.

Its built from plastic, not solid oak, so yeah, you don't want kids playing near it; but there's a lot of things in my house susceptible to damage from small children. This thing is the least of my worries.

I've had this unit for 2 weeks. Its not flawless, but i don't think its deserving of some of the criticism being delivered here. There's no such thing as a device that's immune to operator error. The only thing these people should really be faulting Lasko for is not being able to read their minds or providing a user manual that's 200 pages thick (which then nobody would read and Lasko would go out of business trying to print).

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I've only had this for one week, and I came very close to sending it back because of the noise. It is effective in putting water into the air, but the fan is really loud. There are three fan settings, and it's reasonably quiet at the lowest setting and you can have a normal conversation when near it. At the middle setting I have to raise my voice, and at the high speed I would have to start yelling. At the lowest fan setting, it puts about 2.5 3 gallons of water into the air per day, or about 1/3rd of it's rated capacity. I've decided that 3 gallons per day into the air is enough to be a benefit and I will keep this unit. I plan on only using the lowest fan speed and I leave it in a room where I don't spend much time.

As another reviewer pointed out, humidifiers are rated in gallons per day of water into the air. The rating has nothing to do with the size of the water storage. This Lasko is rated for 9 gallons per day (using the high fan speed), but storage capacity is 3 gallons plus 1.5 gallons for the refill jug, for 4.5 gallons total. I like the fact that I can have this running continuously while filling up the jug. Since I only run this on low, I only have to fill it once a day, which is great.

There are some design problems with this humidifier. First, the housing is made of flimsy plastic, and seems like it could break easily. This flimsy plastic also forms the mount for the fan and fan housing. The fan on my unit was not centered within the housing, and the fan blades were extremely close to the housing on one side. With the fan on high and sometimes medium speed, the fan blades would hit the housing and make a terrible racket. I was able to loosen the 4 screws that hold the fan and slightly reposition the fan so that no longer happens at any speed. From the other reviews, it seems like a common problem with this model. My comments on the noise above are for the sound level AFTER fixing the mounting problem.

The other design issue I have is with the refill jug. There is a recessed/retractable handle (good), but the shape of the top is rounded, so it will not stand upright on its top. Since the jug is refilled from the bottom, it would be nice if it stood upright. If the handle is retracted, it will stand lopsided on its top however, so this is just a minor annoyance. There is a valve on the bottom of the jug that is only opened when installed in the unit, and when depressed manually while refilling. This spring loaded valve is just plastic mating with plastic, and is not water tight. So if you carry the jug right side up by the handle, water will leak out the valve. It's not too hard to carry the jug upside down since there is a handle on the bottom too. I just refill and carry upside down, and then turn it right side up while over the reservoir of the unit; it still spills some water if I'm not careful, but it's acceptable.

There is a little plastic window in the side of the unit that has water trickling down when the fan/pump is on. This is to tell if the water is flowing, and it also makes a pleasant sound; can only hear it with fan low and even then the fan sound dominates. Nice little feature though.

The controls on top are for fan speed (1, 2, 3 and off), plus a humidity level. It shuts off when the humidity reaches the set level, and turns back on when it falls below that level. There is a green led that lights up when the humidity level is met. I tested to make sure this works, but living in dry Colorado, I expect it to be on all the time.

Mine came with 4 casters to make it easier to slide around. They work fine, but I had to press so hard to install one of them that the receptacle (flimsy plastic) cracked slightly.

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Saturday, August 30, 2014

Honeywell HCM-1000 3 Gallon Cool Mist Humidifier

Honeywell HCM-1000 3 Gallon Cool Mist HumidifierGetting another humidifier has become a regular 3-month affair in our household with three bedrooms. Every Walmart/Target brand either has the fan die, is impossible to clean, or the filter is pressed against the side so that water leaks out and ruins the dresser. I've given up on the diffusers since the electrode gets corroded and the moisture just hangs in the corner.

So, we've now grabbed a Honeywell (Humidifier number 8). There is a handle on both the top and bottom of the tank, so it's easy to fill and easy to place into the humidifier. The 3 fan speeds are evenly set (one humidifier had 2 "barely breathing" settings followed by "jet turbine.") The humidity setting is a nice touch, but we usually set it for full blast anyways. The fan grill easily pops off so you can clean the fan blades. The water basin is separate from the motor assembly, so you can conceivably toss the whole bottom frame into the dishwasher to clean out the usual water deposit build-up that occurs with humidifiers. The filter is pretty large and it is not pressed against any of the sides, so NO LEAKS. It's been happily humming for over a month now with no issues.

Yah...I'm happy! I'm writing this as I buy a couple more for the rest of the rooms. It's a great price for a surprisingly capable humidifier.

Jim

We own two of these, and have had no problems with either of them for the past 5 years. For us, they are perfect in the winter for our children's rooms and provide a consistent amount of humidity, a level which we are able to choose. There are 3 fan levels which determines how much humidity is "blown" into the air. The lowest fan level is a soft hum, with the highest being rather loud. In addition, you can customize the level of moisture control; from maximum to light. The machine stops once dry (but remains on) and an indicator light comes on reminding you to either shut it off or refill. Stock up on filters and know that you will need to refill the machine every other night (at least) when used at the medium level of humidity and fan.

Buy Honeywell HCM-1000 3 Gallon Cool Mist Humidifier Now

This Honeywell humidifier works great. I live in the Northeast and bought this humidifier at the beginning of winter this year. It took almost one full week before it reached optimal humidity but it is now so much more comfortable in my house. I've bought other brands at similar price points and this is by far the best. To extend the life of the filter use the Protec cleaning cartridge.

Read Best Reviews of Honeywell HCM-1000 3 Gallon Cool Mist Humidifier Here

The unit was bought to humidify an average size bedroom. It does it well, (with the door closed) provided it is run on medium speed; low speed just doesn't cut it. The unit is turned on a few hours before bedtime and runs the night.

The sound level at medium is quite acceptable as I like a bit of "white noise" to get to sleep. I can hear the TV at a lowish volume with the unit on medium, if that helps anyone gauge how noisy medium is. The noise level at high is too loud.

They offer a water treatment product to help breakdown minerals in the water. I was unable to find it locally or on Amazon, but the Kaz website sells it for about $3.00 for a small bottle, plus shipping. I thought it was too pricey and hope the filter lasts the season, at which time I'll discard the filter.

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To its credit, it is compact and pretty quiet. I run it only overnight and a full tank of water lasts 2 or 3 nights. The major flaw is it occasionally overflows at the base when not in operation. Therefore, I have to remove the water dispenser every morning to prevent a surprise puddle of water on the floor during the day.

Tuesday, July 8, 2014

16x25x1 Dynamic Replacement Filter

16x25x1 Dynamic Replacement FilterNow I know where my furnace repair guy must get his. He charges over TWICE this price, so this is a much better option than buying them from him every year.

Fast service. Good price. Just inserted it into the furnace so don't really have a review of it yet. Cheaper than getting them from the appliance store.

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Monday, June 16, 2014

#4005 Aprilaire Water Solenoid Valve

#4005 Aprilaire Water Solenoid Valve
  • Replacement solenoid water valve for Aprilaire humidifier models 110 and 112.
  • Includes compression washer and nut on inlet side of valve.
  • This is a 120V valve.

Product was easy to replace and works great! Exact fit which made the repair that much easier. Save yourself the cost of a new humidifier or re-fitting a different size humidifier by purchasing this valve

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The part seems well made and fits correctly into my Aprilaire humidifier, doing what it should as a replacement part. The only downside is that when it turns off, there is a water-hammer sound that I didn't have with the old solenoid. I'm not sure what difference in construction would cause it, though this valve body is metal instead of plastic.

Read Best Reviews of #4005 Aprilaire Water Solenoid Valve Here

Product was just as described. Easy to install, and fit perfectly. A good buy. I would recommend this product for anyone who has the Aprilair humidifier that uses this valve.

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A good replacement part for my aprilair humidifier. Fits nicely and works. The price was good to for what I could find.

Thursday, March 20, 2014

Hydrosorbent Silica Gel Dehumidifier 200 Gram Reuseable

Hydrosorbent Silica Gel Dehumidifier 200 Gram ReuseableSilica Gel is a great product for keeping your valuables drysuch as tools, clothing, jewelry, guns, coins and other valuables. This product works well as represented. It is basically, nothing more than a sack filled with silica gel beads within an outer cardboard box. I use this to keep an area of about 10 cubic feet dry and it seems to be working effectively.

What many purchasers may not be aware of however, is that the silica beads are impregnated with cobalt (II) chloride hexahydrate which is used as an indicator for the presence of moisture in desiccants. The beads eventually will change color from blue to pink when moisture is present in the air, signaling that it is time to recharge the beads (shown by an indicator card resting on the bottom of the container). Unfortunately, cobalt chloride is classified as a carcinogen by the IARC, and it is both toxic and corrosive when exposed to water. Therefore, you should not tamper with or expose the beads to water.

Ideally, you should look for desiccants which use only non-toxic compounds for its indicators. I understand that other manufacturers now use an orange compound which is far safer than cobalt (II) chloride. I believe this warrants your attention before considering purchase.

PROS:

1. Extremely effective-Replaces units requiring power to reduce moisture.

2. Convenient Moisture indicator on box changes color when its time to recharge.

3. Extremely easy to use-simply open the bag-no other prep needed.

4. Very cost-effective: Much cheaper than purchasing other comparable products.

5. Product can be recharged and re-used many times by heating in oven for 3 hrs.@ 240 degrees F.

CONS:

1. Works slowly when used within about 5 cubic ft. of the rated ceiling range of the product. Better to purchase a larger size, especially given the cost differential.

2. The silica gel beads contain Cobalt (II) Chloride, a class 2B carcinogen.

3. Recharging process is time/energy intensive-3 hours in a 240 degree F oven.

4. If the box, beads and/or bag are compromised in any way, the product can lose effectiveness and can become a legitimate health and safety hazard.

I bought a hydrometer to measure the humidity levels in an enclosed, air-tight cabinent and this stuff does

reduce the humidity. From 60% to 40% in my case. Adequate for my mold prevention requirement.

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I use this in a medium sized gun safe. It works perfectly. As described, when the indicators change color all you have to do is bake in the oven to dry it out. I just did this for the first time a week ago. It worked as advertised, and it is back in my safe.

Simple and effective.

Read Best Reviews of Hydrosorbent Silica Gel Dehumidifier 200 Gram Reuseable Here

Keeping the smells out of a unused fridge and keeping the moldy smell out of a fire safe. seems to be lasting well.

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I use this product to dehumidify the drawers in my home and avoid buildup of mold and mildew because I use a humidifier, the product works perfectly and stays unsaturated for quite some time.

Friday, February 14, 2014

Kenmore 12 gal. Humidifier

Kenmore 12 gal. HumidifierI have been running one of these for over 5 years now and have never had a problem with it.

It is on casters, so is easy to move. It has automatic settings so you can set the room for 25% and up.

The wicks are not that expensive and can be purchased from many suppliers and come folded up so you

have to unfold them and form a circle to fit in the obvious plastic standards that form a circle.

The lower tank and side tank hold around 4 gallons of water, and will put out 12 gallons in a 24 hour period

if set on high which I have never had to do and set it on the lowest (25%) setting. Argo, the lower the setting,

the less you have to refill the side tank.

A word of advice on all humidifiers:

Add vinegar to the mix every other or every third time to cut down on the lime build up. I do this with all my humidifiers and my large whole house evaporative cooler which is basically the same thing. This way I only have to

replace wicks/pads once a year; the swamp cooler pads in summer, and the wicks in winter.

I have tried the no mold additives, and to tell you the truth, nothing works better than good old white vinegar, just like Mom used to say.

Oh yea, one more thing, Go to the Sears web sight to buy the unit, you will save at least $20.00 on the purchase, even with tax.

I purchased this at Sears and it was $139.95 not the $199.95 from this vendor, how can you justify a $60 price difference?? The first purchase just didn't work, I spent an afternoon trying to make it work an then returned it to Sears. The exchanged one had exactly the same problem, part of the LED was lighted but the functions did not work. I figured I could not be making the same mistake twice, so I took of the top part off and checked the electronics. (There is no surgery to be done here, this part is removable as part of the unit). I found that a wiring harness had not been connected, it could not have come loose during transportation because the wires were tightly placed and immovable and the connector had a snap lock on it. With some difficulty I snapped the connecters together and the humidifier now works like a charm. I am amazed that two units could be manufactured with same mistake!! It is nothing but a manufacturing error, quality control must be nonexistent.

Aside from this major problem, the unit is now functioning well. It has increased the humidity from 24% to 37% in a 1,800 sq. ft. home. I will update this review further down the line.

Update: The unit works fine but it will go through filters about every month, at least here in the desert. Hard water will make them stiff as a board so when "CF", change filter appears on the readout, do it right away as humidifier performance will drop quickly . I run mine at full capacity & fan, you will probably get longer life on the filter if you keep the fan lower and the humidity output lower. They have these at Sears for $12, they seem to have different manufactures but they are all the same. Any one will do.

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So exchanged for the 8 gallon unit. I am not happy with the filter. You're supposed to clean the unit every 2 weeks. The times I have, the filter gets more and more flaccid, until recently, the unit kept running 24/7 and wasn't bringing house up to proper humidity. I opened the unit and it was totally laying over and the top was dried out. Replace the filter today, $17.00 and ran it and it brought it up to proper level within a half/hour. The filter does NOT last all season long. Expensive to continue to have to replace it.

Purchased at local Sears store.

Started to work, after trying hard to line up the cheap plastic pieces together. Within a half-hour the unit wouldn't work properly. I set it up exactly as directed and it worked at first. The "F" (fill) kept flashing and I couldn't adjust the fan, even though I followed the directions for proper humidity settings, etc....and it did work at first.

The top of the filter discolored within minutes. My guess is it's been on the shelf awhile. When I called the salesman he said it shouldn't do that.

Ugh, it's 9 degrees outside and I have to make a trip to return it. I am not sure if I will exchange for another off the shelf unit as I may end up with same problems.

Don't know what to buy. I'm tired of running my shower to try to increase humidity in my home.

Read Best Reviews of Kenmore 12 gal. Humidifier Here

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Kaito KA248 Portable Home Room Car Air Humidifier

Kaito KA248 Portable Home Room Car Air Humidifier
  • 3-way powered: AC adapter, 12V cigarette lighter adapter & Computer USB
  • Ultra portable, ideal for travel
  • Fits most of the cupholders in the vehicles.
  • Auto power-off after two hours of continuous use
  • Anti-bacterial water tank

I got the humidifier promptly, no complaints there. It worked fine for about a day taking into consideration the automatic cut-off after two hours. The second day it worked for just a few seconds at a time intermittently but finally stopped working altogether. I was using it in the car so I took it inside and connected it to the AC; it did the same thing. In the car the water had a tendency to condense on the surfaces around the unit a little, it wasn't enough to be a problem.

The AC adapter looks just like the adapter you would get with an iPhone. There was an included USB cable that you would plug into the adapter and the other end of the cable connected to the unit. You could also use the cable to connect the unit to a computer USB port.

The reason I got the unit is to keep the humidity up a little in the car as it got cooler and drier outdoors. I got the unit in the fall before it got cold out. It probably wouldn't have worked well for that anyway since as the air got cooler it would have been more difficult to get the mist evaporated into the cold air, but that's just a guess since I didn't have a chance to test it.

It's a shame it didn't work because it's a clever idea, something about it just didn't work out. Maybe it was just a defective unit.

I had to pay for return postage so I'm not going to try a replacement; I don't want to have to pay for return shipping again.

Buy Kaito KA248 Portable Home Room Car Air Humidifier Now

The service from Amazon was great, however the product wasn't.

My husband has been looking for something like this for years and when he found it , was so excited. However this great idea doesn't work. When it did put out any moisture the vapor was so weak & little that you could barely see it let alone be any good.

I have returned it.

Read Best Reviews of Kaito KA248 Portable Home Room Car Air Humidifier Here

NO PROBLEM WITH ORDERING/DELIVERY THIS PRODUCT; HOWEVER THE USB CABLE WAS NOT ENCLOSED AND THE ONLY REASON I BOUGHT THIS WAS FOR MY FRONT DESK OFFICE AT WORK SO I COULD PLUG IT INTO MY COMPUTER USB PORT! THE HUMIDIFIER WORKED FOR A COUPLE MINUTES, WITH THE AC ADAPTER, AND NOW IT DOESN'T WORK AT ALL. I WILL NOT BOTHER TO RETURN SINCE THERE IS A RETURN FEE AND I DON'T WANT A REPLACEMENT AS IT APPEARS THIS PRODUCT HAS A HISTORY OF NOT WORKING!

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I purchased for a gift. I beleieve t will meet my expectations for use in the car. Have not had much opportunity to use it.

Monday, December 2, 2013

Aromatherapy Diffuser

Aromatherapy DiffuserThis little black diffuser seems to be working well so far and I appreciate that it does not stick out like a sore thumb on my counters (it looks like a small mortar bowl, minus the pestle). That being said, I would have loved a little more volume in the vapors. However, it does produce a fair amount, lasts several hours with one fill, and seems to be effective in getting the essential oils dispersed.

Overall... good design and value for the money!

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Ultrasonic Aromatherapy Diffuser

Ultrasonic Aromatherapy Diffuser - BlackI got this is a Christmas gift a couple of years ago and I absolutely love it! I know it was purchased at a local health food store for MUCH more $. This is a perfect size personal humidifier that also works perfect for aroma therapy. I use this at work in my office and the scent spreads throughout the whole office and co workers have commented on how much they enjoy it. A few drops of peppermint for the holiday season or a nice glove and cinnamon during fall. And my favorite when cold season starts a few drops of tea tree and/or eucalyptus. It has a dial to adjust the level of cold steam it produces from a small amount to a really good amount and has another dial for the level of time you want it to run. I out mine on full steam full time. I keep gallon jugs of distiller water which is recommended so minerals don't build up) and just fill it up in the morning and one more time later in the afternoon. It does have blue LED lights around the top , great if you want a humidifier with a night lite for a Childs room but to bright for me at night. This is well worth it's price and I really like the small portable size. It's easy to clean and has lasted over 2 years and still going!

Just got this yesterday in black. It's a nice little unit. We set it up right up and used it right away.

My first impressions is that when you go through the settings, it's a lot like setting up a digital watch only without the display. I had to go throught the instructions several times before I got it the way I wanted it. But once you figure it out, it's easy.

The night light is very bright so keeping that off during the night is a must. It has a quiet hum when it's running and you hear a little of the water running when it's active, which is soothing.

It does a very good job dispersing the water and oil. You can smell the fragrance in less than a minute throughout the room at a medium rate.

When it's done or when the water has run too low, it shuts off with 3 beeps, which isn't so great when you run it at night. Three's no way to turn off the beeping. The power button says 'power/vol' but that's not for the volume of the sounds, it's the volume of the dispersion.

I believe that there is an upgraded model that has a remote and some other nice features that you might like if you don't mind paying more. For me, a remote is unnecessary for this unit.

I really like this diffuser and look forward to using it a lot.

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I bought the Ultrasonic Aromatherapy Diffuser Jan 2012. It worked great for 5 months and then all sorts of things happened, the only reason for 3 stars. I contacted the seller but it was out of the 90 day grace period so they could not help me. But.... they didn't send me the manufactures contact information and I was able to get in touch with them. They are going to try and repair the diffuser. Do not let the product malfunction detour you from this purchase. It could have been a fluke thing. For the past 5 months this diffuser has helped my family with many things. 1. Air purification ( we have pets, great for allergies with the right essential oil) 2. stress and most importantly 3. Health, my husband has a chronic laryngitis, sleeping with this on with specific essential oils has helped a great deal. And lastly this company was quick to respond to my concern of the product not working properly.

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The diffuser works exactly as described by the technical specifications. It is very easy to use and clean. The area served by the diffuser is for a room or hall.

As is based on ultrasound technology, uses only water and added essential oils, which will not burn or change their fragrance during the diffusion The container holds up to 300cc of water and the amount that is useful are about 200cc. Below this value the system automatically turns off (leaving about 100 cc of water). It works for 4 hours continuously with the maximum flow configuration and constant (continuous operation mode: set 1 and control of intensity: high). Moreover, it can operate at least 12 hours (the test was stopped at 12 hours) in the minimum flow mode (control of intensity: low) and position control time 4 (Unit disperses for 15 seconds and rests for 50 seconds.). However, when used as aromatherapy diffuser, before 12 hours of operation, the fragrance of the essential oil is over.

It has a screen or monitor which is an array of five LEDs. With the number of lighted LEDs indicates mode permanently selected control time: 1 LED on: Unit works Continuously, 2 LEDs lit: Unit works Continuously for 2 hours and will automatically stop, etc. While selecting the level of intensity, temporarily indicates its status: 1 LED on: Low, 3 LED on: medium, 5 led on: high

LED lights add a touch of good design.

When reaching the minimum level of water, diffuser emits three "beeps" low volume to indicate their immediate shutdown. If the button lights is set to ON, the LED lights will remain lit even when the diffuser is turned off automatically.

The essential oil included with the diffuser (Plant Theraphy "germ figther"), provides better results (the fragrance maintains its intensity until automatic shutdown of the diffuser) compared to third-party tested.

This product is fully recommended.

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Easy, breezy way to dispense your essential oils. Because it doesn't use heat you don't have the mess nor the worry of overheating or burning the oils. There are so many variables with settings and the like I can't see why some complain about how it disperses the products used. It does a wonderful job!

Some users complain of not being able to smell the oils they use in this diffuser. That might be due to the type of oil, the intensity of what they're used to, the size of their rooms or their house size overall, the oils they purchased, or their own body chemistry. Unfortunately some people are incapable of smelling certain fragrances due to genetics, olfactory issues, household cleaner residue or neurolgical problems. I'm a physician so I'm well aware of how these factors can influence scents and smell. Then again, some just prefer the intense smell that lamp-rings or candle-type diffusers produce. I get that. And although I love intense good smells I don't like the hassle of dealing with those types of dispensers.

Hopefully I won't have the issues that some users have described, (clogged, stopped working for no apparent reason, et al). Since receiving it (along with its more expensive version, the H2EO) I have used them extensively non-stop with a variety of essential oils. Not one single issue has arose, none!

But, I follow instructions well. I faithfully use distilled water, in between several uses I faithfully and carefully clean the interior with alcohol using a soft tissue and I don't overfill. And most importantly, I don't go over 15 drops. If I can't smell it the way it was intended, I switch to a different oil or brand of oil. Nuff said.

If one of these gives me untoward trouble or bites the bullet in an untimely manner I shall update or repost

So, we'll see. ;)

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Aprilaire 600M Whole-House Humidifier with Manual Control

Aprilaire 600M Whole-House Humidifier with Manual Control(This review is posted for both the Aprilaire 600M and 600A units in order to contrast them and to describe their similar functions.)

The Aprilaire folks say the "important considerations in the evaluation of a humidifier are precise control, sufficient capacity, trouble-free performance and minimum maintenance." I would add cost, ease of operation, and ease of installation. My sense is that this unit gets high marks in all of these areas.

The Aprilaire 600 humidifier operates in conjunction with your heating system to add moisture to your air. It is called a bypass humidifier because some air leaving your furnace is rerouted to bypass your ventilation system and instead run through the humidifier, absorbing moisture through evaporation, before returning to your furnace and on into your home. (The bypass is accomplished as a function of the higher air pressure in the supply leaving your furnace than in the return air going into your furnace.)

Generally, a hole is cut into your supply plenum (through which heated air leaves your furnace and goes into your home) and a bypass duct is run into the humidifier, which is mounted on the return plenum (which feeds air from your home into the furnace). Within the humidifier is a pad, which holds water like a sponge. As the heated air from the supply is bypassed through the humidifier, it picks up evaporated moisture and is run back into the furnace for distribution into your home.

A hygrostat (humidifier control – set manually on the 600M and automatically on the 600A) monitors the humidity in the air and controls a valve to release (or shut off) water running through the humidifier. It is generally mounted on the return plenum from which it measures the relative humidity (RH) in your air.

Water running through is a key point here, since when the valve is open, water not only soaks the evaporating pad, but excess water runs through a hose into your drain. I don't know how much water is simply – literally – poured down the drain, but it doesn't feel good to watch it go. This leads to your first decision – hooking your humidifier to the hot water or the cold water supply. The hot water humidifies your house more quickly, as it is easier to evaporate, but of course the waste is much more expensive (and it's not good for the environment to heat water only to run it down the drain).

When the hygrostat determines it is time to run the humidifier, it generally waits for the furnace to come on and send it a signal from the control board (in most modern units). However, you can also install the humidifier to run when the fan is on without the heat (you'll need to use the hot water for this). Finally, you can install it so the hygrostat signals the fan to run so that it can humidify your dry house automatically.

Automatic v. manual control?

It is highly recommended by the manufacturer to keep the humidity low enough in your house to prevent moisture from condensing (or frosting) on your windows, which could cause rot and mildew. The condensation point is a function of the humidity in your house and the temperature of the inside surface of your windows. This is a function of the thickness of your window glass and the temperature outside.

The automatic hygrostat (600A) measures the temperature outside your home to drop the humidity when the temperature falls. However, it takes up to three days to make a significant change in your home's humidity, and the hygrostat can't know what the temperature is going to be over the next three days. The automatic control of the 600A is a bit more expensive, is harder to install, offers more possibilities for malfunctions, and doesn't fully do what you want it to know the temperature in the future. Still, you'd have to have more discipline than I have to keep up with the weather forecast and run to the basement every day to manually adjust the unit. Although I chose the manual version based on the recommendations of two plumbers – one on YouTube and the one who installed my unit – I believe I would now select the automatic one.

Installation was done quickly by a professional for $240 plus $30 in supplies. I was quoted prices up to $500, so be sure to shop around. The work is simple, if you know how to do it, and most plumbers have installed many of these.

The maintenance seems simple – replace the pad annually (about $15), shut off the air bypass valve and the water valve in the spring. I suppose you should also check the water flow through the little orifices and stuff, but I imagine I'll forget that until the system doesn't seem to work properly.

Overall, I am very happy with this unit.

I installed the 600M to replace a 400M hooked into my Harman PF 100 pellet furnace. The 400M just didn't put out enough humidity. Installing the 600M was very straight forward. The wiring was easy and the humidifier starts running with the blower on the furnace. There is so much more water being pumpled into the system now and the humidity levels are much easier to adjust. This is just the manual version, which is what I needed for my pellet furnace.

Price for the unit was amazing and shipping was very quick.

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I just had this humidifier installed on my furnace two days ago, and within a few hours of install could feel the difference in my house. no more dry desert air, this makes our home much more comfortable in winter months.

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I wish I would have bought one of these years ago. Works great, my skin feels alot better. Plus I don't wake up in the mornings with a dry mouth.

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My wife and I can already tell there is significantly more moisture in the air.

Installation was slow only to make sure I was doing it right.

Who wants to make a mistake when cutting into the sheetmetal?

After the installation was complete the first test revealed the setting on the separate control feature could not be maxed out.

The setting had to be dropped down to a point where the water turned off when the furnance was off.

I have opened up the unit several times to make sure the air was moving over the filter and the water was cascading correctly.

I am really happy with this unit and the results I have seen and experienced.

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Friday, July 5, 2013

Best Baby Humidifier

As a parent, my worst nightmare is when my baby has trouble breathing. If your baby is sick, or is suffering from dry air in your region, consider getting a humidifier to help moisten airways.

Dry nasal passages are breeding grounds for viruses since they can survive best in dry places. Running a humidifier can be a great way to stave off colds and flus.

When you first start shopping for a humidifier, you can easily get lost in the sea of what is on the market. There are some things to consider when shopping and they include knowing what kinds of water a humidifier will take.

Some take tap water and some take distilled. I would recommend using distilled if you can anyway, tap water has minerals that can build up and eventually be a breeding ground for microorganisms.

However, if you must use tap water, make sure to clean your humidifier often with vinegar. You will also want to make sure if the humidifier has replacement filters or wicks. That can be an extra cost when it is time to replace those. If you know you'll be using tap water, it is probably best to get a humidifier with a filter to help eliminate some of the minerals.

Kinds of Humidifiers

One type of humidifier available are ultrasonic ones that give you a cool mist by ultrasonic sound vibrations.

There are also impeller humidifiers which use a high speed rotating disk, or fan, to make the mist.

Another kind available is evaporative humidifiers which use a fan to blow air through a wick, or filter.

The first two kinds have been known to put out microorganisms and minerals into the air from the water, but the kinds with wicks and filters do not. If you decide you want an ultrasonic or an impeller humidifier, then please ensure that you clean it well between uses.

Top Rated Baby Humidifier

If you want a sturdy machine that runs efficiently, take a look at this Lasko 1128 Humidifier. This is a great humidifier to get if you want it to disperse into multiple rooms.

This humidifier holds up to 4 ½ gallons of water and is easily removable for filling and cleaning. It has a 9 gallon per day output. It features three different control speeds. I like that it has castors so it can be easily moved once sitting upon a surface.

Your purchase includes one evaporative filter pad. It also features a power indicator light. Because this humidifier is so large, it runs quite loud. You probably wouldn't want to put this in your baby's bedroom, but it will do a great job moistening the air throughout your home.

It does such a good job getting the air moist, you really may not care about the noise. I like that it has two handles with which to carry it, and if you do so, you won't have any leakage issues. I have found that using this unit on high speed for about a week had increased the humidity in my home up to around 45%. This humidifier is user friendly and is a workhorse.

Cool Mist Humidifier

This SPT Ultrasonic Humidifier is a lot more intense that many others you can get, but it gives you a lot of versatility. First of all, this is not only a cool mist humidifier but a warm one too.

Often, to treat symptoms, one or the other is better for your particular ailment. Having both options in one machine is super convenient.

It has a sleek design with large, user friendly knobs. The carry handle feels very sturdy and is easy to use when transporting. It features an ION exchanges filter that de-mineralizes and treats the water to get rid of calcium and magnesium from hard water. These two things add to a nasty build up.

It runs fairly quiet and features a nozzle that can be rotated 360 degrees for the best adjustment. This machine will moisten the air for rooms 500 square feet and has a 4 liter water tank. It includes cleaning brushes since the parts are a little more complicated than other, simpler humidifiers.

This machine took the humidity in my room from about 20% to 40% in just a few short hours. If you find this machine leaking, you must ensure that the o-ring isn't getting rolled up on itself when you put the tank cap on. This should eliminate leakage issues. At full power, I needed to replace the water about every 12 hours.

An Inexpensive and Cheap Baby Humidifier

The Crane Drop Humidifier not only has a cool design, but works very well and comes in multiple fun colors. This humidifier is good for rooms up to 250 square feet and can give you 24 hours of moisture if you have it on the medium setting.

The best thing about this machine is how quietly it runs. It has an auto shut off feature for added convenience and safety. This would make a great humidifier to put in your baby's bedroom specifically. This will put out 2.3 gallons of moisture and has a 360 degree nozzle so you can direct the flow wherever you want.

I like that the manufacturer claims that it is energy efficient by using less power than a standard light bulb. It's pretty user friendly as well and is easy to fill. If you know that you have severe hard water, you should use distilled. But if it is mildly or moderately hard, then the use of tap water is an added convenience.

Since this humidifier does not require the use of a filter, you should make sure to clean it well between uses. I like how compact this unit is, however I find that the water needs to be replaced almost every day since the reservoir is small.

You should be aware that the higher the setting, the louder the operation. It is a lot quieter than others I've used however. This is a great machine to have for small spaces and does the job quite effectively; you can't go wrong with this one.

Quiet Baby Humidifier

On the whimsical side, and since you are considering a humidifier for your baby, consider getting this Crane Adorable Mist Humidifier. There are many cute animal designs to choose from, including a dog, a bear, a frog, and an elephant to name just a few.

This humidifier is also good for moistening the air up to 250 square feet and has a removable one gallon water tank that puts out 2.1 gallons of moisture in the air per day. This is a nicely compact unit and will be great for small areas.

I like that this machine is quite easy to fill and features a built-in auto shut off for convenience. This is also an energy efficient humidifier and uses much less energy than others on the market.

You should be aware however, that you can't individually adjust the humidity and mist levels. If you don't require varying degrees of moisture though, this will be a good choice for you.

The opening is small so scrubbing the inside of it out is not as user friendly as one would hope. To fix this, I usually only use distilled water to keep the tank from getting gunky. When I do scrub it, I use a bottle brush with a super long handle to get the inside clean. I like that there is no filter to use either so that saves money.

Top Rated Warm Mist Humidifier

The last, and most affordable humidifier on our list is the Vicks Warm Mist Humidifier. This machine boils the water to a pure steam vapor that is 96% bacteria free. It has a built in shut off for added convenience and safety, features a 1 gallon water capacity and runs up to 12 hours between fillings.

It runs very quiet and I love the soft glow of the night light. You get 2 different settings to choose from and I like that it features a medicine cup for use with Vicks Vaposteam or Kaz Inhalent for even more symptom relief. The only drawback to this feature is that the cup is a bit on the small side, but just having it makes using it very nice.

Obviously the higher the setting, the louder it gets but it doesn't sound much different than a waterfall feature bubbling, or a pot of boiling water. The two handled design makes it very easy to carry around. The output is vertical and does not have as much versatility in direction. The tank is quite tall so you will want to make sure and fill this in either a very deep sink, or your bathtub.

This would be a good addition to your small baby's room to help with dry air issues. I have noticed that this humidifier gets dirtier more quickly, especially with tap water. As long as you clean it 2-3 times a week with a bit of vinegar and water, it stays pretty clean and will last a long time for you.