Showing posts with label compact humidifier. Show all posts
Showing posts with label compact humidifier. Show all posts

Friday, October 17, 2014

Vista Solution CB41 Humidifier Filter

Vista Solution CB41 Humidifier Filter
  • Vista Solutions Humidifier Filter Bemis-1041 803
  • VISTA SOLUTIONS

Filter fit and worked great for about 3 months then it simply stopped wicking up water. My previous Bemis brand filter lasted 3 years on the same water supply and was only replaced because of it getting dirty.

Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Sunbeam Cool Mist Humidifier Filter

Sunbeam Cool Mist Humidifier FilterFirst, price I paid here was much better than the replacement price for filters at Wal-Mart.

Every time I add water to the humidifier I rotate the filter as it extends it's life.

Maybe it's the filter or more likely the humidifier because it has to be replaced rather frequently do to scale buildup.

I will be looking for a better way to add humidity for night time due to the very low humidity environment in which we live.

They work just fine -recommend ordering online as they are hard to find in stores. Nothing else to sayyyyyyyy

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Sunday, June 29, 2014

Dragon Woodstove Steamer, in Black

Dragon Woodstove Steamer, in BlackThis dragon is cast iron tough, functional, and super cute too. The details in the dragon's features are excellent. Steam coming through the nose is cool looking. Would buy again. This is made in the USA!

The steamer works great...and the finish appears to be able to hold up over time. It holds two 1/2 quarts of water...and our little cast iron stove has it steaming in no time.

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I was worried about it being too shallow, but this big girl had more than enough room for 4 or more cups of water at once. It's very sturdy and HEAVY. Make sure to have a spare watering can to transport water to this vessel. Also keep a oven mitt near, as the top heats up quite a bit. Shipping took little longer than I would have liked but it was worth the wait. Beautiful, quality piece.

Read Best Reviews of Dragon Woodstove Steamer, in Black Here

I had been looking all over town for this steamer. I found many other designs but

really wanted the dragon for a Christmas gift. Recognized many other steamers at

this site at a great price. The steamers in town were double the price of the

steamers at this site. And the Christmas gift of the dragon was a BIG hit!

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Looks cool as hell on the cast iron stove.

Great for adding that lost moisture back to the air.

Don't touch, it's HOT!

Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Hunter 31206 Ultrasonic UV Medium/Large Room Humidifier

Hunter 31206 Ultrasonic UV Medium/Large Room HumidifierI bought this unit because it gets really dry downstairs especially with the fireplace being on. I can already tell a difference in the air. I noticed the poor reviews given with the UVC light and also read in the manual that if on it indicated that it needed replacing. So, upon calling Hunter, the CSR explained that the blue light indicated that the machine was on and working and that the light would turn red when the UVC light needed replacing. That being said, the machine is indeed working properly, it is very quite, and IMO gives out pretty good humidity at the mid-way mark.

The only cons that I would make mention is the really BRIGHT blue light as I had to cut a piece of cardboard and tape over it to tone it down a notch. Also, the replacement of the demineraliztion filters on a monthly basis.

Thanks for reading and I hope this helped.

-S

Used it every night for a week since it arrived. Visible stream of mist straight up into the air, but nothing around it gets wet or moist. Have right near the bed and feel no mist whatsoever. Just better breathing and less dry throat. Water tank lasts far more than eight hours. Have yet to get to the automatic turn-off when the tank gets empty. Sleep a full night with higher humidity from a cool stream of vapor. Nothing leaks. No big drops anywhere. Little need for a towel underneath it, but aftr reading all of the horrendouse reviews about other models, I did not want to take a chance. Getting very comfortable about its safety. Also uses tap water and no signs of chemical build-up. Would recommend spending a little more to get quality like this. Absolutely silent. I like a little white noise in the room, but this is so quiet, if you like white noise, you almost have to run an air purifier in the same room. The only thing is the extra bright blue LED on the front indicating that the humidifier is working. Wow! Lights up the whole room. Easily remedied though by taping a small piece of cardboard to hang over the light. I don't know how it works, but it sure does work well. Watch the video from QVC on YouTube. It looks just like that when operating, and practically right out of the box. And the product is solidly made and the tank holds more than a gallon. I would trust running this in my baby granddaughter's room when she gets stuffy. This product is as good, if not better, than advertised.

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I received one as a gift about a month ago after talking to my doctor about being prone to dry skin (winter, NE weather), sore throats and overall sinus issues due to allergens in the house ( its an old house).

It is awesome, its sooooo silent and easy to maintain. it comes with a 3 yr warranty. Mine is the 31207 which is the model in Black. It also came with a vapor pad that you can add, which I did this week since I have some sort of cold/flu/virus right now... which works great in my small bedroom as the odor is not over powering.

Without the vapor pad it works well too, it neutralizes odors in the room, and its so silent. I was worried that after a week it would get noisy, but no. Amazing, best gift everrrr.

I logged on to the Hunter website to order my replacement vapor pads and also some other ones and the price for parts ( wear and tear exchanges of course not malfunction) are fairly decent.

****UPDATE 1/29/12**** turns out the vapor pads are discontinued for this humidifier, but no worries, you can use VICKS vapor refill pads Model vsp-19 ( avg $5.99 or so for a box of 5 ) which you can find at any pharmacy :)

Love it, if you have sensitive sinuses, this is item is for you. YOu can use it any time and again its so easy to clean and the parts you hardly replace. [they do recommend the filter 1/month] Im going into 2 months of ownership yet, using it every night and weekends --I think replacement every 2 should suffice :)

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Works, no troubles. Have put about 10 gallons of distilled h2o through it over the past few months and have had no problems. The bottom of the top piece does make contact w/ the water in the bottom piece, so stuff gets wet when you need to refill, which there is really no excuse for. And as far as the led is concerned, some electric tape over it solves the problem of it being a second sun.

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I read many of the positive and negative reviews on a variety of humidifiers and air cleaners, and if they are all to be believed, every product out there is garbage, and yet at the same time, way better than that other one. It became nearly impossible to find a product that didn't have a scathingly negative review, but I ultimately decided to pull the trigger on this unit, as even if it really was junk, I'd only be out $50 instead of potentially $200 (Air-o-Swiss). Ultimately I am very happy with this unit, and find that most, if not all the negative comments here are either incorrect, expecting waaaay too much from the unit, or are overly critical of ridiculous nuances, and therefore likely to be disingenuous.

Noise: One of the negative reviews I saw stated that this unit was too noisy to have in the same room as them when they slept. I find this absolutely ludicrous as this is one of the quietest humidifiers I have owned (a variety of KAZ re-brands plus a few other wicking types) The fan is virtually silent (more on this in a minute) and although you can hear the gentle trickle of water, as you can on EVERY ultrasonic humidifier, it is by far the quietest unit I have ever encountered. If the sound of a second hand ticking on a clock is enough to keep you awake, I suggest no humidifier will be quiet enough. For the rest of us, this unit is fine. If you really do have noise issues, then I suggest your unit is broken, and should be returned.

Filler Tank: Every single humidifier I have used has an awkward tank design, including this one, and I really don't understand why it has to be so bad. The tank does not sit flat which makes filling difficult, the tank has to be flipped upside down to fill, meaning when you flip it back over you end up with a few stray water drops. These criticisms are shared by EVERY humidifier I've seen, so although I find them annoying, it is no different from any other device. I have yet to experience any strange leaking problems associated with the filler cap/o-ring, and I'd guess that the negative reviewer stating the filler cap leaked everywhere either had a defective, damaged or missing o-ring, Again, no different here than on any other humidifier which all seem to use the same cap/o-ring design without significant issues. Whomever had issues with the unit dumping its entire payload all over the floor probably forgot the o-ring.

LED's: Negative reviews stating the UV LED lit on startup indicating the bulb was bad are incorrect. There may be a misprint in the manual, as the light has to not only be On, but it has to be on Red. Note a red LED also indicates the tank is empty. Nothing to see here, move along. BTW, that blue LED is ridiculously bright, tape is necessary!

Output: This unit does a good job putting out the vapor for sure! The fact that I have to constantly keep refilling it is evidence of that! In fact, you can literally see a dense stream of vapor leaving the (unfortunately nonadjustable) nozzle when on its highest setting. One drawback here is that at the max setting that dense vapor is not really adequately dispersed by the fan, and I think the unit has played it too safe on the noise front to the detriment of proper dispersal at max. Left sitting on a hardwood floor at max setting, the ground did indeed feel a little sticky after a while. Either find a way to elevate the unit, place something underneath it, or probably the most practical, just turn it down a little bit. Yes, the adjustment knob does indeed vary the volume of vapor being put out. I can't say if it functions to maintain a specific humidity level, and to be honest I'd be surprised if it did, but it was fully functional to control output level.

Monday, May 5, 2014

ProTec Antimicrobial Humidifier Cleaning Cartridge

ProTec Antimicrobial Humidifier Cleaning CartridgeThe product keeps the tank clean and easy to take care of the humidifier. I have never used a product like this before.

My humidifier has only gotten worse (as in dirtier, more stained) since I put this in it. I guess it's time to take it out since it doesn't seem to do anything.

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This makes my filters last longer. It is easy to change and with no mess at all. Wouldn't run my humidifier without it.

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Used in an evaporative humidifier. Handle makes it easy to remove and move around. Doesn't seem to last as long as previous purchase of similar products.

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I like this. It drops inside the humidifier tank, and keeps the goo out for about 28 days. It does not eliminate the need to keep the tank rinsed, clean, safe per all manufacturing instructions. It is a boost, not a substitute.

Sunday, February 16, 2014

Hunter 31005 Ultrasonic Small Room Humidifier

Hunter 31005 Ultrasonic Small Room HumidifierThis year, I got the Hunter 31004, the slightly earlier edition of the 31005. They look very similar and have a similar rating for use in a small room.

Pros:

1. The machine very effectively and quickly sends out a controllable jet of fine, cool mist. It can humidify a small room and make it much more comfortable without turning the space into a rain forest.

2. You can use tap water.

3. The humidifier is very quiet, with one exception, as noted in the 'cons' just below.

Cons:

The only noise it makes is related to the dripping of water from the tank to the humidifier, and the sound is EXACTLY like what you hear when your dog is attending to an itch in its privates! For dog lovers this may not be a problem, but it is a tad disquieting if you don't have a dog.

Overall, it seems a very nice solution to uncomfortably dry winter air.

We got this after checking consumer reports and seeing it ranked at number 1 in their ratings for small humidifiers. The unit worked really well for about a week. There is a red light which comes on when the water level is low. I thought it was an automatic shut off. It is not. If you leave it on, it will eventually use up all the remaining water in the unit. This caused what I'm guessing is a mineral build up on the working parts, slowing output to almost nil even on high once refilled. So, good unit-but dont let it run dry. Especially if you have hard water like we do. Post Script: I wrote this review yesterday. My wife has been using the unit despite its partial output. Today, she said it was leaking from the base, so I went and checked it out for her. There is a little center piece in the base which houses the mist head. This little unit is glued in from the underside. The glue failed and the mister is now sitting down inside the base. Its broken. We had this for a matter of weeks! Absolute junk! I am getting really sick of Consumer Reports saying that something is really great and then it just falls apart. That has happened to me too many times now. Anyway, I dont know if we just got a lemon or what, but I cant recommend this unit based on our experience.

Buy Hunter 31005 Ultrasonic Small Room Humidifier Now

This unit was a lifesaver during my sinus infection. It has enough power to turn a small room into a jungle, by that I mean fill a smaller room with visibly noticeable mist! Pretty neat actually! My buddy showed his off and I ordered my own the next day. Good choice for those of you who share similarly dry winters and need that extra moisture in the house.

Read Best Reviews of Hunter 31005 Ultrasonic Small Room Humidifier Here

The compact size fits nicely on a table and it puts out a strong stream of mist for hours. It's also easy to handle and clean.

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Great humifier and would buy a bigger Hunter unit if it were available with this type of humifiying system. If bigger unit is not available from Hunter, I'll add more room type units same as I purchased.

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Friday, January 10, 2014

Graco Pack 'n Play Element Playard

Graco Pack 'N Play Element with Stages, OasisThis was our first pack n play purchased for our 3 month old after much research and deliberation. We intended to use it as a crib when traveling. I picked the Graco Pack'N'Play Element with Stages because of the 'stages' which I hoped would mean that our daughter could sleep higher for longer this pack and play offers three levels, the first supports up to 15lb, the second up to 20lb, once your child weighs more than 20lb you have to use the lowest level.

PROS:

Overall impression is of a very nice and sturdy item.

It was relatively straightforward to assemble and dismantle.

CONS:

BEWARE SAFETY ISSUE I carefully checked all weight bearing seams holding the bassinet together after reading another reviewer's comments that their Graco pack n play had torn at the seams. I found a seam which had not been effectively sewn and as a result was coming undone. This seam was one of the main weight bearing seams that formed the fabric channel for one of the metal rods which held up the bassinet meaning that if this seam continued to come undone (which it did with the slightest pressure) the bassinet and your child could fall. This fault is clearly a manufacturing defect and I am in the process of getting a refund from amazon.

IF YOU BUY THIS ITEM, CHECK ALL SEAMS CAREFULLY!

Aside from that, it was not clear to me why one bassinet level could support 15lb and the other 20lb as the 20lb stage is merely an extension of the 15lb setting, it is not further reinforced in any way. The only thing I could think was that a larger child may be more able to climb out of the first stage, rather than the bassinet not being able to support their weight. Although since mine was already falling apart before we used it, who knows what weight can actually be supported.

I like this graco play pen it's sturdy enough for my energetic 7month baby. My only problem with it is folding it up to take it on the go. Its great for keeping open at home, when he falls he doesn't hurt himself, when sleeping or playing he can see everything and everyone around him. The mattress it came with is very thin and hard so I bought the Dream on me MAttress, it fits perfect in the Graco play pen. He doesn't like to sleep in the crib anymore he mainly sleeps in the playpen especially after buying the Dream on me mattress, he mainly likes being able to see around when he wakes up he will start to look and cry for someone and a bottle.

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Very nice and comfortable. Junior is three months using the second stage bassinet and loves it. The padded mat is comfy and nicely quilted. It was easy for me to put together (im pretty savvy when it comes to that). The colors are pretty nice, wished there were more options, but hey, I'm very content, and happy with my purchase. :-)

Read Best Reviews of Graco Pack 'n Play Element Playard Here

This pack and play is perfect for what we need it for. Our baby is four months old and almost 16 pounds. We wanted her to sleep in our room still. We are using the second phase setting and she seems to like it. The mattress is hard so we put a more padded sheet over it.

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We enjoy this Pack 'N Play...very easy to put together and transition from each "stage". Everything fits together perfectly and it is easy to put it all away and get it back into the carry bag. I just wish there was a way to store the mobile in the travel bag/case. The changing table is sturdy and makes it easy to have more than one changing area set up. We also like the gender neutral pattern!

Review update (June 2013): After lots of use, this Pack 'N Play is holding up nicely. I keep a play yard mattress pad and sheet on it to protect the mat from drooling babies. It continues to be easy to change between the stages and to pack up and travel.

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Thursday, October 10, 2013

Frigidaire FAD504DWD Energy Star 50-pint Dehumidifier

Frigidaire FAD504DWD Energy Star 50-pint DehumidifierThe humidity in my bedroom regularly goes above 60% in the winter, causing condensation and mold on the windows. After a rain, it's even worse. So I ordered this to help take care of the problem, which it does. The musty smell is gone, I sweat less, and everything feels drier and cleaner.

This is a new model with Energy Star certification that replaces a similar model, the FAD504DUD. Consumer Reports gave that one a very high rating. From what I can tell, the only real difference is the lower energy usage, 530 watts compared to 615 watts in the old model. This gives it an efficiency of 530*24/50=254 watt-hours per pint of water extracted from the air (lower numbers are better).

Here's how it compares to the other new models:

FAD704DWD 70 pints per day, 255 Watt-hours per pint

FAD504DWD 50 pints per day, 254 Watt-hours per pint (this one)

FAD301NWD 30 pints per day, 256 Watt-hours per pint

Here are the older models:

FAD704DUD 70 pints per day, 262 Watt-hours per pint

FAD504DUD 50 pints per day, 295 Watt-hours per pint

FAD301NUD 30 pints per day, 360 Watt-hours per pint

Consumer Reports gave the highest possible rating to the energy efficiency of the older 70-pint model, and the second highest rating to the older 50-pint model. As you can see, all of the new models beat the older 70-pint model, at least according to the manufacturer's specifications.

Here are the real world energy usage numbers:

Compressor off, fan on high: 61.0W

Compressor off, fan on low: 52.1W

Compressor on, fan on high: 446W (Frigidaire's web site says 530W)

Compressor on, fan on low: 442W

It makes a little more noise than I was expecting, but it's white noise. The fan makes more noise than the compressor, even with the fan on low. Home Depot's web site says it creates 53 dB of noise. It's quieter than an ordinary dishwasher or a box fan on high. Switching the fan to low speed doesn't make it much quieter. On high speed, it really puts out a lot of air.

The dehumidifer contains a built-in digital hygrometer (humidity sensor), which shows the humidity in 5% intervals. 5% is fine because instant-read hygrometers aren't very accurate, anyway. If you program a target humidity level, the fan turns off a few minutes after the compressor. Another reviewer claimed the fan never turns off, but it's possible that the dehumidifier was never able to reduce the humidity level to the setpoint, and so the fan (and the compressor) stayed on constantly. It would be good if it had an LED to indicate whether the compressor is on, to avoid confusion (suggestion #1).

Also, it cycles quite frequently when it's trying to control humidity to a selected value. This is what it's doing right now as I type this:

T+00:00 fan + compressor turns on

T+04:30 compressor turns off

T+09:27 fan turns off

T+10:50 fan + compressor turns back on

As you can see, it's cycling almost six times per hour. This might be good for energy efficiency and air quality, but it makes it tough to sleep with one of these in the room. I wish I could tell it to cycle less frequently, no more than 2-3 times per hour (suggestion #2).

It would also be nice for bedrooms if it ramped the fan up before turning on the compressor so it doesn't wake me up when it turns on (suggestion #3).

Because instant-readout hygrometers are notoriously inaccurate, I recommend installing a separate one in the room to serve as a "second opinion." I'm using a Caliber III Thermometer/Hygrometer. The Abbeon AB-167 is supposed to be the best hygrometer, and the Taylor 5565 is a close second, if you calibrate them properly. You might also consider a sling psychromoter, which is more accurate than an instant-read hygrometer but not as convenient.

This dehumidifier peaks at 18.94 amps, so like a blow dryer or microwave or electric heater, you may need to be careful which circuit you put it on. Suggestion #4 is to add a capacitor to reduce that startup spike.

At 65-70 degrees and about 40% relative humidity, it took 10.5 hours to pull 6.3 pints of water out of the air. That's 0.60 pints per hour. (At higher humidity levels, it seems to be much more efficient.)

When it doesn't have to work very hard, when it's cycling on and off as it controls to a selected humidity level, it seems to have a cooling effect, but in continuous mode, after a while the exhaust turns warm.

The bucket holds 16.3 pints. It has a little window that shows the water level, but the number of pints isn't marked (suggestion #5).

Overall, I can say it does its job and so far I'm completely satisfied with my purchase. If I had to replace it, I hope the replacement will incorporate the suggestions I've listed in this review.

This is replacement for a previous unit by Frigidaire that lasted four years, but worked well until it died. I read all the reviews on this unit and was concerned with the experience of others but went forward with the purchase in January hoping for a better experience. Not three months later the new unit died. We called the number on the warranty card and were directed to a local service repair for Frigidaire. This particular unit apparently is not repairable so Electrolux sent a new unit to the service repair man for delivery and pick up of the old unit. While we received very good customer service from Electrolux from the perspective of follow up phone calls to keep us informed on delivery status, we were not advised of a $50.00 delivery charge. A machine that was barely three months old shouldn't have cost us an additional 20% of the purchase price. So beware of both the quality of this unit and the warranty!

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I purchased this unit from amazon 4 days ago. I even made a video because hearing is believing. First of all this unit works very well. It has filled the bucket 5 or 6 times in an air conditioned Florida home showing 53% humidity. Since we turned on this unit we are down to 44% inside humidity. The construction observed is very good (we did look at Lowe's and Home Depot units which were poorly constructed), features are good but the thing sounds like a freight train passing by. Also remember that the air coming out of the unit is warmer than the air going in 72.8 deg in and 91 deg out, another problem with the unit in the living area. A good modification would be a dual gauge showing both the setting and the room humidity level. Truth be told we will probably have to return the unit because it is just too loud for a living area. This unit would be great for a garage or basement. That is a shame because it works great, just not indoor living friendly.

Gadget

Read Best Reviews of Frigidaire FAD504DWD Energy Star 50-pint Dehumidifier Here

Several reviewers have commented on the noisy fan. The fan on my Frigidaire FAD504DWD Energy Star 50-pint Dehumidifier, unlike my Whirlpool e-Humidifier (which sounds like a prop plane on a windy day) is muted, and cannot be heard from 2 rooms down and this is with the fan setting on HIGH.

The Frigidaire FAD504DWD Energy Star 50-pint Dehumidifier arrived well packed (Styrofoam), battened down, with taped-to-body bucket, and did not need any assembly, other than removing the tape, moving it on its gliiiding casters (great handle on top too -I had to pick this up and it is not lightweight-the handle withstood the tugging and the hefting). It is handsomely designed, looks more-than-just-utilitarian, is pleasing to look at.

There is a drain in the back, for continuous use. A beeper lets you know that the bucket needs to be looked at (full, or not all the way tucked back into the body). The bucket has a handle -oh joy!! I had to be so careful with the Whirlpool's bucket-using one hand on each side of the bucket as I slooowly removed it from the body to keep things from splashing. Now all I have to do with the Frigidaire is pull the bucket forward, boldly pick up the bucket by the handle, and go to the balcony to water my plants with the excess water. I have found that adding a tiny bit of bleach to the water in the bucket, in-between bucket removal, helps to keep mold and mildew at bay (a lesson I learned from a former Dehumidifier that had to be Put To Sleep way before its time, as the green and black 3-D mold and mildew had crawled their way into inaccessible areas of the unit).

The controls are EZ to read and use no buttons, just a touch pad. The Instructional booklet in English, Spanish and French, was easy to understand and is quite thorough, including a page's worth of trouble-shooting advice. Just keep things clean, wash the filter, replace it when indicated, and of course keep dumping the bucket, or draining the water (the drain outlet looks well-built and up to the task.

I have not used the timer-function but it will come in handy when I need it. The lack of noise is wonderful-my old Whirlpool De-Humidifier was so noisy that although I was pretty sure my downstairs neighbors don't sleep in their livingroom/dinette, the noise from the Whirlpool was floor-rattling.

I live in a climate with three seasons -Spring/Summer (summer is hot hot hot, with humidity that almost rolls thru the air), Autumn (with sometimes very rainy Septembers) and Winter (usually dry, but sometimes host to a Mega Snowstorm). So this Frigidaire FAD504DWD Energy Star 50-pint Dehumidifier has arrived at just the right time as soon as Spring affirms its dainty-sweet existence, Summer will be leapfrogging over it to assert its dominance, with at-times scorching heat and mega humidity. I look forward to using this Frigidaire Dehumidifier for six months of almost-constant use. Yes I have A/C in all rooms except kitchen and bathroom, but when the AC is on in the brutish part of the summer, you would not know it.

The Whirlpool? Will be relegated to the kitchen -where so much of my food can be prone to spoiling because there is no heat or air-conditioning in the kitchen.

UPDATE-I can't believe how quickly the bucket fills-even on "just" a humid day in April--Zounds! this is a great dehumidifier!UPDATE 2 -May 2013 -I can't believe how quickly and how much water this takes out of the air!! I have to drain the bucket (which does not lend itself totally well to the act of draining, since water wants to spill out from mor e than one area while draning into the sink - but I'm getting the hang of it) at least once a day -I'd like to add a hose to the drain so it drains automatically but there is simply no place to drain this automatically in my apartment-unless I want the water to go over the balcony -and I don't think my downstairs neighbors will be amused by that.

PS-My Westinghouse Dehumidifier is now in the kitchen where it makes a lot of noise and does its job slowly.

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I have always used a dehumidifier in my basement, whichever house I lived in. Wisconsin doesn't get horribly damp like Florida or something in the summer, but humidity gets up there. I had some things in the basement get affected by it, some mildew on leather furniture I had in storage until I moved it back upstairs. Since I do store quite a few things in the basement, including German wine, I've made sure to keep a dehumidifier in place. The first one was a simple on/off unit, so I had it set on a timer. Then I got the Sunpentown one which worked quite well until it started giving an error code randomly, and support was useless never able to get anyone on a phone, never a reply to emails to them. When this came up on the Vine program I jumped at it, hoping to replace the not so satisfying one I purchased at Amazon.

Arrived quickly, and well packed. Plenty of styrofoam to protect it in transit. Unboxing was easy even with just one person since it had packing straps holding the styrofoam in place on top and bottom so it was an easy lift out of the box.

First thing I noticed that was a huge improvement over the Sunpentown one the nozzle where you can screw a hose directly to bypass the bucket altogether. The unit I'm replacing had one as well, but it wasn't done very well. They did it in a way that the nozzle attachment was a part that had to press into a tube coming out of the back, and didn't secure to the unit itself, so the weight of the hose, if not positioned carefully, could kink the little plastic tube it plugged into. This one has the nozzle built right into the unit, so it's part of the back. There's a nice solid cover on it that you unscrew to use the hose (I posted some pictures in the photo section). The next thing was a handle on the top that lifts up across the center for carrying, giving you an option to lift it that way although it also has the standard recessed hand holds on each side.

I got it into the basement, positioned it by the drain in the floor, and cut my hose to the right size for this unit. Got it all hooked up and fired it off. It begins on high, and it's not a bad noise level. Granted, no dehumidifier is ever going to be SILENT. But this one started out pretty quiet, although over the course of the first week of testing, it's gotten louder. Initially the noise was minimal, but you can hear the compressor now more than I could the first few days. I don't know if that's just because it's "settled in" now or what. I'm testing mine on low since the basement wasn't too damp yet since I was still waiting for snow to melt outside since it's only the end of March, but by the second week in April the compressor got more noticeable, not any worse than the Sunpentown, and maybe a little less "rattling" with this one.

I have a small electronic hygrometer / thermometer unit in the basement I've used to make sure it's working, so I set it for 40% since the basement was hovering around 50% at the time. Then I went about my life, and when I next checked, both the Frigidaire unit and the hygrometer both read 40 and the unit was off. I was never sure how accurate the hygrometer or the Sunpentown unit were, since they were always a couple points off of each other, but it's nice to see these two match.

It's not very heavy, and easily moved around by just one person, and once in the basement the wheels make it an easy thing to relocate on my concrete slab (not a finished basement). The unit has a timer that can be both for a delay start as well as how long it runs, as well as a constant on option. I prefer to just pick a humidity point and set it for that. It can be adjusted in 5 percent intervals.

There's a filter to clean every 250 hours according to the manufacturer, easily enough reached by removing the bucket and pulling it down.

For me, the big thing was the noise level. I really didn't like the Sunpentown since it rattled as it fired up, and you could hear those noises clearly over the air flow. This one has less rattling, and the compressor noises got more pronounced over a few weeks. It is a little quieter overall than the previous models I had. And since I can dump the water straight out to the hose, I'll not have to deal with it shutting off when full. This capacity is slightly less than the Sunpentown was (that was a 65 pt compared to this 50 pt) but it didn't take long to drop the basement to 40% so it should do just fine.

As we hit summer and the humidity gets up, I will post an update if this doesn't perform up to snuff but so far I have no reason to expect to have to do so.

Edit April 7 2013 dropped a star because over the course of a few weeks, the compressor started to get noisier, maybe as things "loosened up" after shipping or something, but now it's only marginally quieter than the previous one was rather than significantly. Still a better unit overall though, so leaving it at 4 stars.

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