Plaston International Corp. Air-O-Swiss 7533 Deminral Granules Pk/3

I agree with some reviewers that refilling the cartridge take a little extra hand-eye coordination, and is a bit time-consuming and definitely more of an annoyance than you want to deal with re: a humidifier.. I found that just snipping off a corner of the bag allows a little more control in pouring the granules. I also plug up the center cavity with a wad of wet paper towel. Wet towels are better than dry because the grains will stick to the wet paper more readily when you pull it out.

All this being said, I'm writing this review to underscore an option that the instruction manual mentioned, and which I've learned to swear by. USE DISTILLED WATER in the reservoir. It's 59 cents a gallon or cheaper at your local giant-grocer. No white powder whatsoever, and you never have to clean the tank with Air-O-Swiss's gimmicky powder cleaners. Using distilled water, you can just unscrew the water-purifying cylinder from the reservoir cap and throw it in the garbage (or, if you're hate throwing anything out, just put back in the box which you most likely saved and are keeping in the basement). I'm a lawyer and a skeptic by nature, and I don't think that the "purifying beads" do anything substantive. Even a fresh filter leaves that white powder. Frankly, I think that the money saved in not buying the company's custom-designed external expenses is far outweighed by the money spent on "fancy" distilled water. I can't help but think of the cost of printer ink when I think of these water filters; you buy the base unit (printer/humidifier) for a good deal, not realizing how much more money you will be forking over in the maintenance of the darn thing.

This is a humidifier, after all, not a life-support machine. There are two options; dealing with the vaguely annoying white powder, or spending a little extra money on something that will avoid the nuisance of cleaning up the white powder. Personally, I prefer spending my money on store-bought distilled water than some chemically questionable "white beads" (what are they made out of, anyway?? Are they recyclable? Is there any data on how much these bead actually "purify" the water? And does the production of these beads use non-renewable resources? Don't ask Air-O-Swiss...they won't tell you). On the other hand, I know how distilled water is made. And I can tell you from personal experience that using distilled water keeps the humidifier in tip-top, brand-new-looking shape. When the "clean" light on my unit comes on, I just reset without thinking. There's nothing to clean. You could use distilled water for years and still have less buildup than one or two uses of regular tap water (filtered or otherwise, I would argue).

Well, enough of my ranting and raving in favor of distilled water. I think I've made my feelings clear. In response to the reviews from members who complained about the high cost of filter replacement in their hard-water environments, this is my "perfect" solution to you. Take it for what it's worth.

My air-o-swiss is sucking up atleast 1 filter every month. Recently, I bought the refill packs. Having used them 3 times, I feel that it was a wise decision. I get the same performance from the filter, for 1/4th the price.

As of he refilling part, I found it quiet easy. While emptying the filter, shake the filter in the trash can. Most of the "stuff" will fall off easily. You can wash off any that clings to the filter. Shouldn't take u more than 30 seconds to do this. When it comes to filling up the filter, I make a very small cut in the plastic bag with a scissor. This gives me better control on the flow of the granules. I fill up the outer chamber first and then the inner one. Any slight over flows, I wash it off.

All in all, it takes 3 minutes tops. Well worth the effort.

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I agree that the cartridge was not easy to fill -the beads are a little tricky to get into the cartridge (they sort of stick to each other and to the bag they are in and to your hands, so it takes awhile to get them packed in).

However, the cost savings definitely makes up for the slight trouble -3 separate cartridges would range from approx. $36 $45, while this package of 3 refills only cost $19.00! Well worth the extra 5 minutes every 3 months.

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This cartridge refill works great with my humidifier and is much cheaper than buying the actual cartridge. Most of the white dust is eliminated, just be sure to soak the refilled cartridge for at least 24 hours. I only use the humidifier at night and have found that it works much better if you keep the cartridge covered in water when the unit is not on.

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Well, I expected the humidifier to work the same way like with the original cartridge. To my surprise the granules are a totally different. First of all after the 24 h soaking period the cartridge was clogging up frequently and the humidifier stopped working. Shaking it up helped for a view hours but had to be repeated for several days. Now it is running constantly but it blows white dust all over the place like a very old cartridge.

There is no indication on the packaging about the manufacturing date and I assume that this stuff is just too old. I missed the return window, because I ordered it to have a spare when I need it and not for immediate use. Now I am stuck with useless granules and have to buy an entire cartridge and create more waste. Very disappointing for a top notch manufacturer!

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Jarden SWM5251-UM Sunbeam Warm Mist Humidifier

My sinuses and eyes get really dry in the winter when the heater is running. I bought one of these exact same models (the 5251) 6 years ago under the Holmes brand name. I wasn't expecting much since many reviews of different sorts of humidifiers out there where often pretty bad. It seemed like many humidifiers require expensive filter replacements, difficult cleaning processes, and they often don't work for long. I am glad to report that after six years, this humidifier is still working flawlessly. It's really easy to clean (I just rinse out the sediment left after boiling off all the tap water). Very helpful with my dryness. I would never live through another winter again without a humidifier, and I've been very happy with this model.

Last year, I decided to get a second one (of the same model, the SWM5251) after moving into a new place with a bigger bedroom. The newer one is this exactly the same but under the Sunbeam brand name instead of Holmes. It's the exact same thing as my old one, so Sunbeam must have bought the technology rights from Holmes or something. Anyway, the Sunbeam is working well now on its second winter, and I expect it will continue to work for several more years just like my first Holmes unit has been doing.

As I expected, this machine works.

I've had a few really good warm mist humidifiers, but this one really isn't one of them. Basically what this one does is it boils water, and to an extent is enough for a small room, but honestly I get more steam from my tea kettle. A little disappointed, but it does work and it's easy to clean and refill.

If you have to settle on this, it will workit may not produce as much as I would like, but it does it's job.

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I was really frustrated the first couple of nights I used this humidifier. It would NOT run until empty. As a matter of fact, it was only running about 15 minutes, and I was following all the direction, letting it sit for a while, etc. I figured out, that if the floor isn't perfectly level, the boiling area won't actually refill from the tank. Once I tipped the humidifier a couple of degrees, slanted so that the vents were below the handle, the humidifier worked great. Especially if you're going to be placing this on carpet be aware of this issue. I uses a folded up shirt that I placed under one edge to achieve the desired tilt.

Another thing to be aware of us is the noise. Even on low this thing can put out some noise. If you're a very light sleeper, this might not be for your. The noise is erratic as well, so it's not easy to tune out.

Oeverall, I love the amount of water it puts out into the air, and I love that it actually warms the room up a bit by putting the steam into the air. Probably by a whole degree, maybe even 2.

SUPER EASY TO CLEAN!!!!

Would buy again!

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The only negative is when you put it on high it runs through the water quickly. I wish it would last longer then7 hours (a whole nights sleep). Plus it is a little noisy and was hard to get used to.

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I love I don't need to put a filter in every few months. When put on low setting the water can last in the reservoir for at least three nights. The high setting can last one night. It is quiet and barely noticeable.

HAC-504 Aftermarket Honeywell Humidifier Wick Filter

The wick works just fine although it plainly had been in its box, folded in half for quite some time. I had to re-shape it, put it in a small box, and leave it overnight in the box to make it sufficiently round to fit my humidifier. I have had no problems with it since then. I was impressed considering the age of my humidifier.

These are the filters to use, much thicker and better wicking capability. Great value for a replacement filter. I really like these.

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Bought this because it goes my humidifier. It's a decent filter and doesn't have to be changed as often as another brand i tried.

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Quality Importers Alhambra 100 Cigar High Gloss Humidor, Maple Finish

The humidor is great! I love it. It even came with a humidifier, which doesnt work the best. I would recommend buying a better quality one than the one it comes with.

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APRIL AIRE 360 HUMIDIFIER

Like others, I was tired of constantly filling and cleaning my console humidifier. The Aprilaire 360/350 is the only whole-house unit I could find that works independently of a forced air heating system, so it was the only choice for my home with radiant floors. Buyers should be aware that Aprilaire requires installation to be performed by an HVAC professional, or else the warranty is void. I chose to install it myself, and the money saved on professional installation would easily pay for a replacement unit if ever needed.

The first thing I noticed after unpacking the unit was a manufacture date nearly 3 years prior. They must not sell many of these. The second thing I noticed was a screw in the bottom of the box. It was one of the motor mounting screws which had fallen out, and the nut was missing. This screw also connects a ground wire to the case, so the wire was hanging loose inside the unit. I located a replacement nut and reinstalled the screw. Every other screw holding the unit together was also loose.

I had no problems with installation. I discarded the self piercing saddle valve that comes with the unit and instead used a tee fitting to tap off a supply line from a nearby sink. The drain tube must not have a "trap" where it exits the unit or it will overflow. The outlet grille is almond or ivory color, I painted mine white but that's just my personal preference. They should offer them in different colors, the plastic grille is somewhat difficult to paint properly.

Upon powering up the humidifier for the first time I was surprised to find that the fan is a lot quieter than my Holmes console humidifier, but I also noticed that it doesn't move much air. More on that later. There is a fairly loud hissing noise from the water supply line, similar to the sound of a dishwasher filling. The water flow rate is controlled by an orifice in the outlet of the solenoid valve. The orifice causes a hissing noise as the water is forced through it. I thought I'd get used to it, but after one day I couldn't stand it any more. I removed the orifice and installed a pressure regulator on the supply line. This completely eliminated the noise, and by adjusting the pressure I am able to limit the amount of water that gets wasted by going down the drain. Some excess water flow is required in order to get a decent amount of humidity out of the unit. 5 psi puts it right about where it was with the orifice and full pressure, but without the hissing noise. I removed the "Filter Check" gauge from my old console humidifier and stuck it on the outlet grille of the 360 so I can monitor the effects of my changes. It's a direct indicator of the moisture level of the air coming out of the humidifier.

So on to the lack of airflow. I can tolerate a bit more fan noise and my warranty was already void, so I began looking into a faster fan motor. Upon inspecting the motor to find the specs, I noticed the fan blade was not aligned with the shroud. It was set back too far to be effective. This may be done intentionally at the factory to limit fan noise. I moved the fan forward and noticed an immediate improvement in airflow and as a result it also makes slightly more noise as the air exits the grille. It now moves enough air to pull the closet door closed, which it didn't do before. I need to leave the door cracked open until I can install an inlet grille in the door.

Aprilaire says this unit requires hot water. They recommend installing a small dedicated water heater if the main hot water source is too far away to supply consistent 120 degree water temp. I hooked into a hot water line with 9 feet of 1/4" copper tubing, but the total distance to the heat source is much further. The small amount of flow that this unit uses is not enough to sustain hot water in the pipes unless a sink or shower is running, so 99% of the time it is getting cold water. It still works fine. I'm sure it would work better with hot water, but it does work with cold water. When it is getting hot water, the excess water going down the drain is cold so there is not much energy wasted on heating the water, most of the heat is put into the air.

The manual humidistat that's supplied with the unit is just adequate. It seems to have about a 5-7% RH differential. Maybe this is normal for humidifiers or maybe it's done to prevent short cycles. I have two separate hygrometers in different parts of the room about 15 feet away from the humidifier. With a setpoint of 35% the humidity will drop as low as 28% and then the unit will run until it reaches 33-35%. I think a 1 or 2% differential would be more comfortable. My console humidifier did a much better job of maintaining a constant humidity as long as I remembered to fill it. I will be upgrading to a combo thermostat/humidistat with automatic outdoor temp reset.

Overall I am pretty pleased with the Aprilaire 360. I think build quality should be improved (loose screws, poorly positioned fan blade). It's a very simple device and I believe it's greatly overpriced, but there is no alternative that I'm aware of. For the price I think they should include a high quality humidistat that displays current humidity level, and different colored grilles. I love what the unit does, but I rated it three stars because of high price and lack of quality control.

I've been dealing with humidity in the teens in the Eastern Sierra at 8,000 feet for over a year. I couldn't sleep, my nose always hurt, my skin cracked and itched, everyone agreed something needed to be done.

My place is about 2,300 sq. ft and the humidity shot to more than 50% in the first 12 hours of operation. This unit is basically perfect regarding the size, cost and ease of installation. A professional should be able to install this unit in less than three hours. I would recommend this unit to my grandmother and probably will.

Since I gave this unit 4 stars instead of 5 my ONLY complaint is that the unit is a little loud. The fan is strong but not silent. I will contact the manufacturer and update this review based on their suggestion. However depending on the location where you install this unit it might not matter. Additionally this fan noise might be consistent with the noise of most other units so take my comments with a grain of salt.

I installed the unit near our main intake vent for our heating system to spread the humidity throughout the house when using the fan or the heating system.

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I am glad I bought this unit. I was so tired of daily filling, draining and cleaning my console humidifier, and the crusty white stuff that accumulated on it (not to mention the slime mold that grew in the tank if I didn't clean it with bleach.) This unit connects to your hot water line and to a drain, so it supplies its own water and continuously cleans itself. There's no crusty white stuff, you just set the humistat and forget about it. It's fairly quiet, too.

Though the unit is fairly small (about 13 inches square) and not heavy (15 lbs.) it's more than adequate to completely humidify our 1600 sq. ft. home.

I don't know about energy usage or reliability because I just started using it, but so far the performance has been wonderful.

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Minuteman International T-39 Dragon Steamer 2.2-Quart

This is a fun item. And it really cute when it works. It just takes a pretty hot fire to get him steaming , otherwise he just has a drippy nose. In the two weeks I have had it on my wood stove I have only got it hot enough to produce steam a couple of time.

I was more than pleased when I received my hand painted ceramic/metal steamer. It is awesome. It has an excellent paint job.It works well and steam really does come out of the dragon's nostrils. What a hoot!

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This product was a gift for my parents who have a fun sense of humor and also enjoy "dragons". They were very pleased with the item. It arrived in good shape, works well and most importantly makes them laugh. Very pleased.

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This item is cute to look at but does not perform the "steaming nostrils" function at all.

We tried several locations on our very hot woodstove but no results.

We have been in touch with the seller (3rd party) and she was very nice about return/ refund/ exchange.

Also was urprised that the top piece is only made of China glass, not cast iron like the bottom.

Could break on the first fall if you weren't very careful.

JS.

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Cute piece to look at but the benefit was for the steam. Found this steamer does not emit enough steam with the cover on. With the cover off it produces plenty of steam.

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Black & Decker Table Top Ultrasonic Humidifier, BXHU090

Humidifiers can be the answer for a good nights winter sleep. The Black & Decker Ultrasonic Humidifier is easy to use and has an attractive design, but it is limited to smaller rooms. Another interesting feature is that this humidifier has a built in LED night light (which can be turned on or off).

Notes-

Two settings although I can't tell too much of a difference between the two

I do like the built in night light it is a small LED light, but it provides a fair amount of light... and it looks pretty cool through the water

It really is designed for a small room I would guess it is limited to about a 120sq ft

I wish that the reservoir was larger since it only holds about 8 hours of water (measured in run time).

It does have a bit of a high pitch hum some people may find it to be annoying.

No filter needed

Final Verdict I like the Black & Decker Ultrasonic Humidifier, but it does have a few areas for improvement. I wish it was a little larger and had the ability to be used in bigger rooms. However, with its built night light the Back & Decker Table Top Ultrasonic Humidifier is perfect for a child's room.

3 1/2 Stars

We use a few humidifiers in our house, and this one has the smallest footprint, looks the best, and is the most quiet. It is in our family room, and you would hardly now that it is there. It is a little smaller, so one tank will last about 12 hours when the humidifier is on high. It pus out a nice, steady flow of moisture. It looks contemporary and fits on the top of our low bookshelf without being obvious. No complaints at all.

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The Black & Decker Table Top Ultrasonic Humidifier performed as expected. There is only one button on the humidifier that controls three different functions so turning off from the lowest setting takes several pushes of the button. A separate night light control would be a better solution. The humidifier is small so don't expect to use it in a large or even medium sized room with decent results, though the output on the high setting is more than I was expecting.

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Black & Decker Table Top Ultrasonic Humidifier, BXHU090

I recently got a much larger Vornado 1.8 Gal. Evap3 Evaporative Vortex Humidifier fan driven humidifier for the master bedroom. I thought this one might work well in the smaller bedroom, it does. This is an ultrasonic device meaning unlike the Vornado you don't have a fan and you actually see the steam. It is quieter than the Vornado on that one's higher speeds but on low on the Vornado the two are equally quiet. This one can run at the higher speed with no noticeable noise increase. At the low speed you get about eight hours of use on the loaded water tank. About half or so less on high speed.

It's a bit messy to refill the tank. I still can't do it without getting wet. You need to take the tank to a faucet turn it over remove the screw cap and fill it with water. Since the top comes to a point with the directional thingy, it's a balancing act and water gets to places other than inside the tank. The Vornado has a larger flat bottom tank so it's a neater job. This B&D is less than half the price and doesn't use consumable filters. They include a long brush to wipe the vaporizer. You do need to periodically rinse the tank with a vinegar mixture. Overall it's low maintenance for such a product.

The noise level is very low but some may not want it right near your head on your bed. It does make a slight buzzing like sound. There is also a night light. The main switch cycles through the two speeds and light on or off. I think it does a good job for a small bedroom and may fit your needs at a reasonable price.

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I bought this humidifier for my office to help with my asthma and it works perfect for a small room. I run it all day on the highest setting and usually have to refill it only once towards the end of the day. Its small and quiet enough to fit on my desk, one of my co-workers noticed it and bought one too and mentioned having a few problems with hers but I haven't had any issues with it. Since it sits my desk surrounded by paper I'm careful that the reservoir sits flush on the base and don't overfill the tank, I've have had no problems with it leaking, I'm happy enough with the unit and the price that I'm ordering a couple more of these for home.

Optimus U-33015 2.0 Gallon Output Cool Mist Evaporative Humidifier

I just bought this 2 gallon Optimus after my last slant fin humidifyer had issues, and I was not real successful looking for the parts. SO far I love the quietness and no light.

I max it out in the bedroom at night, so I have to fill daily, but it is light and easy rather pleasant! Make the bed, refill the Optimus. I'm on here now to buy the little filter sleeves, which I understand can be washed out but do wear out. I don't want to be caught without. I will mention my oversized Bionair which I use for the primary house is very noisy (IF you put it on high which i do unless it is time to relax) and the Bionaire also takes a long time to fill the two canisters (but lasts for weeks). I would not want it in the bedroom due to the noise and ugly dark grey this 2 gallon Optimus is perfect.

After all of the problems I read about with other designs, I love the simplicity of this one. There are no pumps, heating coils, shut off valves, or electronics to worry about. It is just a small fan pulling air across a wicking element. It needs to be refilled about once a day, but if you forget it just becomes a fan not a fire hazard. The fan and tank simply lift off, making cleaning easy.

Best of all, instead of heating the air it actually cools it slightly (it is basically a small swamp cooler). And because it passively humidifies it is self regulating, it will evaporate less as humidity increases. There will never be a wet area around it.

The only reason it doesn't earn 5 stars is price, call it 4 1/2. It is a small fan and 3 pieces of plastic, hardly justifying the $50 cost. The elements are cleanable, but do wear out and are $15.

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Bought this item a month or so ago, and I like it well enough. It is a simple design that uses a replaceable "wicking" element Optimus U-30011 Humidifier Replacement Wick Filter for U-33015, 2-Pack underneath the fan to provide a large surface area to evaporate the water. Be aware that you will have to replace the wick every so often. Our water is quite hard, so we buy distilled water to use in the humidifier to extend the life of the wick, otherwise mineral deposits can build up on the wick rather quickly and it is not recommended to try and clean and re-use the wicks. The unit is not silent, but is actually very pleasantly quiet, and be aware that it "burbles" as it releases water from the tank into the unit every so often...I do not find it disturbing and can sleep with it near the bed. On "hi" fan speed it will go through a gallon of water (one tank full) in about 24 hours in our room...this of course will depend on your relative humidity (we live in Arizona, near Phoenix...so quite dry here...) One dislike about the unit is that you fill the tank from the bottom and the handle on top is not flat...thus to fill the tank you cannot set it on a flat surface and have it stay upright. I have kneel on the floor and balance the tank between my knees to pour water into the tank. Also, when placing the tank back into the unit, it fits snugly and it does not always slide right in...you have to finaggle it into place...which can be annoying but not difficult.

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Quiet and doesnt have to be filled every day. When I run it on high, it usually lasts two days and is barely audible.

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This humidifier is like a mini-evaporative cooler (i.e. fan pulls air through a wet, replaceable wick).

It is quiet even on high [fan] speed. For example, it is quieter than a typical computer fan.

So far, so good the only negative that I can see is that it periodically pulls a small amount of air into the tank. The small amount of air rises to the top in the form of bubbles, which make a little noise. It does not bother me, but for some it might.

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Honeywell H13011 Replacement Filter for Hoover Whisper Filter

Since Wal-mart doesn't have replacement parts for the Hoover Whisper vacuum anymore, I came here and found what I needed. It turns out the "sponge" dust filter underneath the dust chamber is washable. So if you came here to replace this filter, don't forget to clean the other one.