Soleus Air PE2-10R-32 Portable Air Conditioner/Dehumidifier/Fan/ with Remote Control

As noted by a previous reviewer, this unit shuts down its air conditioning function when the condensate reservoir fills up. The unit then goes into fan mode. To get air conditioning back, the user empties the reservoir using a little, almost-flat plastic pan (LAF pan) that, even with its low sides, just barely fits below the reservoir exit, which, itself, is situated under the heat exhaust hose and just a little above the floor. If you're on a rug, the reservoir exit has even less clearance, or none. In addition to the LAF pan, you must also bring a pail to the job, so you can repeatedly empty the LAF pan into the pail. Of course, if you tip the LAF pan slightly on its way to the pail, you spill some of its contents onto your floor or rug in the process.

This is a case of abominable engineering---design that wastes your time and patience each day you use the "air conditioner." You spend time on your knees moving water from the very bottom of the unit to a pail. Then you spend more time mopping up what you've spilled in the process.

If there is no other way for you to exist than with this portable unit, you may want to design a fiveor six-inch-high pedestal that holds the unit securely and allows you to place a bigger emptying vessel below the reservoir exit. (About half a gallon would be good.)

Better is to rethink the buying decision and return the unit.

This unit works great. The only part I agree with on the other reviews is the drain hole. It's in a terrible place but to solve that I simply put it on a small table that was about 18" high and put a 5 gallon bucket under it for drainage. It takes about a day for the bucket to fill up and was my saving grace last summer during a heat wave. It was exactly what we needed and worded great.

Buy Soleus Air PE2-10R-32 Portable Air Conditioner/Dehumidifier/Fan/ with Remote Control Now

Soleus pe2-10r-32 review. PLEASE NOTE: I bought this for $299 plus tax in box, and brand new at Menards hardware store on 5-11-11. I COMPLETELY AGREE with Mr. Griffiths and Koqn. This unit has hardly any dehumidifying ability. I WAS using it in the bedroom, and it hardly cools at all. It is also loud, but I think that goes with the territory of a portable, because the compressor, and motor are on the inside of your house, instead of outside the window. However I TOTALLY RECOMMEND their window units. I have a 12,000 soleus, and it reduces humidity in my 12 X 22 X 7' high front room a lot. It will reduce it from 70% on a bad, muggy day to about 40% in just a couple hours. I am going to take this back, get another 12,000 and put that in my bedroom window. Not much else to say except I would like to thank Soleus for helping me to a great WORK OUT while hauling it up and down the steps.

Read Best Reviews of Soleus Air PE2-10R-32 Portable Air Conditioner/Dehumidifier/Fan/ with Remote Control Here

Not sure why 2 people gave this a bad review. Mine works fantastic! No problems cooling the house. Sometimes it gets too cold and I have to shut it off for bit. It may be big for our small Apartment. Better too cold than not cold enough though. Love the remote control and you can use it as a fan as well.

Want Soleus Air PE2-10R-32 Portable Air Conditioner/Dehumidifier/Fan/ with Remote Control Discount?

I live in a 300 sq ft studio apartment that has 3 large windows that face west and I upgraded from an 8000 BTU unit to this 10000 BTU model. I notice little additional cooling from this model, but the oscillating fan is nice. This Soleus unit is fine in the morning and after the sun goes down, but simply can't keep up with the afternoon sun coming through the windows. I have fairly heavy drapes that help somewhat, but the basic design of these portable units with a single vent hose compromises their effectiveness. We have 6-8 weeks of hot weather in Portland but usually the humidity is low during these hot times, which makes this unit OK for our environment, but I would not rely on a unit like this in Texas, Florida, or other hot and humid places except maybe to help cool a garage or small bedroom. This Soleus is noisy too except when the compressor is not running but that is a rarity. The intake louvers seem to get clogged with dust as well, and my unit leaked water once without warning me that the drain overflow was full. The air conditioner helps, just not enough.

Save 40% Off

Honeywell Enviracaire HEPA Air Purifier With Carbon Pre-Filter 374 Sq Ft Room Capacity

I have severe year-round nasal allergies. To make matters worse, my prolonged allergy symptoms have triggered the growth of polyps in my nasal passages. Zyrtec and other allergy medications offer only partial relief. Then, I stumbled on this air purifier, which is very favorably rated by Consumer Reports. I decided to get it to see if it would help with my allergies. I have been using it for one and a half years now, and the difference it has made is simply remarkable!

Function

--------

HEPA Filter (High Efficiency Particulate Air filter)

I use the Honeywell HEPA Air Purifier in my bedroom, which measures about 15' x 13' well within the specification of 17' x 22' for the optimal performance of the air purifier. I keep it turned on 24-7 to keep the air in my room always dust and allergen free. The filter is a lifetime HEPA filter that *never* needs to be replaced. It does, however, have to be periodically cleaned.

Initially, I wasn't entirely sure if this HEPA business wasn't mere hokum. But much to my delight, this air purifier has made a HUGE difference for me. My allergies symptoms have consistently shown a marked improvement whenever I'm in my room with my air purifier running; sometimes my allergies don't even act up What a relief! I also don't get sinus headaches as often as I used to. Finally! Respite from the barrage of outdoor allergens! To all the allergy sufferers: the Honeywell HEPA Air Purifier does work!

Now, the *CAVEAT*

I have discovered that the air purifier works in alleviating my allergy symptoms only at the highest setting. It really moves the air in the room at the highest setting, but the problem, as many reviewers have noted, is that it can be quite loud at the highest setting. I think this is inevitable since the noise comes NOT from the fan, but from "the high air flow", as someone has astutely noted.

The noise really doesn't bother me too much. As a matter of fact, it serves as white noise for helping to mask my tinnitus. The only time I turn it down is when I need to talk on the phone.

Carbon Filter

The carbon filter is very effective at controlling bad odors. The recommended carbon filter change interval is every 3-4 months, which sounds about right since my filter started losing its effectiveness after roughly the same time period. If you don't have a problem with bad odors, you can probably change the carbon filter much less frequently.

Aesthetics

----------

The unit looks rather attractive and will fit in with the decor in any room. It is a little on the large side the diameter measures 17".

Durability

----------

At the lowest setting, the unit wobbles a little, which makes me worry about its durability. However, I've had my Honeywell HEPA Air Purifier for eighteen months now, and I leave it on 24-7 most of the time -no problems so far. At any rate, the unit has a 5-year warranty (a rarity these days).

Conclusion

----------

I just wanted to share my personal experience with the Honeywell HEPA Air Purifier since it's worked so well for me. Hopefully, it's been helpful for you. Do be aware of the noise issue that many people have trouble with. Good luck.

As others have stated, this machine is loud especially on the high setting. However, my wife and I have found that the sound actually helps us sleep by drowning out any other noise in the house. We now take it with us to hotel rooms when we travel (rarely).

My only complaint about the air filter is the blue LED light that is on constantly. It can really light up a room and we prefer the room dark. After about two years of trying to cover the light with towels or even velcro'd on pot holders I finally took the top panel off and removed the blue LED. It was easier than I expected and didn't damage anything which was a fear. So if offends you blind the big blue eye.

It has also helped with our allergies, but I think at this point we'd keep it around for the noise :-)

Buy Honeywell Enviracaire HEPA Air Purifier With Carbon Pre-Filter 374 Sq Ft Room Capacity Now

Works great, moves an amazing amount of air (hopefully well cleaned air), the problem is that its noisy. I have a slightly cheaper Honeywell unit that is much quieter. With the reusable filter its still a good purchase.

Read Best Reviews of Honeywell Enviracaire HEPA Air Purifier With Carbon Pre-Filter 374 Sq Ft Room Capacity Here

Bionaire BCM658-U Cool Mist Tower Humidifier with Permanent Filter

I recently bought the model BCM658-U and I didn't expect it to

be able to humidify my 18'X 20'room because of its 1.3 gallon

holding tank. But to my surprise,it easily brought the humidity

level from 28% to my setting of 50% in just a couple of hours,

and it maintained that humidity through the night and well into

the afternoon before I needed to refill the tank. I was really

surprised at how it does a great job and it's small and easy to

set up in a corner somewhere. I didn't like the awkward way that

you have to hold the tank to refill it, but that's a minor complaint

Fred G

Alpharetta,Ga

I've owned my Bionaire BCM658 for a year now just after I had bought a Vornado HU1 a few weeks prior. It wasn't until I got the Vornado that it was apparent I needed a 2nd unit (large house), but but the shipping time was so long that I ran out and bought the BCM658 from Home Depot. I should have just paid for faster shipping on a second Vornado. Hindsight is 20-20.

Pros:

1)Good at getting the humidity up goes through the water fast. But no better than my Vornado HU1 which is a far superior in all other respects, and was even less expensive.

2) Water tank bottom filler cap is robust and makes a good seal.

3) Noise level is not bad even on high, as long as you're in a different room. Unit is too loud to even consider using it in a bedroom even on low speed. So the MCM658 is relegated to the kitchen, and I use the quiet Vornado in my bedroom where it's sound doesn't bother me at all.

Cons:

1) Water tank is a ROYAL PAIN to fill a real issue because in dry conditions you'll be doing this at least once every day. It couldn't be a worse design for sitting upside down while you're filling it from the bottom cap, making it very awkward to handle. To add insult to injury, the tank is so tall, it won't fit underneath the faucet in my kitchen sink for a full filling. I can get it about half full that way, and then have to pour in the rest from a jug or something while trying to hold it upright; a task for which 3 hands are definitely needed.

2) Humidifier sensor is a joke. Reads 25% all the time On or Off. When the humidity gets up over 40%, I've caught it reading 26% a time or two.

3) #2 above also makes the automatic humidity setting useless tripe also.

4) The gauge on top that's supposed to tell you when to change filters, always reads in the red 'change' zone. It did that new just out of the box, and still that way after changing to new filters.

5) Absolutely no instructions are available for dissembling the unit to change filters. What I found at Bionaire's site online was the same as what was in the box; changing filters was not addressed in the documentation at all. I managed to figure it out, but only after spending hours carefully disassembling everything in sight, only to find that 95% of the work was unnecessary.

I've not had the problem with the filters loading up with sediment as in other reviews, but I'm using an inexpensive water additive that is effective at preventing that. I also use an antibacterial water additive that keeps the mold & mildew under control. Both those are a must with any evaporative humidifier unless your want to buy TONS of distilled water, and you'll have great biceps after carrying it all from the store into your house .

To Bionaire:

*You might just try have a real person use your products before putting them production and shipping them out. That water tank needs a SERIOUS re-design, and would have be PAINFULLY apparent if any Bionaire person had tried to fill the water tank at their kitchen sink like all the rest of us slogging mortals.

*Leave off the non-functioning gizmo junk that's only intended sucker us into buying it, and put your resultant cost savings into ease of use and functionality.

Buy Bionaire BCM658-U Cool Mist Tower Humidifier with Permanent Filter Now

I have had the unit for about a year.. one needs to understand that when buying a small room filter such as this that

it CANNOT DO A WHOLE HOUSE, otherwise it will run all the time. If you have no whole home humidifier, then you need

to get your expectations in line. This is a good one-room humidifier or supplemental one for a dry area.

The unit has an AUTO humidity level function that actually works. As far as filters are concerned, I dont think

the permanent filter claim is really valid. It is washable but I would buy extras just in case. On low setting

it's fairly quiet.

Read Best Reviews of Bionaire BCM658-U Cool Mist Tower Humidifier with Permanent Filter Here

This unit is great, if you have a standard tub in your house you can refill the water container in about 5 seconds, and the unit keeps a large sized room a good 50% humidity no problem. The container does only hold about a gallon and a half which it goes through daily during the winter, but that just lets you know how well it's working. It really pumps out a good deal of moisture into the air without getting the floor or other items near it wet. This unit provides a really good bang for the buck.

Want Bionaire BCM658-U Cool Mist Tower Humidifier with Permanent Filter Discount?

We had two of these machines for one year and the permanent wick in one became temporary as it crumbled. I've tried to contact customer service through their web site and had trouble with the submit button. I put the number of the replacement wick in the discussion and had to take it out as it did not accept numbers. This should be fixed!!!

The unit has worked well and maintained a 50% humidity range in the downstairs. We have a second in a bedroom and that's doing well also. However, we will order 4 replacements once we find them. Securing replacements should be easier.

Kenmore Console Humidifier Replacement Filters (4 per pack)

Grossly over charged for the product so I have learned my lesson not to purchase from this vendor again. This product should be purchased from a Sears store.

Exactly what I needed. They came quickly in the mail. The "cheaper" ones (significantly cheaper) that you can buy on line as well, the reviews said don't work very well at all, so I "bit the bullet" and spent the money for the "real ones". I'm sure I will be glad I did. Too bad Sears (store one mile away) doesn't "carry them" anymore. :( sjs

Buy Kenmore Console Humidifier Replacement Filters (4 per pack) Now

Air-O-Swiss U600 Ultrasonic Humidifier

I love this machine! My favorite feature is that it is quiet! All of my previous humidifiers were loud and gurgling. This machine is truly whisper soft! I love the dual directional feature on the top vents. The filter is a closed unit which does not encourage the growth of mildew I have seen on less expensive humidifier model filters. Filters are reasonably priced. The automatic self adjusting on/off humidity feature saves me trips to fill the reservoir. When the humidity is right, it turns off. I use this in the bedroom. I want to get another for my livingroom.

Okay this is the third Air-O-Swiss Ultrasonic Humidifier I've owned. I've always been pleased with this company. I've bought ultrasonic humidifiers from other companies and they've never compared to the quality and performance I've always gotten from Air-O-Swiss.

I bought this one because it's more compact and has actual knobs instead of electronic buttons. I didn't want a lot of bells and whistles, just a basic unit.

It does put out a lot of humidity. No problem there. I usually run it on it's highest settings and it lasts about 8-10 hours. If I put it on it's lower setting it'll run 24 hours but puts out a lot less humidity.

Two issues with the unit.

1) It's hard to get the tank back in place after re-filling. I have to stand and fiddle with it and ultimately kind of slam it in place. Not a huge issue but kind of annoying when I'm ready to go to bed at night and tired.

2) When the water level gets low but not empty, say about an inch and a half or so of water left, the unit begins to turn itself off, then back on, the off, then back on... "click, click, click, click..." It's like it decides it's out of water, then it fills the reservoir back a little, then kicks back on for 30 seconds or so, then runs out again and kicks back off. Now this is annoying. Can't be good for the unit either. I keep mine upstairs in a loft, so when it starts clicking during the day, I have to go upstairs and turn it off as it drives me nuts hearing it click.

If I were to forget to fill it before bed, and it started clicking like this during the night, it would wake me up with the clicking. I am a light sleeper though.

Other than these things, it does what it's supposed to do and it don't take up a lot of space. I think this unit would be good for occasional use, for humidifying a sick kid's room and such, but for every day use I'm going to stick with one of the other units, like the Air-O-Swiss AOS Ultrasonic Humidifier 7135; I've never had ANY problems with that unit (except it's bigger and not very pretty)and have had it for several years.

Buy Air-O-Swiss U600 Ultrasonic Humidifier Now

This is an expensive unit but it got good reviews and I have severe dry eye so I need to sleep in a humid room. Worked great at first. Then (after a short period of time) the beads in the filter started falling into the water unit. Replacement units are expensive and supposed to last several months-NOT! Then the light (green when full and working; red when empty) stopped working. Then it would only work on the highest settings. Then it soaked my floor. Add to all of that, all its little replacement parts are expensive and its very hard to fill. Since I had to fill it every day, that was a pain. I have a cheap Walgreens unit I bought a couple years ago. It just keeps chugging away. Wish I had another just like it instead of this expensive, hard to maintain piece of junk.

Read Best Reviews of Air-O-Swiss U600 Ultrasonic Humidifier Here

I live in NYC and had no problems with white dust since the water here is soft. The only reason I've given 4 out of 5 stars is because i wish it could handle a little more water in tank. It works fine for about 8 hours though.

Want Air-O-Swiss U600 Ultrasonic Humidifier Discount?

I had a choice between the pricier all-electronic U650 and this mechanically controlled U600 and went with the U600 because electronic devices tend to fail. The U600 is just wonderful. During the warmer months, like now, I can go about three days between refills. During colder periods I turn the heating unit on. I can still go 24 hours between refills. It is one fine unit and it looks great. The workmanship is without peer and I would purchase the Air-O-Swiss U600 Ultrasonic Humidifier all over again.

Save 14% Off