I have used this humidifier for about a month now. In the winter I tend to get very dry skin and nasal congestion, which usually turns into a full-blown cold, if I sleep in cool, dry winter air. My wife and I decided to try a humidifier to see if it would help. Here is my impression of the Air King so far:
Simple construction--nothing fancy here. The unit basically consists of a small electric water pump that pulls the water up into the unit and wets an evaporative pad. A fan then sucks air through the back of the humidifier, through the evaporative pad, and out the top to humidify the air. Nothing fancy, but the bottom line is that it works. One very nice feature is that the water pump pulls enough water to saturate the evaporative pad and the extra is recirculated through the unit, making it less likely for nasty stuff to build up in the tank.
The humidifier has 3 speed settings, with no auto-on/off capability. We always run it on the lowest setting, which is relatively quiet and does a decent job of humidifying the air. The two higher settings are louder and produce more moisture, but the lowest setting is fine for us (1100 sq. ft. apartment).
The low setting is fairly energy efficient for a humidifier. Because this is an evaporative humidifier, it uses much less energy than one that creates steam with a heating element. Basically, you're powering a small fan and a small electric water pump, which uses 22.7 watts on the lowest setting, according to the instruction manual (I have not tested that number). So if you're running the unit overnight on low, it uses about 1/3 the electricity of leaving a 60 watt light bulb on overnight.
The unit has a tank capacity of 1.75 gallons. On the highest setting, the users manual says it will put 3 gallons into the air over a 24-hour period. I have not run the humidifier much on the highest setting, but their 3 gallon claim seems about right. On the lowest setting, we usually refill the unit once in the morning and once before bed to make sure it doesn't run out of water.
We use filtered water (Brita) because it helps reduce mineral deposits and keeps the water smelling fresh. It also should reduce the number of times you have to replace the evaporative pad. After one month of operation, we have cleaned the evaporative pad twice by soaking it in a water/white vinegar solution, which has cleared off most of the mineral deposits. My guess from our experience is that with heavy use, an evaporative pad should be replaced roughly once every 45 days. The Air King evaporative pads are available for order on the internet for roughly $5-$8 a piece.
In summary:
A lot of information in this review, but that's because when I was looking for humidifiers I didn't think there was enough information available about these things to make an informed decision. Given that uncertainty, I didn't want to spend $200+ on something and not like it or have it break in the first month. So I looked for a reasonable, less expensive model and decided to give this one a shot. I don't regret my decision at all. This unit has exactly what I was looking for: low purchase price, low maintenance cost and effort, low energy use, quiet operation, good humidification for 1100 square feet, and so far, it hasn't broken. If you're looking for those things, this humidifier is a solid choice.
This is the best humidifier we've had since replacing a wornout Holmes that no longer is manufactured. It's very quiet on the lowest setting & not that much noisier on the two higher settings. Like the cascading waterfall sound effects, too.
Buy Air King 3-Speed Recirculating Humidifier #9915 Now
I got this and the product itself works fine but what I didn't expect is that when you put it on carpet that the water tray will build condensation and soak into the carpet. I ended up having to dry my carpet for 4 days and the water leaked into the celing of my study downstairs. Just make sure when using this that you have it on a hard surface or put it in a leak proof tub.
Read Best Reviews of Air King 3-Speed Recirculating Humidifier #9915 Here
It does a fair job of putting moisture back into the air but if you leave it at Level 3 all night, your nose and your respiratory system will smell like metal all day! I'm serious. Thumbs down on this item.
Want Air King 3-Speed Recirculating Humidifier #9915 Discount?
Got this for my large bedroom since it gets so dry in the winter. Works well and doesn't leak, which was key.
Save 39% Off
I opened the tube and weighed the beads to ensure I had enough to use in my humidor. Most Humidity Bead manufacturers will state you need about 1oz for 540 cu.in. in your humidor. I was hoping the product description was wrong in weight, it was not. My 120 cigar humidor is roughly 977 cu.in. and so requires about 2oz of beads. These tubes have 2oz of beads in them, half the amount suggested for 250 cigars.