Thursday, November 7, 2013

HAC-700PDQ Honeywell Humidifier Wick Filter (2 Pack)

HAC-700PDQ Honeywell Humidifier Wick FilterThese are really the only filters I can find for this humidifier, unfortunately they don't do a very good job. The "antimicrobial" layer makes doesn't prevent bacterial growth so much as prevent the humidifier from being effective. It is so thick that the air barely seems to be able to move through it and actually humidify. And it turns pink with bacteria within a few weeks. I'm thinking about just getting a different humidifier since I can't seem to make this one do it's job with these filters.

Bought these as a replacement for my Honeywell humidifier. I was worried that the humidifier was broken because after cleaning it (with old filters in it) it would not work properly. Once the new filters arrived it worked like new again. While these ones are different from the ones that came with the product they work just fine.

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These filters arrived on time and as advertised. I should probably mention that for the humidifier to work, it needs BOTH filters in the box (something I didn't realize until everything came). But, other than my error, they work great.

Read Best Reviews of HAC-700PDQ Honeywell Humidifier Wick Filter (2 Pack) Here

This is the 4th humidifer I have had in my childrens room. The room is very large and most humidifers are not strong enough. These filters are the best replacement filters I have been able to find. The bacteria build up is unfortunately a problem with all the humidifers I have found. Using Holmes S1708 Bacteriostat for Cool Mist Humidifiers has seemed to resolve that issue and actually helped the filter last longer.

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I order these often for my grandmother whom I care for, it makes my job so much easier being able to order them online.

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Essick Air #d46720 6galgry 4spd Humidifier

Essick Air #d46720 6galgry 4spd Humidifier
  • Essick Air #D46720 6GALGRY 4SPD Humidifier
  • ESSICK AIR PRODUCTS

We have gone through many humidifiers over the years and we have tried everything every type, every brand and this is a product category dominated by lemons. This Essick humidifier is a gem. It is easy to install and setup, has a decemt hygrostat (humidity gauge), and has a full digital LCD screen. We have not had issues with white dust which plagues other humidifiers. My only minor complaint is the power and fan speed control are the same button; when you hold down the button to turn it off, the fan turns down one speed and you have to cycle through to get the original speed when turning it back on. Very minor nuisance.

We liked our first so much we bought a second for the family room. Would recommend to anyone and we are considering buying a third one. We will never buy another humidifier brand.

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After researching the heck out of every sort of humidifier on the planet within an "average" price range, I decided on this Essick Air unit.

Essick's reputation for quality and customer service were the deciding factors in my purchase. The humidifier was delivered with a broken tab on the front grill, no big deal but this was a new item. I picked up the phone and spoke with a REAL person at Essick 4 days later a new grill arrived.

There seems to be no real difference in the construction of the majority of humidifiers out there. Almost all are made in China, almost all priced "about" the same and almost all work most of the time.

The difference will be in the company behind the product.

This unit works well. The tanks are easy to fill at the sink. The replacement wicks are readily available and inexpensive for the life you'll get out of them. Fan settings on 3 and 4 are loud, more than just background noise I keep mine on 2 and it isn't bad. The built in digital meter is nice as well as the pre-set feature.

I ordered the unit on Amazon, it was sold by Uncle Joe's. Their true to their word so far as processing and shipping and had the best price at the time,$78.00. I would buy from again.

I recommend this unit for a medium size apartment or smaller house.

Buy one size larger than what you think you'll need, my only regret is that I listened to my wife and didn't. Here in the NE when it gets cold it gets real dry real fast.

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We bought one of these a little less than 3 years ago. The water tanks that came with it leaked immediately. I called Essick customer service and they sent (free of charge) new, redesigned tanks that worked fine. The unit gave out about a month ago. I called customer service and explained the problem to them. They said that it sounded like the fan motor was finished, so that is the end of this humidifier. They only have a one year warranty, so I'm out of luck. We paid around $90 for this, so that's around $30 per year. I won't be buying another Essick product.

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I recommend this product. Works great! Would not turn on out-of-the-box so I emailed customer service. They wrote right back to me (Yes, even the same day!!) and told me what the problem was and clear instructions as to how to fix it. Worked great after I got it going. Customer service gets a 5-star rating. Humidifier I give 4-stars. I would give it 5-stars, but I find the fan a bit noisy on the two higher settings.

I had owned my Essick Air humidifier for about a year before the motor stopped working. I was running my humidifier at the highest humidity level and fastest fan speed 24/7 for five months. I contacted Essick Air's customer service department and they told me to ship it to them, with a free shipping label, and they would either repair it or replace it. I never got around to it and was not in dire need of the replacement or repair due to the apartment I was living in but moved again and suddenly needed it due to the dry radiant heaters of my new place. I contacted Essick Air again and, due to the generous two year warranty on the motor, received a brand new replacement without requiring me to ship the defective model back to them. I am happy to say that I have received my new humidifier and the air in my apartment is pleasantly moist and my sinuses are relieved! Thanks Essick Air!

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Lasko Natural Cascade Humidifier

Lasko Natural Cascade HumidifierI have had several Holmes humidifiers and Lasko humidifiers since getting rid of the last of the old permanent console Sears belt humidifiers that clogged and put mineral dust into the air.

The Laskos just run and run season after season (clean them out at the end of each season) and replace the paper cascade with a metal Honeywell cascade once and forget it. Do not attempt to clean the aluminum cascade (or just replace the polymer cascades every year they're really not filters, per se).

BTW You cannot fill these in the sink, they are too tall; you must use the faucet in the bath tub or shower. The flow there is much faster and you can fill it up faster there, anyway!

I used to be able to get both Lasko and Holmes at Wal-Mart, but they seem to only carry the Holmes now. That does increase filter/wick sales since you are supposed to (and HAVE TO because they no longer wick water properly with mineral build up) replace that every month on the Holmes units.

On the other hand I pitched one Holmes whose wick clogged in 1 month and am keeping another in the bedroom as a back-up to the primary living room Lasko when it cannot maintain proper humidity during the coldest weather. The wicks constantly clog with minerals and quit working and the water valves on the containers never seem to open properly. (I have now re-engineered the valve openers so they always work, but why should the customer have to do this?)

I am tired of replacing Holmes filters or having the unit fail to operate and metal Honeywell filters will not "wick" water to keep this type working. I have even added spacers to solve the Holmes valve failure problem, but they have to be centered perfectly or the valves cock to the side and still fail to open!

Winter 2008 ADDENDUM:

After 4 years of operation I finally had to replace the metal cascade.

We also have noticed that these units do a pretty good job of cleaning the dust and cat hair out of the air (we have 3 cats). It does this in two ways, first, the filter catches most of the cat hair and can be backflushed every 2-3 months, secondly, the dust gets knocked down with the waterfall cascade and collected in the bottom of the container where there is a foam filter to prevent these particles from being recycled back to the pump. Wash out the bottom every couple of months and you have a pretty good air filter.

NOTE,: As an engineer, I modified the distribution tray on mine with larger holes so more water goes through the cascade and less is dumped over the overflow dam. Also put an orifice in the visual flow indicator to divert more back to the distribution tray.

ADDENDUM #2: Just had the motor die on another humidifier and just purchased a Lasko 1120. Small, compact, unobtrusive in the living room, lowest initial price and just RUN forever! This may be my last humidifier I'll ever have to purchase!

Winter 2009/10 ADDENDUM: The motor finally died in my last Lasko unit. I removed the dead motor/pump and installed an aquarium pump for the waterfall and a small fan from Rite-Aid Pharmacy, that fits perfectly into the cone and it is running like a champ.

Our humidity is running around 45% at 10 to 20 degrees and we can breathe again without waking up with a sore throat, dry eyes and dried out nose in the AM!!Lasko® Natural Cascade Humidifier

This is my third humidifier in as many months. I tried an expensive ultrasonic with a filter but it still produced a grotesque amount of white dust. I then tried a warm mist unit but the humidistat did not work at all and the boiling chamber quickly became caked with mineral deposits that were hard to remove.

The Lasko unit is well designed and built reasonably well for the money. White dust does not seem to be a problem and the circulation of the water seems to prevent bacteria growth. It does require cleaning but they all do.

I have not used it long term, but it seems be a great product in the two weeks I have used it. The replacement filters are reasonably priced and available directly from the company (there is a sticker with their toll free number next to the refill cap which was thoughtful).

I sent an email to the company with a question and they responded promptly.

I am giving the unit five stars because it is amazingly hard to find a humidifier that even approaches acceptability. I was looking for a humidifier that does not produce white dust, has a functioning humidistat, and is not a germ factory. This unit seems to meet the criteria.

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HAVE USED THIS FOR SEVERAL YEARS NOW. AND IT IS GREAT !! THE MAIN REASON I LOVE IT, IS THAT UNLIKE OTHERS I HAVE TRIED IN THE PAST, THERE IS NO WHITE DUST COLLECTING ON MY FURNITURE, OR TV SCREEN, I ALSO USE A SHARPER IMAGE AIR CLEANER, AND WITH THE OTHERS, IT WOULD HAVE A BUNCH OF THE WHITE DUST COLLECT ALL OVER IT TOO.

IF ANYONE KNOWS HUMIDIFIERS, THE WHITE DUST YOU GET FROM USING THEM MAKES YOU JUST WANT TO TOSS THEM OUT THE DOOR. AND WITH THE LASKO, THERE IS NONE.

IT IS A GREAT UNIT.

Read Best Reviews of Lasko Natural Cascade Humidifier Here

At 1st glance this would appear to be a great humidifier based on features alone, but after 1+ month of use, I'm frankly starting to wonder why I gave it 2 stars a moment ago. We have an older, conventional tabletop unit we're bringing out of the closet as soon as this one quits, which likely won't be long now.

The water reservoir is too tall to refill in the sink, & at a couple of gallons is heavy enough to make it awkward flipping it over to place back on the base -you want to carry it upside down because the cap leaks. Because it won't fit under the sink's faucet, cleaning it with bleach water & rinsing several times (as recommended once a week) is a major chore.

The filters are supposed to be anti-microbial -they're not. Water drips on the filters from the top, which is supposed to prevent parts of the filter from drying out like it does when filters sit in the water -the whole outside of the filter dries out instead so you don't get much if any airflow. Cleaning the filters once a week is recommended, and necessary, but after soaking them in vinegar & water, they are very hard to get back in place... The main unit lifts off the base, and you have to lay it, dripping water, on its side to place the filters which, when wet, are too short! But that's OK as you have to clean the mineral scum off the inside of the unit anyway.

Construction is extremely cheap and flimsy, plus mineral deposits form at all the seams making it look nasty. The waterfall window is just for looks, and gets scummed up with minerals. I expect the tubing will get clogged before the winter season is over also. The humidistat, which is supposed to turn the unit off at a set humidity level, worked the first 3 or 4 days & apparently quit. Because it sits on a separate, flimsy base, you have to be very careful to place it somewhere it won't get bumped. And for some reason we have never figured out, 3 times it has flooded the surrounding 4 foot area with water.

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I bought this for my daughter and they have been pleased with it, this is the 2nd winter they have been using it.

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Soleus Air PE2-08R-62 Evaporative Portable Air Conditioner, Dehumidifier and Fan, 8,000 BTUs

Soleus Air PE2-08R-62 Evaporative Portable Air Conditioner, Dehumidifier and Fan, 8,000 BTUsI cannot get a window unit due to my window size, and this unit came with a window kit that fit my windows. It worked absolutely perfect for 2 months. Then, on a particularly hot day, the bucket filled up with water and the unit shut off. I drained all the water, which is an absolute pain in the rear to do due to the drain being less than half an inch off the floor. The unit leaks water like a faucet ever since, all over the floor. There is really no effective way to use it anymore. I ordered a different brand that doesn't have water leakage issues. I should have listened to all the reviews I read. I practically paid several hundred dollars for a few months use. What a waste. The unit cools great, but what good is that with water all over your carpet? Stay away from this product.

UPDATE: The unit only leaks when moved. If the water reservoir fills up, and must be drained, the unit must be moved to do so because the drain plug is literally right on the floor and there is no pan or container you can get under it. The reservoir will fill eventually, the unit will have to be drained, will have to be moved, will leak. Once all the water leaks out that is going to leak the unit works great until its time to drain again. Like I said, it took 2 months before I had to drain, but this process was a major PIA. I would avoid this unit, but I still gave in another star because it does not leak except during the drainage process.

The best air conditioners are large central units that connect to a whole building HVAC. Since you're reading this review, it's likely that a central unit isn't a possibility for you like it wasn't for me. If you can put in a window unit, that is your next best bet but if that is not practical, you've got to go portable. You could get a nice fan or an air cooler but that's like taking the bus instead of driving. It's really not the same.

I have two portable air conditioners and both are made by Soleus. This is one of them and the other one is a 14,000 BTU unit. This one cools a 166 sq ft room that only needs to be cooled ten to fifteen degrees and it's more than powerful enough for that. It can bring the temperature down in fifteen minutes or so.

Portable air conditioners, until fans, need to have an unsightly and awkward tube connected to the window. These tubes are inevitable flimsy and don't fit well. They seem unacceptable unless the only alternate solution is to suffer in the heat and then suddenly they don't seem bad.

Soleus is perhaps the best portable air conditioner manufacturer. I haven't ever had a non-Soleus unit but I've heard horror stories about others. I've heard bad things about these too but I haven't had anything bad happen.

This is probably the smallest and cheapest good unit on the market so if 8000 BTU is enough for you, this is an excellent bet.

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. . . if you're mindful of one limitation: it condenses lots of moisture into a limited capacity container, and will need to be emptied or drained. It's built low to the ground, so I put it up on a little platform and attached the short included plastic hose to the drain port and put a container under it to catch the "drip" (which when it is very hot and humid is really a "stream"!). Recognizing that limitation (discussed in previous reviews), I've avoided any problems and have been quite pleased with the product. It cools well and in my limited basement space where it is used, it does fine.

Read Best Reviews of Soleus Air PE2-08R-62 Evaporative Portable Air Conditioner, Dehumidifier and Fan, 8,000 BTUs Here

This works well for the particular conditions in which we're using it. We're happy with it. We live in northern California, where hot weather is usually also dry, and evenings are cooler. We put this in a bedroom that gets very hot during the day and doesn't cool down quickly enough at night. Instead of trying to fit the "window kit" into our old-fashioned window, we just leave the window slightly open with the end of the vent hose sticking out while the unit is running. We run it at bedtime and it cools the room down nicely. I gave it only four stars instead of five because of a couple of design flaws: (1) Though I don't expect that we'll have to deal with emptying the condensation tank much, if at all, it's true that the opening is awfully close to the floor, and I can see that in a more humid environment, where it would need emptying more often, it would be pretty awkward. I don't see why the designers couldn't have put the hole a little higher up so that you could actually get a pan or bowl under it. (2) The instructions said to keep the vent hose as straight as possible, but they put the vent hole at the bottom of the unit too. Most people don't have their windows at floor level, and putting this thing on a table or something would also be awkward, since it's so big and heavy (90 pounds, I think). That said, it works just fine for us sitting on the floor with a 90-degree bend in the hose, so I guess that's not such a big deal.

UPDATE: We've had it for almost a year now and are still satisfied with it. It gets the room nice and cool very quickly, and we have never yet had to empty the condensation tank. So that's not a big problem in a dry climate.

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This was described new in box with a warranty. In fact, item died after two short months. Contacted Amazon and told too late for return and referred to manufacturer. Manufacturer is in California. I called the 800 number and upon supplying the serial number, I was told the unit it was actually refurbished three years ago. Even though it looked unused in box , it was refurbished in 2008 ! No Warranty exists on my purchase! upon close inspection, it had been well cleaned, but there are signs that this unit was really used and simply cleaned up to make it look new. I got two estimates for repair..$ 180.00 , and $ 220.00 . Diagnoses charge $ 90.00 ... last appliance I ever buy from Amazon !

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Honeywell H13011 Replacement Filter for Hoover Whisper Filter

Honeywell H13011 Replacement Filter for Hoover Whisper FilterSince 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.

Prestige Import Group Valencia Glass Top Humidor

Prestige Import Group Valencia Glass Top HumidorThis humidor is 5 star all the way. I've seen copycat humidors out there with acrylic windows and particle board. This is definitely the real deal. Beveled glass,solid wood,spanish cedar tray and linings, even the dividers have silicone ends for grip... brilliant. I really wasn't expecting such quality because of the low price. My only problem is the capacity. It says 120 count, not even close. 75, 80 at best, maybe. I was going to return it for that reason but its such a nice piece I decided to keep it. Replaced the passive sponge with Cigar Oasis Ultra and its Rock N Rolling...

This humidor works just as it's advertised to do. It holds more than enough cigars. I've always had enough room for more. My only complaint is that living in a humid climate (the Southeastern United States) you really have to watch the gauge for too much humidity in the humidor as I found a bit of mold starting to grow. My solution to this was to get some Boveda humity regulating packs (69%) and that solved the problem, keeping the humidor at the perfect humidity for my area of the country.

If you are in a humid climate my suggestion would be to get the Boveda humidity packs that regulate the humidity for you, keeping it at 69% humidity has been optimal for me.

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This humidor is awesome. It looks amazing, the description picture doesnt really do it justice but take my word for it its a work of art. As for cigar count goes, the seller needs a little more detailed description on the cigar count. As full size Churchill goes, i would say 60 count, but for Robustos i can see 100. Not sure how they fit 120 in there but besides that definitely an awesome humidor for a cigar connoisseur.

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Overall, this is a great humidor. It looks impressive and does an excellent job at maintaining humidity, despite its budget price. As several reviewers have mentioned, the only real complaint is the hygrometer. Granted, no one should expect an externally-mounted analog hygrometer to be very functional, but this one is worse than most, and its cheap appearance mars an otherwise excellent product. While the rest of the box is constructed out of hardwood, Spanish cedar, and brass, the hygrometer is plastic (both the lens and the chintzy gold seal around it.) Needless to say, you should pick up a digital. It's a shame, because this humidor would be a steal, even for an additional $20 or so, if it only came with a respectable hygrometer.

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This humidor is outstanding and the quality for under $100 cant be beat..It looks great and is made

very well..But MOST IMPORTANT is the seal is tight and perfect insuring the humidity will not leak out...

I smoke Cubans and exspensive dominicans and the humidor gives me peace of mind my cigars wont dry out..

Just be sure to buy a digital hygrometer to get a more accurate humidity reading...5 STARS

Monday, November 4, 2013

Lennox X8797 Maintenance Kit for PCO14-23 - Genuine Lennox Product

Lennox X8797 Maintenance Kit for PCO14-23 - Genuine Lennox ProductThis product really is the identical kit to the dealer but at one-half the cost. The Lennox PureAir pleated filter needs to be changed each year or so. Install is simple: unplug the unit, pull off the cover and pull out the carrier, replace parts, then button back up hardest part is opening the box. Just take care in handling the lamp and don't bend the metal filter. The cost should be lower for what it is: filter pack, UV lamp, metal VOC catalyst. You can also buy the filter pack alone to replace annually and I go two years on the catalyst and lamp and see no issues (As an engineer, I also own a VOC monitor).

The PureAir system has made such a noticeable difference in my home's air quality, so we stick with it and the high maintenance costs associated with having two separate HVAC systems.