Monday, November 11, 2013

Essick Air 5D6 700 4-Speed Mini Console Humidifier,White

Essick Air 5D6 700 4-Speed Mini Console Humidifier,WhiteI just purchased this for a rental property of mine and have been using it for around 1 week. This unit is definitely not fancy, consists of a the fan/motor unit, 2 wicks, and around 3-4 gallon tank for the water. The fan has 4 speed settings, and it has a humidity detection unit that can be set in 20% intervals from 20% to 90% (constant) run. It claims to cover around 1100 sq feet, and so far it is easily doing that. Here are the negatives:

1. Filling is a bit of a hassle. You have to lift the top off and set it aside. The cord tethers you to a small radius of the unit to do this

2. On fan speeds of 3 and 4, the unit can be quite loud. 1 and 2 are soft enough to actually be used in a bedroom or living room.

3. It uses two wicks, costing on average between 10 and 15 dollars a piece. This can be costly to change them if you have really hard water like some of my houses.

4. I had to exchange the unit one time after 1 days use. The motor unit was making a loud "buzzing noise" above the noise of the fan, like a starter in a florescent light continually being charged. The replacement one I have is working good.

I purchased because I did not have many choices in the rural area, nor did I have the budget to invest in another Honeywell HCM-6009 Quietcare, so this will suffice. I will keep this unit tucked in the corner of the dining room, away from the living area, but close enough to cover the bedrooms upstairs. For the price, this will serve it's purpose, but there are better units out there.

Although this model did a fine job of humidifying the air when it worked, it only worked for about 2 months before the motor died. Another Essick model I bought suffered the same fate, so it appears that this brand simply makes sub-par products. Spend a bit money and get something better.

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This is one of the worst humidifiers I've ever purchased.

The humidistat doesn't work properly. It thinks the current room humidity is much higher than it actually is. Thus the machine never automatically runs. Before I returned it I had to use the manual setting because it would never run when set to auto.

The water reservoir is also rather strange. The filters sit completely submerged in water.

The overall design is downright idiotic. The intake (dry air) and exhaust (moist air) are set on the top of the machine right next to each other. This means that newly moistened air is drawn right back into the machine. I believe this is why the humidistat is inaccurate. It just measures the humidity of the newly moistened are and not the humidity of the room.

Like I said before I ended up returning this unit and consequently found a much better unit that I am 100% satisfied with.

Botton lineIf you want a humidifier with a humidistat this unit is NOT for you. The humidistat doesn't work.

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This item isn't as "high tech" or "high style" as others on the market; but it

consistently performs to get the job done. (It's also not as "high priced").

It's easy to fill...quiet...and tends to disappear into its surroundings.

Filters do need replacing...but Amazon has them at reasonable cost and quick delivery.

I have three of these units around our home one in a bedroom, and two in a large living room.

Two smaller units are easier than a large one, we've found, for both filling and flexible placement.

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Purched this to replace a good quality sonic humidifer which did not provide enough humidity to avoid shocking my dog. Plugged this one in, filled it up and set fan at lowest speed, no more shocks! Additionally, i prefer to fill a watering can and carry to humidifier and dump than upending a tank and carrying it to the sink, filling up, then carrying leaking tank across my room and replacing it on the unit.

Positives: works well, dont have to constantly refill 2x daily as ultrasonic required

Negatives: noisey on fan speeds above 1 or 2

Sunday, November 10, 2013

Air-O-Swiss Refurbished 7145 Ultrasonic Humidifier - Cool Mist

Air-O-Swiss Refurbished 7145 Ultrasonic Humidifier - Cool MistRemind me not to buy something that I can't easily return online. This humidifier really didn't work for me. Didn't feel a noticeable difference in the humidity level of the room. The opening to put the water in is difficult to unscrew, to refill it you have to pull the water holder off the unit, so water gets everywhere... The unit also doesn't dry naturally in other words even if the water level runs out it still stays web inside the unit. An opening at the top of the unit would be better design and made it easier to let dry out if not in use. Had to travel for work and now realize I'm 5 days past return date. And to return I'd have to print out labels why can't I just fill out the request online and ship it back? Just kinda bummed about the whole situation.

Started overflowing on first use. I'm glad I hadn't fallen asleep yet, would have been very dangerous if the water had reached the powerstrips before I noticed.

Return policy is extremely tedious -I'd recommend you go and pick it up from a local store. It seems humidifier technology is not that evolved yet, better to purchase it in a way that is easily returnable.

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We are very pleased with the wonderful humidifier. I suffer from severe allergies and the dry heat in the winter wreaks havoc for me. Since we purchased this Air-O-Swiss humidifier, I can sleep at night and do not have to get up in the middle of the night to take more Sudafed. It is quiet enough for your bedroom too, but you do have to get used to a little bit of noise. I am a light sleeper however and it doesn't bother me at all.

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Jarden Home Environment Bionaire Ultrasonic Humidifier

Jarden Home Environment Bionaire Ultrasonic HumidifierI've been looking for a humidifier without having to replace dirty filters periodically, and this humidifier came up in my search. I've decided to give this humidifier a try, and so far, it's working well with no dirty filters to replace and no bad smell from the humidifier at all.

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Saturday, November 9, 2013

Essick Air 696-400 Variable Speed Whole House Humidifier

Essick Air 696-400 Variable Speed Whole House HumidifierThe good news is, it humidifies. That's what I bought it for and that's what it does. The level of humidity is adjustable, allowing the unit to automatically cycle on and off as needed. And yes, you can adjust the fan speed, but getting it anywhere near the upper range makes it sound like a B29 taking off. IT'S LOUD! I leave it on med-low and it's not bad at all.

It has two plastic 2.6 gallon water bottles and at the med-low fan speed I use, I go through about 1 bottle per day. It keeps the rooms close to it quite comfortable, but rooms farther away don't get much. Your mileage will vary depending on humidifier location, floor plan, and normal air circulation.

As far as being built "sturdy" (as one reviewer pointed out), I have to disagree. The entire housing is made of plastic. Without the water bottles in it, it's so light that on a hard floor it easily rolls away with the lightest bump. Unless you are on carpet, I recommend NOT installing the castors that come with it. The weakest part of the whole unit is the stupid lid. It's constantly falling off it's hinges when I'm replacing the water bottles. It's just poorly designed.

I highly recommend buying the optional "air cleaner filter" (model #1051) that fits on the back. It helps clear your house of dust and pollen and also makes your internal wick last longer. For allergy sufferers, this is an absolute MUST.

Speaking of making wicks last longer, it wasn't until I read the owner's manual that I found out soft water is NOT recommended as it's supposedly not good for the wick. Oh well. The only NON-softened water I have is my outdoor hose and there's NO WAY I'm going out there every morning in the snow to fill my humidifier bottles!

All in all, I give it a 5 in performance, 4 in construction, and a 2 in convenience. (Hey, refilling and lugging 22 lbs of water every morning gets old!) Since performance is really what we want out of it, it gets an overall score of 4 stars from me.

BTW, use about 1/2 as much of the anti-bacterial additive as the bottle recommends and it does just fine.

Cheers!

ON the plus side the unit is capable of putting a lot of moisture into the air. In the first 24 hours of running it put almost 15 gallons out.

The negatives stack up fast mostly due to poor finish quality.

1) The stain on the top cover has drip marks on it and portions of it look like a chemical was spilled on it removing its luster.

2) The back of the unit is not stained but is white and in the directions its says to leave the unit 4" from any wall which means you do see the back of the unit. The hinges on the back which hold the cover in place and stick up were not painted and they are clearly visible.

3) The unit is made of plastic which is to be expected. However the panels of the unit are so thin that they were all warped. The top is ill fitting at best and the front panel has a clear bow to it.

4) Its loud on anything more then the lowest settings you cannot carry on a conversation on the telephone in the same room with it.

To sum up: It looks like junk but humidifies well.

I'm off to go find a place to hide this from sight. Wish it was as pretty as the picture.

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The product arrived damaged, not from shipping damage, but from packing at the factory. Too damaged to use. Dealer said they didn't want it back. It's a good thing, because it was replaced by a unit that wouldn't run. I took the fan unit (which wan't damaged) out of the damaged unit and put it in the second unit and it runs, but only at a low fan speed. Anything higher causes too much vibration noise. Also, both units we received were poorly finished, with the base being several shades lighter than the cover, which matches the picture on the box. It looks like they only gave the bottom one coat of stain. Thanks to the dealer who refunded our money. My email with complaints directly to the manufacturer got no response.

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I received this a couple days ago and so far so good. The humidity has gone from 40 to 50% in our house and it is much more comfortable. We do have a humidifier built into our furnace, but the high-efficiency furnaces just aren't on long enough to put out much water.

One caveat on this unit design with the angled corners the right and left bottles are not interchangeable. With a rectangular type unit, when the right bottle empties you can switch the full left one to the right, fill the empty bottle and put it in the left. This way you were constantly cycling through fresh water fills while only needing to refill one bottle at a time. With this angle corner design unit, you really need to allow both bottles to empty, or at least refill both when you do refill in order to ensure fresh water is always feeding in. This also can cause waste of any antibacterial solution being used.

Other than that, works great and I would recommend.

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This is a great humidifier that is not only aesthetically pleasing, but extremely functional. It is very sturdy and the craftsmanship is wonderful. You can even adjust the output to fit any house, big or small. Great buy!

Slant/Fin Germicidal Ultraviolet 3-1/2-Watt Replacement Bulb

Slant/Fin Germicidal Ultraviolet 3-1/2-Watt Replacement BulbBulb needs replacement after @ 2000 hours of use. The bulb needs to be the one designed for the Slant/Fin humidifier, not any old UV bulb. It has a small bead of metal (? mercury) in the bulb that acts as an activator. Once replaced, the small yellow light goes out on the humidifier indicating that it is working. So far, it is working well. The problem is finding it on the internet. Prices range from $13.00 to $24.00

This product works well. I'm glad that Amazon sells these bulbs because I couldn't find them in regular stores!!

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I've bought a pair of these lamps after the warning lights began blinking on some of the humidifiers we have at home New York gets very dry in winter. The replacement process was very easy, and these new lights have been working fine ever since.

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When I questioned the excessive shipping charges, the company offered a refund. That's good business!

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The first one was received in a damaged state. I contacted the vendor and they swiftly sent out a replacement. I would use this vendor again if needed.

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Friday, November 8, 2013

Quality Importers Cigar Caddy Crystal Humidifier, Large Crystal Gel Humidifier, Round

Quality Importers Cigar Caddy Crystal Humidifier, Large Crystal Gel Humidifier, RoundI charged the crystals with distilled water. There are no instructions in the box, but for me it took about 45 minutes. Tested over several days in a sealed container and it consistently hit 83-85% humidity. Way too high. I let about half of the water evaporate from the crystals and tried again. Same 83% humidity. Cigars need to stay within 65%-75%, or risk mold, taste, and beetle problems. It's possible that the chemical in the device I received had simply decayed. I gave it two stars because the casing and magnet are nice quality, and it might have been a fluke with what I experienced, but I'm not trusting my cigars to this product. FYI The digital hydrometer I used for the test reads 76% with a salt paste and 70% with a Boveda 69% packet.

Came with no instructions as to the amount of glycol to fill, and the magnetic tape was missing from box. By the way the box say instructions are enclosed.

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Galleria End Table Humidor

Galleria End Table HumidorThis humidor is the centre piece for any aficionado. Elegantly designed and constructed. Is has a pull out dividing draw on top which in my opinion is not needed. To my surprise it comes with a power pack so you can hook up an electronic humidifier if you need to. It has a cut out hole for the power pack so no cutting needed and also four screws to put it in place.

A word of advice. When putting the power pack in its place place some clear silicon around it to seal up any gaps . Remember if you have gaps then the humidity will escape . You MUST do this before you season the humidor . Place some clear silicone on the outside too and from the inside just to be 110% sure you seal up any gaps and let it sit over night to cure.

As this is curing grab a damp scent free cloth. Be sure to use distilled water . Wipe down all areas in the humidor including all trays and dividers. Place 3 short shot glasses of distilled water only on the bottom , middle and top ( in the tray ) and leave for a few days until the humidor seasons and the cedar has stabilized .

The only thing that I don't like about this is that the top draw doesn't lock it just stays shut. Only the bottom door locks and is held in place by magnets which is nice.

It says it holds 600 cigars but if you are like me and like to smoke 60 x 6 size cigars you will probably fit 450. 600 cigars if you only store small petite cigars ( Acid blondie belicosso or Arturo Fuente Hemingway ). Or plenty of room to store your cigars in there original boxes

All in all I highly recommend thus product . It looks nice and should do the job of keeping humidity intact if you look after it and season it well enough

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