Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Jarden SWM5251-UM Sunbeam Warm Mist Humidifier

Jarden SWM5251-UM Sunbeam Warm Mist HumidifierMy 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.

Buy Jarden SWM5251-UM Sunbeam Warm Mist Humidifier Now

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!

Read Best Reviews of Jarden SWM5251-UM Sunbeam Warm Mist Humidifier Here

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.

Want Jarden SWM5251-UM Sunbeam Warm Mist Humidifier Discount?

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.

Holmes S1708 Humidifier Bacteriostat

Holmes S1708PDQ-U Humidifier BacteriostatFor several years we have used a large humidifier during the winter months. Despite frequent cleaning and care, we had to replace the humidifier filters every few weeks. We started using the Holmes Bacteriostat last winter and only had to replace the filter a single time, three-quarters of the way through the winter.

Follow the directions on the bottle and not only save money by not having to replace the humidifier filters as often, but it can also save you from breathing mold spores growing on an untreated filter (before the filter even looks like it needs changing).

From the bottle's label:

Holmes

Humidifier Water Treatment

Model S1705

* Prolongs the life of wick filters and warm mist heating systems

* Helps prevent lime and scale build-up

* Provides easier cleaning

My motivation for buying the Treatment was to increase the lifespan of the wick. I was only getting a few months life from a wick, using about two per winter. Using the Treatment, one wick is lasting more than one winter.

And the bottle lasts more than a winter, so it's worth it.

I hate to recommend W*lmart, but I bought my last bottle there for less than $2. That was still during the end of the humidifying season. Guess I should have bought two. I also bought their last half-dozen HM3600 humidifier wicks for $2 each (in July), when you couldn't find them for less than $12 anywhere on eBay.

I'll need another year to determine just how much longer the wicks are lasting, now that I'm on the Treatment. I just checked my wick. I think I used it for almost all last winter. It's just a little soft all over, but no serious deterioration. And no smell, just in case you're counting.

The instructions recommend adding a capful with every 3 gallons of water -as a start -and then after a while, you're supposed to determine whether your water needs more or less. I used a little less, and it still did the trick for my wick, apparently. My water is very soft. The instructions say harder water will require more Treatment. Granted, that's not a lot of guidance.

I didn't know if it's allowed to combine bactericide with the Treatment, so I didn't. Between the Treatment and being careful not to allow the humidifier to sit with water if it was turned off, the water never got smelly.

Buy Holmes S1708 Humidifier Bacteriostat Now

Before we tried the S1708 in our humidifier MA0800, we had to replace the filter about once per month. I would buy a case of 6 filters for over $60 each winter season. Since our baby was born we have decided to leave the humidifier running year round. I have used a bottle of this and am now ordering another and have only used 2 filters this entire year. I went to change it like normal, but the filter was like new. The only time I've had to change the filter is when we left it off for a few weeks with water in the tank.

Great product that saves me money. Thanks Holmes!

HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!!

Read Best Reviews of Holmes S1708 Humidifier Bacteriostat Here

Keeps my humidifier smelling fresh and clean all the time. I highly recommend this product. (Be sure to add after filling the contained though or it will bubble up.)

Want Holmes S1708 Humidifier Bacteriostat Discount?

We could not find this item anywhere then i looked on amazon.com and here it was. You have to use antibacterial even when you get a ball with the machine that is said to do the job.

I love this product. I like the larger bottles and it really makes our room clean smelling not musty and molded. Our maching stays super clean and free of all bacteria and molds using this. I would not be without it.

If you are using a humidifier and they say you do not need to add chemical, wrong. Buy this and you will see the difference and how clean your machine and air stays.

Save 13% Off

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

SPT SU-2550V Ultrasonic Humidifier with Fragrance Diffuser, Violet

SPT SU-2550V Ultrasonic Humidifier with Fragrance Diffuser, VioletFor those of you who like me cannot sleep through the night in winter because of apartment dry heat, you know a humidifier is a must and I've tried a few optionsthis is the best! Unlike the propeller ones that use that sponge like filterthis is SILENTthere is a barely audible hum from the tiny fan that you can only hear in a dead silence from a few feet awaymy old humidifier used to sound like an AC/a jet engine. The level of mist varies from barely any air movement to a fully visible 2 ft tall billowing fountain of refreshingnesswithout having any affect on the fan audibility. There is no "level of humidity" setting or "auto shut off" which is it's only shortcoming but honestly for $40 on Amazon, I can't really complain,I just leave it on all on night, especially since these apparently use a fraction of the electricity that the propeller ones need. This guy is very compact, super light and portable but fits enough water to last me a good 9 hours on a higher/highest settingover 13 or so on medium. My bedroom is hugeabout 19x12and this tiny device is stll effective for that spacea regular sized bedroom would probably require a significantly lower setting and ensure fewer refillings. I love the little fragrance dispencerI poured lavendar oil into minethe effect was a subtle fragrance, not heavy/overpowering. THE ABSOLUTE BEST PART? NO FILTERS! No filters to replace or constatly monitor for mold! Dont let water stand for days on end to prevent bacteria growth and you're done!

This is the 3rd humidifier I purchased for my daugter's room in one week. The first one was a Disney princess one from Babies R Us that literally dumped a gallon of water everywhere whenever we turned it on, the second one was a Vicks that sounded like a freight train. This one is very cute, holds enough water to work on medium/high in a 10x10 room overnight, and has a really cool blue nightlight option that my daughter loves. I haven't used the diffuser yet, but am thinking of trying some eucalyptus oil soon.

Buy SPT SU-2550V Ultrasonic Humidifier with Fragrance Diffuser, Violet Now

Just enough size, good control, great to have empty light, just enough to take the little elec shocks out of the room I don't zap the dogs anymore when I pet them!

Read Best Reviews of SPT SU-2550V Ultrasonic Humidifier with Fragrance Diffuser, Violet Here

I have allergies and also get very stuffed up in the winter time. This runs very quiet, is easy to clean, diffuses the scent well, and keeps the air moist enough to help me sleep at night and keep my nose from getting very stuffy.

Want SPT SU-2550V Ultrasonic Humidifier with Fragrance Diffuser, Violet Discount?

Received this fast and in a well-packaged shipping box. Read instructions, removed plastic aromatherapy oil holder from unit base, removed the wick from opening. Placed Lavendar Therapeutic grade essential oil in plastic reservoir and fit it back up under the side of the base. Placed distilled water in main water reservoir; turned on and it worked great for several hours at about 45% power.

The next day I was refilling/cleaning the water reservoir and noticed some white plastic shards on the right side of the unit. Turns out the thin plastic 'holder' located on the underside of the base unit had somehow shattered in multiple areas and the oil was not sitting in the right place.

Cheap execution of cute design.

Save 22% Off

Sunbeam Humidifier Wick Filter

Sunbeam Humidifier Wick FilterI ordered this at the end of last winter, but didn't use it until this fall. It was stored in a clean, dry area, in the original packaging. When used in the humidifier, it made the entire house smell like dead fish. This is clearly an off brand, not an actual Sunbeam filter. I quickly replaced it with the actual Sunbeam filter and had no odor problems. Don't waste your money.

I was very pleased to see that these fit our humidifer, however upon receiving them we found they didn't work in our unit. It has a guage that tells you when the filter needs to be changed, and it said that even though we just put a new filter in there and it wouldn't run right.

Buy Sunbeam Humidifier Wick Filter Now

this is an item that I re-order periodically and I wouldn't re-order if it didn't fit or function correctly .

Read Best Reviews of Sunbeam Humidifier Wick Filter Here

Monday, May 12, 2014

Eva-dry Electric Petite Dehumidifier

Eva-dry Electric Petite DehumidifierI live in a coastal region that receives high levels of moisture and humidity on a daily basis. To top it off, my house has bathrooms which have no ventilation, so we've often had to deal with mold problems. The answer to my problems arrived in the form of a small box-shaped dehumidifier called "Eva Dry".

This device works tremendously well, pulling moisture out of the air at a reasonable rate. The 16oz reservoir takes about one week to fill up, when I leave it running constantly. I use it in my bathroom mainly, but once in a while my bedroom will feel damp, and it handles the 12'x14' space just as effectively as it does the bathroom. My only complaint is that it's not nearly as quiet as I thought it would be, and the power cord is kind of bulky for bathroom use; I have to tuck it all away someplace, and my only outlets are on the counter, so that's a bit aggravating. The product loses one star for that.

I recommend this to anyone who has ventilation problems and needs to be rid of excess moisture in small to medium sized spaces.

I bought the Eva dehumidifier a little less than 2 years ago and it seemed to work great. I had it in an average size bedroom. It was fairly quiet and it was just the right size for my needs, as it would fill up after about 4 days. It shut off when full so no worries and was really simple & quick to empty. I was surprised at how much water it actually would accumulate it holds a pint. I put a little hand towel under it just in case but there was never any significant leaking. On a wood nightstand, I just didn't want any moisture damage to the wood and there never was.

I would have given the product 5 stars if it had lasted a couple more years but it didn't. I know it didn't cost a lot but I think things should last a little longer than 2 yrs and now when I go looking for a new one, I have to assume I'm paying $50 for something that will work < 2 yrs and contribute to our landfills.

I started looking for a new product and I'm sad to say that the reviews for comparable are not very good. In fact, I noticed the same problem in reviews for other brands but those brands didn't even last a year! It seems to have been the same problem; one day the thing just doesn't turn back on. Mine got full so it automatically shut off. After I emptied it, it didn't turn back on. I waited a few days with it unplugged, I made sure the plug connection was good but it still doesn't turn on. Reading other brand reviews though, it seems those stopped working within days or a few months. Maybe I should be happy almost 2 yrs?

I liked the size, ease of use and fairly quiet fan, plus it didn't look that bad or bulky sitting on a nightstand. Maybe mine was a lemon and another one would last longer. I hope so because I haven't found anything better and even if I pay for a better quality, more reliable product, I haven't found one which has all the positive attributes this one had.

I should add that this unit just sat there and never had any misuse. It didn't get dropped, knocked over nor did it experience any power surges. There are many other things I own that go through abuse and I would be surprised if they lasted 2 yrs but this one I would have expected a little bit longer life from.

Again, it may have been an unlucky fluke for me but you may want to consider when buying that it may not last 2 yrs. Hope this is helpful.

Buy Eva-dry Electric Petite Dehumidifier Now

Being an engineer and technician I have no problem with these little devices.

They all are cold on one side and hot on the other side of the device.

They all have a little cheap fan running to remove heat from the hot side.

Without that fan they will not work!

Changing the fan is easy and cheap versis throwing away a solid state device that is working fine, just in need of the fan.

You can get these fans in most electronic stores. You can buy them all over the Internet.

You might even find one that will fit it in a computer store like Fry's etc.

These fans last a year or two and the bearings lock up.

Don't throw away a $50.00 item for a $5 to $10 fan.

Read Best Reviews of Eva-dry Electric Petite Dehumidifier Here

fan is not quiet enough to run all night in bedroom.

Dehumidifying a bedroom is a problem If you get a typical dehumidifier, the compressor is so loud that you can't run it at night. So you only run during the day, and hope things aren't too clammy by morning. The Eva-Dry sounds promising: By using a thermoelectric cooler, it avoids the noisy compressor, and thus offers the potential to run all night without the noise problem.

Unfortunately, the fan on the eva-dry is so noisy that you can't run it all night, and the cooler is so weak that even with two of them they don't dry the air enough to just run them during the day. So it was a of no use to me.

This product is *only* useful for dehumidifying a *very* small area (closet, bathroom) that is *very* humid. Many of the reviews said this very thing, but I took a chance that two of them would accomplish something. The loud fan was an additional unpleasant surprise.

Thumbs up to Amazon for the easy return policy. I was able to try out this idea with minimal hassle.

Want Eva-dry Electric Petite Dehumidifier Discount?

I wanted to post this review after reading alot of complaints of unit being "Noisy"

I ordered one and after 1 mo. it started getting really noisy" i opened up the unit and noticed it has a fan like and computer desktop would have, it looked like a cheapie chinese model so i went to Fry's and bought a fan for $5 bucks and replaced it.

A slight mod will have to be done as the connectors dont match. I just spliced the wires and used electrical tape, and wall ah" Whisper quiet unit!

I understand most people wont want to do this and perhaps you shouldnt especially if the unit is new, but thats what i did to resolve the noisy issue. Other than that the unit works Great!

Save 18% Off

Sunbeam Humidifier Wick Filter

Sunbeam Humidifier Wick FilterThis filter was actually a bit too large for our humidifier (even though it was one of the ones listed as compatible). It sort of works but once we used it, we couldn't really return it. I've trimmed it to fit, but it doesn't quite hold together the same.

Perfect in everyway, all went well, and great product. Recieved well and just what we were looking for. Thank you.

Buy Sunbeam Humidifier Wick Filter Now

I think these filters are lasting longer then the ones I was buying at Walmart and they are cheaper I would recommend these

Read Best Reviews of Sunbeam Humidifier Wick Filter Here

not much to say about it other than just what we needed for a lot less than a hardware store

Want Sunbeam Humidifier Wick Filter Discount?

This is a copycat. Not worth the money! Get the namebrand!

Misrepresented as a sunbeam product in my opinion! Will not buy again

Sunday, May 11, 2014

Hunter 25517 Summer Breeze 52-Inch 5-Blade Ceiling Fan, White with White/Bleached Oak Blades

Hunter 25517 Summer Breeze 52-Inch 5-Blade Ceiling Fan, White with White/Bleached Oak Blades
  • Whisper Wind Motor
  • AVT Hanging System
  • Installer's Choice 3-Position Mounting System
  • 5 White/Bleached Oak Reversible Blades

I bought this fan for my living room. I wanted something that would blend into the ceiling because the other colors and lights in the living room were already "obvious". I'm using this with the white side of the blades down and a 3-speed in-wall control with no light kit and no chains hanging down from the fan.

The fan is fantastic--I've had it for about 4 months and it's completely silent, even on the high setting. It has no hint of wobble and mounts relatively close to the ceiling, unlike some other fans that have a bit more of a drop rod.

I bought 5 new ceiling fans this year, so I have something to compare this too and I love this fan, especially for the low price.

Buy Hunter 25517 Summer Breeze 52-Inch 5-Blade Ceiling Fan, White with White/Bleached Oak Blades Now

Very impressed with this fan. Installed yesterday in my bedroom. Some fans hum when powered on. This is quiet. The fan does not wobble on the highest speed. Have a Hampton Bay in a different room. It wobbles and hums.

Will only buy Hunter brand ceiling fans in the future.

Read Best Reviews of Hunter 25517 Summer Breeze 52-Inch 5-Blade Ceiling Fan, White with White/Bleached Oak Blades Here

I bought this fan because I already have one of this model and like it.Its simple,trouble free,easy to install and moves air.If thats what you want,not a lot of extras,this is the fan for you.

Want Hunter 25517 Summer Breeze 52-Inch 5-Blade Ceiling Fan, White with White/Bleached Oak Blades Discount?

I own several Hunter fans throughout my home, in Florida, where they rarely get turned off. Several of them are 20 yrs. old or more. And they are as quiet as the day they were new. And this one is just the same. Simple installation, quiet running, moves the air, and I am sure, will be as dependable as the rest. The only way this fan could be better is if it had self cleaning blades. You are reading this Hunter, aren't you.

Save 48% Off

I bought this fan to replace a perfectly quiet, perfectly working living room ceiling fan, because I wanted a white fan to go with the white and light decor of my newly purchased condo, and not the brown of the existing fan. I went with the Hunter fan because of its excellent reputation and the amazingly high percentage of five-star reviews for this specific fan. I have ordered a lot recently through Amazon, and in every other case I have used the free super saver shipping. In this case, because I was only going to be at the condo from May 21-24 and this was for me a "last-minute" purchase, made a week before I would be there, I paid extra for the 2-3 business day shipping.

I have two complaints about this fan. The first is that I ordered it with the accompanying downrod, at the same time, and so I expected them to be shipped together. Well, first of all, items I ordered from Amazon a day later with super saver shipping, for which there is a standard 5-8 business day shipping period, not 2-3 days, shipped BEFORE these items did. I have had great experiences with super saver shipping. This was my first use of expedited shipping, and I was disappointed. Second, it had never occurred to me that the downrod might be shipped separately from the fan itself. But that's what happened. I was notified the fan would arrive by May 22 but the downrod only on May 24, the last day I would be at the condo. So I was not happy. As it happened, the downrod arrived on May 23, but it still caused me undue anxiety. And the downrod arrived via USPS, whereas the fan came via UPS. Made no sense to me.

The second complaint is about the fan itself. My electrician installed it late on May 23 and then left. He had just installed 15 Hunter fans somewhere else that day. He praised this fan as excellent and sturdy and easy to install. However, after he left, I turned the fan up to full speed, and lo and behold, it started swaying and knocking. I could only run it at half-speed quietly. My electrician returned the next day. He used all the included light balances, but it still knocked. He finally put what is called a "clothespin" balance on one of the five fan blades. That did the trick, so now the fan runs quietly with very little sway at the highest speed. But my electrician, who has installed many Hunter fans, said this was the worst swaying he had ever seen in a Hunter fan. And I find the "clothespin" mars the clean aesthetics of the blades, even though it solved the problem. Maybe I just got that rare lemon--it happens. But I have a tenant in the condo as of now, so removing and retuning the fan would be a very disruptive experience, for me and the tenant. So I have ended up disappointed that my experience was not like so many other reviewers for this fan.