warm mist humidifier shop

One might think from the product literature that you are buying a humidifier that has a 9 gallon water tank capacity. Not true. You are buying a humidifer that has the capacity to output 9 gallons of water per 24 hours. Since each water tank is only 1.5 gallons, this means you have to fill the tanks six times (three times each tank) to get the maximum output. Not very practical for a home humidifier.

To refill the water tanks you must turn them upside down. Unfortunately the bottom (i.e. the top turned upside down), is not flat. This requires a fair amount of juggling when you refill the tanks as they will not stand up by themselves. The engineer who designed this product must have missed the class on ergronomics.

Since you can not see in the water tanks when they are in use, and there is no low water indicator on the machine, you can not judge how much water is left by looking. You have to pick up the tanks. Again ergronomically challenging.

This product is very noisy on the high setting, similar to a window fan on high. Because the water tanks do not fit well, they vibrate when they are near empty.

If you place this product on a wooden floor, it will warp the floor from the humidity. The product also leaks when you refill it.

Best to pass this product by.

I really debated about giving this item three or four start. I decided on four because bottom line it does a good job getting moisture in the air and some design items work well. For instance, it is on wheels so it is easy to move and the water fill containers are manageable. They had the forsight to make two instead of one and the handles are comfortable.

Now for some negatives. At the highest setting, it is still pretty loud. I live in a condo so, if I'm watching TV I usually keep it on the second highest setting or wear headphones and keep it at the highest setting. Here is another noise issue- when it starts getting empty, a loud humm starts up. Another thing I don't like is that you can't control or see what the humidity level is- it just kicks out. I think this feature is available on a higher model but it seems like it should be available on this one for the price they are asking.

Probably the biggest issue I have with this unit is that it has a side discharge for air rather than through the top like most units. This is an issue for me because when I watch TV I usually sit on the floor (TV over a fireplace would never work for me) and this unit blows COLD AIR out and it is quite uncomfortable. You could make the argument to move it somewhere else, but for maximum benefit you should keep it where you spend most of your time.

So ther you have it. I probably should give it three stars but it does what its supposed to do well- with some design issues.

First I went cheap and bought a small evaporative unit. The large filter was "permanent", but required occasional decaling and the small pump filter kept getting gummed up. I then purchased a warm mist unit, it worked at first and when required continuous use to barely maintain the proper humidity level. After got my electric bill, I stopped using it. Finally I purchased this unit. Works perfectly, keeps the house at the level I want (45%) and only automatically turn on when needed. The dual water tanks are also nice. I suggest you get a unit rated to at least double your home's square footage.

The only problem is a tendancy of the filter to become moldy, but this is easily remedied by adding 1/16 Cup or so of ammonia to each of 2 reservoirs that you fill with water. This will ward off the mold. Buy extra filters. This machine is very quiet relative to the amount of humidity that it puts out (hence the filter enclosure is correspondingly more humid, and tends toward mold more easily).

I agree with some of the other reviewers that this unit is quite loud on the higher fan settings. It certainly works, and has made a noticeable differnce in the house this winter (and it's been a BRUTAL one). On a rug or carpet, the noise is less of an issue, but if you leave it on a hardwood floor, the noise and vibration (even on the low fan setting) is still noticeable.

After several years of looking for the best humidifier, I finally found it.

I previous tried warm and cool mist humidifiers and none of them have measured up to the Honeywell HCM-6009 QuietCare 9-Gallon Console Humidifier; best of all it is like having a humidifier and air cleaner all in one.

First off, anyone who complains about the noise of a humidifier like this doesn't quite have an understanding of the product. The fan is what moves the moisture and the sound from it is nothing compared to the so called "noise" that many reviewers on here have complained about.

Second, are the tanks. Two of them so you don't have to fill them as often.

Maybe it is me, but come on people, it is a humidifier. Too many tanks to fill, the noise is unbearable, too many parts...again, it is a humidifier and for me, I have tried all the rest and then got the absolute best....Honeywell HCM-6009 QuietCare 9-Gallon Console Humidifier.

It does the job as a humidifier is intended. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Also recommend using with it:

BestAir RPS3BT Humidifier Bacteriostatic Treatment (1 qt.)

Protec Continuous Cleaning Cartridge (PC-2)

The humidifier does get the humidity up; but, the water jugs are awkward to fill and to get seated in the unit.

The flaw described by earlier reviewers about removing the tank caps seems to have been addressed - there is a spring loaded button and the cap is knurled and also has what I can only describe as finger tip grips.

The rounded tank does make it tricky to fill all the way up. (I need to use a one quart pitcher to finish filling it even in the kitchen sink)

The 2 tank design is nice in that each tank holds about 30 pounds of water (approx 4.5 gallons x 7 lbs/gallon) and is probably better to handle than a 9 gallon (60 pound tank) would be. But, I cannot get the knack of seating both tanks so that when one empties, to other releases its water. I come down in the morning to a unit that is not doing anything because it ran out of water in one tank (but the other tank was full). When I remove the empty tank and the full tank settles in, the unit wakes up and starts doing its job.

The side discharge does create a cold wind (even on low and ten feet away) and the high fan setting is loud but at least is a white noise.

Also - the indicator lights go off when the unit is off due to lack of water (I expected a red light but this works too). I recommend that when the unit has been off due to lack of water, you flip the filter - this seems to help prolong the filter life.

Feb 15 2009 Update:
Now that I've gone thru disinfecting the unit, I know that each tank holds 1.5 gallons of water - therefore, the filled weight per tank in approx 12 pounds.

I've discovered the knack for loading the tanks so both get used up - after seating each tank, unseat and reseat the blower unit.

After doing the bleach and water disinfecting, the caps are very tricky to remove. I'm hoping that vasoline will do the trick.

I have had this unit in one of my houses since this past winter, and it is by far the best humidifier I own. It is quiet enough to keep in the bedroom at night, but powerful enough to easily humidify the 1000 square feet comfortably. With adjustable humidity settings, and 2 large tanks that you can fill separately without shutting the unit off make this very easy to use. The only thing that keeps me from 5 stars is it is difficult at time for me to get the filters due to my rural location, and the price is between 12-20 dollars depending on where I get them. Molding can be minimized with the treatment tablets (protec tank tabs) that are available, or the tiny amount of ammonia another person mentioned (if you don't mind the mild ammonia odor). I have owned 5 different brands from lasko, holmes, honeywell, hunter, and Essick, and this is the best of them all. Overall, a very good value for the extra price.

More or less just an indoor swamp cooler and does a good job keeping a two bedroom condo at the set humidity with no sweating on walls or leaks so far. Have always used filtered water and have had no scaling, scum, or other water related problems, which may also be mitigated by the conditioner ball. Haven't had any of the other problems mentioned by others, but then I always read owners manuals. The filler caps are well sealed and you will have a hard time with them if over-tightened. On low, it doesn't seem to affect ambient temp. We sleep much better now and have noticed an overall improvement in breathing and comfort when the furnace is going.

The humidifier works well. However, the water tanks design is frustrating. The tanks will not set on a flat surface when turned upside down for refilling. You have to hold them steady as the water runs in, getting heavier and heavier. One of my tanks flopped over and sprang a leak at the seam between the clear and opaque halves. I fixed it with epoxy and glue, but it flopped again and broke the seal a couple of weeks later. I think this will happen to most tanks eventually. Honeywell should have provided a jig or stand to set the tanks in while filling, or better yet, have tanks that will set flat.