Buy Honeywell HCM6013 Cool Mist Air Humidifier

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List Price: $179.99
Sale Price: $128.83
Today's Bonus: 28% Off

We bought the Honeywell HCM-6013i cool mist humidifier to replace a GermGuardin humidifier that stopped working after 90 days of use. So far, this unit is performing quite well.

According to the specification in the owner's manual, this unit is capable of outputting 11 gallons per day (I'm assuming per 24 hours). Do not confuse this with the unit's water holding capacity. In two separate tanks, the humidifier holds about a total of 3.5 gallons of water. And you will not notice any humidifying mist as you might with other types of humidifier. This humidifier works by the same principle as a swamp cooler.

I usually have the fan speed on low and the humidity level set on auto at 35%. At these settings, I have to fill the water tanks every one and a half day or so. The HCM-6013i built-in hygrometer (humidity sensor) is no where near accurate. Although I have the unit set on 35%, actual humidity measured by a separate and more accurate hygrometer, measures 45%. I recommend buying a separate hygrometer so that you can find the right humidity level. If you're not as picky as I am, you can always go by feel and adjust the humidity control up or down until you find your comfort level, to where the unit turn on or off based on the setting.

This unit fits together from essentially four pieces; the base, the motor housing, and the two water tanks. The pieces do not exactly fit together that well. The design of this unit reminds me of something that was made from the former USSR. It's clunky...but it works. It has no problem keeping up the desired humidity level when the AC is on and the outside relative humidity is 10% 15%. It draws water from one of the two tanks at a time. When either one of the water tank is drained the unit makes a buzzing noise from the empty lighter tank. It's a little annoying, but a little tab or jolt usually resolves this buzzing noise.

I recommend buying a spare HC-14 replacement filter for this unit. I already notice that within a day if not hours of use the water-wicking filter mentioned was turning a little brown on the top. I don't know if the browning of the filter is due to using tap water for the humidifier or the air in my condo is that dirty. I hope it's the former rather than the latter.

The manual states that using tap water is OK because the water-wicking filter will absorb and retain the minerals in tap water, while the Protec water cleaning cartridge will help fight bacteria and other microbes in the water.

As mentioned above. This humidifier works about the same way as a swamp cooler. In a dry and warm environment, this humidifier does put out a noticeably cool breeze.

This product also boasts of having an "Air Washing Technology", and an independently controlled air ionizer. I can't comment too much about these features because I can't attest to how well they work. Again some swamp coolers can also claim of being able to wash the air as they cool...right? My gut feeling tells me that these features are a bit gimmicky. Does it really "clean" the air in my condo? Maybe. Does the air in my condo really need cleaning? Sometimes.

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The unit seems to do a reasonable job at humidifying a 1300 square feet apartment. The tanks are easy to fill, and the controls are easy to operate.

As another reviewer noted, the parts were not designed to fit snuggly, so the unit will occasionally start rattling very loudly. Shifting one of the tanks will usually solve that for a few hours or more, but it's no fun when it wakes you up at night to do that. Otherwise, the device is reasonably quiet, especially on the lower fan settings.

The most surprising thing about this humidifier is the lack of a tank-empty indicator. This unit has a total of 10 LED indicators on the top, including five just to show the selected humidity level. It does have a float which cuts power to the fan when the tanks are empty, but no indication of that is given. The only way to figure out when you need to refill it is if you use the ionizer function: if you do that, you'll notice the blue indicator for the ionizer is lit but the fan is silent; that only happens when the tanks are empty. Yes, figuring out when to fill the tanks requires subtle detective work.

Considering most humidifiers costing half as much have a tank-empty indicator, it amazes me the manufacturer chose to save a few cents by eliminating this critical feature.

January 2010 update: Due to the poor fit of the parts, one of the two tanks doesn't latch into the water valve, and so it doesn't empty unless the other tank is removed. This makes the unit effectively an oversized 5.5 gallon one, instead of 11 gallon.

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I just put the unit in service 12 hrs ago and it performs as advertised. I have had other humidifiers so using this one and setting it up was not an issue for me, nor did I have any expectations outside of an improved comfort level in the treated area. The design is simple and some may say somewhat crude but it simply is not a highly designed piece of technology---it's a humidifier and effectively raises the moisture level in the air. My home was so dry 19% RH with an outside temp of 12 F. It has been so cold and dry the last few days that my skin has actually been itching. On a high fan speed the unit went through both tanks of water in about 8-9 hrs which is consistant with the advertised spec of 11 gals/ 24 hrs. Again, the air was very dry and before running out of water I achieved a RH of 38% up from 19%. It will take a few days to get the area (1700 sq ft) to a comfortable RH of 45%. I would expect at that point the water usage and or need to refill the tanks will decrease as the humidity level increases--(moisture output should slow down regardless of fan speed as the moisture/humidity in the room air increases--I think). On the high fan speed the unit is a bit noisy and you probably would not want it in a bedroom at night--med and low fan speeds provide a reduction in the air noise--on low the unit will /can be tolerated in a bedroom and should not disturb sleep. The only other sound of note is an occasional water gurgle as the water leaves the tank and enters the reservoir. I haven't noticed any rattles that other reviews have mentioned though there could have been some rubber cushions placed in a couple of areas during production which would have eliminated the occasional plastic on plastic rattle---easily remedied by placing a thin piece of foam packing, paper towel, napkin, or material in between the tanks and the motor housing---simple but again something that should be part of the production process. The lack of a water level gauge or simple sight window that allows you to see in the tank would be helpful but after a few days of use you will become familiar enough with the unit and develop a feel for when the tanks need to be refilled based on your use preferences/settings.

NOTE: This review would also apply to model #'s 6009,6011, and 6012. All these models are basically the same with the exception of minor control differences--(knobs/digital led indicators).

Xikar Humidification Kit - 250ct Humidifier, 8oz Solution Review

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Good humidifier, but I checked it with my digital hygrometer the other day and it said 78%. It is supposed to maintain 70% and is not doing a good job as a 2-way humidifier. Maybe I read the description wrong...

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Cheap Cigar Oasis II

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List Price: $199.00
Sale Price: $179.95
Today's Bonus: 10% Off

I've had trouble for a long time keeping my cigars in the 60 to 65% humidity range that I prefer. The interior of my humidor measures roughly 45"W x 27"H x 14"D. It's lined in spanish cedar, has two slotted shelves and two hinged doors that open the entire front side. I usually have 10 to 12 boxes on the floor, which is also where the Oasis II sits. The two shelves together hold eight mesh baskets. Each basket holds about 40 cigars, with a couple more boxes on the second shelf. All together I typically have around 600 cigars on hand.

I was using a much smaller Oasis XL Plus. During the winter heating season, it had to be refilled three to four times a week to stay in my target humidity range. The humidor is sealed and gasketed but is not 100% airtight. Tired of constantly refilling the XL Plus, I decided to try the much larger Oasis II. Wow what a difference!

With the Oasis II, I can now go over a month without refilling. It's reservoir is many times larger than the XL Plus. And with its top side reservoir cap, I can easily refill it without having to take it out of the humidor, as I did with the XL Plus to open its top half to refill.

The dual fans are another excellent design feature. One fan runs constantly to insure the moist air circulates evenly throughout the humidor. That eliminates any dead-air or dry spots, and ensures all the cigars are at the same level of humidity. The second fan kicks in only when its sensor tells it to draw more humid air from the reservoir. The remote humidity gauge has large, bright red numerals that I can easily read from across the room. I also have a second electronic humidity gauge with a wireless remote readout that typically reads about 5% lower than the Oasis II. I split the difference for an average of about 63%. Just a tad on the drier side because I prefer the feel that creates, versus 70%, which feels a little damp to me. But if that's what you like, the Oasis II can easily get to 70%+ and stay there.

It's fairly quiet, with a soft hum when nothing else is creating any sound in the room. Its foot print is about the size of two corona boxes, end to end, and a little more than two boxes high. The power cord and the cord for the humidity gauge are both long enough that I didn't need any extensions.

Overall this is a great product. It's a smart design with all the features a real cigar enthusiast wants in a good humidifier for a larger humidor. The Oasis II is a great value for its price and will in turn take excellent care of your smokes as they age over time.

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I have 2 large cabinet humidors, each holding about 1,000 cigars, stored in boxes and in a bank of cedar drawers built into the cabinet. Great cigars get even better with proper aging. Keeping cigars in good condition over time can also eventually correct minor construction problems like a tight roll, but no amount of care or time can fix a bad cigar. Aging cigars requires precise care, and I live in the Washington, DC area, where summers are very humid and winters are dry. Temperature control is fairly easy, but maintaining constant 68-70% relative humidity is a challenge. I use an assortment of passive humidification devices (I like Paradigm passive humidifiers), and in the winter, I add a couple of inexpensive foam or bead-filled humidifier cartridges to compensate for the dry air. When my house gets REALLY dry, I set up a conventional room humidifier outside my cabinets.

One of my cabinets has an interior AC power outlet and one does not. On the middle shelf of the cabinet with AC power, I have had a Cigar Oasis II XL in constant use for more than four years. By the way, I'm going by the picture and the price for reference, as the product is listed here as the "Cigar Oasis II"; it is identical to the "Cigar Oasis II XL" that I own and which is the subject of this review. I have used several different active humidifiers over the years and the Oasis II XL has been the best and most durable of all of these, by far. The Oasis II XL does a very good job of moving air around the cabinet, which is key to keeping cigars fresh while avoiding mold issues, even in the far corners of the cabinet. I do not use any separate fans, but I frequently open up the cabinets and air them out for a few minutes every two weeks or so. Unlike most other active systems, replacement foam bricks for the Cigar Oasis II XL are readily available and inexpensive (you can get one for $10 plus shipping at cigaroasis.com -The Hydra LG replacement cartridge costs anywhere from $27-48). You can get absorbent floral foam cheaply from Amazon and other retailers (be careful; some foam bricks are designed to REPEL moisture and these are useless for humidification), and you can use this foam inside Tupperware with a perforated lid to construct a cheap and effective home-made passive humidifier. However, I've found that the powered machines work much better with a custom-fitted foam brick made for the unit. The Oasis II XL comes with a control unit, connected to the main housing by a long wire, that measures and regulates humidity, but don't depend on the accuracy of the built-in hygrometer. Use a separate calibrated hygrometer instead to figure out the correct setting on the control unit.

The Oasis II XL requires an internal AC outlet for power, which is only present in some large cabinets. The II XL also makes noise. It has two sets of internal fans, one which pumps out moisture and one which operates constantly, regardless of humidity, that moves air around even when additional humidity is not needed. Both fans make enough noise to hear across the room, even with the cabinet door closed. I wouldn't call it "loud"; it's quieter than the smoke-eating air purifier I use when I smoke indoors (yes, Mayor Bloomberg, I am a bad person. I also drink 32-ounce fountain sodas, cook with trans-fats and I manufacture and discard styrofoam as a hobby), but the II XL makes more noise than any other powered humidification unit. It's about the same volume as the internal fan on a Sony Playstation 3 when it gets really hot and kicks into overdrive mode. But the II XL gets the job done and has proven durable, with proper care.

I have tried other powered humidifiers, and some have been better than others. The Humi-Care XG1000 Pro died after only six months. The hygrometer in the control unit began reading wildly different humidity levels and it wouldn't turn on when it was dry, or off when it got too moist. It is complete junk -stay far, far away. The Moist-n-Aire is very powerful, but the dial used to set humidity levels is useless. I set it high enough to turn on, and it never turns itself off, and vice-versa. I still use it in the winter to manually raise the humidity level (like the II XL, it requires an internal AC power outlet), but I have to remember to turn it off after 15 minutes or so, or my cabinet turns into a rainforest. The Hydra LG is better, and it is very quiet, but the hygrometer in the control unit is unreliable and I must make frequent adjustments (as in every day or so) to ensure that humidity levels don't get too high or too low. I use it in the cabinet that does not have an internal AC power outlet because it can be powered through a paper-thin tape-style cord threaded through the cabinet hinge and into an AC power unit outside the cabinet. My Hydra LG has been working for about 2 years so far. It does a decent job distributing moisture. Surprisingly, the worst ones of all have been the smaller Oasis humidifiers, the same brand as the II XL. I owned three different small Oasis models over the years and they ALL broke down within a year. Only the Oasis II XL completely met my expectations. If noise is an issue, or you don't have an AC plug inside your cabinet, try the Hydra LG. It's not as powerful as the II XL, and it only circulates air when humidity is low (unless you buy an additional fan kit), but it's not bad. But with the Hydra LG, you WILL need to adjust the humidity levels VERY often, because the built-in hygrometer does not work consistently. I think the Hydra LG is made by the same company as the Humi-Care XL1000 Pro, so hopefully they have resolved their quality control issues.

If you can live with a little background noise, the Oasis II XL is a good choice, but it does require maintenance. Make sure you remove the foam brick periodically, and check for mold spots. If you see anything, then you need to buy a new brick, or at least treat it with a little bleach if the spot is very small. Just make sure you rinse the brick with distilled water thoroughly to make sure the bleach smell doesn't permeate your cigars, even faintly. Every month or so, wipe down the interior of the chamber that holds the foam brick and the bottom of the section that holds the motor and fans, using a cloth dipped in bleach, before rinsing with another cloth dipped in distilled water. Then dry everything thoroughly.

In the summertime, the challenge is REDUCING the humidity and the II XL's air circulation feature is helpful, as is putting pieces of dry Spanish cedar (which you can gather from used unfinished wooden cigar boxes) to soak up moisture. This is good for fine tuning humidity levels, but if you've got a serious high humidity problem, you should keep a room dehumidifier running near your cabinet. Every summer, I remove the Moist-n-Aire unit completely, and I store most of the Paradigm passive humidifiers in a large cedar cabinet. Bead-style passive humidifiers are supposed to soak up excess humidity in wet weather as well as distributing moisture in dry weather. I've found that this ability is overstated -don't count on it to absorb a lot of moisture. Damp, stagnant air can lead to moldy cigars and, even worse, tobacco beetles. As a cigar smoker, I try not to think about it, but even the best cigars have dormant larvae, which will hatch if the heat and/or humidity get too high. Fortunately, beetles don't migrate between boxes, so if you see telltale pinholes in cigars in one box, just remove that box from your cabinet. There are excellent articles elsewhere online that talk about the treatment of beetle-damaged cigars; sometimes they can be saved.

All of this sounds like a lot more trouble than it is. I've found that, after a few seasons of careful maintenance, a good cabinet humidor will "remember" the correct humidity levels and naturally gravitate toward 68-70%. Of course, it helps to keep the air moving (as with the II XL) and to air out the cabinets once in a while. Keep a few calibrated digital hygrometers within view, and change the position and location of your cigar boxes from time to time. Good luck!

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great humidifier. kept my 3000 stick humi within .3 of adjustibel set point. Bought two addtional small dc fans for maximum airflow. Unfortunately, lightning wiped out the microprocesser after 3 weeks. Now using replacement with surge protector.

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I wanted something that would preserve my higher end smokes without a lot of maintenance. This works beyond my expectations.

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Its ok not great. Would like the hygrometer to be adjustable its over 10% off. Thats ok as long as you have a good accurate hygrometer.

Review of FRED Humidifier - White

Customer Ratings:

very simple steam humidifier. You should be aware of the types of humidifier and not be suprised at the hot steam and potential of accidental burns. If you have small child, you should not own this.

Pros:

Steam= no white dusts, no filters to change, bacterias are "boiled" off.

Stylish= no toy looking controls, no clear blue medical looking canisters

auto shut off when water is depleted

cons:

All plastic material shell(including the feet): now, I'm not sure if the outshell being metal is a good thing. It can potentially be a metal toaster oven if its made out of metal. Plastic does have a certain smell.. if you ever used a plastic electric water boiler, it smells just like that.

Designed in Swiss but made in China: don't be fooled by the swiss style design, this baby is geniue made in china.

The plastic chute is extremely hot, you can't touch that thing while the steamer is operating. Have to be careful.

Price: You are paying for the style, not functionality.

conclusion: only good if you want a steamer type humidifier and are turned off by cheap looking Vicks style steamer.

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I don't write reviews often, but am really upset that I wasted so much money on this humidifier. My husband got this for me because I have frequent nose bleeds from the dry air. We used it for one week and was pleased with it because it was so quiet. I didn't like the hassle of having to take it apart daily to refill the water, but put up with it because it was cute. On the eighth day, I tried to turn it on but it wouldn't work. At all. The little blue light didn't even turn on. I took it apart and found a bunch of calcified deposits. The company states that it wasn't covered under the warranty because the instructions state that it should be "cleaned often." We had only used it for one week. Only buy this product if you are willing to take it apart and clean it almost daily (waste of time) because this poorly constructed piece of equipment is otherwise a huge waste of money. On a side note, we bought another product from them, the Max space heater. Although it still works, it doesn't work very well unless you're sitting about a foot away from it. We got another space heater that was about the same price and works infinitely better. I'm through with their products.

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I bought this humidifier several years ago mainly because it was the only humidifier I ran across that didn't look like some big, plastic, medical equipment. It has work really well. The design is great! Super easy to fill and clean without a ton of parts. While it doesn't recede completely, it is at least whimsical and fun and like all Swizz designs, elegant and clean.

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If you are looking for a relatively basic but very stylish humidifier, Fred is the perfect choice. Fred is warm air humidifier with a few basic buttons which glow a futuristic blue at night. Most humidifies in this price range have more functions and larger water tanks, but look designed for a drab hospital. Although made of plastic, Fred feels very sturdy and solid. As far as humidifiers go, it looks cool. You won't need to hide it.The only complaint is the water container only last for 4 hours on high and 8 hours on low.

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I wanted this humidifier forever and was so excited when it arrived!

Very first night i used it the lid filled up with condensation then poured out the bottom onto my dresser. Took it apart, dried it out and planned to try one more time with a towel under it. No go, its completely dead & wont even power on.

Its very cute, but not even as functional as a vase because it leaks. For what it costs thats completely unnaceptable.

Best Jarden SWM5251-UM Sunbeam Warm Mist Humidifier Deals

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My 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.

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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.

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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!

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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.

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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.