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The Germ Guardian H-2000 is the best ultrasonic humidifier I've seen in a decade. But that only means that it works. The humidifier is well-crafted but thoughtlessly designed. I was pleased with a couple of ultrasonics that I had years ago. When their motors eventually died and I needed replacements, I found that ultrasonic humidifiers had all but disappeared from the market by the mid-1990s. So I bought evaporative humidifiers instead. The trouble with evaporatives is that they require a wick, which molds easily and pervasively and must be replaced at least every two weeks. That's expensive. It costs me $150 per year to run each of my evaporative humidifiers. I'd rather have ultrasonics, which are less prone to mold, less expensive to operate, and quieter. When ultrasonic humidifiers reappeared on the market a few years ago, I bought some....and returned them all. They broke within weeks and left puddles on the floor.
This brings me to the Germ Guardian H-2000. If you want an ultrasonic humidifier that isn't fit for the trash, you have to pay more than $100. This H-2000 seems to be well-made. Happily, you can set it directly on the floor if you like. I have run it for days sitting on hardwood, and the floor is not even damp. There are little compartments for storing the power cord and for the air filter. A small brush is provided for cleaning the inside of the unit, though I don't know what use it would be. The humidifier barely makes a sound. The controls are straightforward. You choose cool or warm mist, then turn the humidity dial to the level of output you desire. A blue LED lights when the power is on, and a red LED indicates when the tank needs refilling. I've never had any trouble with white dust from this humidifier.
On the downside, the 1.4 gallon tank has a handle only on top, so it is difficult to balance the tank to fill it from the bottom. It's also rounded on top, so you can't set the tank down to fill it either. Remember the days when all humidifier tanks were flat on both ends and had a handle on each for ease of filling? No more. Usually ultrasonic humidifiers are easy to clean if they should mold, because all the innards are exposed. But the H-2000 has an optional warm mist, so water passes through a concealed channel as it goes from the tank to the vibrating disc, where it is presumably exposed to heating coils. You could run ammonia through the channel to kill mold, but there would be no way to remove slime. The tank is infused with silver nanoparticles to retard microbe growth, but machine's body isn't. Strange, because mold growth in humidifiers never starts in the tank. The on/off knob would benefit from some ridges. It's so smooth that I can't grip it unless my hands are perfectly dry.
The Germ Guardian H-2000 takes 30 hours to empty the 1.4 gallon tank with the humidifier set on its highest output. That's an output of 0.047 gallons of water per hour. My evaporative humidifiers put 0.083 gallons per hour into the air, nearly twice as much. For this reason, the H-2000 is best suited to a small bedroom, placed close to the bed. In the "warm" mode, the water is heated to 80 degrees F. The mist is warm in the base, the column (spout guide), and where it comes out of the spout. But by the time it gets a couple of inches from the machine, the mist is cool. So I see little point in the warm mist feature. If you want an ultrasonic humidifier, I won't try to dissuade you from this one. In spite of its deficiencies, it's the best one I've found in recent years. But it's only suitable for small rooms.
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First, let me say that mirasreviews review was extremely accurate. With that said, I give this machine 3 stars because there is no warm mist. As already mentioned, by the time the mist is one inch away from the machine it is cold, so, what's the point? Basically, this is a cold mist machine, and you should know that before you buy it. If you have anything within a foot of the spray, it will get soaked, especially if if you have selected the max setting. The directional spray is pretty good, however, I find it works best if the machine is a couple of feet off of the ground. It does not seem to force the humidified air far enough, so I set it on a table, and that does the trick. So far, we have not had any puddles or leaks of any kind. It is very quiet. Water capacity is good at 1.4 gallons, and does run for a long time if it is not on its maximum setting. We bought this because my daughter has croup and our pediatrician recommended trying a dehumidifier. We bought this one without much recommendation, mostly because the others (evaporative) we had broke. We have not had to give our daughter any of the steroid the doctor had prescribed, and she seems to be getting better (though we also let the steam build up with a hot shower running, and stay with her in there for 10-20 minutes). I do think this machine helps. My main reasons for only three stars are the lack of a true warm mist and the price. Oh, I should also note that it starts right away, no waiting. If I could, I would give it 3.5 stars. Again, I have to agree with another review, this is probably the best out there. I am satisfied (I have not been able to say that about other brands), however, I am not thrilled.
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I have asthma and allergies and have been looking high and low for a humidifier that does not breed mold, as so many of them do. So I splurged on this expensive digital model. I also wanted a reliable humidifier for my toddler's room, in order to prevent wintertime coughs and colds.
Unfortunately, this humidifier is a great disappointment. It does not live up to its claims of being mold-free; quite to the contrary, the long air passage tube grew reddish mold very quickly. Water also inexplicably collects in the bottom white basin. I called the company to resolve the numerous problems with the humidifier, yet they did not give me satisfactory explanations (e.g., they told me that the water collection is normal, yet why should water collect in the basin of the humidifier? Isn't that a prescription for mold growth?) Plus, as a previous poster noted, the screw holding one of the major components quickly rusted. I wish I had not spent so much money on this humidifier. I have returned to using the Vicks Warm Mist humidifier, which I used last winter and really liked, and only costs around $40.
Honest reviews on pureguardian H2000 100-Hour Ultrasonic Humidifier
I bought this humidifier on Dec 1st. I wanted to use it for a while before doing a review. I swear I have no connection to the company that makes this or any retailer. My glowing review is simply because it has turned out to be an excellent buy.
Note, I see that the reviews so far for the digital model of this humidifier are not good. Apparently the humidity sensor? isn't working properly. My unit is the manual one, does not have any sensor. I stand by my review of this unit only. Sorry this is so long.
I have purchased and used a number of other small humidifiers over the years because I suffer from significant RA dryness symptoms. I have to say that this is the best humidifier I have ever had, bar none. I use this in my bedroom at night and my dry eye and skin problems lessened immediately upon first use and the benefit continues through an unusually cold winter. I also notice that I have been sleeping much better!
Besides the health benefits, another big plus is the almost silent operation. Each of the other units I had made loud misting noises and even worse, produced a persistent metallic pinging noise. Some caused chest congestion. I have had only very minimal temporary chest congestion with this and that may have been due to other things than this unit.
I have not used the warm water setting since that would make my room warmer than I like.
PROS:
Almost silent.
Simple to use: no complicated bits to micro-mist the water. Very well made. The cover doors to the compartments on each side are precisely fitted. The tank lid is water tight but still easy to unscrew. Simple parts fit together easily and are easy to clean.
Light weight.
Simple carry handle on tank works well.
Excellent humidity level even at below medium setting with no noticeable residue or dampness to any nearby surfaces.
Needs weekly drain and wash as indicated in instructions; a check of the small metal ionizing(?) plate and that's it. I do have municipal water. Well water would probably require more cleaning.
The anti-microbial feature was a selling point. I have no way to know if it's working, but the unit does seem to stay much cleaner than previously owned units.
I fill the tank about half full and that lasts me for almost a week.
There is no leakage whatsoever.
I like the units' sort-of art deco style a lot. All the other units I've owned were stodgy and unimaginative. This one reminds me of an old radio.
CONS:
The bright blue lights. I taped a piece of cardboard over so I can see just enough of the low-water light. I also placed the unit across the room because of the light problem. (Are engineers sparkly light fetishists? Many small appliances have these light problems. ;))
Price is high, but well worth it for the benefits in my opinion.
The tiny metal plate in the base below the spray tower appears to be rusty and has left a rusty residue on a q-tip. I don't know if this is from rust or water deposits. This plate cannot be removed or even looked at closely so I don't know if this is a problem or not. Doesn't appear to affect use at this time.
The manual was rather poorly written. There were parts mentioned that were not illustrated. I owned it for a month before I found where the cleaning brush was. Note, there are compartments with removable lids on either side of the unit under the water tank.
Doesn't hold all that much water for anyone wanting to leave it on all the time at a high setting.
Have to take a little care when removing tank not to spill any accumulated water from inside main unit or pull the tower misting part out with it. Not a big deal.
Does *require* cleaning at least once a week, especially around the metal plate or it won't mist.
Tank is a little unwieldy when upside down to fill. It does not sit flat due to built-in handle. Have to finagle getting it under the tap. Sometimes water gets into bottom sections and has to be carefully poured out or soaked up after lid is back on or you'll end up with water on the floor when you turn it over. Again, not significant.
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I like this humidifier because you can get your whole hand into the tank to wipe off any mold that accumulates. My previous humidifier had a tank with a tiny hole, so once mold got in there the whole thing had to be thrown in the garbage.
