Hamilton Beach 05521 4.0 Gallon Cool Mist Humidifier Wash Safe with Electric Humidifier
by HAMILTON BEACH/PROCTOR SILEX
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List Price: Category: Kitchen See more product details |
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Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of Hamilton Beach 05521 4.0 Gallon Cool Mist Humidifier Wash Safe with Electric Humidifier
Customer Review: ineffective
Summary: 1 Stars
I bought this humidifier based on the reviews and (mistakenly) thinking it was an ultrasonic humidifier. I have a room that is 25x14 with 9 ft. ceilings. Even at the highest level this humidifier doesn't make a difference, except in the noise level - which is deafening. At the lowest level it doesn't work at all - even when I leave it on all the time. I also discovered today that mold was accumulating in the filter that I replaced less than a month ago.
Totally ineffective, is my impression of the machine.
I'm off to find a large capacity ultrasonic humidifier.
Customer Review: Works exactly as promised, no problems
Summary: 5 Stars
Well, the humidifier certainly humidifies. The tank size is generous, the product is easy to assemble and clean, the humidistat is accurate and easy to use, and the whole product seems to be very well built. NOTE: You MUST follow the maintenance instructions EXACTLY to avoid problems with filter odor. This is true with any "wick" humidifier. This involves changing the water once a day and sanitizing the tank and tank tray once a week. The wick lasts for several months if you take care of it properly.
Customer Review: Works good if you can open the water reservoir!
Summary: 1 Stars
DO NOT BUY THIS HUMIDIFIER! All I want is a basic humidifier that can put some moisture into the air....I was quite pleased to see that the opening on the water tank was large enough that you could put your hand inside to clean it out....
After a few uses, the cap to the H2O reservoir became so hard to open that I had to have my husband open it every night for me...trust me, I am no weakling, I even tried prying it open with various objects to no avail....this product is great except for the cap! Boy what a bad purchase...do NOT buy this humidifier!
Customer Review: Solid product, decent price, but needs improvements
Summary: 3 Stars
Two main problems with this model:1. To open the tank for re-filling, first you have to flip the tank upside down, then you have to use A LOT OF FORCE to twist the large cap. Why could they not simply provide a flip-up-to-open cover on the top of the tank to avoid these problems? I have no ideas why.
2. The machine does not detect when the water level is low, meaning it does not have a low-water indicator nor automatically shut itself off (stop the fan).
Customer Review: This model not worth the extra cost.
Summary: 3 Stars
Water Tank:A large tank should mean less fillups, however, I found myself filling up nearly every night, and I only used the humidifier at "quiet" when I went to bed. It's somewhat simple to fill up, but since you have to flip the tank upside down to fill it, it's cumbersome to fill in a bathtub, which is the only place other than the kitchen sink that the tank will fit for. Since I use this product in my bedroom, I use the tub.
Noise Level:
I thought that the quietest setting was quite tolerable while I slept and I probably could sleep through the mid-level. However, I purchased an identical model for my mother, and she said it kept her awake all night. So, your mileage may vary, but keep in mind that if you are a very light sleeper and bothered by slight noises, there probably is NO humidifier that will be quiet enough for you.
Operation:
The LCD display is large and easy to read. The 2 buttons to increase/decrease the desired humidity and the control knob for OFF/Quiet/Medium/High fan level is very easy to operate.
Effectiveness:
All in all, yes, the humidifier is doing what I hoped it would do. I wake up with less throat irritation and without stuffed up sinuses. However, I purchased this unit thinking that the digital humidity level operation would work precisely. First, the humidity can only be increased/decreased at 5% increments. Second, I have not been able to reach my desired humidity of 50%, even when I've blasted it at HIGH. The highest I've reached is 45% and it's in my bedroom. Unless you live in a mansion, this humidifier SHOULD be able to control the humidity in a bedroom with ease. Not so I found out. Furthermore, when the humidifier is off, the LCD still displays the humidity, but will always drop 3-5% when you turn it back on. What's the purpose of having a humidistat when it doesn't appear to be accurate?
Summary:
All in all, it does the job. But the LCD display and operation is not worth the extra cost, above the cheaper models. I've already shipped this unit back to Amazon.com and purchased a less expensive Holmes model from Target, which you can also purchase through Amazon.com. We'll see how that one fares.