Vornado HU1-0021-28 Whole Room Evaporative Humidifier

Vornado HU1-0021-28 Whole-Room Evaporative Humidifier

After owning this for some 2+ years, I have updated this review and raised the rating. The following text is updated:

We have owned a number of humidifiers in the past. The last one we owned (& liked) was the now discontinued Vornado model (the ugly gray box w/ 2 water tanks and a fan that sat in the lid). This new version, solves some of the problems of the old design and creates new problems of its own. As another reviewer has noted, the beauty of the old system was its simplicity (read: fewer parts to clean). That simplicity, is somewhat gone.

The biggest improvement is the noise level. The old design made a loud gargling sound periodically as the air bubbled into the tanks. Further, the lid with the fan, sometimes did not sit right and made a buzzing vibration sound.

The other major improvement, that it has taken me sometime to appreciate, is that there is less water sitting around in a basin that can collect junk and grow nasty stuff. This ended up needing less cleaning than the orignal model. On the other hand, the black color also makes it harder to appreciate mold inside the unit.

The new tank now has a filling cap that locks into the tank. There is a separate fancier spring loaded drain for water to move into the basin. I had some concern abou the top of the tank not being flat and making the filling more difficult. However, it seems sturdy enough as long as you are careful and don''t use as much high pressure to fill it. There is no longer an option for two tanks, so more refill runs.

As for the rest of the design, there is now a physical separation between the evaporation chamber, and where the water tank is placed. This is mostly nice, since you don''t have to worry about bugs and other junk falling into the evaporation chamber. You have to be a little more vigilant about mold buildup inside the chamber since it is closed off and not visible on every refill.

On the plus side, the fan is more securely attached to the rest of the humidifier, thus reducing noise.

As far as humidification, it still works great. The fan is quieter and just as efficient (if not more). The fancy electronic humidification settings seem to work well and allow for less over-humidification (fewer refills). So in summary:

quiet

efficient

not as simple a design as the older model

more parts but seems to need less cleaning.

After having used other humidifier brands/types in the past, I decided to replace it due to electricity and cleaning (scrubbing) of the heating element.

This Vornado brand humidifier has been doing a great job of adding humidity into the air since my home has forced air heat. Ultrasonics did not raise the humidity that much, but this Vornado does and it maintains the humidity level throughout the day for my entire upstairs floor (about 900 sq feet). I checked it with a hydrometer to see if it was working. It works great and has a built in humidistat so when I come home I do not have to worry about getting shocked or my windows being fogged like when I had a warm steam. It seems fairly easy to clean, after about three-five weeks I just lift the fan hood up and pull out the wicks, dump em and replace them with new ones. I''d probably clean the base too, wipe clean or maybe run through dishwasher. In addition I use a protec antibacterial ball that you throw in the water tank to limit the possibility of bacteria growing. I would advise not buy any type of humidifier unless you can maintain it. Its like a car, you gotta change the oil and filter.

Bottom Line: Reliable, reasonably priced (shop around) Easy to use, very quiet, circulates/freshens air, fairly easy to clean/maintain, looks unobtrusive to the room, durable quality, 5 year warranty. The only other one I''d recommend if you don''t want an evaporator type is the Honeywell HWM 450 warm mist.

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First of all, there is no perfect humidifier. Some of us who rely on adding humidity to our houses/rooms for health reasons have been searching for at least a good humidifier for years. Ultrasonics are quiet but even the pricey ones still cause white dust. Steam is quiet but not suitable for bigger spaces. And evaporative, fan driven ones (such as this vornado) tend to be a bit noisey...regardless of what their manufacturers say. AND all types require regular cleaning. All that said this is a good choice for a medium sized room. I''m using it in a large living area well beyond it''s rated capacity and it still adds a good comfort level.

The three speed fan is very quiet on low. The medium and high settings, which are needed to really be effective, will probably bother light sleepers if used in a bedroom.

Maintenance is easy.

Jan 2010 update:

Based on my experience with this humidifier and other reviewers comments I have removed my last comment in this review which stated "recommended". Mine is in it''s second year of seasonal operation but has a noisey motor. Too bad Vornado skimped on this appliance.

March 2011 update: My Vornado humidifier is still working and a little squirt of WD 40 into the motor shaft quiets it down except for the normal fan noise. My adult son, also a allergy sufferer, bought a identical Vornado humidifier and is very happy with it. Recommended again...just be aware you may have to lubricate the motor/fan shaft occasionally.

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I spent a good amount of time researching my options before I purchase this over 1 year ago, and came to the conclusion that this was my best option.

Last week the motor suddenly stopped working last week when I put it into service for the first time this year (a short of some kind as it started smoking). However, it has a 5 year warrantee, so I am about to investigate getting it replaced.

While it worked, I liked enough that I bought a 2nd one for the kids'' room. That 2nd one made an awful racket when I first turned it on, however it was easy enough to get a quick exchange at BBB.

It is quiet enough for me to sleep to and loud enough to provide decent background noise for my wife and puts out plenty of moisture without creating wet spots or dust or difficult to clean residue. Replacement wicks are easy to obtain and all the minerals left behind are in the discarded wick and not cemented to the humidifyer (I hated cleaning our old hot mister evaporater).

I would recommend it, but be prepared to return it for another one.

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