Showing posts with label carbon filters for water. Show all posts
Showing posts with label carbon filters for water. Show all posts

Dr. Woodwell''s Wood Elixir - 8 Oz. Bottle

Dr. Woodwell''s Wood Elixir - 8 Oz. BottleI''ve used this stuff for years (before you could get it on Amazon) on both furniture and antique sewing machine heads. Yes, you heard me right; antique sewing machine heads. It cleans up the finish that sometimes gets filmy. Just be sure to ALWAYS use it according to the directions and ALWAYS in an unseen spot first. I knew of a woman once who was so excited to use it that she put it over a bunch of wood trim in her house, got side-tracked and left it for 24 hours, then blamed the elixer when it ruined the trim. DON''T DO THAT! It is only supposed to stay on for 15-45 minutes.

Just to warn you, the results do vary. I recently used it on a sewing machine cabinet but the finish was already too worn for it to help. However, I then used it on an end table that not only had a nice water ring (thanks, hubby), but was also worn and damaged where a heavy crystal lamp sat on a doily. I think that happened from dusting, then immediately putting the doily and lamp back in place, making it stick to the finish. It cleaned up BEAUTIFULLY!

It uses very little elixer for each project so one 8oz bottle will last you several years (depending on how often you use it, of course).

I was very hopeful it would remove the white marks from my table. However, they are still there. I thought it would take care of the problem but I will keep on looking.

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This came in the other day and I tried it on my dinning room chairs. The finish seems to be getting gummy in spots and dirty looking on the backs; and it shows because they are blond in finish. Well, rubbing it on and wiping it off didn''t work. So, I then used some #00 steel wool and that worked much better. I think that I could use mineral spirits and have it work just as good or better--at much less cost.

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Kwik Sip The Original Drinking Fountain Save 37% Off

Kwik Sip The Original Drinking FountainI''m very satisfied with this "Kwik Sip" adjustable drinking fountain. This product has some features that are not mentioned in advertisement. Here is what really I like about this "Kwik Sip" fountain:

1) Very durable product. Made of metal and strong plastic pieces. You can tell a lot of thought was put into this product.

2) Push the bar/button to the right to get adjustable fountain of water. Push bar/button to left to get regular flow from faucet. The bar/button is not spring loaded. It stays where you pushed it.

3) You can point the stream of water in a full range of left, right and straight up and any where between and it stays there.

4) The stream of water angles towards you into the sink and not back onto the faucet like other non-adjustable fountain devices (see below).

5) You have full control of how high and how far the stream goes. You can reduce it down so if somebody turns the water on full it only squirts an arch into the sink and not beyond. Or you can adjust for tall/long stream. Stream is very adjustable by turning the sleeve where water comes out. Cool thing is if you reduce the stream all the way down the stream is always the same size no matter how much you turn on the water faucet.

6) It comes with multiple inside threaded and outside threaded adapters to fit almost any faucet.

They really put a lot of good thought and engineering into this product.

Here are the products I bought and tried that did not work:

1) "Dreamfarm Tapi Rubber Tap Squeeze Drinking Fountain": Did not fit any of my faucets in the house and shoots water back onto the faucet instead of straight up or towards you. Is NOT adjustable.

2) "Jokari Whale Faucet Fountain": Would not stay on any faucets in my house. Hot water deformed it''s plastic shape permanently.

3) "FLIPPER Faucet Fountain": Would not stay on any faucet in my house. Plastic sleeve in opening is too slippery.

4) "Sink Drink Turns a Faucet Into a Fountain for Your Cat": This would not stay on any faucet.

Believe it or not. I did buy and try all of the above products and Kwik Sip was definitely the best. I HIGHLY recommend you get this "Kwik Sip" fountain or another good one (that I''m not aware of) that screws into the faucet instead of slip on. None of the slip ons I tried slipped off and would not stay on.

Hope this helps!

Dan

Length:: 0:47 Mins

This unit works well, and is nice for those who do not want to have cups and such in their bathroom. I use it every day when I brush my teeth. The only think I notice is it seems to get some particles or something in the fountain part, so sometimes is squirts a little off to the right or left, and sometime when you switch over to the fountain from normal operation it can shoot a little water past the sink bowl. Otherwise, those are very small details, and over all I love not having to place my head under the faucet. I would highly suggest it for the price. The unit was simple to install and only took a minute to put on and adjust!

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It''s cheap. It does what it says. It is easy to install. I will probably get one for the other bathroom as well.

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I''ve used various faucet mounting fountains and this is BY FAR one of the best determined by performance, craftsmanship, durability, and functionality. It stays on the faucet, 80% of it''s body is metal no chincy plastic. Water flow isn''t deturmined by the faucet so that helps prevent over pressuring the fountain and spraying water out of the sink. Once activated users don''t have to hold the device while drinking just a quick flip of a switch. Must buy!

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I bought this to replace our Jokari Whale Faucet Fountain (see my review of that), and this is a MUCH better quality, however, it only works well if your faucet opening points straight up and down vertically. Ours points slightly forward, so adjusting this faucet so that the flow worked was difficult, and it is still not ideal. The faucet goes straight up, for the most part, which is not ideal.

However, that said, the quality of this piece is perfect, It will screw on to any faucet, and the operation is fool proof. There are many ways to adjust the direction and flow of this faucet, too, which is really thoughtful design. All my children operate it with no problems (age 3 and up). It is the perfect gadget for eliminating all sorts of problems: cups everywhere all day (for those of us who like clean counters and table tops for at least some of the time), the need to get your children drinks all the time, especially when they run in on those hot summer days, and it prevented my little ones from putting their mouths on the faucet and jumping up and balancing on the edge of our pedestal sink to do so.

Quite nifty and convenient!

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Hamilton Beach 43254 Ensemble 12-Cup Coffeemaker Save 35% Off

Hamilton Beach 43254 Ensemble 12-Cup Coffeemaker with Glass Carafe, BlackBefore purchasing the HB 43254 Classic Stainless 12 cup coffee maker I read the reviews like I normally do before making any purchase. I decided to purchase this coffee maker knowing that there may be some minor issues with it what doesn''t these days? After many years of buying coffee makers I have found there is no "perfect" coffee maker that will make everyone happy. You just need to decide what is important to you and your family. That said, after about three weeks of use I found it to be exactly what I was looking for it makes HOT coffee, the carafe DOESN''T drip and I didn''t need to use a manual to set up the clock and timer! If this is what you are looking for stop reading and purchase this unit now. Enjoy the coffee maker...

For those that really need to know more before purchasing continue reading:

This coffee maker uses basket shaped filters. So you can give your neighbor your unused cone shaped paper filters you may still have.

The water reservoir does have a rather small opening but it is not too small like some very expensive coffee makers I have seen. Some may find it easier to use a large cup a couple of times to fill the reservoir instead of using the carafe. Either way I never needed to turn the coffee maker sideways to fill the reservoir.

The water spout does swivel to allow you to install the filter and add coffee. You only need to move it once that is if you fill the water reservoir first. When closing the lid it will move the spout back into the proper position so you don''t have to remember to do it yourself.

I too had a defective carafe that leaked at the top between the plastic rim and glass. I called customer service, waited a few minutes, and spoke to someone in the USA. It was replaced within a few days at no charge. I sealed the original carafe until the replacement arrived.

I never had an issue with pouring a cup of coffee using the auto pause and serve feature. Besides, how often do you really "need" to have a cup of coffee before it is done brewing? If you are that desperate, set the timer so it is done brewing before you get up in the morning.

I purchased the Hamilton-Beach coffee maker after reading all its reviews on Amazon, and reviews for other comparably priced appliances. I had owned a Cuisinart coffee maker that died, but had been problematic all along, and I was reluctant to buy another of the same. Most of the H-B reviewers agreed about the product''s benefits and drawbacks. The drawbacks were very few--there are some minor design flaws, but nothing egregious--and reviewers consistently agreed that the H-B made coffee at a very hot temperature and maintained that. That was what sold me on the H-B.

I have owned it for about six weeks now and have not been disappointed. I think the H-B coffee maker offers a good value and good design for its price. It doesn''t have a lot of bells and whistles, but for me that''s an advantage. I don''t want a coffee maker that buys and grinds the beans, fills itself , and makes coffee at precisely 7.45 a.m. Those sorts of appliances have too many flaws, in my opinion (viz. the Cuisinart), too many moving parts (hence things that can go wrong), and too many features that I never use. I would recommend this to anyone who wants a user-friendly appliance at a fair price.

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Keeps coffee hot

Large quantity of coffee

Carafe does not drip

Easy to fill and clean

Easy controls

For $50 I got what I wanted and it works well. No complaints... OK, so it looks a little boring, but I don''t look at it much!

Read Best Reviews of Hamilton Beach 43254 Ensemble 12-Cup Coffeemaker Here

I read all the reviews before purchasing this (at Target) a week ago but decided to give it a try, anyway. I''m returning it today.

My experience was really no different than previous reviewers. On the positive side, the unit looks nice, is easy to use, and does MAKE coffee.

However, major drawbacks/dealbreakers (that do seem to be consistent with this machine):

(1) Makes very weak and not very good coffee more coffee and stronger blends don''t affect this.

(2) Need to let it sit a while for it to be hot enough (in my opinion); not ready right after brewing

(3) If you remove the carafe during brewing (as you should be able to) coffee continues brewing/spills all over

(4) Odd iridescent "presence" in the coffee; presumably plastic-related

(5) Poorly designed. Front of the unit (where all the electric and digital mechanims are) completely covered with condensation after each brew. Similarly, the internal parts of the unit (water, filter) never seems to "dry out".

Bottom line is that a $25 Mr Coffee machine makes MUCH better coffee. Me, I''m planning on paying more to just go for a Cuisinart. (I''m in this situation because my beloved Krups finally went and the current models aren''t as good as the older ones!) FYI, if you''re a one-cup a morning coffee drinker and don''t need to brew larger amounts for company, the Keurig systems make terrific coffee and are very easy to use!

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I don''t remember ever having so much trouble trying to find a quality coffee maker, nor having to buy one so often before the last few years. The things I need are pretty basic: no leaking when coffee is poured, a handle that doesn''t wobble, easy water fill, a way to tell how much water is in the reservoir, no coffee grounds in the pot and coffee that is hot when brewed. Perks are things like a timer and automatic shut-off. To me, that is what a coffee maker is supposed to do, and it amazes me that the manufacturers can''t seem to get this. Sometimes they break down after a year, or just start making a mess on the countertop. Sometimes they have all the bells and whistles, but coffee has to be microwaved to get it hot enough. And sometimes the perks are added to machines that don''t even have all the basics. If you''re sick of the lack of quality too, and are searching for the least awful coffee maker, then good news. The only thing I can''t attest to is how long this Hamilton Beach will last. All the requirements for a good machine are met in this model. The price is excellent and the style is great. The handle is substantial and the pour spout is flawless. Preparation is an ease and the coffee is rich and hot. It has the perks to make life easier, looks great on the counter and makes a wonderful pot of coffee. It took quite a bit of searching, so I hope I can save others some time. This is the one!

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Oasis POU1CCTHS Onyx Countertop POU Hot Cold Water Dispenser Save 31% Off

Oasis POU1CCTHS Onyx Countertop POU Hot Cold Water Dispenser With Convenient Side HlesThis worked and looked great but leaked after 11 months. However we contacted Oasis and they are sending a new one to replace it. This is Grade A+ customer service and I wouldn''t hesitate to purchase one of their products again. We have had other water coolers at our office and when they went bad we got the "you''re out of luck" story from the manufacturers. Go Oasis!

Stephen Weinman, MD

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Big Berkey with (4) 9" British Berkefeld Ceramic SuperSterasyl Water Filters Save 29% Off

Big Berkey with 9'' British Berkefeld Ceramic SuperSterasyl Water FiltersWorks well, looks good, water tastes great! Very happy with this item.

Before you buy, be aware that it is large and heavy. Make sure you have a safe place to keep it so that the spout hangs over the edge of a counter. Berkey makes platform stands for these and has replacement parts on their web site.

Update: After a few weeks, the plastic spout cracked! Maybe someone pushed down too hard on it, but I thought it was a shame that such a nice unit had a cheap spout. I was able to buy replacement spouts and gaskets on the internet for around $10 per set.

Another issue was the gasket started to leak. The seller was helpful and told me to put a drop or two of olive oil on the gasket. This worked after a few tries and it no longer leaks. Bottom line...since this is a preparedness item, it is best to buy one or two replacement spouts and gaskets to keep on hand.

It''s been over 6 months now and other than this, I am still pleased with the unit.

Easy to assemble. Looks Sharp. Works great. The only problem is a user issue. Basically, you have to know how much is in the lower chamber to add the correct amount into the upper chamber or it will overflow out the middle. A small water level indicator on the lower chamber would have been very helpful. Basically I make sure to drain the lower chamber completely before adding water to the upper chamber. Minor problem solved.

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My Big Berkey is by far the best purchase of the season! Took a couple of days for the "ceramic" taste from the ceramic filters to disipate (can be avoided by rinsing the filters thoroughly and wiping with a clean dry lint-free cloth before installing them) but didn''t want to add any contamination by too much handling. My son is the one who told me about the Big Berkey because I have been spending a fortune on bottled water for years. I''ll be saving that money (and saving a landfill, lol) for a better use now. This is far better than any bottled water, and it comes straight from my well. We have extremely hard water with lots of mineral content and sulphur taste and smell so we haven''t ever drank the water except in desperation, but once it has run through the Big Berkey you would never guess it. There is ZERO smell or taste of the sulphur or minerals, and you don''t get that salty taste you find in so many of the bottled waters. Even my husband, the eternal skeptic, is sold on the Big Berkey. You won''t go wrong with this product!

Read Best Reviews of Big Berkey with (4) 9" British Berkefeld Ceramic SuperSterasyl Water Filters Here

Been using this for about four months now. At first it was extremely slow, found out that the filters need to be totally saturated in water for a long time before it will really kick in and get the water through the filters. Something about air displacement. Totally filters smells, clorine, and gives some sweet water out. Will pay for itself in water bottles in the first couple of months. Only frustration is the slow rate of dispensing from the spigot, a bigger one would be great, after a while, several minutes of slow running water, filling bottles from it, well, it makes me squirm. Not sure if that''s the filters problem or not. Great filter in all areas though, would recomend to anyone.

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IMO this is one of the best products on the market and the ceramic filters will last all most forever because of the way you can clean them. So if you need clean water without electricity this is the way to go.

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NEW Rainbow Vacuum Cleaner Water Bowl Latch D3 D4 Se

NEW Rainbow Vacuum Cleaner Water Bowl Latch D3 D4 SeGood quality clip that seems to be original and not a knockoff. Can''t run the vac without it and it works perfect. Easy to install but keep your spring. Some folks won''t send you a new spring.

Easy to replace and worked great. I would reccomend this easy fix to anyone that wants to do repairs themself.

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I have had a Rainbow for over 20 years and needed these replacement parts. This is just what I wanted!

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NEW Rainbow Vacuum Cleaner Water Bowl Latches D3 D4 Se ~ CAN YOU PLEASE TELL ME IF THE THIN WIRE SPRING CLIP COMES ALONG WITH THIS LATCH??

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Kalorik 1000-Watt 12-Cup Programmable Coffeemaker Save 36% Off

Kalorik 1000-Watt 12-Cup Programmable Coffeemaker, Stainless Steel/BlackThis is the third coffee maker I have bought within a year. The first one was a Mr. Coffee which was horrible. Then I got a Sunbeam which, when I unpacked it, looked exactly like the Mr. Coffee except with a different name. I checked with Mr. Google and sure enough they are the same company. It lasted about three weeks before burning out. Consumer Reports recommended this one, so I decided to spend a little more and get a good one.

It looks great and works great. I do have a problem pouring the water into the tank the tank opening is really not big enough and water was getting all over everything. I solved that probem by using a funnel to direct the water. This would have received 5 stars if not for the water problem.

Our coffee maker died unexpectedly so I needed a good one quick. Did a quick search with Consumer Reports and they had Kalorik (never had one of those before) model that was highly rated. After searching Amazon.com, I found it a great price.

It makes a great pot of coffee relatively fast. Only cons would be there is no beep when it is done, and it is tricky to fill.

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Kalorik CM25282SS Stainless-Steel Programmable 12-Cup CoffeemakerI did a quick bit of research on Consumer Reports and found this coffeemaker did receive a good recommendation. I had the carafe handle separate from the actual carafe the 3rd time I filled it up to capacity. The weight of the water caused the handle to break free over the top lip of the carafe. It was a bet of work, but after a phone call and a little email work Kalorik did provide me with a new carafe and they were quite prompt in sending a new one.

My second complaint is there is a continuing plastic smell coming from the internals upon opening the top lid to pour in the water. I thought it might just be me, but I have had several other friend "sniff" my coffeemaker and agree. It has not impacted the taste of the coffee, but the odor continues after 30 plus pots full of coffee.

I am fine with the coffeemaker, but I would probably look at another model if purchasing again.

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I have owned many brands (Mr. Coffee, Cuisinart, BlacknDecker, Sunbeam)and still dream of the perfect machine. I did not notice a plastic taste or smell from the machine on the one delivered to me, and with my (sometimes unfortunate) acute sense of smell, I would have noticed. I did not have a "white film" in my cup, in the pot, or anywhere else. I have used it for four days now. The coffee temperature is not scalding hot, and what I consider to be the perfect temperature out of the caraffe. The coffee is very good, and especially good if using a "coffee snob" freshly ground batch. HOWEVER!!! It is a bit difficult to put the caraffe INTO the unit. The lever that constricts the drip while you pour the coffee while it is still brewing makes it difficult to put the carrafe back into the unit. It removes easily enough, but, it''s a small fight to return it back to the unit. The whole unit moves sometimes before we can work the pot back into the unit, sometimes making it a two handed operation. We are hoping that the lever will loosen with time making the pot easier to place back in, but for now we are willing to keep the coffeemaker.

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I am very diasppointed in this product. I ordered it because it was supposed to be a pretty good machine. After running straight water through it 20 30 times, (way more than the recommended 2-3 times)there is still a white filmy substance that comes out of the coffee maker. Because of this I have sent it back so I can''t say what the coffee would actually taste like. There was no way I would consume something from this after seeing whatever that was come out of it. There was also a problem with the pause and serve feature. The spring that stops the coffee flow so you could pour while coffee is brewing just didn''t sit right making it difficult to replace the carafe correctly. I can only imagine the messes this could lead to and did not want to deal with that.

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Bambu Cork Coffee Cuff Save 8% Off

Bambu Cork Coffee CuffI bought this on a whim, didn''t expect much and was pleasantly surprised. The quality is superb, it feels exactly like soft smooth leather. Stitching and detail is craftsmanlike all around. The inside is actually a denim-like cloth (you can see in one of my pictures), faded blue color. I can''t see this falling apart any more than leather would. Carry it anywhere, in a pocket or wallet. It has a hand strap that I didn''t see mentioned in the product description.

It''s 5" across at the top, 4.5" at the bottom, and almost 3" wide (2.75). That''s my only complaint my hands are probably average to large for a guy, and it seems designed for a small hand or else a woman. It really only protects three fingers; you either have to keep one away from the glass, or make sure you keep your fingers tightly together so it fits all four. If this was only bigger, it would be fantastic. Looks good, works well I made my latte scalding hot and didn''t notice uncomfortable heat coming through. I still give it 5 stars for being so well made.

My wife bought these for me for Christmas to use with my glass pint glasses when I drink tea. They are functional and I love the way they look. They also have this great denim lining on the inside.

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KRUPS XP5240 Pump Espresso Machine Save 47% Off

KRUPS XP5240 Pump Espresso Machine with KRUPS Precise Tamp Technology and Stainless Steel Housing, SilverI''ve had this machine for about two months, now. It makes great espresso, with a nice thick crema. People complaining about crema are often not using the proper beans, or aren''t grinding them immediately before making the espresso. It makes a huge difference.

The auto-tamp filter basket is neat, although I''ve found that it really only works for double shots. To make a single shot of espresso properly, you need to reduce the filter area, so that less water is able to flow with the same amount of pressure. Since the same filter basket is used for single and double shots, single shots do not come out nicely. Since I always make double shots, I''m OK with this, but people that frequently make single shots should be aware of this defect.

Overall, I like the construction and appearance of the machine. It feels solid enough, the drip tray is easy to clean, water container is easy to remove and fill.

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NOW, about the steamer.

The steamer is quite disappointing. It uses the same diameter tip as some of the older machines, like the 4030, but rather then just using a rubber friction grip, it uses a complex plastic doohickey with three tabs that grab onto the flared part of the plastic above the nozzle base. Unfortunately, it''s very unclear how this works when you receive the machine, and the pictorial directions are also not clear, so I managed to snap off one of the tabs within minutes of unpacking the machine. I thought this was my bad, but reading the other reviews, I now see that they''re very prone to breaking.

The wand still attaches part-way with two tabs, but then it sometimes blows off. Again, I thought this was my bad, but now I see that even with three tabs on the wand, it''s still prone to blowing off. This is not bad, especially with piping hot steam and milk to contend with.

For those of you who have stuck with this machine, I''d recommend trying a steaming tip from a 4030. I ended up trying this because none of the parts shops I contacted even knew about the 5240! I was in one store, which had a 4030 on the floor, and I investigate the steaming tip, and found that the base of the nozzle is exactly the same size and shape, but instead of the complex mechanical attachment, it uses a simple rubber-on-rubber grip attachment. So, I purchased one for 8 dollars. It has never blown off the machine in the 3 weeks I''ve had it so far.

However, Krups really needs to address the faulty nature of this product. Perhaps those of us who have purchased the machine and have had issues should get together and contact Krups en masse, and demand that they address the problem. This is supposed to be the latest and greatest model in its class; and it could be, if not for this critical flaw.

I purchased the XP5240 in Nov. ''09. I went against my better judgment in doing so as there were no reviews yet as it was a new model and I had had a Krups Espresso Pronto since 1994 that was showing signs of giving up. So, what could go wrong? Well, let me tell you. Six weeks after I recieved the XP5240 the frothing attachment threads stripped out and another part of the machine started to leak. I took it to the local repair just before Christmas and was told in mid January that it had to be replaced. It then took two more weeks to recieve one from Krups. That machine arrived with the frothing attachment glued on at the threads and one of the 3 clips broken off and a brown colored liquid that came out while priming the machine. Krups asked me to ship it directly to them. They said it was shipped to me from another service center and not them directly. After 3 weeks I called to find out what was wrong with the 2nd machine. I was told that it was being tested. I explained to her that this was a replacement machine that was defective and I wanted a new one. She told me that she would have a supervisor call me. Two days later a supervisor named Pierre called and said that they saw no brownish liquid and had replaced the broken piece and were shipping it back to me. I told him that I wanted my money back and he said that this was all he could or would do for me. Two weeks passed and the machine arrived. About a week later the O ring on the frother dissapeared. Once again I called their customer service number. I was told that they would send me another O ring at no charge as this apparently is not a warranteed part and to expect it in 1-2 weeks. Two weeks passed and nothing. On April 8th I called them only to be told the the O ring is on back order. I asked her if they were going to call me and let me know or if I was just to sit and wait for it. She told me should have another supervisor call me that day or on the 9th. It is now April 12th and no call.

I''ve been able to use this machine for maybe a month out of the last 5 months. I''m glad I kept the 16 year old machine as a back-up just in case this happened. As for loyalty to Krups? It''s gone! Their customer servive is amazingly horrible! My next espresso machine will not be a Krups I''m sorry to say.

---Update: The supervisor called on April 13th. He offered to replace my machine.... again. He said that this problem with the frother is somewhat isolated. I told him that I''d rather have my money back instead of a third machine in 5 months and starting this mess all over. He couldn''t do that. So I shipped back machine #2 on the 14th and ironically the replacement O ring and little piece of threaded plastic arrived the same day. We''ll see if this problem is as isolated as Krups claims it to be.

---Update again: I''m on machine #3 since November ''09. This machine arrived with the threaded piece on the frothing attachment glued on as well. We''ll see how this machine fares.

---Another update: June 23. Well, the frother blows off constantly and has broken. Krups has now offered to send me, after 3 machines and several frothers and countless calls to cust serv, an xp5280. We''ll see how this works.

---THE LAST UPDATE! They sent me xp5220 instead of xp5280. The machine has the same frother and is a cheaper model. I took it to my local dept store and exchanged it for a De Longhi EC702. I love it! After 16 years I no longer am a Krups customer. I think it''s really unfortunate that they have let their product and customer service go down the toilet.

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I really wanted to like this machine. It replaced a Krups I had used daily for more than 6 years that finally ran out of steam ;-) So I ordered this model, and had to send it back because the steaming nozzle (frother) blew apart. I figured it was defective -just bad luck -and replaced it with the same model. This second one worked fine for 3 weeks, but now I''m having the same problem ( and now I see another recent reviewer had the same experience.) This seems to be a design/manufacturing defect. The black plastic piece on the frother that comes apart for cleaning just does not attach tightly enough. The pressure from the steam blows the locking mechanism open.

Too bad. The machine made a great capuccino, was easy to clean, the automatic tamper worked well, and I liked the way it easily ejected the used grounds. I''ve always been a big Krups fan, but was not prepared to give this model a third try.

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We tried a Breville before this Krups machine. We were looking to replace a 20 year old Krups steam driven machine which we also loved. This machine is worth the extra $100 we paid over what we would have spent for the Breville. We purchased from a local store. We paid more but liked the convenience of returning the unit if we did not like it. This Krups machine has some really nice features. It has this "auto tamping" feature that is really nice. The espresso holder is only one unit and you add more or less espresso depending on whether you want a single shot or a double. It has a ratchet system that tamps the grind down and an indicator on the unit determines whether you are compressing for a double or single shot. If you want a single shot you add less and tighten further to the right to match up with the indicator. It is very easy to get used to and eliminates the need for an extra "reducer" part to deal with single shots. The "creama" is there but not exactly thick and not something we care that much about. The unit is easy to clean. The only negative is they supply a rather gimicky measuring scoop and if you use the amount they recommend it comes out too weak and not consistent with the indicator marks on the unit. So we just add more espresso and use a spoon rather than the scoop. We also purchased a nice frothing container from William Sonoma for $15. to replace the container supplied with our old Krups machine. We like this frothing pitcher much better as it has ample supply so the froth does not keep overflowing. This also allows us to get the milk to a much higher temperature. We warm up the mugs in the microwave before we brew and this helps us get a piping hot latte. I have to admit this pump driven machine has some really nice features and the taste is better than the old Krups we had grown to love (no ashy taste whatsoever)... My husband and I both look forward to waking up and having our lattes from this machine every morning. Now if only this one would last another 20 years! Look for my follow-up reviews. One more thing. We also decided to use whole milk for our lattes since the amount of milk we add to get the taste we love is not very much. The extra enjoyment with whole milk is worth it to us!

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We also had a Breville but took it back every year for a replacementseems to be the norm these daysBreville is no longer making this model btw ($399 retail) So we got this Krups and I really like it for all the same reasons as other reviewers. HOWEVER after 10 days the steaming arm would not stay attached properly and the pressure of the steam blows it off which can be dangerous with hot steam coming at you. Very disappointed. WHERE IS A DECENT ESPRESSO MACHINE FOR UNDER $500????

Do not recommend this unitmany others having the same problem.

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Hoover C3820 SteamVac Spotter / Carpet Cleaner Save 50% Off

Hoover C3820 SteamVac Spotter / Carpet CleanerYou will be amazed (and perhaps disgusted) to find out just how dirty your carpets really are after using this unit (even after vacuuming with a "high-end" vacuum cleaner). It REALLY pulls out the dirt. But make no mistake: this is no "miracle worker". If your carpets are soiled with pet stains, you will want to pre-treat stain areas by spraying (and thereafter scrubbng with a scrub sponge) the stained areas with the cleaning solution prior to using the unit. Also, after 3 or 4 months, most pet stains will reappear. This is not a negative reflection on the Hoover cleaner, but more a reflection on the realities (and limitations) of carpets, carpet cleaners, and pet stains. I am not aware of any other carpet cleaner (commercial or non-commercial) that can do any better than this unit, and believe me, I have looked. Further, the performance of the unit will depend on your willingness to clean out pet fur and/or other debris from the filters. As said, it is not a miracle cleaner you have to give it some help by cleaning out the filters so that it can perform at its best. To my knowledge, there is no "miracle carpet cleaner" that ovbiates the need to peform essential basic maintenance on the unit.

This product also wins accolades for not leaking cleaning solution from the primary tank or the recovery tank. It''s a very "tight unit", liquid-wise.

If you want clean carpets, and don''t want to drop $1000 or more on a true "commercial" cleaner, this is the way to go.

After 20 hours of use I am quite pleased with the Hoover c3820 Steamvac carpet cleaner. The c3820 does a good job cleaning my acres of carpets whether I use special detergent, Simple Green, or vinegar. I also like it for spot jobs. The Hoover picks up virtually all of the water so carpets dry quickly. This model is mostly plastic so I wouldn''t want to go any cheaper in the Hoover lineup. I go slowly so I need to empty dirty water and refill the unit once or twice when doing an average-sized room. Calling this "commercial" may be because it''s quick for spot jobs, but it is not quick for big jobs since the tanks are only 1 gallon. The seal on the lid of the dirty water tank can be a problem the unit won''t suck up water unless there is a good seal on the tank lid. I gave up fighting it and now never take off the dirty tank lid. I pour out the dirty water through the slit on top. The unit does not come with a stair cleaning attachment. When I feel strong I do lift the unit and use it on stairs it''s similar to lifting and using a full-size vacuum cleaner on stairs.

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Machine worked flawlessly for first six months with little parts cleaning maintenance. Then, after about 6-8 months, the suction died. I took it apart, cleaning and looking for obstructions, finding none. With recovery tank removed, the suction is powerful coming directly from vacuum engine port. Once recovery tank was replaced, all gaskets inspected, nozzle cleaned and lid on securely, there was still scant suction. This is a design problem that needs to be fixed. Thank goodness I bought from COSTCO with the always return policy with a full refund. I''ll try a different model or manufacturer for this as next step. Bottom line: If you can get from COSTCO and replace as necessary not minding the hassle factor, it''s a good choice. If purchased anywhere else, try another model or manufacturer

Read Best Reviews of Hoover C3820 SteamVac Spotter / Carpet Cleaner Here

SPT SD-40E Energy-Star 40-Pint Dehumidifier Save 25% Off

SPT SD-40E Energy-Star 40-Pint DehumidifierThe SPT SD-40E Energy Star 40 Pint Dehumidifier needs some assembly if you wish to use the continuous drain option. Connecting a garden hose to the back of the unit is not for the faint of heart. The garden hose can be connected to an exterior port but the port is connected the internal drain, over the bucket, by a flimsy plastic tube that is fitted to the drain and the exterior by friction fit. The supplied connector for the garden hose needs to be attached to the body of the dehumidifier but no hardware (small screws for plastic, one supposes) is supplied for this task. If the garden hose in not sufficiently tight the dehumidifier will leak water onto the floor. If you tighten the garden hose enough to get a good seal without securing the connector to the body of the dehumidifier then you risk dislodging the internal friction fit over the bucket. All this could have been avoided if the drain over the bucket was threaded for a garden hose. Then you could thread the garden hose inside body of the dehumidifier and secure it directly to the internal drain.

If you need a small-footprint dehumidifier, I strongly recommend. This "no-name" is actually a Danby I believe; or else, it''s an exact copy as far as I can detect! I previously had a Danby, with great results. I use it in the basement and leave it on continuously. The continuous operation feature comes with a short plastic tube which makes connection to a garden hose easy.

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I purchased this Dehumidifier to use in the Bathroom as i have no window and the fan is inadiquate for the purpose of drying out the room after shower usage,for the price and for my needs, i was going to get the smaller unit, but for a few dollars more decided on the SD-40E, What a machine works very well down to 30% RH,Well recommended, Does what its supposed to do! Easy to run and empty, Cant go wrong nice machine. Thanks J.B.

Read Best Reviews of SPT SD-40E Energy-Star 40-Pint Dehumidifier Here

Have had the unit for month or so, worked right out of the box. Fan is a bit louder than anticipated. Is marketed as 40-pint, which equates to 5 gallons, however this is misleading, the water collection reservoir is not 5 gallons, doesn''t even equate to 1 gallon. Appears that if you dump frequently enough then the unit has the "capability" of removing 40 pints of water from the air per day. Am satisfied with the unit''s operation, just felt misled about the reservoir size.

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I''ve been using this product going on 2 months in my small condominium apartment in permanently-humid South Florida. I empty it manually. It has a readout of the atmospheric humidity and you can set it to the desired target. No complaints whatsoever. Try it!

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Brondell S1000-EW Swash 1000 Advanced Bidet Elongated Toilet Seat Save 37% Off

Brondell S1000-EW Swash 1000 Advanced Bidet Elongated Toilet Seat, White
  • Posterior and feminine endless warm water washes
  • Dual stainless steel positionable nozzles with wide spray
  • Ergonomic gentle-closing heated seat with quick release
  • Wireless remote control with warm air dryer and deodorizer settings
  • Ships in Certified Frustration-Free Packaging
  • Gentle closing seat and lid

This is my personal and honest review of the Swash S-1000 Toilet Seat Bidet. After searching high and low, and researching and reading everything I cld find on EVERY toilet seat bidet out there, I chose the Swash 1000. It''s too bad you can''t "try before you buy" with these things. Maybe my choice would have been different in the end. I almost bought the Coway BA-13. Def worth you checking out. So, that''s why I wanted to write a comprehensive review on the Swash S-1000 for ppl. There just aren''t many solid and detailed reviews out there on these things. So I hope this helps you in your search for one of these.

First a little bit about me. I am a 41 y/o male, and my main reason for buying one of these was for myself. More on that in my review. The 2nd reason was for my 4 y/o dghtr. She''s been toilet trained for almost 2 years now, but still doesn''t always wipe herself well enough down there when she''s at school, and ends up with a very bad and sore/irritating rash down there. So I wanted her to always be able use the seat to get herself totaly clean whenever she "goes". We have her use it to clean off w/e she may have missed from going to the bathroom at school everyday as well. 3rd reason was for my wife. Not for after doing #1. That''s too much of a hassle. But mainly during her "friends" visit. AKA "that time of the month". So,...on to the review.

I''ll start out with the cons/negs first. For you ladies out there, I hate to break it to you, but...this seat WILL NOT reach you well enough in your frontal area unless you can uncomfortably skoot all the way to the back of the toilet seat, and lean forward. Luckily here, my wife is a workout queen so that''s not a problem, but for some women, that may not be so easy.

To the makers of the Swash...I understand that you only have so much room for the wands to extend out based on the depth of the back of the toilet seat housing, but honestly, is it that big-a-deal to make telescoping wands that cld more than easily extend ALL THE WAY OUT to where any person wld need them to be in order to wash comfortably? You know, wands that will collapse into themselves in a couple of sections for extended reach but will also fit all the way back into the housing. I mean come on! This aint rocket science. Especially if a dummy like me can come up with the idea. LOL I mean this is a $1000 toilet seat (based on MSRP) we''re talking about here. Yeesh! To me, that''s is a big negative. A major design flaw. Swash, PLEASE steal my idea and make/design both wands with a scoping feature. The whole purpose of the seat is to TOTALLY clean you, back to FRONT. In fact, as much as I like the dedicated wands for each clean up chore, I''m sure that with a scoping wand, you''d only need one wand as opposed to two, thus saving on the cost of production as well as the cost to the consumer.

Secondly, with my dghtr. The weight sensors in the front of the seat will not recognize her sitting on it. This now requires my wife to go in there and push down on the inside front part of the toilet seat, and me to work the remote for it to clean her. Now I realize that the sensor is a safety feature, and it''s a good one at that, but my dghtr weighs 42lbs. Certainly someone weighing more than say 30lbs should be recognized by the seat sensor as a person "in use". Not a big thing to complain about, but a problem none the less. And for anyone else who has the same idea of using it on your children as we did, (especially if you have multiple little ones) will find it to be none too fun. It will get old real fast having to deal with that.

So, I can honestly say that those are the two "MAIN" negatives with the seat. Minor things wld be to have a completely back lit remote feature for night time usage. It stinks to have to turn the lights on to see the thing. It''d also be nice if the seat itself had a nite lite feature on it. It does have nice little function lights that are lit up on it, esp the blue eco-mode light. But a dedicated nite lite wld have been a great little addition to match a lighted remote. But that''s nitpicking. So, now it''s time for the POSITIVES. = )

As I stated, the purchase of this seat was MAINLY for me. You see, I have severe Ulcerative Colitis. For those who don''t knw wht that is, it''s a serious colon disease. For me, I use the bathroom between 25 40 times a day. That is NOT a typo. You read it right. Depending on what I eat during the day I cld be on this thing up to 40 times. A little milk or ice cream and I''m doomed. Anyone out there with Collitis or Chrone''s or Diverticulitis or IBS knws all too well wht I am talking about. I say all this because IMHO, if you''re only going to use your toilet a cpl times a day, I really don''t think a $300-$600 plus dollar toilet seat bidet is worth the investment. If however, money isn''t tight, and you can afford it, then go for it. Because even those few times that you do put it to use, you will find yourself LOVING it. And if you''re going a lot more frequently, or have some type of gastro-intestinal disease...it''s a "MUST HAVE". An absolute "GOD SEND", LITERALLY!

Having the Swash for almost 2 months now I can say that this seat has been awesome for me. No more using a a roll and a half to 2 rolls of toilet paper per day. And at 69-79 cents a roll now-a-days, the savings are considerable. For me that''s a potential savings of $250 to $350 a year right there! It''s like an investment that will pay for itself in 2 to 3 years. Not to mention the fact of NO more awful rashes and that sandpaper feeling with every wipe. NO more dirty feeling, like you need to take a shower 5 times a day, just to name a few things. As I said, it''s been a God send for me. The seat gets me totally clean, EVERYTIME! As for drying yourself...I have found that if you use the dryer feature alone, it''ll take forever to get dry. So wht I do is take the toilet paper and just pat (NOT wipe) myself dry to get the heavy water off, using 2-3 wads of paper. Then I dry myself with the dryer (which has 3 temp as well as 3 speed settings) for 20-30 seconds, and I''m perfectly clean and dry. At least 80% less paper used! = )

There are alot more awesome features on the seat as well. First, no cheap plastic washing wands. Nice rust free stainless steel here. That''s definitely the best way to go if you buy one. SS, you can''t beat it for quality, longevity, and cleanliness. It also has oscilating wands, meaning they go back and forth while they clean. Truly a great feature that you will appreciate. It also has a width adjustment for the water stream that you can use and adjust WHILE it''s cleaning you. It can blast a stream at you, a medium width fan spray, or a nice wide spray. That''s my personal fav. ; ) The water pressure from the wands can also be adjusted from low to high water output. Also with the internal ceramic heater element, you NEVER run out of nice hot water. I''ve used the water stream for 5 minutes without it running out just to test it. It''s a great feature to have as opposed to the water resevoirs that will give you warm water for about 45 seconds. It takes longer than that to wash yourself clean. I mean why buy a cleaning seat if you''re not going to get 100% clean? There are also 3 different temp settings for the water so everyone can find a comfortable heat setting.

Also, being up here in New England with our freezing winter temperatures, it''s a great feeling to sit down on a nice pre-heated toilet seat. Esp in the middle of the night when you have your heat turned down to save some $$$ and it''s chilly in the house. The seat is so warm and comfortable, hec, it''s down right inviting! LOL It also has 4 temp settings. Completely off, then a cool temp setting for summertime (no sweating), medium heat, and extra warm. It''s also great that the seat has the gentle close feature. Especially for the kids, and guests. You don''t want your seat to be accidentally slammed down, jarring all the inner workings and electronics in your toilet seat. It won''t last long for sure. And don''t forget the fact that those accidental late night slams sometimes have you ducking and dodging slippers being thrown at your head from an angrily awoken significant other person. I''d be remiss if I didn''t mention that. LOL

Well,...I appologize for the length of this review, but I really wanted to be as comprehensive and informative as possible to help you with your purchase. $600. is a lot of money to spend on a toilet seat. You def want to be happy with such an expensive purchase. So, all in all, the Swash has some truly great as well as addicting features, and aside from a few negatives, I would DEFINITELY recomend the Swash S-1000 Toilet Seat Bidet to you, and would in fact myself buy it again. Now, as I stated at the begining of my review, there may be a better seat out there, I don''t know. Honestly, the Coway BA 13 was the other seat that I narrowed my exhaustive search down to, and almost bought. It''s one that you shld seriously consider too. As I said...I wish you cld try before you buy, becuase if the Coway can reach a womans'' frontal area better...I''da chosen that one because it has the same features as the Swash does. So def give that a look too. Hope this was helpful to you all. God Bless and good luck to you in your search for "bathroom bliss". = )

5/16/12 Product Update...

Well, it''s been over a year and a half since I bought my Swash 1000, and I thought it would be a beneficial addition to the review if I gave a little "Quality" update to let you know how the toilet seat is performing. Well, the seat is performing PERFECTLY. There is not a single thing wrong with the seat. Nothing is broke or has stopped working on it. It has performed flawlessly. And believe me, my toilet seat probably has the equivelant of 10 years of "normal" usage on it with my stomach ailment. This has been a tremendous value and investment for me. I really can''t say enough good things about the Swash.

I have also recommended it to a lot of people. Even a few people at work. One guy weighs 4oo lbs and really can''t clean himself well enough back there. And another guy at work who was collecting money for a charity raffle for his friend who was in an accident, and is almost a quadrapolegic. I say almost because he has very "limited" use of his right arm. I don''t know if that family ended up buying one, but what a great way to be able to properly clean someone in that type of physical condition. #1-The person doing the cleaning doesn''t have to hurt themselves trying to clean the person right. And #2-I think you''d give a real feeling of self respect to the person who needs to be cleaned. Thus saving them a lot of constant embarassment. To me, that''s the most important thing of all.

So, for all those wondering about the potential longevity of this seat, I can honestly say that this thing has more than just lived up to my expectations. It has by far and away surpassed them. And as I stated, with the demands I put on my seat, it will definitely last you for years to come as well.

Well, I hope this little update will provide some additional help for you all. Any questions, feel free to ask in the comments section.

Buy Brondell S1000-EW Swash 1000 Advanced Bidet Elongated Toilet Seat Now

I luv my swash....I must admit that I never heard of this thing until a friend told me about it.I even installed it myself with just a pair of pliers and screwdriver! I''m not a home maintenance kind of girl but this was easy! The remote is amazing as it controls all the functions and it mounts anywhere with the included sticky tape or you can use the screws also. You can adjust the temperature of the seat,the water temp,the width of the spray and how long you want the dryer to breeze your butt. I use the oscillating feature so that it washes both my areas. The dryer is nice but I have to run it through 3 cycles(6 minutes) to completely dry me,so I just use a small piece of tissue to dry myself.,so they need to improve on that feature.The deodorizing fan is a nice touch as well. The water nozzle will clean itself by pressing the sterilize button on the remote.And if you have any questions,just click on my name and my addy is on my profile.And lastly,when you receive your swash,you may notice water dripping from the unit. After reading the manual,it details that the unit is tested with water prior to shipping.

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I''d given up looking for a bidet seat years ago when we stumbled on the Swash in of all places, a bedding store. It is far far better than a traditional one-function European style bidet and space is not needed for another commode.

It is great for someone with reaching problems due to a bad back and a snap to use and get used to. You will probably need a plumber if you aren''t handy and have trouble bending. I''d suggest an electrician if you don''t have a GFI receptacle real close to the commode. It requires 1500 watts, so a dedicated circuit may be in order.

The upgrade to the biscuit color is a bit pricey at + $100.00, but who cares! Last but not least, Brondell has the best service department I''ve ever dealt with. We had a minor problem with ours and a replacement was immediately shipped to us along with pre-paid return shipping.

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I''ve purchased both the Brondell Swash 1000 and the AMDM Intelliseat offered here on Amazon but also from Costco:

AMDM IntelliSeat The Ultimate Bidet Electronic Toilet Seat w/ Remote ISB200 Washlet White

The Swash 1000 and the Intelliseat have similar features, except the Swash has a few more. However, the Swash 1000 costs three times as much as the Intelliseat. Here''s a brief comparison between the two bidet seats based on my experiences. Please bear with me as the review is very lengthy, but I hope it''ll help you make an informed decision if you''re stuck between the Swash and the Intelliseat.

Installation: The installation process was very similar between the Swash and the Intelliseat, and shouldn''t take more than 30 minutes. Both use a T-valve hooked onto your toilet''s water supply to feed water into the bidet, but there are differences. The Swash''s T-valve is a 7/8" connection that fits between the fill valve connection under your toilet tank and the water supply hose. This greatly eliminates the probability that you''ll need to get additional adapters because fill valves connections are almost always 7/8", and you simply hook up the water supply hose to the T-valve, and the T-valve over the fill valve connection. The Intelliseat''s T-valve fits between the water supply hose and the water supply valve from your wall. The Intelliseat''s T-valve is made to fit over 3/8" or 1/2" if you use the included conversion nut, but I ended up having to shop for another conversion nut because the one that came with the seat didn''t fit. Also, the Intelliseat''s T-valve bottlenecks the water going to my toilet, so now the toilet fills a little more slowly. Not that big of a deal, but Swash''s connection is well thought-out and much less of a hassle. Winner: Swash 1000

Nozzles: Both have two nozzles, one for back wash (for your butt) and one for front wash (for your lady parts). However, the Intelliseat has one plastic wand with both nozzles, while the Swash has separate stainless steel wands for each nozzle. Stainless steel is generally accepted as being more hygienic and resistant to bacteria than plastic, and the separate wand for front and back wash also seems more hygienic. Winner: Swash 1000

Nozzle cleaning: The nozzles on both seats have a self-cleaning rinse before and after each wash cycle, and you can also run the self-cleaning rinse manually. However, the Swash boasts a "silver oxide nanoparticle treatment" when you hit the "Sterilization" button on the remote. I''m not really sure how it works or what it does because it just looks like a self-cleaning rinse when I activate it, but I do know that silver oxide has antibacterial properties, so that''s comforting. Winner: Swash 1000

Adjustable spray strength and position: Both seats have adjustable spray strength and position. The Swash''s spray covers a wider area, is aerated, and the spray width can be also be adjusted. It feels like a showerhead spray. The Intelliseat has a more concentrated and powerful single stream, but the spray width cannot be adjusted. The Intelliseat is pretty capable of probably giving you an enema on its strongest setting, but I find that the Intelliseat generally sprays stronger than it needs to. Winner: Swash 1000

Sweeping spray function: Both seats have a mode that sweeps the spray back and forth to cover more area, except on the Swash, it''s called "Move", and on the Intelliseat, it''s called "Oscillate". Both work about the same. Tie: Swash 1000, Intelliseat

Adjustable water temperature: Both have adjustable water temperature. The Swash 1000 has a tankless ceramic on-demand heater, which means the Swash won''t run out of heated water, and you won''t have to wait for the water to be heated. The Intelliseat has a heated reservoir system, so it is possible to run out if the seat is being used a lot, and it''ll use up power to keep the reservoir warm. I''m fine with the room temperature setting here in Southern California, but some people like warmer sprays. Winner: Swash 1000

Heated seat: Again, being in SoCal, I don''t really need a warmed seat, but the option is nice and both seats can either keep the toilet seat warm, or warm it up as soon as someone''s butt sits on the seat. Tie: Swash 1000 & Intelliseat

Slow-closing seat and lid: Both models perform pretty well, with extremely silent closing. However, when the seat and lid are closed, you can sit on the Swash''s lid, but you can''t on the Intelliseat''s. Not a big deal for me, since I don''t sit on my toilet unless I need to poop, but the option is there. Winner: Swash 1000

Heated air dryer: Both seats have a heat-adjustable air dryer, and they''re more or less the same on both seats. You''ll still need a few squares of toilet paper to pat dry, so it won''t completely dry your butt for you. Tie: Swash 1000 & Intelliseat

Remote: Both have battery-operated remotes. The Swash uses two AAAs, the Intelliseat uses three AAAs. I''ve read that the Intelliseat chews through batteries really quickly, but the Intelliseat has a more informative remote. Both seats have LED indicators for seat temperature and water temperature, but only the Intelliseat has spray strength and position indicators. It''s a tough call, but the Intelliseat''s remote seems more useful, even though you''ll have to change out the batteries more often. Winner: Intelliseat

Deodorizer: The Swash sucks up air from the bowl and passes it through some carbon filters. It actually works pretty well at keeping poopy smells at bay, as long as you remember to hit the deodorize button on the remote when you''re sitting on the toilet making poopy smells. The Intelliseat has no such feature. Winner: Swash 1000

Appearance: The Swash is 15" wide, 20.8" long, and 5.66" high. The Intelliseat is 19.4"wide, 20.6" long, 7.28" and high. Both are pretty bulky add-ons to a toilet, but at least the Swash is a little more compact and sleeker. Winner: Swash 1000

Price: This will probably be the deciding factor for most people. The Swash 1000 currently retails for $600 here on Amazon and at most places on the web, and the Intelliseat retails for $200 at Costco (though I got mine for $150 because of a promotion at the time) and $240 here on Amazon. Costco also has an amazing lifetime return policy. The Brondell only has a three-year limited manufacturer''s warranty, and costs at least three times as much as the Intelliseat. Winner: Intelliseat

Overall, the Swash 1000 wins out over the Intelliseat in terms of features, but if you''re on the fence about getting a bidet, I would recommend you go to Costco and get an Intelliseat. The Intelliseat is only 1/3 of the Swash 1000''s price, and Costco backs you with a lifetime return policy in case you don''t like it or if it breaks. If you have a little more to spend and want more features, go with the Swash 1000. But in any case, getting either seat will bring you to a whole new level of post-poop freshness and hygiene.

Save 37% Off

I am a huge fan of Brondell as my wife and I have had the swash 800 for about two years now. If you are reading this then you already have some thoughts about the benefits of a washlet. As others have said, you only really miss the washlet when you travel (so true) but getting our second washlet has shown us the amazing changes that Brondell has come up with in the past two years and holy cow is it amazing!! Every part of it is so much better than the 800. From the t-valve connecter to the mounting hardware, the seat''s design, the electronics, the nozzles, everything! The adjustability of the nozzles seems like a small thing but it really isn''t. It''s a huge improvement. The charcoal air filter is another big improvement (you can figure out why :-). Most importantly, the customer service from everyone at Brondell is top-notch. We had a few issues (nothing worth noting) and customer service did not stop until we were completely satisifed. Get a washlet and get the Brondell. The money? Worth it! Big savings in t-paper but more-so for the personal cleanliness. It is a civilized product.

Verilux CleanWave Sanitizing Light Wand Combo Pack NEW

Verilux CleanWave Sanitizing Light Wand Combo Pack NEWWe got these wands and wanted to test them out someway because it''s hard to see something work that is supposed to get rid of what you can''t see.

We read that the UV lights are supposed to kill mold, so we put the light right over some mold in the shower and left it there. This is a littlbe bit of mold that we''ve tried to get off for a long time.

We came back and scrubbed the mold the next day (forgot to do it the same day), and the mold came right off.

I heard New York is using UV light to sanitize water, and I know some pools are using it too. I''ve also seen a cool gadget for hikers that kills bacteria/viruses in drinking water using UV light. So, even though I really can''t "see" it working, I think it does help especially for computer keyboards, phones, etc.

As other reviewers have mentioned this can be a big pain in the tookus to use. I did spend the LONNNNNNNNNNG time going over my mattress with it and noticed a marked improvement in my asthma. I would not use this for hard surfaces tho. It''s perfectly safe and everything, but I have a life to lead. I''m glad to have it on hand so I can disinfect soft surfaces or things like that, but really if you have a family (which I don''t) and a sick or vulnerable person in it.... you probably have more to do than passing this wand verrrrrrrrrry slowly over everything you own.

I am really glad I got it for the bedding tho. My sinuses are much better for sure. When you sleep you are at your most vulnerable to your allergies and asthma. But make no mistake, you are going to be stood holding this thing over your bed for a WHILE.

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I CAN BREATHE AGAIN!! NO JOKE!!

I reluctantly bought this thing as a last resort due to the issues and problems that I had with breathing horribly at my house to almost Asthmatic symptoms.

I could not understand how a very fit guy like me could not breathe or sleep right, even on my Tempurpedic bed when at home ( I had no problem breathing outside or at the gym!)

After reading mostly great reviews and some horrible 1 star reviews on Amazon, I took a chance and bought this thing with Both large Wand and portable wand.

I CAN CLEARLY TELL YOU, THIS THING WORKS!! Directions are to have the bulb close as possible to bed/carpet/kitchen/etc and NOT more than 1/2" above the surface to get maximum effect of cleaning... the longer you cover the area, slowly waving across, the better it works obviously.

The first thing I did was MY BED and Room''s Carpet (basically everything)

About a minute after, I can smell like a sanitized smell, as if I washed my blankets with bleach or something , THAT''S ALL THE DUSTMITES, FLEA EGGS, BACTERIA, AND H1N1 STUFF BEING DEAD!! What''s funny is that it doesn''t even look or seem like it''s working when you''re just ridiculously waving this wand across with this small bulb that''s supposed to magically kill bacteria.

The night that I slept after the treatment, I slept very well but shorter of 7hours, and actually woke up refreshed!

Before this I would sleep 9 or 10 hours still wake up groggy: I could only attribute this to my breathing in Dustmites, Bacteria, Flea Eggs, etc or I don''t know what throughout the whole night sleeping that had badly impacted my sleeping pattern, that I''ve had all this time prior to getting this thing.

Bare in mind, that I''ve read some kids get bloody noses from bad/unknown infestations. I just used to get the worst sleep and sometimes could not wake up properly. You want proof?? I just looked this up on Youtube under:

My Fox News 8 Deal or Dud?: Verilux CleanWave UV Wand

They basically confirmed my personal test findings.

MY TAKE on THE BAD REVIEWS HERE:

Unless some of the 1 star reviews here are coming from a wand with a broken UV-C bulb or from a cleaning product company''s trying to prevent the public to find out about this product or they basically have a personal maid''s cleaning their sheets and rooms on a daily basis or they basically live in a hospital, then this product is not for you. But for a normal guy like me who never worried about dustmites, pet dander/fleas eggs, or bacteria on bed, I can tell you that I am a convert. THIS THING WORKS!

If I had to pick a downside, I wish the rechargeable battery lasted longer on the big wand (It lasts up to 30 minutes after the first full charge)

After that, it relatively gets recharged pretty quickly with its AC cord, maybe 30 to 45minutes ( I didn''t check exactly)

With the portable wand, you want to invest on some good rechargeable NiMH AA batteries (four of them) with a charger, but again it doesn''t last that long. Maybe get another set of batteries...

I also do not know how long, or relative life expectancy of the UV-C bulb but hopefully it last 1000''s of hours like a LED bulb or something.

The only way I can put it is, INVEST in this device for your health. You won''t regret it.

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The product came intacted no damage. The little one has a sticker to remind to take out batteries during non-use. The big one come a timer to help a person be aware of how long they have held over an object. They both come with a safety feature to turn off when turned up. I bought this as an added way to clean the bottom shoes, tooth brushes, pillows, laptop key boards and other objects that are to use cleaning material on. I bought this also, to help clean my cpap machine. I have to still flush the machine out with water, but this is just more added protection.

A person got sick from somewhere and their cold was very mild and no one else got sick.

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This could be a great little tool for disinfecting doorknobs, faucet handles, TV remotes and such when traveling BUT how do you know it works? We put our faith in the manufacturer''s claims and use it mostly in motel rooms.

They are light and easy to use and don''t put much demand on the batteries. If effective they are a boon for travelers who want protection from whatever germs the previous occupants (and housekeeping staff) left behind.

The only problems we found were that you have to move slowly and their eye protection feature doesn''t let you do the underside of fixed objects like faucet handles and door knobs (the unit shuts off when you rotate it from vertical orientation).

Overall we recommend this for health-concious travellers.

Gutter Cleaner Applicator and Pad: Soft Reusable Outdoor Home Improvement

Gutter Cleaner Applicator and Pad: Soft Reusable Outdoor Home ImprovementI AM SURE IT WOULD WORK ON GUTTER, HOWEVER I USED IT FOR CLEANING MY BEAMS ON POOL SCREEN.

HOWEVER I HAD TO MAKE MY OWN HOLDER AND USED THE SWIVEL ATTACHEMENT ON THE DEVICE I MADE UP AND IT WORKED.

Hamilton Beach 40540 Brew Station 40-Cup Coffee Urn Save 36% Off

Hamilton Beach 40540 Brew Station 40-Cup Coffee Urn, SilverThis urn is supremely functional, with no bells and whistles. It advertises brewing times of 45 seconds per cup, but I''ve found that it''s closer to the minute per cup advertised by other models: you''ll buy back very little setup time with this model (heating 2 gallons of water took 35 minutes for example). Plus, like all other coffee urns, this one sings its moany little song while brewing, so if there''s a chance it might be a distraction, you''ll need to plug it in ahead of time so it''s done brewing by the time the main event occurs, or you''ll need to brew in another room and move it to the buffet table once it''s hot. The one-handed dispensing works fine if the cup being dispensed into is solid, like a coffee mug, but common sense is confirmed that paper cups are not sturdy enough to depress the button without collapsing. In order to dispense one-handed with a paper cup, you have to push the button with your knuckles, which puts your fingers in the path of potentially hot liquids. Finally, and this is something that there''s no way to know before reading the owner''s manual, there''s a little strainer right above where the liquid comes out. The owner''s manual warns not to tip the urn while dispensing in order to prevent clogging of this strainer with coffee grounds. That''s all well and good, except that due to the placement of the dispensing nozzle, the coffee becomes inaccessible when the level goes below about 10 cups--that''s 1/4 of the total brew for a full pot!! It''s this waste factor that resulted in the 4 stars instead of 5. For its price, it''s a tidy little machine--the nozzle is particularly good at preventing drips. However, I''d rather clean up dribble from a lower-placed nozzle than have to find a way to decant 10 cups of coffee.

I just made delicious coffee for a crowd with this. I have never made percolator coffee. I think I put in too much coffee but it came out very well. I got a 13 oz can of some sort of smooth & mellow decaf coffee from Trader Joe''s and I got it very coarse ground. I used the whole can for a full urn of water (up to the 40 mark). I read that you use 1 pound for 2 gallons of water as a catering standard. The urn is about 80% of 2 gallons, so 13 oz seemed right. It was more than the directions for the urn, but I decided to wing it. I''m really glad that I did! It was excellent, even a couple of hours later. The keep warm setting is great and the coffee is nice and hot and NOT overdone. I would recommend that you get a light-medium roasted coffee and grind it coarsely in the store.

My husband asked me to save the rest, which he never does when I get the Peet''s catered coffee, so it is sitting in the fridge ready to make iced coffee!

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We purchased this unit from Bed Bath & Beyond as a replacement to the Hamilton Beach 40515 (HB) coffee urn (which was better in our opinion).

This unit looks pretty, and it holds >40 cups of water just as the HB did, but instead of being tall and slim, it is a short and fat unit.

The cup dispenser uses a pressure-release mechanism rather than a lift valve which at first glance seemed better because we can just put pressure on it with the coffee cup in hand rather than lifting a latch, but we were mistaken. The unit''s pressure dispenser is placed at an angle, so it only dispenses full force when the bottom of the dispenser is pressed; when placing the coffee against the top of the unit, nothing comes out.

The problem with this is that the unit is so short, nothing larger than the small coffee cups will fit under the unit to allow it to dispense. This is a problem since most of our coffee cups are not the small ones. If you can fit the coffee cup under the dispenser to get it to dispense, you also have to be careful because unlike the spout-type dispensers, if you''re not careful and there is not a sufficient amount of water in the unit, you''ll knock it over and burn everyone around you including yourself when you reach to touch the burning hot unit with your bare hands to prevent it from falling and spilling.

Other than that, there is no way to see how much water is left in the unit, and the first day after using it with guests, it ran out of water and burned the bottom. Were there an indicator, we would have seen that we were running low on water and the bottom wouldn''t have burned, possibly damaging the unit. Other units have either an indicator where you can see the water level, and others even have an automatic shut-off when the water level gets low and this unit has none of these features.

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We sell organic coffee at the local farmer''s market on Saturday morning, so I bought two of these so I would not have to brew continuously with my small coffee makers. They started out great, I agree with the other reviewers that the finish on this could be better and it does get scratched up and discolored. I also agree that the dispenser is not that great and causes many people to struggle to get their cup of coffee. The pots do heat up quickly, and it does take about a minute per cup for the pot to brew which is not as quick as Hamilton Beach boasts, but it makes a decent cup of coffee.

My main complaint is that after about 8 uses, one of my pots suddenly stopped perking. It would keep the coffee warm, but it would not perk (make) the coffee. I called Hamilton Beach and they replaced the pot (and charged me $7.95 to ship it back to me!) and I thought GREAT! Back to two pots we''re in business again! Not for long because I swear (NO JOKE!) the Saturday after my new pot arrived back from Hamilton Beach, the OTHER coffee urn went out! I am back down to working with one coffee pot and quite frankly due to my past experiences I have NO idea when this new pot will decide to give out! I have decided that I am going to replace the pots with a different brand because I depend on those pots working, and these are anything but dependable.

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Functions well, heats quickly, but I don''t care for the aluminum, the inside discolors. Stainless steel would be better but would jack up the price substantially. I only bought it for holidays so its fine, but if I were going to use it more frequently, I''d opt for a better quality stainless.

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Hunter 3.5 Gallon CareFree Plus Humidifier

Hunter 3.5 Gallon CareFree Plus Humidifier with PermaWick Filter, 34357We bought one of these Hunter humidifiers a few years ago. I liked the big tank, low-maintenance and no consumables (no wicks or filters to buy). The only problem was, as others have mentioned, that often when it switched off, a gallon or more of water would promptly dump onto my floor. I finally called Hunter to complain about it, and I have to say I''m incredibly impressed with their customer service, and with the simple fix (new design for the tray) which appears to fix the problem completely. This is now a very competent humidifier, and we''re really happy with it. You won''t see a cool plume of water vapor spewing from this unit, but it does work really well, and it''s very easy to keep clean (just throw parts of it in the dishwasher, and use vinegar and water to de-calcify the other parts).

For those who are shopping for a humidifier, you first have to decide what''s important to you. For me, the ultrasonic ones are a no-go because they spew white powder all over my room (mineral dust from our hard water). The hot steam ones are a no-go because they get all nasty from bacteria, fungi, etc. I don''t want to breathe that stuff in. And while the fan is far from silent, we actually like it at night, it''s a nice gentle drone that helps lull us to sleep.

Nice job, Hunter, on fixing the original design flaw, and on supporting the product so well.

I bought two of these Hunter humidifiers at the same time, and they did a good job of humidifying a 2000 square-foot house (1 upstairs; 1 downstairs). It seems like they operated non-stop during 4 very dry winters. Both units had similar problems during their 4-year lifetimes, but my issues weren''t specified in the manufacturer''s warranty so I never pursued replacement or repair. Since my cost-per-year (based on total purchase price) was $20/unit, I simply treated them as "disposables" and discarded them after the 4th year. This Fall I''ll decide whether to replace both with the same models or choose a competitor product.

This is not a "cool-mist" humidifier -it is an evaporative unit with a fan. The motor turns the fan and also drives a simple plastic impeller pump that circulates the water. There is a float connected to a power switch that will turn the unit off when the water level in the pan is low. My problems: both NiteGlow lights stopped working prior to the end of the 1st winter. I had assumed that the units would use a long-life LED, but that obviously wasn''t the case. During the 2nd winter, I had problems with one of the "float" systems, but was able to repair it myself. During the 3rd and 4th seasons, I had problems with the plastic fans rubbing the plastic case and causing noise especially on "Hi" speed. For their last year of use, I could only operate the units on "Lo" fan speed. The fans would still rub the cases intermittently, and it was very annoying in the middle of the night or while trying to watch TV.

On extremely dry days, the output capacity on "Hi" fan speed can truly be 3-1/2 gallons every 24 hours when the humidistat is on a high setting. Fortunately, the "Tote Away tank" is convenient to transport and easy to refill at a bathtub or deep kitchen sink. The fans were never "whisper-quiet" even from day-one, but you will tune them out as background noise after the first week of use. The digital humidistats worked fine until the 4th season when one died abruptly. They automatically turn the fan off when the pre-set humidity level is reached. For me, they sometimes stopped working temporarily after the units were cleaned, but they always started working again after the units had fully dried.

I always had trouble with buildup of minerals on the filter, pan, and chassis, but this is presumably the price one pays for not having paper filters? The water in the bottom pans of the units tended to concentrate our local pinkish "Serratia marcesens". This could probably be overcome with diligent (i.e. weekly) emptyings and cleanings. On Lo-speed, the water doesn''t seem to move fast enough to prevent mild stagnation in the bottom pan, and if you continue to use the unit once the ambient humidity naturally returns in the Spring then you may have trouble with moldy/musty smells since the water won''t be cycling very frequently.

The pan and filter frame do clean up easily by hand or in the dishwasher (after the PermaWick filter has been removed). I only had a single "overflow" onto the floor by one unit after 4 years of use. That should be physically impossible based on the design of the unit, so I don''t know what caused it. I suspect that I was responsible for it in some way. Nevertheless, had an entire 3+ gallons spilled onto the floor (upstairs!), it could have caused some major damage. If I use these units again in the future, I may set them inside some large plastic storage boxes (or an unused bathtub) as a secondary overflow prevention.

Positives: No paper filters! No white residues since the units are mist-less. The PermaWick filters lasted for 3 seasons, but they were inexpensive and easy to replace. The units are attractive in design, easy to use, and the non-moving parts (except for the nite-lite) are rugged. Ideally, the units should last for longer than 4 seasons, but at an average cost of approximately $20 per winter one can''t complain too loudly about the limited lifetime. If Hunter builds added quality into the unit, then the market price will undoubtedly increase to match.

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This humidifier has been great to us so far. Easy to use. We''ve had no leaks or troubles. We also enjoy the ''white noise'' of the fan at night. The blue glow is neat, too. The first two years we used our very hard spring water. This will be the first year with softened water, so we''ll see how it goes.(I think a little hardness is necessary?) Much less messy than the cheap ones. The tank, when full, might be heavy for some to lug around, but the good thing is it has a handle and it won''t spill while you''re carrying it. I''d definitely recommend, and if I need another one, would go with the same one-even though it''s a little pricey in my opinion. I enjoy all its features too much to go without.

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I''ve owned one of these for about 4 years and it continues to perform wonderfully. The water tank is easy to remove, fill and return to the humidifier. I have a humidistat in my house and the results were increased relative humitidy from 33% (very dry) to the recommended 42%. Big help for those with sinus and, or allergy issues. The "permafilter" will eventually have to be replaced but not until after several years of use (depending on the water supply).

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It does work good but it is not large enough for a whole house, I should actually have 2 of these but the thing I love the most is that there are no paper filters to replace! The ones that have the replaceable filters really are the pits since the filters are expensive and don''t last long.

Graco 4 Gallon Cool Mist Humidifier Save 27% Off

Graco 4 Gallon Cool Mist HumidifierI purchased this product from Babies RUS on promotion with a 20% discount and gift cards. However, to date, I''ve spent the purchase price on this unit on filters (albeit cheaper at amazon with amex wishlist discount).

PROS:

This unit is quiet (on quietmist setting), does humidify a large space, and has a convenient humidity setting/readout, not to mention a large 4gallon tank. So yes, it does its job as it''s supposed to.

CONS:

and this is a big CON job. Have you ever wondered why this 4-gallon humidifier is ~$70 when 1-2 gallon quiet mist tanks are going for around the same price? THIS IS WHY: The filters cost about $10 and you''ll know it''s time to change it when you smell a dead rat every two weeks you can''t cop out and pretend it''s not there b/c whatever that filter does soaking in water, it really puts out some foul smell when it''s "time to change". Say you''ll need a humidifier to operate for 4 months in the winter (most likely way longer), that''s 8 x $10 = $80 just to keep this thing going. Moreover, if you read the description of this item, it recommends you clean it EVERY DAY sorry dudes, I''ve got a job, wife and kids, i don''t need to add a humidifier to the family feeding and cleaning schedule.

I''ve "downgraded" to a 1-gallon humidifier that lasts the night in a 400sq foot room that''s ALL you need people. Forget the 4-gallon filter-guzzler.

I bought this as a replacement for the Hamilton Beach model which I have had for years. I learned the trick to keeping it from getting smelly....let the tank run out of water but keep the machine running. It dries out the filter. The filter gets smelly when it remains constantly wet. Since we work during the day, this isn''t a problem. I fill the tank half-full at bedtime and then ignore it. By 10AM the next morning, the tank will be empty and the fan will blow dry the filter until I fill the tank again, the next evening. Seems to work.

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Piece of trash! If you''re reading reviews written just after someone bought this thing, ignore them. Sure it''s all fine and dandy in the beginning...I have used this humidifier for 2 seasons (total of about 7 months, and have had to replace the cap and gasket 3 times. The new cap they just sent me STILL LEAKS all over the floor, rendering the entire thing useless. I give up! And on top of that, when it DID work, I had to replace the filter every 10 days or so (not every 3 months as they advertise). My friend down the street with the same humidifier has the same problem. After a week or so, it starts turning brown and smelly. And this is despite cleaning the tank and tray nearly every time, and turning the filter each time as recommended.

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Let me start off by saying that I never write reviews but I felt the need to share my opinion about this product. I researched a lot of humidifiers before purchasing this one, because it sounded perfect for my son''s room. Yes, it worked great for maybe 2 weeks but then I had to replace the filter which is supposed to last 3 months! I had the replacement filter for 1 week and I just threw it in the trash because it smelled like something died in the bedroom. I don''t know if it is the New York City water or the poor quality of the filter but for every day use it is just not cutting it. Needless to say my husband is on his way to a store to buy something else!

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I bought this as a replacement for a very similar unit several months ago. I was a little leery of purchasing this humidifier based on the experiences of others who complained of a foul odor after about two weeks of use. I have had my humidifier in constant use for the last 8 weeks and I have had no problem with odor from the unit. I have been using Holmes Humidifier Bacteriostat each time that I fill the tank. I use this with each of the three humidifiers in the house and I have never had a problem with odor in any of them (two with filters and one without).

Overall, this is a fine unit that has worked very well to humidy the house. It has several setting from a quiet mode to a very high humidity yield mode. We have found that we are much more comfortable in the morning when the humidiers are running -no more waking up with winter morning nose (irritation and congestion in the nose and sinuses resulting from dry air).

Holmes Humidifier Bacteriostat 32 oz.

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