Eureka 3277AVZ WhirlWind Plus Upright Vacuum Save 29% Off
HWF80 Holmes Humidifier Replacement Filter
Vicks UV 99.999% Germ Free Humidifier Save 20% Off
Pros It''s attractive and well made. Twin independently-fillable water tanks mean you do not have to shut it off to refill it. Holds a lot of water so it does not go dry overnight. Makes a pleasant noise not unlike a drip coffee percolator. The UV lamp feature gives an additional level of sterilization, over and above the boiling action that creates the steam.
Cons The blue LED power light is indeed bright. I turned mine toward the wall, and now it also serves as a night light. (If it really bothers you, a small piece of electrical tape will cover it.)
(EDIT) Previously I complained here about lack of vapor output. But after running it for a few days, output greatly increased. Apparently there is a slight break-in period. Naturally, water usage increased also, as did the boiling noise, but now it''s working like it should, and I have adequate RH (30%) even in my large (400 sq. ft.) room. Amazon does not allow me to change the rating, but if I could I would now give it 5 stars.
The replacement mineral absorber pads are the small 2-1/4 inch round size sold here on Amazon under the "Slant Fin" brand. (Don''t get the larger 3-1/4 inch Honeywell ones, unless you like trimming to fit with scissors.) You replace the pad when it gets stiff. If you have hard water, this may happen quite frequently.
Remember that all humidifiers require regular maintenance. This is where many owners drop the ball. Every month or so you should put some vinegar in it to dissolve any mineral deposits, and sterilize the tanks with bleach water. The exact procedure is clearly spelled out in the manual. If you disregard this, you will be handsomely rewarded with hard mineral crusts and foul-smelling slimy deposits of algae and bacteria.
In conclusion, I really like this humidifier so far.My new house has gas heat and I found it really dried the place out. I was especially getting tired of the static electricity buildup due to the low humidity -I was getting zapped basically every time I walked somewhere and touched something.
I had no idea that shopping for a humidifier would be so hard. I learned a lot by browsing and reading reviews. I decided that what I wanted was:
* "Hot" humidifier -makes steam rather than spritzing cold water
* Quiet -gurgling ok, noisy fan not ok.
* Something that would let me set a humidity level and would turn off the unit once that level was reached (I wanted to avoid ever coming home to a tropical jungle atmosphere)
* Easy to refill
* Easy to clean
* Germ killing UV light
* Big enough tank to run for 10+ hours without a refill
* Ships from Amazon ($15 shipping from a 3rd party seller? no thanks)
This humidifier is the only one I found that matches ALL of the above criteria.
So far I''m really pleased with it. The unit has no real fan, just a little tiny one inside the middle, enough to make the steam gently waft out of the top. I''m not getting condensation on anything. It''s a fine steam that seems to get soaked up readily by the dry air in my house before it can possibly condense on anything.
Refilling is easy. If you look at the picture of the unit, each of those blue sides is a separate tank. You can leave the unit running with one tank while you go refill the other tank. To fill the tank you turn it upside down, screw off the bottom cap, fill it up, screw the cap back on and flip it back onto the unit. I had no trouble at all with anything spilling and in fact there''s no problem with taking off a half-full tank to top it off.
After running it overnight I had one tank near empty and the other over half full. I''m running 1 of these for an entire 3 story townhouse -I should really buy 1 or 2 more but with just this one running I''m already seeing a very noticeable reduction in static. Basically the floor its on (middle level) has no static issues anymore and the other two levels don''t zap me as often or as hard!
If you put it in your bedroom you''re going to want a nice piece of electrical tape or something for the super bright, blue power light. It does make a lovely night light for my living room, though. The gurgling noise I think I could sleep with.
The only way I would like this unit more is if it would tell me what the current humidity is.
Still, I think it''s going to be hard to beat this humidifier.
(P.S., when shopping for replacement mineral absorption pads, pay close attention to shipping costs. Some of the ones shipped by 3rd parties on Amazon have ridiculous shipping charges. Find the ones that Amazon sells directly instead. Size does not have to be exact. The pad just sort of floats around in the boiling chamber.)
(P.P.S., the unit does not tell you what the humidity is, which is a shame, but it does have a dial to control how humid it will get. This works for me: turn the unit on and let it run for an hour or so with the dial all the way "on". After its settled in and bubbling nicely, turn the dial slowly left until you hear it go ''click'' -that''s the current humidity level, which will probably be pretty low if you needed a humidifier! That dial is like a thermostat. If you keep the dial right around where it went "click", it will try to maintain the current humidity level. Turn it up and it will try to reach the new goal. If you put it into a smallish area (like a single room) it should have no trouble reaching a level and keeping it there and at that point it won''t go through so much water. If you put it into a big area (like a living room in an open house) it''ll probably run constantly trying to reach the desired humidity and you''ll need to refill it about once a day. I''ve got the dial at about 1/3rd on and that at least kills the static in my house. In other news, I just took it out of storage for a second winter and it''s up and running just fine again. I''m highly tempted to buy a second one... one for my bedroom and one for the living room...)
Buy Vicks UV 99.999% Germ Free Humidifier Now
After buying two other humidifiers and throwing them away we finally bought this model last year and are very happy with it. The main feature we hated about the other models were Noise and the filters. This model is nice and quiet, it has a low humming sound and a gurgling sound that actually is very tolerable, and maybe even soothing. Our two year old doesn''t mind it at all, he sleeps better with it I think. Another advantage of the warm steam is that it keeps my sons room nice and warm and he needs that since he kicks off his blanket most of the time. The warm steam might be a disadvantage for people living in warm dry climate but it works great for northwest winters.Although this unit does not have a filter a mineral pad comes with it and is recommended to remove minerals from the water if you use tap water. You can''t find the pad in most retail stores but can buy it here on Amazon.
Also it has a Ultraviolet Light bulb (great Feature) and after a year of use the Ultraviolet light finally went out and again I bought it here on Amazon. The unit is fairly maintenance free, you should clean it often but its not too bad.
Another great feature is the two water chambers, they hold enough water for the overnight operation so you don''t have to worry about running out of water in the middle of the night.
Overall this is the best humidifier that we have owned and I do recommend it.
Read Best Reviews of Vicks UV 99.999% Germ Free Humidifier Here
Due to both health and profession (singers in the house) we have had humidifiers for several years blasting in the cold winters. We quickly found that cold mist humidifiers, or even warm mist humidifiers without an UV germ killing light, produced more coughs and upper respiratory track problems than they solved. We moved then to Slant Finn UV light humidifiers, which solved our health and voice problems, and ran many of these to the ground -the average lifetime of the SlantFinns was about two seasons without problems, a third if we got lucky...The Vicks UV humidifiers are a tad quieter than the SlantFinn (some of which had a fan to move the water vapor faster), but the Vicks humidifier is not exceedingly quiet. Their loudness is typical of other boil humidifiers and yes, on occasion, the water and pads, or water and chaos theory can get just so that the humidifiers will be loud. Yet, the next day or even hour, they can quiet down. I am sure it depends on the person, but we find the bubbling of the humidifiers soothing...
So far, our original Vicks has run very well after ten weeks of continuous daily use, and I have gotten another one which has performed exactly as the first. The best thing is that the Vicks use a floater with a lever to tell the unit whether water is present, or whether they are running dry... The SlantFinns used an electrode and the electrode became flaky and partially dissolved after one season or two, and by season three would be gone and rendering an otherwise fine unit inoperable.
Relating to other reports, in our experience, placing the humidifiers in a table or floor has been level enough.
We do find that the humidifier knob / setting even 3/4s of the way might shut the humidifier at low humidity levels (45-50%, we like 5560%) but turning the knob all the way has resulted in non-stop operation that we like. (The unit might or might not have a hygrometer controlling the power cycle, though functionally we have seen no difference to the SlantFinns which advertised a hygrometer control)
Another good thing is that the water reservoirs are not too heavy, nor too tall and fit our kitchen sink and faucets. At continuous use, full power, each water reservoir lasts about nine hours, so the two give you about 18 hours in our experience. This is less than the advertised 24 hours, but then again, we run them at the max humidity setting.
The units'' mist does smell like plastic for a few days after the units were new, but this was minimal and perceivable only by sticking our noses two inches from the grate.
As in many other consumer appliances which have fallen for blue LED indicators, the LEDs are blindingly bright for night use and it is necessary to tape a piece of cardboard over the LED and even then, there is plenty of brightness in the room.
As far as the UV light, you can see some of the visible light portion emanating from the UV bulb in nooks and crannies of the unit, but so far have had no eye problems but then again we do not stare at it and the amounts are minimal. The light, between violet and blue, is actually quite nice in color. Our experience with the Slant Finns is that the UV light along with the heat from the unit''s bottom might mar fine furniture finishes over a winter, so a protective material is a good idea.
We find that we do not need to clean them too often, that the Teflon covered boil chamber works seems to keep salt deposits in control --but not perfectly by any means.
I have bought a second unit, and have been equally pleased... So far no problem with leaks, though some (not Vicks) humidifiers we have had did end up their lives in a puddle, but I have to say we ignored signs of problems (small salt water traces indicating small leaks) prior to larger leaks.
*** Season 2009 2010 Update ***
Units worked flawlessly and so far so good... Did acquire a third to fully humidify our space. No leaks, no need to replace the UV lights yet. Humidifers can occasionally boil dry if not cleaned every ten days or so.
*** Season 2010 2011 Update ***
One of the two units needs its UV lamp replaced. Got an economical replacement lamp at eBay (matching the bulb type printed in the bulb I am replacing) but the new UV lamp did not power up, so I will have to get one from Vicks. All units still going strong. No leaks yet.
*** Season 2011 2012 Update ***
Three units going strong. Replaced two UV bulbs. One of those replacements was a swap of an original burnt bulb with a new Eiko GTL3 UV light (bought from Amazon from seller Victoria Supply). This Eiko GTL3 light worked, while a previous attempt at replacing it with a similarly stamped GTL3 UV light from eBay had not worked. For the second replacement, I had an older but unused GTL3 light for my long time ago demised Slant-Finn. That worked too! No leaks yet. Winter started earlier so might get a fourth unit. It has become harder to raise humidity over 40% as winter started early!!!
*** End of Season 2011 2012 Additional Update ***
The oldest unit died. No symptoms at all before failure... When it failed, no lights turned on, no fan stirred. No leaks. The UV bulb, which was replaced once, seemed OK, so I extracted it and is waiting its turn to run its life in a different unit. Hence, we can estimate that the lifespan of each unit is about three winters of daily use. I actually bought a replacement unit and it is going strong... So, two older units going, and a new one has joined the club. The elder unit alas, has gone to humidifier heaven after three seasons of service.
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Like Honeywell warm mist humidifiers, this humidifier is actually made by Kaz and simply branded by Vicks. (Does anybody besides Kaz make warm mist humidifiers?) This isn''t necessarily a bad thing; Kaz makes some good humidifiers.However, this particular humidifier gets such a low rating (and inspires my first rating ever, for that matter) for one critical reason:
WARNING: This humidifier must be ABSOLUTELY LEVEL (even a 1-degree tilt is too much) or else it will boil itself dry and never shut off. This could pose a fire hazard, and I had to return the unit for this reason. See "PLACEMENT" below for more.
I wanted to like this humidifier, so if the above isn''t a worry for you (or for more details on the problem), please read on:
OPERATION:
* There''s no hygrometer (humidity meter) on the unit. There''s just a dial that seems to range from "never turn on" to "always boil". I have no idea whether the hygrometers on other humidifiers are even remotely accurate (especially since they''re right next to a source of humidity), so this might not practically be a downside, but it''s worth mentioning. I missed having one. (It''s clear from the pictures that it doesn''t have one, I just didn''t notice until it arrived.)
* It doesn''t seem to put out much steam, compared to other humidifiers I''ve used. It''s nice to claim that you don''t need to refill it more than every 24 hours, but that just means you''re putting out less than 4 gal/day. In contrast, our old humidifier (also 4 gallon capacity) could put out over 8 gal/day.
* It does look easy to clean, and it''s certainly easy to disassemble, but I haven''t had it long enough to determine whether it really is easy to clean. I suspect the deep cylinder of the heating element will be harder to clean than humidifiers that just have a flat heading element.
* As others have mentioned, the "ON" light is blindingly bright. I knew this when I bought it, so I just put some electrical tape over it. It''s also behind a translucent bezel, so you''ll probably want to cover a bit of the bezel as well. Note that the "refill" light is not nearly as bright, so you don''t need to cover it.
* Being a warm mist humidifier, it''s relatively expensive to operate, but it doesn''t have the white residue that ultrasonic humidifiers have, and boiling the water has some antibacterial benefits.
VERDICT: It puts out steam, but lacks most of the bells and whistles and attention to detail you''d expect for the price. I suspect you''re paying for the UV lamp and for the Vicks name (though, again, it''s actually Kaz).
UV LIGHT:
* Using a UV lamp to kill bacteria seems like a potential plus, but I''m somewhat skeptical that it actually provides any benefit beyond the boiling that all warm mist humidifiers do.
* It''s yet another consumable replaceable part (though it''s supposed to last about a year, and the humidifier will work when it''s burned out).
* Despite the lamp cover (and warnings not to look at the lamp), there are still a few places where the UV light is visible while in operation: (1) if you pick up the right tank, the hole which leads to the UV lamp has a blue glow, hopefully attenuated; (2) the lamp is visible from underneath the humidifier, so if you have this on a table top, you might be enjoying a little more UV light in your eyes than you intended.
VERDICT: Seems like a gimmick that introduces a lot of problems. Not really worth the trouble and potential risk.
NOISE:
* The boiling is very quiet.
* As Shane''s review observed (sadly, after I bought this), there''s a fan that''s always on. I presume the fan is required to cool the UV lamp (another strike against the UV lamp), since it''s on even when the humidifier isn''t boiling water. Thankfully, the fan is quieter than the large fans in filter/wick-based humidifiers, but it is louder than the boiling. So while the unit is quieter than filter-based humidifiers, it''s loud for a warm mist humidifier.
VERDICT: This very nearly made me return the unit immediately, as it was unexpected. I much prefer the silence of our old humidifier.
TANKS:
* The use of 2 tanks makes each tank lighter than a larger single tank. This is an improvement over other humidifiers we''ve used, where I was the only person who could lug the full tank from the bathtub to the humidifier. Also, the handles are very comfortable. The down side of 2 tanks, of course, is that you fill them twice as often. A worthwhile trade in our case.
* The seal around the caps of the tanks was the best I''ve encountered in a humidifier. When screwing them closed, they turned easily and distinctly stopped turning when they were fully tightened, and at that point there was no leaking. It''s possible that this would cause a problem over time (as the rubber seal gets compressed and you can''t tighten the cap further), but in my brief use of the humidifier I was impressed. Most other humidifiers require really cranking the caps down to keep them from leaking.
* The tanks were a little too tall to fill in our bathroom sink, which was a little surprising. That wasn''t an inherent problem, as we''re accustomed to filling our humidifier tanks in the bathtub. However:
* The tank openings are smaller than on other humidifiers I''ve used. On the plus side, that means it''s easier for small hands to screw them shut. On the minus side, it makes filling the tanks in a bathtub much harder. You either need to hold the tanks as you fill them (which get heavier as they fill), or you have to spend some time moving them around to just the right position if you put them on the tub floor. And if you turn the water pressure up or down at all, it''ll probably miss the hole until you reposition them. On the plus side, the top of the tanks is flat, making them easy to put on the tub floor.
* The tanks have completely flat bottoms (apart from the cap), which causes residual steam to condense on the bottom of them. That means that any time you pick them up, you''ll drip water everywhere (as others have noted). Other humidifiers I''ve used had curved bottoms, so that any condensation rolled down towards the cap and into the reservoir.
VERDICT: This is a draw. Having 2 tanks was nice, but dripping condensation everywhere was annoying. We had to keep a towel next to the humidifier.
PLACEMENT:
* As mentioned above, the humidifier must be ABSOLUTELY LEVEL. The manual does specify placing the humidifier on a "firm, flat, level surface" in multiple places, but who would expect less than 1 degree margin of error? I had to get out a bubble level to even perceive the slight incline. (And I measured it with a protractor.)
* Due to what I consider a major design flaw, if the humidifier is as little as 1 degree tilted forward, it will not shut off when the tanks are empty, and will instead boil dry. Compounding this flaw is that the humidifier does not have a temperature-based shutoff when it runs dry. It just keeps heating (and cooking the mineral absorption pad). I don''t know whether it will keep heating until the pad catches on fire, but I don''t intend to find out.
* It''s nearly impossible to tell when the humidifier has boiled dry, because there''s still water in the reservoir below the tanks, and because you can still feel heat rising from the top vent. (There''s even still water above the little hole leading to the UV lamp!) And because this unit never puts out visible steam, and because the always-on fan is louder than the boiling, it''s hard to tell that boiling has stopped. You have to disassemble the unit to see that the heating element has boiled dry -but be careful, the cone is hot to the touch if you haven''t waited the prescribed 15 minutes.
* The problem with a slight incline is primarily due to the use of a float switch to determine when the tanks are empty. In theory, this should be an improvement over other humidifiers that simply use an overheating sensor to determine that there''s no more water and/or they need cleaning (thus confusing the issue). However, the float switch in this humidifier is placed too far from the water inlet leading to the heating element (it''s on the opposite corner, in fact). Thus the inlet can run dry while there''s still water lifting the float switch.
* Worse still, the manufacturer seems to have decided that the use of the float switch eliminates the need for an overheating sensor. As a result, when the heating element runs dry, there''s nothing to shut it off.
* Because the path of the water from the reservoir past the UV lamp to the heating element is so complicated, even a 1-degree forward incline can cause the heating element to boil dry, but the reservoir (including the inlet to the UV lamp) to appear full.
* I tested other inclines (perfectly level, 1 degree in other directions), and they don''t have this problem. It''s only 1 degree tilted forward (tested multiple times) that''s a problem.
VERDICT: The potential for catastrophic failure when only 1 degree off-level renders this humidifier unacceptable for my use. I don''t want it in my house. I did check, and the box has a UL mark on it, so maybe there''s a fuse somewhere that will burn out before the flames start, but I don''t want to find out the hard way.
FINAL VERDICT:
* For me, the problems with boiling dry made this humidifier unacceptable.
* Apart from that, it seemed a capable though unremarkable humidifier. I''m not sure it''s worth the price premium for the "99.999% Germ Free" label given that boiling kills most germs anyway.
* Does anybody make a truly good warm mist humidifier?
Blueair 203W HepaSilent Air-Purification System Save 17% Off
Not only does it clean the air, but produces white noise which helps block out the noise of your neighbors. I will advise, it is quite loud on the medium and high settings, but produces great airflow if you have lower ceilings. You won''t even need a ceiling fan with this turned on high.
Upon first use, it smelled, as is common with a new HEPA filter. This disappeared after a day. Within two days, the air was so clean, it was noticeable just by taking a deep breath. Nearly two weeks later and the room still doesn''t need to be dusted. This will cut my cleaning frequency down tremendously which is a good thing for my lungs.
The most obvious sign to me that this was a good air purifier was after one week. I would leave the clean air of the bedroom and within 1 hour, I was back to coughing. As you may know, with asthma, it''s generally worse while lying down. When I go to bed, I''m coughing from the days exposure to bad air, but within an hour or so, I feel better and sleep the night through. It''s only after leaving the bedroom in the morning that I''m back to being sick and asthmatic. I have to give the credit to this air purifier because there is no other explanation.
It comes with a separate digital timer that you can place anywhere. It is magnetic, but I''ve chosen not to put it on the unit. It counts down the days to filter change and a blue light will come on when it is time to change the filter. The filter on this unit is outstanding. The filter has a gasket around it to prevent even the tiniest particles from getting around the filter during intake. Very cool. I''ve never owned one this nice. Plus, the unit is made of steel. No off-gassing from plastic here. It looks like it means business and it does!
I''ve been so impressed by this unit that I''m back for another one for my office and I will also be purchasing a big one from the 600 series to cover my open living areas. I''m purchasing my other units now, so I can buy replacement filters at the same time, every 6 mos. As I understand, the filters on these will degrade and must be changed on time, every 6 mos. If you decide to get one, be sure to get one that covers the square footage you need and keep the doors and windows closed.
One last thing: The blue light on this is incredibly BRIGHT! If you don''t want your entire bedroom illuminated, you can cover it with a sticker. Choose something nice, that goes with your decor. I used a sticker from this booklet Classic Posters: 16 Art Stickers. I put a part of the sticker that is solid black right over the blue light and you can still see the light is on at night, but it''s not bright enough to illuminate the room anymore.Although this unit is not quite as quiet as the 400 series Blueair, the 400 series is quite a bit larger and looks like a big huge computer tower. The 200 series is a nicer size and looks more like an air purifier. The sound from the 200 series can actually be quite soothing in terms of helping you to sleep and relax. In my fairly small bedroom, both units seemed to perform equally so I opted for the 203W since it looks better, was cheaper and the filters are a bit cheaper as well.
The Blueair 203 includes an electronic filter change timer as well.
I recommend this unit for the price-the air seems a whole lot fresher and cleaner and my allergies have been alleviated.
I do wish it had one lower setting that was slightly quieter though the lowest setting is by no means loud and most people would not even notice it at all if you had it on in a room and the unit was out of sigh or something like that.
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These filters work very well and help keep the house air cleaner, even the dog likes them. She will sleep with her head by one of these air cleaners. When I change them they are remarkably diry.Read Best Reviews of Blueair 203W HepaSilent Air-Purification System Here
You''d have to have the hearing of a dog to complain about being bothered by the fan on this unit. On its lowest setting, it is unbelievably quiet. The only thing that does bother me, however, is the blue light that kept me from sleeping, as it was pointed in my face. A small piece of tape solved that problem. After the first 24 hours, my room smelled fresher, and time will tell as to whether it will eliminate allergy/mold issues. A great unit for this price range, and also recommended by Consumer Reports, so that''s why I bought it.Want Blueair 203W HepaSilent Air-Purification System Discount?
I love this air purifier it cleans the air and I don''t have allergies anymore it also makes the air smell so clean. I got the white one so it it blends with my walls, its really elegant they did a good job with the design.Bayes Premium Granite Rejuvinator Save 26% Off
The scent is not strong or harsh, rather citrus-ey in nature. I spritz it on, let it sit a mooment and then wipe with a paper towel like one would with windex. Works like a charm!we have black granite counters as well. They have been in for about 5 years and I have been going crazy trying to find SOMETHING that would clean and not leave a residue. I decided to try this and it just came today. AND I am very pleased to say that this actually works! After you spray it on and start to wipe with a cloth you can even hear the "squeaky clean" sound as you stop to rub a spot of something. I used to have to use a razor blade to get up spills from the stove top. This takes it right off. After wiping it on the counters with a wet cloth, I used a dish towel to dry it. I could NEVER do that before. I always had to use about 20 paper towels and rub rub rub to get the shine back. This left a clean, clear, streak free shine. very pleased.
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This is a wonderful product for both granite and marble. I have tried many other cleaners and this is by far the best I have found.Fair value. The original brand I used I can''t find any more. After trying many brands this is one of the best. Minimal streakingall streaking disappears if you rub firmly/long enough. Still not the best. I will keep looking for my favorite brandThis is the Best product that has been placed on the market......it brings the Black Granite back to a New conditionROTHO Twin TT Water-Filtration HEPA Canister Vacuum Cleaner
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I just love this vacuum, it makes our home so clean and shiny. That''s amazing. You can see youself as in the mirrow when you look at the floor. I recoommend this vacuum cause it''s really powerful and easy to operate. Of course you need to clean it after each use, but it doesn''t take to long. I think you''ll love it.Read Best Reviews of ROTHO Twin TT Water-Filtration HEPA Canister Vacuum Cleaner Here
I have owned the Rotho Twin tt with all the accessory''s for about five years and paid $1200. I should have returned it immediately.If your house is starting out nearly spotless and without pets than this vacuum would be ok for you. However if there is dirt and pet fur on your floor this thing clogs up after vacuuming one small room. So to keep it operating properly you have to keep emptying, rising, and refilling the tank (which is a bucket with odd angles that requires a toothbrush to clean out the corners) maybe 3 or 4 times just to vacuum through the house once. I dump the tank in the yard and use the hose on it, later I pick up the dried fur ball laying on the grass . If this bucket was to break I don''t even know if replacements are available.
Then there are filters that are a pain to rinse and clean. The site I purchased this vacuum from left the impression there were no filters that needed to be replaced and they didn''t offer them. Well there are. Five years ago a set cost about $35, so I purchased five of them from another site. I am down to one set left, so I go online to purchase more and they are $50 each. I notice they aren''t even available through Amazon.
Also where the hose connects to the vacuum must be pulled apart and cleaned once in awhile.
I have used the upholstery and carpet shampooer attachments a few times, these are ok.
My mother has had a Rainbow vacuum for 26 years, with no complaints. I wish I had put out the extra money and purchased one.
Despite all these complaints the Rotho vacuum has amazing suction and will get carpets really clean. And if you keep the tank and filters cleaned the exhaust air is very fresh.
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I bought a Rotho Twin TT about a month ago and its the best thing ever. I have mostly hard surfaces and it does a great job on my tile and hardwood. I couldnt believe how bad my other vacuum was performing until I saw the dirt that this thing picked up. No gross bags to throw out either. Its worth the money and comes with a great warranty.PUR 2-Stage Vertical White Faucet Mount Water Filtration System
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I needed a new Pur onsink water filter for our RV as the original had cracked. I could only find the "new" style filter with a lever to turn instead if the water filter unit itself. Terrible! The design puts too much weight out in space and as a result it was constantly falling off when we moved. I had to look to find someone who still had the original type, but I found it on good old Amazon, ordered it, and it came through perfectly. We are now happy campers once more.Read Best Reviews of PUR 2-Stage Vertical White Faucet Mount Water Filtration System Here
I agree that the shape makes it very hard to get into round and slick. The water does taste great, however, and the filters last a long time.BUT the very bottom part of mine cracked and popped off. When the filter is OFF and the water is flowing straight through without being filtered, the bottom part of the assembly has an internal thread mesh filter end-piece the threaded part broke, so the mesh part popped off. I could have continued to use it, but without that piece the water was uncontrolled and splashed everywhere. This is not a piece that is under any stress, cannot be over tightened, and took no impacts, etc it''s just the mesh cap on the end of the spigot.
So now I get to buy a new filter unit hopefully one that uses the same filters, as I have several of them left.
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I was so happy to find this and so cheap. I''ve been using this style of faucet filter for 10+ years. Researched many reviews about the new snap on type, most negative, didn''t like the look or reviews and wanted this old style. I bought 2 just in case I had a problem as others have stated about cracking but no problems so far and it''s been a few months. I have 5 adults in my house using it every day.Hydro-Logic 31027 Pre-Evolution Pre-Filter for Evolution High Capacity Save 26% Off
- Provides Two Extra Stages of Filtration
- Extends the Life of its KDF85 Catalytic Carbon Pre-filter From 2,000-Gallon to 7,500-Gallon
- Recommended for Systems Producing More Than 150-Gallon of Purified Water Per Week
Buy Hydro-Logic 31027 Pre-Evolution Pre-Filter for Evolution High Capacity Now
its a big cheap filter, and when you use it before reverse osmosis and after a water softener you will see a nice change in the water, while not having to change out reverse osmosis system filters as oftena side note, the wannabe sharkbite fittings on this thing are complete garbage, they break under pressure (so it could flood your house) but if you buy the right sharbite fittings (hydrologic''s 1/2" line is the same as Sharkbite''s 3/8" line) then youll be fine
Clear 2O CWF1012 Water Filter (1-Pack)
(-) I have been unable to find it in major retail inventories. Freight
costing as much as the filter, doubles my cost of use.
Buy Clear 2O CWF1012 Water Filter (1-Pack) Now
I''ve been using the Clear2o system for a few years now, and think it is the best all-around.The filter was delivered was delivered on time, and was reasonably priced. Will order again.
Read Best Reviews of Clear 2O CWF1012 Water Filter (1-Pack) Here
Clear 20 water filter system is really good! I''ve tried Brita and Pur and by far this one beats them. The water not only tastes good, but it filters so fast.Takes most chemicals out of the water I think it''s close to the best fiter available. Very reasonable price.Proctor Silex K4070 1.7-Liter Automatic Electric Kettle Save 25% Off
CONS: Putting kettle on base requires lining up 3 slots which takes a little extra care and might result in damage to contacts if you''re not careful.Bought this for my daughter who is a college student. My concern was mainly safety issues. This was the lowest priced product in this category. My daughter loves it. It is compact, rather good looking,convenient, and very safe to operate. Furthermore, there is no shipping cost! I am very happy with the purchase.
If you need a beeter looking product, there are more expensive ones available (on amazon.com). For my home use, i have one of those.
Buy Proctor Silex K4070 1.7-Liter Automatic Electric Kettle Now
This brand new kettle after having been cleaned, descaled with vinegar (at Proctor Silex''s suggestion), filled with a solution of water and baking soda (at Proctor-Silex''s suggestion) reeks of a chemical, plastic smell, which it imparts to any water boiled in it.We''re returning it immediately. Feh.
Read Best Reviews of Proctor Silex K4070 1.7-Liter Automatic Electric Kettle Here
This is a great electric tea kettle. The base is corded but the kettle is not so you can carry it around anywhere you wish. The base is made so that the kettle will not work unless it''s inserted properly into the base. It also won''t work unless there''s a minimum amount of water in it. Don''t worry, there is a light to tell you whether the kettle is on or not. It also has boil-dry protection. So all the safety features are there. Now here''s what''s nice about it. First of all it is big. The last thing that guests want to do is wait for tea while others already have theirs. If you have more than 4 or 5 guests then that''s a real possibility with smaller kettles. But not with this one. Also there are windows to tell you exactly how much water there is. What these windows are also good for is that you can see the state of the water. So, for example, if you''re going to have green tea then you don''t want to wait for the kettle to shut off automatically because that means that the water is boiling. But with the windows you can see when the water is close to boiling and shut it off manually. The lid is easy to open so that you can fill the kettle very easily. The opening is nice and big too. And with the lid so easy to open it''s a breeze to change the filter should you ever need to do that. If you have hard water then this will be a consideration. Finally it''s not too loud. Oh you can still hear it but it will not drown out the conversation. It''s very well made and a nice design (handle easy to grip, the pouring angle is very convenient, a non-tangle cord, etc.) I highly recommend this product. And last, but certainly not least, you can''t beat the price. Quality and price, what more can you ask for?Want Proctor Silex K4070 1.7-Liter Automatic Electric Kettle Discount?
After our first trip in Ireland and the UK together and seeing these electric kettles in almost every B&B, my husband and I had to have one for the house as we are both all day tea drinkers. This model from Proctor Silex has held up well for 3 years of daily water boils--usually a dozen times a day or more. It automatically shuts off after the water boils. About half a kettle takes approx 1.5 minutes to boil. I''ve no complaints about this staple of our kitchen. Besides boiling hot water quickly for beverages or soups, etc it is also handy to boil water in first before adding it to a pot on the stove, cuts down on total cooking time.UPDATE 4/2011. I don''t know why in getting rid of plastic cooking implements we didn''t replace our kettle earlier. Probably because my husband decided a couple months ago that he too wanted to avoid teflon and plastics. We replaced this kettle with a stainless steel interior kettle where no parts touch the boiling water. I would downgrade the above reviewed kettle to a 3 star based on this.
Jura-Capresso 13299 Impressa Z6 Automatic Coffee and Espresso Center Save 25% Off
After unpacking I sat down and watched the included DVD twice. Once with my wife and once alone as I set up the machine. After you get through the initial setup and programming the machine is very easy to operate and maintain. Making a coffee drink is as simple as pushing one of 8 drink buttons on the front panel. I like the idea of the thermal milk storage tank but it''s recommended that you don''t store milk in it after use. I find this a little inconvenient to have to pour the milk into another container. With my previous C1500 I just put the plastic milk jug in the refrigerator and used it the next day.
I bought this unit to replace my C1500 for two major reasons. The first was my C1500 struggled to make a really hot coffee drink. I found myself drinking the beverage too quickly to avoid it getting cold or putting it into the microwave to heat it back up. The Z6 makes a hotter beverage that is much improved but still could be a few degrees hotter in my opinion. The second reason I purchased the Z6 was to get a bigger cup under the spouts. The C1500 was limited in what size cup I could place under the spouts and the Z6 allows me to put virtually any reasonable sized cup under the spout.
The Z6 is a beautiful piece to look at sitting on your counter and will be the envy of many a guest. However it has a chrome finish which appears durable but I would caution you to take extra precautions not to scratch the finish as it would be permanent. I place a paper towel on the lower tray when using ceramic type mugs to avoid scratching.
Update on 05/26/2008
I would like to say that the Z6 has been performing flawlessly for the past year and a half. As long as you perform the routine maintenance the Z6 will provide many years of trouble-free performance. I''ve also been putting the thermal milk container in the refrigerator with milk in it with no issues.I bought the Z6 after my refurbished Capresso C3000 broke down after 3 years. I had liked my Capresso C3000 so I thought I would go with Jura''s top of the line machine (Jura bought out Capresso and now all the machines are called Jura) I had this machine now for about a year and I have to say its is not worth the price $3,600. I listed the pros and cons that I found with the machine.
Pros
1) Looks Great. It is the Rolls Royce of coffee machines.
2) The Espresso/Coffee is good. (Not Excellent, and don''t tell me about using diffrent beans I have, its not like I''m using folgers.
2) The Steamed/frothed milk attachment produces excellent results.
3) One touch button to make cappuccino/Lattes. (Nice to impress friends)
4) Has a timer for when to turn on and off so you don''t need to wait around for the initial warmup time when you first start the machine.
Cons
1)The metal plate where the cup sits scratches very easily.
2)You can only fit a normal size coffee mug (8 oz)under the nozzle. You cannot deviate from this size at all. No travel mugs or slightly tall mugs. Same height restrictions for the cappuchino/Latte attachment.
3) The hotwater dispenser trickles out hot water. It takes almost 1 and half minutes to fill 8 oz of hot water. Its quicker to ''Nuke'' the same amount of water in the microwave for tea.
4) You need to clean the machine with special tablets and they cost about $20 for 6. You will more than likely go thru 1 tablet every 2 months or at least 6 in a year and more if heavily used. Also theres no way around this since the machines displays ''Clean'' and beeps every time you turn it on until you go thru the cleaning process.
5) Also the water filter. This costs about $20 and needs to be changed about every 3 months depending on the use. If you don''t use the filter then you will have to descale the machine every 6 months or so but that also depends on the the water hardness in your area.
6) The electric cord is a fairly decent length which is good thing but its not retractable which is a pain. The C3000 had a retractable cord, so you would only pull out the amount of cord needed and the rest would be unseen. With the Z6 I have my plug right behind the machine on my countertop and have about of 2 feet of cord I need to hide.
7) The silver front is also just plastic and it is not made of any type of metal.
8) The rinse feature (which was a button on the front panel of the C3000) is buried deep in the menu with the Z9. So you have to press the Dial, then turn the dial to go to maintenance then turn it again until you find rinse then you have to press the button once to rinse the coffee spout then again for the espresso attachment (even if you didn''t use it). This is a major pain to do and time consuming especially in the morning. So you tend not to rinse the machince as much as you should. This affects the taste of the coffee because little bits of the old grounds get mixed in with the new ones. On my old capresso I would press the rinse button before I made my coffee and then again after I made it so it would stay cleaner longer and not affect the taste of my coffee.
So, based on these facts i would have to say that for the price I would expect more. It is a nice machine but you could purchase the Jura E8 for the 1/3 the price and it would do everything the Z6 does (Except the one touch cappuccino/Latte) which is overrated anyways. Also there are more fully automatic machines entering the market with almost the same features but lower the price. When I did my research for this machine almost everybody said it was the greatest thing since sliced bread but after paying $3600 who would admit it wasn''t all that?
UPDATE:2012-01-12
So had this machine for a few years now and so far I''m not impressed. The front plastic has warped off near the bottom tray since it comes in contact with water when making coffee/rinsing. The tray that you pull out to clean the grinds an empty the water does not fit that well and the now and then I get the ''Tray missing'' error. When I was cleaning the machine I got a ''error 8'' message and was like ok so what do you want me to do? So I turned off the machine because nothing else worked and had to restart the cleaning process. Pardon my French but that really sucks because the cleaning tablets are not cheap and happened 2 out of 5 cleanings I did. Also the price on the water filter cartridges have gone up by at least 10 dollars. I cannot find anything at the price I bought these at before. I really wanted to like this machine but man for a premium price I don''t think anybody has to deal with these issues.
Buy Jura-Capresso 13299 Impressa Z6 Automatic Coffee and Espresso Center Now
I am giving a review of the Z5....not the Z6. I believe the insides are very similar if not identical and that most of the changes were cosmetic. I have had the Z5 for about a year and have been very pleased.Pros:
Excellent coffee & cappuccino. You can tweak the machine twenty different ways. I think it is not as good as the best coffee joints but it is pretty close. The convenience of waking up and hitting a button can not be overstated. You will hooked forever after a week. It has worked flawlessly since I bought it. If two people in a household go to Starbucks every day, just buy this and it will pay for itself in no time.
Cons:
The biggest con is the coffee temperature. You will see this pop up again and again in reviews. Buy yourself a very well insulated coffee cup and preheat the cup by adding hot water from the machine and letting in sit for two minutes. The cup will then be hot and won''t suck out the energy from the added coffee.
All in all..when my Z5 dies I will most likely replace it with a Z6.
Read Best Reviews of Jura-Capresso 13299 Impressa Z6 Automatic Coffee and Espresso Center Here
This is the ultimate in automated coffee centers for home or office. If you are a regular at coffee shops, paying $4 and up for frothy coffee and milk drinks you can make your own and amortize this machine''s initial cost in less than a year. Jura of Switzerland is the leader in this type of automatic coffee centers and it is no wonder they sell so well all over Europe.Want Jura-Capresso 13299 Impressa Z6 Automatic Coffee and Espresso Center Discount?
i have had so many issues making the purchase of the Jura Z6 was big mistake.Jura customer service is basically non-existant
Samsung DA29-00003G (4-PACK) Compatible Refrigerator Water and Ice Filter Save 17% Off
Buy Samsung DA29-00003G (4-PACK) Compatible Refrigerator Water and Ice Filter Now
Saved about half buying these replacement filters. The OEM Samsung brand is so expensive. These are a great option. It seems to work as well as original and best of all...it fits.Read Best Reviews of Samsung DA29-00003G (4-PACK) Compatible Refrigerator Water and Ice Filter Here
Happy to find a product made in the States that is comparable to the Samsung brand name.Product is made eco-friendly.
I followed the directions per the package and it fit perfect.
NO WEIRD TASTES OR SMELLS from the WATER!!!
No Leaks
Want Samsung DA29-00003G (4-PACK) Compatible Refrigerator Water and Ice Filter Discount?
Holmes HM630-U Cool Mist Tower Humidifier Save 39% Off
The two filters are easily accessible at the base of the unit.
The tank is easy to handle, fill, and not too heavy to carry. If you have a small sink, you can always fill this slightly long tank in the bathtub or by using a teapot or water jug.
You have the option to set the humdifier manually on low, medium, or high humidity continuously or you can set it to automatically go on at low, medium, or high at a pre-set humidity level. If you use the automtic feature, then the unit cycles on and off like a thermostat would (although it does that too frequently for my taste).
In addition, the display shows the humidity of the room the unit is in, which is a nice feature.
The humidity level increases pretty fast, which is not typical of other units I''ve experienced.
According to the manual (I haven''t tried this feature), you also have an hour timer option of setting the unit to turn on or off after so many hours. This means, for example, you can program it to turn off 5 hours later or turn on 5 hours later.
The unit has a small footprint (see cavaet below), so it doesn''t take up much floor space.
With regard to the operation of the unit, you must remember to press and hold the on/off button to turn off the unit. If you unplug the unit, the humidifier returns to its factory default settings so you''ll have to quickly reprogram it every time. This is exceptionally easy to do, but some might find this annoying.
One very nice feature that remains in operation when turning off the unit from the front panel but leaving it plugged in is that the humidity of the room is always displayed. Obviously, you lose this benefit when you unplug the humidifier from the wall outlet.
When setting the unit to the automatic feature that enables it to operate like a thermostat, the unit may cycle on and off every few seconds or minutes depending on the humidity of the room, which means you''ll hear the fan cycle on and off repeatedly. If this is likely to disturb you while sleeping, then just put the unit into manual mode as I find you can never have too much humidity in the winter anyway. Of course, make sure you have enough water in the tank to run all night. The tank is rated to hold water for 36 hours of continuous use. However, I have only been able to get 10 hours continuous use on a tank at the highest humidity setting so keep this in mind when leaving the unit unattended.
I ordered the wick filters from the manufacturer because they are hard to find elsewhere; even though Wal Mart and other local stores carry the Holmes line, they don''t necessarily sell all the filters for every model. The filters arrived promptly within a few days.
The box says the unit comes with a 5-year limited warranty but the pamphlet inside says a 3-year limited warranty. I called Holmes at 1-800-546-5637 and they confirmed it was actually a 3-year limited warranty, so don''t be swayed by the box advertising.
There is one caveat that you might consider important, although this would not deter me from buying the unit. Since this unit is a tower model, it is easier to knock over (especially on an unsturdy surface such as carpet). You might want to take this into consideration in case you have young kids that run around or large pets that might wreck havoc in your house--meaning you may have to alter the placement of the unit to account for this scenario. My observation is that the chances of knocking this unit over are somewhat higher than the squat-to-the-floor models I''m so use to and which have been so ineffective.
Overall, I am very impressed with the unit compared to the four other humidifiers I''ve had previously. I had a Vicks humidifier, a different Holmes humidifier, a Hunter humidifier, and another one whose name I can''t remember. I''ve always been less than satisfied, so this is a nice change. I''ve been so pleased with this unit that over six months later, I ordered a second one.
Update October 2010 Finally one of my unit''s humidity sensors failed. However, since I''ve had this unit for several years that is to be expected. I can still use the unit to increase the humidity in the room but I just won''t know what the humidity level is unless I look at my second humidifier.Pros:
displays humidity all the time
variable speed settings. 3 manual and 3 auto speed.
tower design does not take up too much space.
easy to add water and change filter.
Cons:
due to the size (length) of the tank, you do need a deep sink to add water. I use the bath tub.
the fan is loud even at lowest setting.
uses two filters.
Buy Holmes HM630-U Cool Mist Tower Humidifier Now
Love the unit itself, however after 3 days of running it only 8 hours a night, I noticed the filter guage was saying "Replace Filter"So I called the company to say, "hey .. it''s only been 3 days. I think the filter guage is broken" and they had me check the filter (it was yellow and crusty) and they said, "no .. it''s your water. you need to replace your filter or use distilled water." Then she laughed and said they had customers that replace their filters several times a week because of their water
So of course I''m not going to replace my filter every 3 days and I''m not going to use a couple gallons of distilled water every night before I go to bed in this thing ...
so if you have hard water .. this may not be the unit for you. Buyer Beware.
Read Best Reviews of Holmes HM630-U Cool Mist Tower Humidifier Here
This product seemed to have been designed by someone who had never used a humidifier before. The water tank is nearly impossible to fill; there''s nothing to hold on to once the tank is upside down, and the opposite end is sloped so you can''t rest it against the bottom of your bathtub while it fills. Once it''s full, a juggling act is required in order to screw on the tank lid, since you can''t set the tank down anywhere. After trying twice and only succeeding in spilling water all over myself and the bathroom, I left this task for my husband to take care of, as he has very large hands and was able to fill the tank more easily, although he too complained that the tank was so poorly designed.The tank capacity is too small; to keep my bedroom at a good humidity level, we have to refill the tank twice a day. Still, the thing did what it was meant to do--humidified the room--until after three weeks the full tank leaked all over the wood floor and area rug. We thought the top must not have been screwed on correctly, but it happened again, warping the wood floor. Leaving the full tank in the bathtub, it didn''t leak at all, which made us think that something had gone wrong with the base.
I didn''t waste my time trying to get this thing fixed. I returned it.Got one for our house and one for our cabin, very impressed!! Not to loud at all, has 3 speed settings as well as full auto settings adds humidity VERY FAST, hours not days.

