The type was easy. Cool mist is too moldy (unless they are kept clean, and let's be realistic, who actually cleans humidifiers?) and filters are pricey, ultrasonic has the added benefit of the "white powder" in the air and settling on everything, and the whole-home kind that are attached to the furnace ducts aren't really made for small heat pump HVAC like I have in my house. So, warm mist it was, and I started on my journey to find the perfect one.
And it was a journey. I found fancy ones with all sorts of features, and cheap ones that made steam. All had one thing in common, those that hated them and gave them one star, and those that loved them and gave them more stars.
Meanwhile, my wife borrowed her mother's humidifier, which happened to be a many year old version of this particular one. It's the same humidifier we've borrowed every year since my wife and I got married five years ago. After playing with the idea of a UV lighted, mineral pad soaking, multi-gallon capacity, built-in hygrometer monster, I decided to get two of these units instead--at a cheaper price. Why?
For one, my mother-in-law's unit still runs like a champ after all this use. We really only use it at night for sleeping. The trick is to fill it up and run it on high while getting ready for bed, and then turn it on low when going to sleep. The water lasts all night and it increases the humidity nicely.
For two, many of the features offered on more expensive models are all but useless. So many people complain about filling the things--is it really that hard to walk to the sink once a day? In order to kill airborne germs, a lot more is needed than the tiny UV light offered in other humidifiers. If the built-in hydrometer is out of whack, too bad! Mineral filtration pads? Unless a person is unlucky enough to live in a "liquid rock" area, a good wiping with paper towel soaked in vinegar once a week is all that's needed to clean the heating element.
Sometimes, less is more, and I believe this is definitely the case with humidifiers.
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I really like this humidifier and have been on the very difficult journey to discover which humidifier will work for me, whether cool or warm mist is better and which actually does what it says the same as everyone else. I get frequent sinus infections and am in great need of a humidifier here in the northeast during the cold months with the heat. I just constantly don't feel good without one. For over 10 years I have used cool mist humidifiers. I honestly never considered a warm one. The last one I had was a Holmes and it was certainly not cheap. I took good care of it and it still worked only 1 year. The filters were expensive and the unit was very noisy Last year when it worked it worked well, but last winter it worked only half the time. I did not know where to turn.A friend suggested a warm air humidifier and I looked into it and liked what I read. I then researched, reading reviews and customer comments even using Consumer Report. I kept coming back to this one and saw the definite mix of positive and negative reviews. I read all the negatives and saw that most were looking for the humidifier to do or be more than it said it was.
I live in a studio apartment and the humidifier says it is for rooms 400 to 700 square feet. Perfect for me. It also says that it runs up to 12 hours on one filling and it does. When I run it on the low speed it lasts 12 hours exactly. The directions also say to disinfect it before the first use. This is very important. With something like a humidifier it is very important to follow all directions. If you do not, you don't have a right to complain if it does not work correctly. This humidifier is very easy to clean/maintain and also very easy to fill. If you do not want to be filling it every 12 hours or more then get a different humidifier. For me, it is very simple and easy knowing I need to easily fill it every 12 hours.
The humidifier also makes no noise at all on either the high or low speed. I find that when running it constantly on low my humidity level is perfect and I feel great. This machine does exactly what it says it does so make sure that it will satisfy your needs. It is easy to use/maintain so much simpler than a cool mist humidifier. I will never return to a cool mist one again.
I highly recommend this unit and say just make sure it is what you want before purchasing. Hope this helps you with your humidifier decisions.
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I have gone through quite a few humidifiers. I had one like this before, after a few years it gave in because I never cleaned it (shame on me). Then I tried a few ultrasonic (ultraexpensive) humidifiers, which really hardly bring the humidity up (I have a hygrometer). So I decided to buy this one again, and am as happy as with the first one. If you want your room to increase in humidity, forget about those ultrasonics and go for this one. Cheap and good.Honest reviews on Duracraft DWM250 2-1/2-Gallon Warm-Mist Humidifier
This is my third warm mist humidifier. They just don't last very long. The cool mist ones don't seem to make the room more humid. The last one I had (which looked similar to this) lasted two years, and the rubber stopper part at the bottom dried up during the summer (when it was not in use) and cracked. My first one only last one year. I am resigned to the fact that I will likely have to buy a humidifier every 1-2 years, so I'd better not spend a lot for them. This one works well, and on the low setting, can last 10-11 hours. This setting is enough for my medium sized room. On high output, it goes through the water very quickly, and if your room is small, will feel tropical. The one thing I don't like about this one is that after putting the dial on the desired setting, you still have to push a "start" button to make it start putting out mist.Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Duracraft DWM250 2-1/2-Gallon Warm-Mist Humidifier
The plastic on this model is pretty thin and flimsy, so I'm always afraid I am going to accidentaly snap or crack a part (like the screw-on lid) and completely destroy the product or render it useless, but the overall engineering design is really good, it is still working after about a year, great for baby, great for me. For the price I am satisfied, but I wish they would make more of a "mercedes" model for a slightly higher price that uses the same design, maybe a little more technology for the controls and more durable plastic. I love the fact that the water tank is removable, fillable and sealed shut for the trip back to the unit, no pouring or spilling involved. I bought this model because it has the same water tank and mist tower design as a Sunbeam cool mist humidifier that my parents used on me as a baby (which I still have and use for my son), and that thing is damn near indestructible.
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