The downsides: It is not as nice as the model it replaced (which I also have) which looks almost exactly the same. The controls and display are a little less obvious they added more functionality with too few buttons. That is easily dealt with by deciding how you want to use it and then always putting it in that mode. I like to set the fan to low or medium (so it is nice and quiet and you hardly hear it) and then set the humidity to 30, 35, or 40. As others here have mentioned, the hygrometer is a bit flaky. At times it is stable. At times it jumps around a bit. This can lead the system to turn on and off in response to changes in the measured humidity. It still gets the humidity to roughly what you set it to (as I've verified with a separate hygrometer). And if you don't have the fan set too high, you don't really notice that it turns on and off a bit more than it needs to. Mine has not turned on and off in short succession that frequently, although sometimes it does. It doesn't appear to impact its efficacy or accuracy, although if the fan is high and the room is quiet, it might really bug some people on the occassions it cuts on and off. Some people here report more aggressive cycling than I've observed. Sunbeam really should fix this and ponder a user interface tweak. The improvement over the previous model is that it continuously reports the hygrometer reading, which is really nice.
I'm giving this 4 stars because I still greatly prefer this over all the other humidifiers I've ever owned (and about the same as the model this one obsoleted).
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For those saying they aren't sure if it humidifies their room, get a hygrometer. You know, those digital temperature/humidity sensors with the LCD panel. I have one from Honeywell. This humidifier is able to keep my humidity at 40% in a LOFT apartment in Nebraska winters. We're talking below zero, frozen and humidity in the teens without a humidifier. In a single level apartment, it can get us to 50% but I keep it at 45. It is about twice as capable as a warm mist humidifier that can't get the room above 30%. PLUS, the warm one requires about 230w of electricity to run vs about 30w for the fan in this one. PLUS, the heater block in the warm mist unit must be soaked in white vinegar and have the minerals scraped off of it periodically. Pain in the butt, and not worth it.The downside? The filter must be washed in a bucket of soap water every so often or it accumulates pink/black mold and smells funny. It won't hurt you, but it is unpleasant. That's the only reason I don't give it 5 stars.
I like the automatic setting. I want 45%? It will hold it there. That way I don't have to touch the thing until its running empty.
Use distilled water ONLY for the best results, as with all humidifiers.
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Pros:-Humidifies large rooms for a low price.
-Auto humidity regulation (great for our guitars which need ~45% all the time)
Cons:
-I have exclusively used Brita distilled water on this, and the filter still needs to be cleaned/changed at least once a month.
Other thoughts:
-We fill the tank once every three days to keep a 300 sq ft room humidified at 45%
-We have three acoustic guitars that we can leave out and not worry about with the regulator
-We had to get used to the continual on/off's throughout the day because we run it on "Auto 1" at 45% humidity
Cleaning the filter:
-Place the filter in the sink or bucket, fill with warm water, add some bleach (and stir), let sit for 15 minutes, rinse with cold water, stick back in humidifier damp
Honest reviews on Holmes HM1865-U Comfort Select Cool Mist Humidifier
No, it is not the quietest humidifier on the block, but its no worse than a box fan in the window in the summer. I find it very effective at doing its job and it is easy to maintain. With regular use and recommended filter changes, mold is not an issue and it removes some of the dust from the air. The only reason I'm replacing it is because I damaged the one I've had for 3 years when I moved. Getting another one just like it.Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Holmes HM1865-U Comfort Select Cool Mist Humidifier
I've owned 6 or 7 of these humidifiers over the years. From the days when they had plain dial controls (just speeds 1, 2, & 3) to the current digital models where you set a target humidity and the unit reaches that, senses that, and turns off. This current digital model allows for 'simple control'... i.e. speed 1, speed 2, speed 3, or "automatic versions" of the three speeds, with a built in humidistat ... and that's where the trouble is.It's a roll of the dice... some unit's work properly, some reach the humidity you set (by pressing the up/down button), then incredibly annoyingly, start to cycle on and off every 30 seconds or so. IT WILL DRIVE YOU CRAZY.
This behavior will go on for hours and seems to be completely random. Somedays it works properly, some days not. I have to guess faulty components (welcome to the world of products you can no longer trust).
However. it's relatively quiet (I've owned at least ten different medium sized room models & this one's the best), and it really does a nice job on a roughly 15 x15 room (225 sq. ft. or so). It'll work fine in a smaller room, but go more than a foot or two larger, & you'll be filling this one twice a day.
One of my 2 current models is "afflicted" and so I have to run it in normal mode, I can't choose the automatic settings at all, the other works normally.
In my personal experience about 60% of these models have the humidistat problem, so if that's important to you, I'd look at another model. If not, compared to other similar models, it's actually a very good humidifier.
