Holmes Humidifier HM5250
I would have rated this a 5 star if the cleaning was easier, but I do not know if such a humidifier exists.
We have hard water and the build up of scale was becoming a problem, even with daily cleaning (yes, you should clean this unit daily). I came up with a solution to reduce and almost eliminate the scale - I add a teaspoon of baking soda to the tank when I refill it. The scale is drastically reduced and the unit runs at a whisper quiet. I originally ran the unit without the baking soda and there was some noise, mainly gurgling, that was too loud for me since I am a light sleeper.
There is a black covered heating element that requires cleaning to remove scale. This can be very difficult to remove. I solved this as part of the weekly maintenance when you use vinegar to clean the base. The part with the heating element rests on the base. By adding enough vinegar to fill the well where the heating element engages with the base, and allowing it to soak for 10 or 15...
No Filter - I LOVE it!
I bought one for the office and liked it so much I bought another one for home. I like the warm mist, it heats the water and kills the germs before sending out mist. You have to be so careful with cool mist humidifiers - especially ones with a filter, because if you get sick the germs lodge in the filter and just multiply and you wind up re-circulating germs through the mist. I've read about the gurgling noise and yes baking soda does get rid of it - I'm a light sleeper and I have mine right next to my bed. It keeps the sinus moist which prevents sinus infections. The vinegar is great for cleaning the unit as well. And I love the fact that I don't have to deal with filters. I HATE filters. This is like plug and go! I've had mine over 2 years and it's still going strong. Hope they never discontinue it.
Lots of flaws
It produces upto 2.5 gallons per day, but the tank is only 1 gallon so you have to refill it a lot to get this. The instructions say DO NOT use detergents on any part but then it says to put the bottom section in the dishwasher. It takes a lot of time and effort to clean the scaling off, partly because you have to wait 15 minutes after turning it off since the heating element remains hot for a long time and could send out random steam to burn you as you pick it up. In terms of cost vs time it's probably a better deal for many people to just buy new wicks for an evaporating humidifier. But the worst thing is a metal plate on the bottom maybe 1/3" from the ground that's there to prevent the plastic from melting under the heating element. That's pretty close to the floor to have a metal plate that's nearly boiling hot and is probably the real reason why the manual says to keep it off rugs or finished floors. It also had a pretty bad plastic outgas smell; maybe this will go away in...
Click to Editorial Reviews
No comments:
Post a Comment