Customer Reviews

Holmes HM8405RC-U 4-Gallon Warm Mist Humidifier

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I wanted a unit with a humistat and large tank, and this seemed to fit the bill. I returned it three days later.

The unit has much going for it. It is attractive enough, and has a four gallon capacity instead of the usual three. The humistat works well, and should be a required feature on all humidifiers. You set the humidity level in the optimal zone for personal comfort, while eliminating the condensation and mold potential from a setting that is too high. The tank is easy to fill, and even has a handle on the side, which is helpful when you are flipping over and carrying a full tank. The base and heating element come apart for cleaning. The base is dishwasher safe, and the heating element is coated for easier cleaning. The controls are easy to see and use.

The unit is extremely effective, which is the cause of its deficiencies. On high, it heated up amazingly fast and the output was strong. So strong that the tank ran dry in a matter of 3-4 hours on first use. So strong I felt I had to move it away from the wall to avoid dampness. So strong that I could see the water boiling in the tank itself; which also resulted in a noise level that was distracting. I could hear the boiling water clear across the room! The problem was not much better on low. Since I also own a Honeywell that is virtually silent, I know this is not necessary.

The display is lighted, which makes it easy to see. However, it also adds one more digital light to a dark room. And the output vent is fixed to point strait up, whereas you might prefer to direct the steam away from the wall or a particular piece of furniture.

However, if noise is not a concern, this is certainly a powerful and effective unit.

The vaporizer holds 1.7 Gallons, generously counting tank+base. In practice, because I don't fill the base, a bit more than a gallon.

The vaporizer has a daily rate of 4 gallons (Thus the name). To keep it going for a full day, you have to fill it up 3 times. Effectively, it doesn't run for a full night because the tank isn't big enough.

4 Gallons is a Misleading description because many would assume it refers to the tank.

It does otherwise match the picture and description, and is a quite nice vaporizer.

I brought this unit and the first time I fill it with water and started it, noticing the water just keep going at a faster than expect speed... and my floor was wet... I thought I did not do it right and went to read more on the instruction... I tried it again. fill with water, and just leave the unit off. 30 mins later, my floor was flooded... half of the water gone... I am going to return it!

i bought two of these this summer, one broke within two months. i tried to get a replacement part from holmes but they sent me the wrong parts over and over. i have since returned the unit for a refund but have not recieved any money yet. the other unit is now acting up. save youself some trouble buy another unit.

Bought this humidifier last winter. Worked reasonably well for 3 months before it died. However, the unit was quite noisy - it is designed in a way that boiling noise is amplified and loud enough to be disturbing when watching TV. In addition, the design results in water condensing and ending up on the floor. Thirdly, the after filling the tank, it was usually very hard to get it restarted - impossible to get the empty tank to turn off. Last, the design makes it hard to clean the heating element after a while. The element has a non-stick coating but this coating disappears over time. Can not recommend this unit!

Addendum: I think I will upgrade this unit to 3 stars. After all, it did work well for 3 months.