Customer Reviews

Hunter 34357 3-1/2-Gallon CareFree Plus Humidifier with PermaWick Filter

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(21)
3 star:		(12)
2 star:		(19)
1 star:		(20)

 

 

We bought one of these Hunter humidifiers a few years ago. I liked the big tank, low-maintenance and no consumables (no wicks or filters to buy). The only problem was, as others have mentioned, that often when it switched off, a gallon or more of water would promptly dump onto my floor. I finally called Hunter to complain about it, and I have to say I'm incredibly impressed with their customer service, and with the simple fix (new design for the tray) which appears to fix the problem completely. This is now a very competent humidifier, and we're really happy with it. You won't see a cool plume of water vapor spewing from this unit, but it does work really well, and it's very easy to keep clean (just throw parts of it in the dishwasher, and use vinegar and water to de-calcify the other parts).

For those who are shopping for a humidifier, you first have to decide what's important to you. For me, the ultrasonic ones are a no-go because they spew white powder all over my room (mineral dust from our hard water). The hot steam ones are a no-go because they get all nasty from bacteria, fungi, etc. I don't want to breathe that stuff in. And while the fan is far from silent, we actually like it at night, it's a nice gentle drone that helps lull us to sleep.

Nice job, Hunter, on fixing the original design flaw, and on supporting the product so well.

I bought two of these Hunter humidifiers at the same time, and they did a good job of humidifying a 2000 square-foot house (1 upstairs; 1 downstairs). It seems like they operated non-stop during 4 very dry winters. Both units had similar problems during their 4-year lifetimes, but my issues weren't specified in the manufacturer's warranty so I never pursued replacement or repair. Since my cost-per-year (based on total purchase price) was $20/unit, I simply treated them as "disposables" and discarded them after the 4th year. This Fall I'll decide whether to replace both with the same models or choose a competitor product.

This is not a "cool-mist" humidifier -- it is an evaporative unit with a fan. The motor turns the fan and also drives a simple plastic impeller pump that circulates the water. There is a float connected to a power switch that will turn the unit off when the water level in the pan is low. My problems: both NiteGlow lights stopped working prior to the end of the 1st winter. I had assumed that the units would use a long-life LED, but that obviously wasn't the case. During the 2nd winter, I had problems with one of the "float" systems, but was able to repair it myself. During the 3rd and 4th seasons, I had problems with the plastic fans rubbing the plastic case and causing noise - especially on "Hi" speed. For their last year of use, I could only operate the units on "Lo" fan speed. The fans would still rub the cases intermittently, and it was very annoying in the middle of the night or while trying to watch TV.

On extremely dry days, the output capacity on "Hi" fan speed can truly be 3-1/2 gallons every 24 hours when the humidistat is on a high setting. Fortunately, the "Tote Away tank" is convenient to transport and easy to refill at a bathtub or deep kitchen sink. The fans were never "whisper-quiet" even from day-one, but you will tune them out as background noise after the first week of use. The digital humidistats worked fine until the 4th season when one died abruptly. They automatically turn the fan off when the pre-set humidity level is reached. For me, they sometimes stopped working temporarily after the units were cleaned, but they always started working again after the units had fully dried.

I always had trouble with buildup of minerals on the filter, pan, and chassis, but this is presumably the price one pays for not having paper filters? The water in the bottom pans of the units tended to concentrate our local pinkish "Serratia marcesens". This could probably be overcome with diligent (i.e. weekly) emptyings and cleanings. On Lo-speed, the water doesn't seem to move fast enough to prevent mild stagnation in the bottom pan, and if you continue to use the unit once the ambient humidity naturally returns in the Spring then you may have trouble with moldy/musty smells since the water won't be cycling very frequently.

The pan and filter frame do clean up easily by hand or in the dishwasher (after the PermaWick filter has been removed). I only had a single "overflow" onto the floor by one unit after 4 years of use. That should be physically impossible based on the design of the unit, so I don't know what caused it. I suspect that I was responsible for it in some way. Nevertheless, had an entire 3+ gallons spilled onto the floor (upstairs!), it could have caused some major damage. If I use these units again in the future, I may set them inside some large plastic storage boxes (or an unused bathtub) as a secondary overflow prevention.

Positives: No paper filters! No white residues since the units are mist-less. The PermaWick filters lasted for 3 seasons, but they were inexpensive and easy to replace. The units are attractive in design, easy to use, and the non-moving parts (except for the nite-lite) are rugged. Ideally, the units should last for longer than 4 seasons, but at an average cost of approximately $20 per winter one can't complain too loudly about the limited lifetime. If Hunter builds added quality into the unit, then the market price will undoubtedly increase to match.

This humidifier has been great to us so far. Easy to use. We've had no leaks or troubles. We also enjoy the 'white noise' of the fan at night. The blue glow is neat, too. The first two years we used our very hard spring water. This will be the first year with softened water, so we'll see how it goes.(I think a little hardness is necessary?) Much less messy than the cheap ones. The tank, when full, might be heavy for some to lug around, but the good thing is it has a handle and it won't spill while you're carrying it. I'd definitely recommend, and if I need another one, would go with the same one-even though it's a little pricey in my opinion. I enjoy all its features too much to go without.

I've owned one of these for about 4 years and it continues to perform wonderfully. The water tank is easy to remove, fill and return to the humidifier. I have a humidistat in my house and the results were increased relative humitidy from 33% (very dry) to the recommended 42%. Big help for those with sinus and, or allergy issues. The "permafilter" will eventually have to be replaced but not until after several years of use (depending on the water supply).

It does work good but it is not large enough for a whole house, I should actually have 2 of these but the thing I love the most is that there are no paper filters to replace! The ones that have the replaceable filters really are the pits since the filters are expensive and don't last long.

I bought this humidifier to replace an older, smaller Hunter humidifier. I chose this brand again because of the PermaWick filter, ease of use, and Hunter reliability. While I had to have my husband regrease the fan motor on my old model after a few years, that was minor. The reason I replaced it was due to the tube having a strong musty/moldy odor that I couldn't get rid of. That unit lasted me about 8 years with half of them in cold, dry northern New York winters.

The noise of the fan on the HIGH setting is a bit loud, but I usually only use that after I fill the tank or when I need to quickly bring up the humidity level after being gone a few days. Otherwise, I use it at night on low - it's great white noise.

I like the new tray design which accommodates the support leg on the water tank. My older humidifier had a full open bottom that filled with water. The only time I had a problem with that one was when I didn't sit the water tank squarely on the tray.

Overall I am very happy with this humidifier and the extra features (nite-glo light and humidity readout). In my opinion, Hunter makes quality products. (I also own a Hunter air purifier).

I have had my Hunter 34357 for four weeks now. It has been a great product so far. It helps reduce my respiratory allergy and helps me sleep better since the first night I have it running.

I love the digital himidistat that maintains my desired humidity level 24/7. The low fan speed is still loud but I get used to it now. 3-1/2-gallon tank is good enough for several days. The niteGlow light is nice to avoid kicking the unit when walking in the dark.

I was skeptical about Hunter humidifiers because others complained about water dumping into their floors. I bought 34357 model with hope that Hunter fixed the problem with new tray designed. It appeared that the new design fixed the problem.

I would like it to have a third speed on the low side so it can run low and more quiet constantly instead of on and off quite often. The whole unit would be more stable if the tray is thicker. I worry that the tank handle will break when I carry a full tank of water. It can be built with better design or material.

Northern Californa had a bone dry week last week and my bedroom area feel really comfortable but not my living room and family rooms areas. I bought this unit to humidify the whole house but it couldn't handle the 1800sf house.

Despite the things that need improvement, I give it 5 stars since it helps me sleep well for four weeks. I have been suffering with sleep less nights for years so you can guess how happy I am now. I didn't loose sleep even in the week of 20% humidity.

I Just ordered a second unit for my sister who also suffer from allergy.

I've had my Hunter 34357 for 18 months now. I've been pleased with its performance. It's definitely not quiet when on the High setting, but I don't mind. The digital humidistat gives you instant feedback on how well it's doing, and with the amount of water it goes through in a day, it's clearly doing something. My space is also about 1200 sq. ft., and it has been able to keep things around 50% humidity even with poor insulation and frequent forced-air heating.

The 34357 has been maintenance-free for as long as I've owned it. It's nice that the PermaWick doesn't need replacing, because it gets really nasty-looking with all the minerals from the water and dust from the air. The only big problem I had was that one time when I had just filled the tank from the sink and was carrying it back to the humidifier, the Easy-Tote Handle snapped off the tank, which fell to the floor and partially crushed the tank cap. This was over a year after I purchased the unit. To Hunter's credit, not only did the tank continue to work pretty well even with a crushed cap, but Hunter immediately sent me a free replacement tank and cap, no questions asked.

I would recommend this unit to anyone who doesn't mind its noise level, which is about the same as a box fan on medium-high. You can also switch it to Low, which is hardly noticeable. I've had it for two winters now, and I've left it on High for days on end, and it still runs great.

I read lots of reviews and settled on this model. I like white noise at night so those complaints didn't bother me. When it came, I plugged it in and everything worked well. When I unplugged it to refill the resevoir, the humidistat switched from reading the actual humidity to registering either 'HI' or 'LO'. The unit won't run if it says 'HI'. I emailed Hunter and they said this couldn't be fixed and to return the unit. So I did. The replacement came and, after 30 minutes, the humidistat switched to 'HI' and the unit no longer runs. The first time, I thought it was just a bad unit. The second time, it looks like a manufacturing defect. I called the service desk and they advised me to try a third one. I'm thinking no...

I have two Hunter 34355 humidifiers. The "care-free" and "permawick" are both misleading. First of all, the biggest gripe, is with the filters. These permawick filters disintegrate into small pieces and dust after one season's usage. They'll need to be replaced yearly. Fortunately, they're available about $7 each on amazon. But "perma"? Please. Yes, of course, you have to clean the tanks and trays with a vinegar solution, every few tank fillings. There is also a foam sponge where the water, after being drawn up from the water holding area, percolates through. This sponge gets some pretty nasty buildup after a season. So it's not really care free. Also, the screws that hold various parts of the unit together tend to rust. Also, it's impossible to get to the underside of the fan blades to wipe them if they get dust buildup.

On the plus side, they do humidify a large area, and the humidistat is a nice feature. And admittedly, it's a lot less cleaning than a warm-mist model that's got a heating element.

As for what other folks have said about the noise: one of our units is reasonably quiet and the other sounds like an old Buick that needs a new muffler.