Sunbeam 1389 2-Gallon Vaporizer

by Sunbeam

Product Features

• 32 hours of continuous operation
• Safety Glo glows in the dark for nighttime use
• Patented safety key lock electrode feature
• Auto-off feature when water runs dry
• Medicine chamber for use with liquid inhalants

Product Details

• Item Weight: 3.2 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 4 pounds
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B00006IV1A
• Item model number: 389161
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,315,275 in Home & Garden (See Top 100 in Home & Garden)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Results if you follow the directions, January 19, 2003

By 

R. W. Pochciol "rwp464" (PA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sunbeam 1389 2-Gallon Vaporizer (Kitchen)

We've been using Sunbeam vaporizers around our house for years, with EXCELLENT results. Our softened well water contains too many minerals for a whole-house evaporative humidifer to work, so we have several vaporizers in CONSTANT 24-HOUR use every winter.

A vaporizer only works well if the mineral content in your water is "ideal", so you may have to make simple adjustments if the water doesn't boil (add salt), or if it boils too rapidly (add distilled water). This will prevent "spurting", boiling over and overheated reservoirs.

I recommend the 2-gallon reservoir because it keeps the water outside the heating chamber cooler than the 1-gallon model does. You can always underfill the reservoir for shorter running times.

Pro's:
- No filters to get clogged or replace (expensive)
- Runs over 12 hours on one filling
- Lid secured onto base so pets won't get inside
- Kills bacteria
- Minimal cleaning, no chemicals needed
- Minerals stay in reservoir; no mineral dust in your house
- Quiet, except for boiling water noise
- Easy to fill & carry
- Reservoir glows in the dark at night
- Inexpensive to purchase/replace

Con's:
- Hot steam! Wouldn't recommend for households with young children (pets learn to stay away)
- If there are too many minerals in your water, it will boil too hard and spurt water onto the floor (add distilled water to weaken the mineralization)
- If there are too few minerals, it won't work (adding table salt will correct this problem).
- Electrode chamber tricky to open (this may be a good thing...)
- Electrodes can be hard to clean, depending on water conditions. Our water literally "eats away" one electrode, making it shorter every year, until it has to be replaced.

Sunbeam vaporizers seem to put out more vapor than the brand with the blue top (V***S).

Amazon.com should stock this item during the winter months.

4.0 out of 5 stars the best bet in a world of bad options, November 28, 2005

By 

CDeza (pa) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sunbeam 1389 2-Gallon Vaporizer (Kitchen)

Humidifiers and the bacteria that seems to grow on them overnight scare me. I've looked at them all cool mist, warm mist (in other words boiled steam), and ultra sonic (the old days. more bacteria)

Pros:
1. It doesn't boil the water which consumes a massive amount of energy. It uses a different process which turns the water into a steamy vapor. It's hot, but not scalding. Depending on the mineral content of your water, it puts out a decent amount of moisture. If you don't have high mineral water, just add a pinch of salt. Vicks brand is totally pathetic with it's tiny opening and meager output. It was useless.
2. Because it turns the water into steam, bacteria is not nearly as big a problem as with humidifiers. Just don't leave stagnant water sitting in it for days, if you're not using it. Also, completely drain it out once a week or so. I sometimes get lazy and leave the small amount of water on the bottom, and just refill it, instead of draining it all first. Still don't have any problems.
3. It's cheap! at $15, just buy a new one in a few years, if you need it. That's still cheaper than buying those stinking replacement wicks that don't even work.

CONS:
1. Not very convenient to fill with it's small opening in the center. I end up just filling up a bucket and pouring it in.
2. NOT EASY TO DRAIN. Why on earth would you make the opening recessed so the water cannot flow freely out? I end up playing the twist and shake game every time I want to get all the water out.

If those 2 cons were fixed, I would give this a 5. But still, it beats anything else out there to put moisture in the air. This vaporizer wins hands down. (well except for those whole house units which i haven't tested) I just hope they don't discontinue this product.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Where's the Vapors?, December 16, 2003

By 

Alison Sue (Michigan, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sunbeam 1389 2-Gallon Vaporizer (Kitchen)

What ever happened to the vaporizors we had when I was a kid? The kind where a big puff of mist came out over your head while you were sleeping? I bought this machine to use at night with menthol vapors for colds. This vaporizor takes 10 minutes to even start working, and when it does, a tiny thin line of smoke-style vapor that is barely visible comes rising up--but only a few inches before falling. Not enough to fill a room, let alone a sleeping area. You have to put your face directly over the machine to even get the effects. You can put menthol liquid in the reservoir, but it holds only a very small amount and the reservor it is slanted in a way that makes it drip all over the place and run down the machine. It is a very quiet machine--can't really hear it run at all. I don't know if this is how they are all made now, but it sure wasn't what I expected.