Vicks 1.5 Gallon Vaporizer with Night-Light

by Vicks

Product Features

• 1.5 gallon capacity for 18-24 hour operation per filling and medicine cup allows the use of Vicks vaposteam or Kaz inhalant
• Triple wall insulation keeps reservoir water at a safe temperature
• Large Night-Light provides added safety and convenience, particularly in children's rooms
• Automatic shut-Off when reservoir water reaches minimum level

Product Description

Vicks Warm Steam Vaporizer w/ Pure Steam Action for Relief of Cold & Flu Symptoms. The exclusive Vicks Vaporizer with SteamGuard design provides maximum safety, performance and reliability. The Vaporizer boils water producing a pure warm steam vapor which is released into the air. This vapor is bacteria free and leaves no white dust.

Product Details

Product Manual [620kb PDF]

• Product Dimensions: 11.4 x 7.8 x 12.6 inches ; 2.4 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B0000TN7ME
• UPC: 328785101539 328785101508
• Item model number: V150SG
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (131 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,273 in Health & Personal Care (See Top 100 in Health & Personal Care)
  • #14 in Health & Personal Care > Health Care > Cough & Cold > Cold & Flu Remedies

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

484 of 492 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A better understanding on how these work, January 25, 2010

By 

Patrick - See all my reviews

This review is from: Vicks 1.5 Gallon Vaporizer with Night-Light (Baby Product)

I got a good chuckle out of reading some of the negative reviews on this unit. I own an industrial water treatment contracting company and it always strikes me as funny how uneducated people are with water, something they use every day. I figured I would take a minute and clarify a couple of things for people that use or are planning on purchasing one of these humidifiers, (Oh and yes I actually own one)

Humidifiers have been a part of our family for around fifteen years after I read a study on how they can reduce the usual winter ailments, colds and flu's.

First how these units work.

If you take the humidifying unit apart, you will find two probes. I believe they make them out of Carbon and other materials. They are round and about ½" thick, and approximately four inches long. These probes are then connected the electrical cord. When you plug it in and the probes are immersed in water, they create an electrical current between the two probes. This creates water that boils, and thus creates steam.

Some key facts about water. Pure water will not conduct an electrical current. This is why the instructions recommend adding a pinch of salt if your unit does not produce steam. The salt when disolved increases the TDS, (more on that in a minute) thus creating a conductive in the water.

Water is considered the Universal Solvent. In other word's water pretty much will absorb and dissolve anything that we submerge or add to it. Sometimes instantly. Sometimes over time. Two key things are in water that effect these humidifiers. One is the hardness of the water. Hardness is measured by checking how much Calcium and Magnesium is in the water. The other effect is Totally Dissolved Solids, or TDS. (all the other minerals that actually dissolve into water)

When you boil water, (essentially what these units do), the vapor that they produce is considered pure water or close too pure. So in essence as the water vapor escapes the unit what is left behind are the residual minerals, (tds) and the hardness, (magnesium and Calcium). Generally the Hardness cakes on the probes and creates a cement like residual. TDS usually fall out of suspension as clumps. Gray/black sand/rock formations.

So when you read comments in these reviews about residual inside the tank, or that the unit stopped producing steam, what these people are referring to is the residual left over after the water is boiled off. Depending on the water quality of their tap, the residual can be a lot or very little.

Ok, before you purchase one of these units, just remember. It's $15.00. (Wal Mart has them for a few bucks less) Your not buying an ultra fancy $200.00 BrookStone humidifier/vaporizier. These are generally one season, low maintenance, throw them away when you're done. (depending how many days out of the year you fire them up) So keep that in mind.

If you want to make one last, you can get some plain white vinegar. Find a jar or container that the Humidifying unit will fit into. That means something that the bottom portion that sets in the water not the top part where the cord goes in. (Edited this to better explain it) and fill it with 3/4 vinegar and the rest water, creating a mild acid solution. Set the probe portion in it and let it soak for a day. Repeat as necessary until the unit operates to your liking. Note the probes inside the unit do wear out, and hard water deposits do cake up pretty thick on the probes which increase that Wear and Tear effect. (I've taken enough of them apart to know)

Bottom line - If you want a cheap way of creating warm humidified air these are the unit for you. Don't expect anything more then what they price them at, and if you don't plan on maintaining them, ie using vinegar to keep the probes semi-clean of hardness deposits, then expect no more then one to two years of use.

70 of 74 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Easy to use, February 11, 2007

By 

Sez (San Diego) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Vicks 1.5 Gallon Vaporizer with Night-Light (Baby Product)

Very simple and easy to use. About the black particles that develop in the water after use, I found the following explanation to be helpful:

"A Vaporizer produces moisture by heating small amounts of the minerals in the water using tiny electrodes in the shaft of the unit. The minerals then heat the water to a boil and release steam into the air. The minerals will then settle to the bottom of the tank, possibly becoming small black flakes. These flakes are normal and should be rinsed out when you refill the tank. Any bacteria or mold in the water will be killed by the temperature of the water."

38 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best value for money, March 15, 2004

By 

David NG - See all my reviews

This review is from: Vicks 1.5 Gallon Vaporizer with Night-Light (Baby Product)

This is the best value for money can buy. It just requires a bit of patience when cleaning it. The more often you clean it, the faster the deposits dissolve.

Cleaning TIP: I took a bottle of water ( evian, aberfoyle ) and cut off the top part of the bottle leaving just enough so that the heating part can be fully immerged - sort of making a container to hold the vinegar and salt. Pour the vinegar and a little bit of salt - just enough so that the entire heating element is soaked. Leave it there for a few minutes and voila.

The steam is hot when in use, so be careful if you have kids around - that would be the only drawback, but then again, that's why it is called a vapourizer - vapours is supposd to be hot.