Customer Reviews

Vornado HU1-0013-11 Standard 4-Gallon Vortex Humidifier

5 star:		(52)
4 star:		(22)
3 star:		(15)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

We have found this to be the best humidifier we have owned.

It is simple to operate and easy to clean. Even at full output, the tanks hold more than a day's water supply.

Note the following:

-This not an air filter or an air washer. It picks up water with wicks and evaporates the water into the air with a fan. It you need an air filter because of allergies, etc, you should probably get an additional unit with a hepa filter that just filters the air.

-The unit doesn't boil water and release steam (We had one of those...it added a significant amount to our electric bill).

-This is not a "mist" humidifier that breaks water into little droplets and sprays them into the air. Those units have filters which, if not changed, created a "white dust" problem.

But nothing is absolutely perfect so note the following regarding the Vornado:

-Wicks (they are NOT filters) need to be changed about every three months depending on usage and scale in the water.

-You MUST use chemicals - water softener if needed; and definitely an anti bacteria solution. Both of these will substantially extend the wick life and prevent bad things from being released into the air.

-No humidifier is free of operating costs. Wicks and chemicals (plus electricity) are part of the annual operating expense of this particularf humidifier.

-The unit CANNOT be picked up and moved when the tanks are full. The tanks have to be removed first.

-Because of possible dripping, the unit should NOT be placed directly on a rug, wood floor or piece of furniture. It requires a pad, tray or similar.

-It is not possible to clean inside the water tanks, a weakness. Also, because of their size, tanks need to be filled either in a bath tub or in the kitchen sink with a "detachable" faucet.

-There is a gurgling sound but we didn't find it a problem.

-There is a motor/fan noise, but again, not excessive.

-The mechanism that determines whether a pre-set humidity level has been reached and then shuts off the machine seems to have some accuracy issues. We just leave it on maximum.

Notwithstanding the above, this is a good product and we recommend it.

I wanted a quiet cool-mist humidifier with humidistat (no white dust as ultrasonics, more energy efficient than warm-mist types).

This Vornado has all these. The fan is indeed very quiet at low speed - the most quiet of any other type (I checked about 6 or 7 others, including models from Bionaire, Holmes, Honeywell, Kenmore and some other less-well-known brands). So far the humidistat seems to work - turns the unit on and off periodically....

I would have rated this unit 5 stars if not for one small glitch. As air periodically enters the tank when water evaporates it makes a quite disturbing sound. Several times per hour, not too often, but it is loud... I think it can be fixed by plugging a suitable piece of rubber with a small hole after the tank is full - this way only small amounts of air will enter and it will be quiet. Other humidifiers don't suffer this small problem.

Overall the Vornado is an excellent, well-bilt product, due mainly to its quiet and strong fan and its simple construction.

Replaced 2 hunter humidifiers with 2 vornado 4gal. Benefits: 2 low profile bottles, much easier to fill in kitchen sink; much quieter fan than the hunter; price was a little better. Negatives: some people complain of 'knocking' as bottles equalize - as they empty the water, bubbles create a knocking sound. I heard a few 'glug glug' sounds, but nothing like others have complained about. Other complaints are replacement wicks. An alternative is to buy the Hunter humidifier wicks - these are metal instead of paper, and can be cleaned and reused indefinitely. They are approximately the same size as the vornado paper wicks - Cost is about 3x the paper wicks, but they don't have to be replaced.

Vornado builds intelligently designed products. The HU1 4.2 gallon humidifier is probably the best portable package out there. We need it out here in the desert. The humidistat control is a great feature and the unit runs with almost no audible noise. Real quality throughout. However, there are two design flaws. First, as water is consumed, air enters either bottle making an annoying thump...thump...thump sound (plastic water bottle resonating) till pressure is equalized. Second, the soft rubber feet constantly fall out if the humidifier is slid sideways rather than picked directly upwards. Vornado should easily rectify these problems. Otherwise, these small (but noteworthy) defects do not detract from the overall excellent, quiet and effective design. It's a keeper.

I've had my Vornado Humidifier for several years now and it really does the job in my 2000 sq. ft. condo. The secret to the "glug" and short wick life that other owners complain about is pretty easily solved.

For the sake of your health, it pays to use some sort of antibacterial water treatment - I use Original Bt Humidifier Bacteriostatic Treatment that I get in my hardware store (they also carry spare wicks for the Vornado). One dropper-full of the treatment in each tank keeps any sliminess or odor completely under control. It also seems to make the wicks last a good deal longer. The only trick is to add the treatment AFTER you fill the tanks, as it tends to foam up otherwise. The real beauty of using the treatment is that, for some reason, it quiets the glug sound - not completely, but it is a great deal quieter. I keep the unit in my living room, so any noise is of little consequence anyway

While this is fine product that has a very quiet motor I must comment on the glug sound made as water flows from the tanks to the resevoir. It occurs about every 20 minutes and will wake all but the soundest sleeper. It actually startles you awake as it sounds as if someone is hammering in your backyard. ( I understand this is a protective airlock feature).

I looked back at the prior 40+ reviews on this product and unfortunately discounted the reviews of others who had this problem. Though a bargain at $60 can not reccomend you purchase this unless you sleep like a log.

Having read all the previous reviews on this humidifier I decided to disregard the comments about disturbing sounds from the humidifier. I am sorry I did. The tank construction is so flimsy that when water is released into the wick tank (more than once an hour (depends on the amount of humidification)a very LOUD knocking sound (5-7 bangs at a time)will disturb your sleep. I thought the next door neighbor was doing construction next door, I couldnt believe this was actually coming from the humidifier. Seriously, I was only one step away from going over there and waking them up at 230 am. I wish I had bought the ultrasonic types. If you have hard water..prepare to clean the wicks often as they absorb them, discolor and turn hard. I can't complain about the basic function..the unit humidifies well but even after almost a month I cannot get used to hearing the banging sounds.

This is an amazingly well designed and effective humidifier. I swear it is keeping me from getting sick this season. I have used three humidifiers in as many years and this is a keeper. It is quiet, easy to fill without soaking yourself or the floor, and it is easy to keep clean and bacteria free because the electronic parts can be completely separated from the sections that hold water. I have never written a review before and really don't have the time to now, but this is such a great product I had to pass on the word.

I bought this humidifier because it was reviewed as being quiet and because Vornado makes great fans and heaters. It does work well, and the fan is very quiet. However, as it evaporates the water, it tends to make a very loud glug glug glug noise, which never fails to wake me up. I even moved it out of the bedroom and into the hall, but it is still very loud.

My wife and I have used this humidifier for four years now and now, as I shop for a better product, I thought I should contribute to the comments listed here about it. Four years is quite a while so that says something in itself. We have used it every night. However, I'm really tired of spending ten bucks (plus shipping & handling) every two months on replacement wicks. The frame's a bit flimsy but durable and the gurgling noise of water draining into the tray has never really bothered us. I now believe that I'd prefer to spend a little extra time involved in cleaning, say, the Holmes 5700, than purchasing those damn wicks, which have now costed far more than the humidifier itself.