This model was a BIG disappointment

I had good experience with two previous Essickair H12000-series console humidifiers (each of which lasted 10 years). However, this new one is a step back from the previous models. The Motor and media pad are the same, but the water tank has been redesigned --- for the worse.

The humidifier seems to work regulating the humidity in the house. Filling it will take some learning (finding most convenient way to to it) but, when filled, seems to last 2-3 days. We hear it running but it is not too loud for a home unit. I would purchase it again and recommend this unit.

Waste of money

I bought this to replace an Essick humidifier that had worked well for years. This Aircare is poorly designed and poorly made. The wick hangs on a miniscule ridge that flexes because the walls of the humidifier are so flimsy. Then the wick falls off the ridge. Then, because the float level is attached to the wick, the unit will not run.

Cheap Plastic and quit working after 20 minutes

I set this all up and followed the instructions. I filled the tank, then let it all drain out into the humidifier, then refilled it. Letting it sit for 20 minutes, then turned it on. It worked great and the humidity went up to 30% and then it just stopped working. I unplugged it, and even googled for tips. NOTHING. The device is supposed to stay on when it's set at 65% which it didn't, I tried moving the humidity level, and it still didn't start the fan. Super disappointed. Also, this is super cheap plastic and really poorly made. I think the small $50 are built better, but I needed it for a large 1k sq ft space.

For a whole house humidifier, the tank is too small. I was having to fill the single tank three times a day. Aligning the tank was tricky as was aligning the float with the push rod. Not a great design. I returned this and spent a little more on a larger capacity humidifier that has two tanks, each larger than the single tank on this unit.

Flimsy plastic junk

This must have been the result of trying to build the worst piece of junk possible. Thin flimsy crappy plastic box with leaky components. A pile of plastic crap. I can't believe how difficult it is to find quality machinery these days. Aircare and home depot should be ashamed for selling such absolute poor quality trash. Absolute waste.

Thin plastic cannot support fan motor

The fan motor housing was broken off at the thin plastic support molds, which is apparently a very common issue with these units. This is a major issue, both with the design of the plastic support molding used to hold the fan motor assembly as well as very poor packaging. Even if the packaging was better and this unit survived shipping, the fan motor supports are still too thin and flimsy to survive much moving around.

Effective

The humidifier works well, but has multiple design problems. There was no consideration given to noise reduction, either by reducing vibrations in the chassis or by reducing air turbulence. Even on its lowest setting it is too loud for me to occupy the same room. Secondly, the tank is too small and requires a refill every 8-12 hours even while running at low speed. The controls are very basic and frequently

Don't do It! This model is Worse!

While this model looks nicer than previous models, it is actually worse in almost every measurable way.

Actual tank size?

I am wondering what the real tank size is. It calls itself a 5.4 gal. Evaporative Humidifier. The online "product details" picture says it has a 3.5 gal. capacity. The actual water bottle only holds 2.5 gallons. So how are they coming up with these figures? Many people complain that you can't see through the bottle when filling it with water. Try putting a flashlight directly on the plastic bottle and see if that helps you see the water line.

BUYER BEWARE!

WE HATE EVERYTHING about this humidifier. EVERYTHING has to sit PERFECTLY inside it in order to work. The hose they provide to fill the tank has NO viability & caused our faucet to leak. We fill it with a funnel & milk jug now. It’s flimsy, SUPER LOUD, & you have to spend a LOT of time making sure everything is sitting JUST RIGHT when you fill it or change the filter. We just noticed water all over our floor b/c a piece of plastic has broken off that holds the water tank in place. The piece floated under where the floater sits & the “jet” (it’s SO LOUD) would shut off & we’d think it was empty. Fill it up & apparently it was leaking out the back. We didn’t know b/c we got new flooring & I wanted to protect it so I put a rug & towel under it. We are now out all this money b/c we’ve been using it since October. Buy anything else other than this 1.

Good humidifier but.....

The humidifier does a good job of adding moisture to the air and a reasonable rate of speed and volume. The only "issue" is that the fan and motor is not attached to the cover housing it sits in which means that if you remove the cover, the fan and motor assembly can easily shift out of alignment. When this happens the fan can bind and not turn while the motor is engaged, which can burn out your motor if you don't catch it. Not sure if I got a lemon or this is a terrible design flaw. If I wasn't so busy with family, I'd take it back for this reason only.

Loud and poorly designed

I have had two of these which is dumb on my part but there aren't many good choices for whole-home or large-room humidifiers. Its crazy loud. hard to fill up. If you move with water in it can spill on the floor. We have a well and the hard water chokes the filter and messes up the nebulizer plate or whatever it's called. It's big and boxy and cheaply made. So I would NOT advise getting one. The challenge is the highest rated ones on CR all are for regular size bedrooms

Weak design and overpriced

The humidifier works. Contact customer service response! Below.

Pros: It did humidify the entire 1100 sq. ft. apt. Easy to maintain Initial investment wasn't t...

Pros:

actually works too good for the water capacity. I refill this because it shuts off no less than 3...

actually works too good for the water capacity. I refill this because it shuts off no less than 3 times a day. Yes that means that it works very well but I wish the fill tank had a larger capacity than approx. 3 gallons. Have seen some reviews about it being loud but I have always had a humidifier similar to this and they have always had a similar volume. But my last humidifier similar to this lasted better than 20 years so maybe their are quieter ones at a higher price range? I made this purchase based on price then reading the reviews. I loved my old one but this one puts much more water into the air if I can just keep it full!

Unit was easy to assemble and it does add moisture to the home. However, it does not deliver as p...

Unit was easy to assemble and it does add moisture to the home. However, it does not deliver as promised. I've had the unit 3 days to allow time for it to work in my house and evaluate it fairly. I have a 2200 sq/ft bilevel home with the humidifier on the lower level near my stairwell leading upstairs. In 3 days non-stop running, its taken the humidity level downstairs from 20% to 41% and upstairs from 16% to 35% with the unit set at 65% fan level 1-4. I turn to level 4 when not home and to 1 when im downstairs watching tv so I can hear better. This unit is better than nothing but it does have some flaws. 1) the filing hose is poorly designed and a 2 part hose. Do yourself a favor before use and glue the hose to the faucet adapter with silicone as it leaks severely where the 2 pieces join. 2) The unit IS NOT quiet! Fan level 1 is tolerable to watch tv with. Level 2 is barely tolerable but anything above that don't plan on carrying a conversation or being in the same room. The humidity sensor is built into the top of the unit so it reads about 20% higher than actually in the house. I have a monitor 6' away from the unit and it reads 41% while the humidifier sensor registers 59%. Others have complained about the low run time. In order for this unit to last, you must fill the tank, wait about 20 minutes (you will hear jug stop gurgling) and fill it again to get the most water in your humidifier. If you don't do that you will be constantly refilling it several times a day. There are no good solid reviews I could find for humidifiers. They seem to all have hit & miss ratings. I will keep this unit as my home needs the moisture. However, I won't recommend it to anyone due to issues I've stated in this review.

I've been running this humidifier for close to two months and just received a full-month's gas an...

I've been running this humidifier for close to two months and just received a full-month's gas and electricity bills. While I can't say with complete certainty that running this humidifier saved me a lot of natural gas, it sure seems to have. My electricity usage seems to have only increased slightly and we run this pretty much 24 x 7 on low speed. The savings in natural gas more than offset the electricity usage, or so it seems. It has prevented all of us from getting chapped lips. My usually severely dry winter skin is now just slightly dry. There are no static electricity issues, even with the synthetic fibers. It feels amazing in the house, especially coming in from the dry cold. This is a fantastic device, if a little on the loud side. My husband loves white noise and he likes the fan sound. I like quiet and it still hasn't faded into the background.

The product releases the appropriate humidity in the house, but...

The product releases the appropriate humidity in the house, but the process for refilling the unit is troubling. The white plastic water container is very heavy when it is filled--my old unit could be filled with a bucket directly into the unit--filling this container and taking it to the unit is a heavy task for me. I also don't like the hose used to fill the plastic unit. Not all faucets are compatible with the nipple, and so I need to fill it even farther away from the unit than the nearest sink. This means that I am constantly refilling the plastic bottle so that I can haul it to the unit from a distant room with a sink compatible for the refill device. Would I purchase this unit again?-NO. Would I recommend this unit?--only if the household had a close water source for the unit and a strong body to haul the heavy plastic refill container to the unit.

We have hot water baseboard heat and our house is very dry during the winter months. We suffered ...

We have hot water baseboard heat and our house is very dry during the winter months. We suffered with dry skin, were constantly "zapped" with static electricity when walking across a carpet and turning on a light switch and not to be gross, but the air in our house was so dry, I had frequent nosebleeds due to the lack of moisture. Purchased the Aircare about 3 weeks ago and assembled it in about 5 minutes and positioned it in our foyer. In this location, it can "treat" the air in our kitchen, dining area, living room, actually reach our bedroom which is down a fairly long hallway and treat the upstairs which is just above the unit. Since its purchase, all of our above problems have been lessened or eliminated. It is simple to operate with an On-Off switch and a switch that sets the amount of humidity you want to achieve. The reservoir is about 2.5 gallons and is white in color which makes it just a bit difficult to see the water level while you are filling it but that is not a big deal to me. Also, I do wish there was some way to tell how much water was in the reservoir without lifting it to check how much is in it - again, not a deal breaker for me. Lastly, I checked the amount of electricity it used during a 24 period with a meter I have and that particular day, it ran approximately 70% of the time and used just over a kilowatt of electricity which amounts to about $0.07 in cost. The fan is a bit noisy once you get over setting 1 but I haven't had a need to go any higher than low speed. I am most pleased with the unit and would encourage you - if you have the same wintertime problems to purchase one.