Honeywell HWM450 Quick Steam Warm Moisture Humidifier
by Honeywell
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List Price: Category: Home See more product details |
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Tools and Hardware Reviews of Honeywell HWM450 Quick Steam Warm Moisture Humidifier
Customer Review: Best made Humidifier on the market
Summary: 5 Stars
I am a skilled Commercial/Industrial Equipment Repair Technician and I can tell you this is a well built unit. I have answers to all the questions in this message area and to all the issues some people are having with simple user problems.
The Warm mist is the best to buy for the winter, it puts out the most humidity and helps to warm the house. It doesn't have bacteria like cold water units which need filters and are best used during summer months to help COOL the room.
Like all equipment there is maintenance, and some required maintenance is well worth the comfort and relief you get from the dry air in the room during the winter months when the humidity levels drop down into the teens!!
Whenever water is boiled any calcium, iron, and air you have in your water will separate from it. Same here, if you have hard water calcium will collect in the bottom of the water reservoir. Honeywell knows this and has made this unit capable of being used in such situation. If you have very hard water you can use the mineral pads, some supplied, to help absorb the minerals.
Water softeners help to remove most of the calcium and iron that makes your water hard. You do not need to use the mineral pad, the unit will operate better without it!! Use it in situations if you have very hard water only. Most of the extra noise is when air gets trapped below the pad because the air holes are blocked during use, and it builds up pressure and pops.
Do not clean the pad and reuse, it shreds and blows up blocking the air holes in the 2 layer pad. The holes must line up and not get crossed like closing a valve trapping more air in the bottom of the tank.
As the Humidity in your home drops the moisture in everything in your home dries up, the wood, furniture, walls, and floor, so it will take some time (about 1 to 2 weeks) until you get all the moisture back into everthing. Water levels below 40% are considered to be dry, and 30% and below are very dry. You can get nose bleed and headaches below 35%!!Ideal levels are 45 to 50 percent. In the winter it is harder to get levels up because you have constant drying from the weather and your heating system. Dry mouth and sinus relief can be noticed above 40%. I recommend a unit for each floor. You may need to fill it once a day on low, and twice a day on high, hence the different output levels. Whatever it takes to achieve your desired humidity level.
So the water, type of heating, weather, and construction of your home are factors effecting the overall performance you will get in aquiring your desired humidity level. This unit puts out up to 4 gal a day, that is awsome!! The more it is used the more you will have to clean it depending on how hard your water is. Remember a water softener will help most situations.
All in all this unit will handle the job, it's stainless steel heating plate is easy to clean, just pop the unit apart, brush and rinse the parts off, it all washes well in the wash room. Only the calcium thing is a problem for those who have very hard water, but in most cases a water softener is used and should take care of the problem.
Use the mineral pads only if you have a hard water problem, turn the output level to the low setting after the humidity level is achieved. Check the mineral level in the reservoir when you fill the tank, you can see the water when you lift the tank off, if the water is dirty, it needs to be cleaned soon (every 1-2 weeks, takes 5-10 minutes). The unit will shutdown if the water is too dirty, cool heh!!
I recommend this unit over any other brand out there, don't mess with the ultrasonic nightmare units, I hear they are a real headache and spit dirt all over the place, the maintenance it high too, plus the filters are expensive!!
Customer Review: excellent warm mist humidifier -- you will not be sorry!
Summary: 5 Stars
I am extremely pleased with this humidifier. I much prefer warm mist models to cool mist models due to the quiet operation and soothing mist. I recently had to replace my veteran warm mist model that has since been discontinued and in my two year search I purchased (and returned!) nine (yes, nine) different warm and cool mist models from various manufacturers before I found this one. I was absolutely disgusted with what is on the market, even at four times the price. Cool mist ones that promise to be "ultra quiet" sound like jet engines; ultrasonic models produce unbelievable amounts of fine white dust even with new water treatment technologies that claim to reduce mineral output. Warm mist models are especially hard to find (forget it if you want digital controls) and tend to have very low output.
I am very pleased to say that the HWM450 lives up to my very high standards and I'm quite surprised to see some of the poor reviews here. I've had mine for about 3 months. I knew this was the one when I first unpacked it. I was so accustomed to the poor design and flimsy construction of the other models I've owned that I was literally taken aback when I disassembled it. The technical design of this humidifer is absolutely beautiful. The heating plate is stainless steel and has a large surface area. A heavy plastic baffle/deflector sits inside the unit over the heating plate in an upside-down cone fashion to create an enclosed steam chamber which enables it to operate quietly and have surprisingly high output on its highest setting. Unlike other models, the steam chamber design is brilliant because it clearly traps as much heat as possible near the heating plate in an effort to keep energy use reasonable. It has the additional benefit of helping to muffle the sound of the boiling water.
The mineral absorption pads do a reasonably good job of controlling mineral buildup. I live in a city with relatively hard water and I find I need to clean the unit and change the pad once a week. Get some cleaning solution designed for humidifiers (or white vinegar works, too) and cover the heating plate with it. It helps to slightly elevate the opposite end of the unit to encourage more of the cleaning solution to stay on the plate instead of draining into the rest of the tray. Let it soak for 30-60 mins and then use an old toothbrush to brush off the softened minerals. If it doesn't get clean on the first soak, repeat. You should be able to get it spotlessly clean without scrubbing.
Pros:
- Quiet, like you'd expect from a warm mist model
- Produces more humidity than any other model I've tried
- Three levels of humidity output
- Digital controls
- Hygrometer (humidity meter) that ACTUALLY WORKS ACCURATELY and is not tricked by the humidity generated by the unit
- Timer feature could be useful if you're not using it in the winter
- Doesn't produce any white dust like ultrasonic models do
- Sturdy construction; obviously well-designed
Cons:
- Mineral absorption pad needs to be replaced regularly (I've found weekly) for optimal operation
- Needs more cleaning than cool mist or ulatrasonic models (cleaning is relatively painless, though -- see comments above)
- Water tank could be larger, although you'll get 20-24 hours out of it on the normal output setting once you're maintaining the desired humidity
Again, I can't recommend this model enough.
Customer Review: Very good vaporizer-type humidifier
Summary: 5 Stars
Overall, this is a good humidifier. We have one of these humidifiers, a Honeywell "cool mist" humidifier, and an Air-O-Swiss ultrasonic humidifer to humidify our 2,400 sq ft home in Phoenix, which has very low humidity especially in the winter time. This is the third season we've used this unit.
Mode of operation: This humidifier works by boiling water. The boiled water creates steam. The steam is slightly cooled as it passes upwards, to release warm, bordering on hot, invisible steam from the unit.
Ability to humidify: Of all three of our humidifiers, this is in the middle in its ability to humidify. It does a great job raising the humidity in our bedroom while we sleep, but doesn't affect the humidity in the rest of the house that much.
Noise: The boiling process creates a rather nice white noise of gurgling sounds. You will hear bubbling sounds on occasion as the water from the tank is let into the unit. If you hear pops or clicks -- which can sound quite violent -- then this means that the humidifier needs cleaning.
Hygrometer accuracy: The digital hygrometer is pretty accurate, being a couple of points greater than what our stand-alone hygrometers read.
Type of water that has to be used: You can use any type of water, but the type of water you use dictates how hard it will be to clean the unit. Reverse osmosis or distilled water will basically leave the unit inside spotless. We use softened water, and salt deposits form inside the unit as a result of the boiling process, but these deposits just flake right off. If you use hard water, the hard water deposits (calcium, magnesium) will be much more difficult to clean.
Ease of cleaning: As noted above, it really depends on the type of water you use. I pour vinegar into the base every week to clean off the softened water salt deposits. Once a month I use Air-O-Swiss's "EZ Cal" (or "EZCal") humidifier cleaner/descaler, which is a little more aggressive than vinegar, and renders the stainless steel boiling plate nearly as clean when we took the humidifier out of the box for the firs ttime. It may be worthwhile to use this type of cleaner every week if you have hard water deposits, as it removes them more easily than vinegar. Every week, I also wash the tank and the base in the dishwasher (on "gentle"). Cleaning weekly is a must unless you use distilled or reverse osmosis water, to remove the deposits that can affect the efficiency of the unit, and that can cause popping noises.
Consumables: There is just one consumable: a very inexpensive filter pad that soaks up some of the minerals. These are very inexpensive, and sold in packs of 12 I believe. A pad lasts about two weeks, although if you have hard water, it may only last one week.
Other thoughts: This type of humidifier uses the most energy, and is the worst to use around kids (because if they topple the unit, they can be exposed to boiling water) -- but at the same time, is the safest to use in terms of the cleanliness of the steam it puts out. Germs, bacteria, mold, algae, etc., are all burned off or killed in the boiling process. You will never have white dust (i.e., minerals) in the steam leaving the unit, because the boiling process causes all minerals to lodge themselves in the base of the humidifier. If you are concerned about bad things coming with the steam leaving a humidifier, this is the humidifier for you.
Customer Review: Superb - Best Unit I've Purchased
Summary: 5 Stars
This unit is exceptional in performance and quality.
Controls:
Using the digital humidistat on the unit, it will easily hold within 2% of set point. You can set in 1% increments unlike lower quality humidifiers with a dial or 5% digital setting.
Power up, sets the unit @ 55% on High. You can adjust output, high, medium & low.
Performance:
With relative humidity @ 20-25% it takes the unit about 30 minutes to humidify a room. In a two level home, such as mine... 3 upstairs bedrooms humidified in about an hour; while the rest of the house stablizes in about 10-15 hours. I have a large console humidifier (whole home rated) and it takes near double the amount of time. I've stopped using the console and rely solely on this model for my entire home.
Sound from this unit is really minimal compared to other warm mist units; I'd measure the sound output at maybe 1/2 of what I expected. I'd read a review about someone complaining of noise, they didn't know what they were buying--warm mist humidifiers boil the water internally; so there will be a gurgle sound... but hardly intolerable; compare the noise to the sound of a coffee pot. Honestly, after the last few months of using the unit; I don't even hear it anymore. My whole home console humidifier on the other hand is exceptionally LOUD; with it's fans on high, conversation anywhere near the unit isn't really possible. Not to mention the hassle and expense of changing filters twice a year.
Cleaning:
Easy. The plastic parts seem to be resistant to mineral deposits clinging to them, a simple rinse and maybe rub with a finger is enough to remove any scale from the plastic. If you use Honeywell HMP-12P QuickSteam Mineral Absorption Pad, 12 Pack cleaning the boiler plate is also easy. After a few months of use, I did de-mineralize the plate with pure vinegar. Doing this is easy (use common sense) fill the bottom tray with white vinegar, put on boiler cover & control cover... plug in for 5 minutes. Allow to cool a bit, rinse. The boiler plate is easy to clean, and easy to get to unlike some of the units that use a bulb or cone shape boiler... no ones fingers are small enough to get in there and clean :) very easy on this unit however. One box of the pads will last a long time, my water is moderate and a pad change about once a month is what I've experienced. Severe hard water you may need to change a little more often.
Overall, this unit has impressed and I'm sure it will last for many years. A solid 5 star was warranted.
Operating costs: Power & 1 pack of filters (3.99) per year, as compared to my whole home console: Power & 8 filters (4 changed 2x annually (128.00))
Pros: No filters to change, easy to clean, steam is sterile so no issues with bacteria or humidifier lung. Steam disperses well thoughout the whole home unlike cool units that leave the area around them damp and musty.
Cons: Uses slightly more electricity than cool mist or evaporative units, but this is offset by the fact this unit runs less due to it's efficiency and the cost of the filters on the cool type units.
Customer Review: Great Product!
Summary: 5 Stars
We tried about 6 different humidifiers in the past for our apartment. The wick types required extensive cleaning every 2 weeks and the wick needed to be replaced every month or so. The wick life was elongated only by using chemicals (unhealthy for humans?) but still the wicks cost $40/season and they start to smell as they get old. The humidifiers themselves lasted only a couple of seasons with their fan motors giving up on a 12-hr/day use at our small apartment. And they made a lot of noise too.
We used Honeywell HWM450 for last 2 years, 12 hrs/day every winter (Nov--April), using Michigan tap water, and it still works like new. Noise level is low. I just finished using the four extra pads they sent with it. New ones, a pack of 12 cost me $8. So hardly any replacement cost. I wish we had bought this one from the very beginning. Earlier the cleaning was a great big hassle and then I found an easy way:
1. Every Sunday I empty the base and fill the heating plate with White vinegar. I tilt it about 20 deg to get more vinegar in. Then cover it with the funnel shaped piece. Leave for 8 hours. Then clean with an old tooth brush if you need. The plate is clean like new in couple of minutes. One drawback: If I miss cleaning one week, next week I need to keep it soaked longer or clean it twice that week. Also try removing the concentrated salt-filled water in the lower part every other day or so. Reduced my cleaning efforts.
2. Cleaning the filter pad: Do NOT wring/bend it when it is hard and full of salts-- that reduces its life. I put it in a small plastic box with base about the same size as filter pad. Many ready-made dip boxes are of this size. Pour white vinegar till the pad dips completely in it and more. Cover with lid and keep overnight. Rinse under tap water to remove salts. Now it should be soft and you can bend it if you wish. In the meantime use another pad in the humidifier. This way 2 pads last me for at least one season if not more. White vinegar comes cheap too: about $3/gallon, lasts me a couple of seasons.
Very easy to fill the tank as the opening is twice as large as on any wick-filter I used. Do not keep the humidifier near a glass window as the vapors condense. Made my floor carpet wet. I am buying another one this year at Home depot as my other permawick-humidifier is almost dead.
Also, the warm humidifier means my home heating systems does not have to work as much. And the steam is clean: no dust like the ultra-violet ones. Also I think this product is quite well designed: minimum number of components, simple operation, easy maintenance, and occupies small space. Also it humidifies much faster.
Where they can improve: I wish the central water chamber in its base was bigger to retain more quantity of the dense salt water after every run. It will reduce the amount of salt deposits on the plate.
PS: I bought a new one last month (Dec 2009) from HD. Cheaper and works just as good. Now I have one for each of our two rooms.