Hunter 34257 2.5-Gallon Care Free Wickless Humidifier Ultra with Niteglo
by Hunter
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Tools and Hardware Reviews of Hunter 34257 2.5-Gallon Care Free Wickless Humidifier Ultra with Niteglo
Customer Review: Different but not better
Summary: 2 Stars
I chose this humidifier because it was different than most others and promised to be "ultra-quiet". I already had a Holmes console humidifier but the fan noise provoked complaints from my neighbor (thin-walled apartment) and forced me to turn my TV louder than I like. The other alternative was an ultrasonic model but I heard that those have trouble with white dust from mineral-rich water like mine.
This humidifier is different than either wick or ultrasonic ones. It siphons water from a pan and spins it off a disperser to get a mist into the air. The fan draws air down through the center of the water tank and out around the perimeter.
Well unfortunately it's not very quiet. The noise from the fan is slightly quieter than the Holmes model. But there is also a whine from the motor that seems to be amplified by the shape of the water tank. It seems to be a matter of resonance so I stuffed a glove between the tank and the control column to slightly reduce the whine, but it's still annoying and continues to make it hard to hear the TV.
The water tank is very strange, with a hollow center and a very long cap that would be easy to break off while carrying. The tank holds surprisingly little water for the size of the humidifier. But at least it doesn't run out in under 24 hours because the output is so meager.
If a future model reduces the motor whine and improves the tank design then it might be okay, but for now I'd pass on this design.
Customer Review: Care-free is a total misnomer
Summary: 2 Stars
I bought this unit just under a year ago, and finally abandoned it to go back to a Holmes. Its design is good in theory, and it did a decent job keeping the air in my 1200 sq ft home humidified, but it was so difficult to clean! It immediately started accumulate white (then yellow) mineral deposits that I tried cleaning with chemicals, stiff scrub brushes, even in my dishwasher, but nothing worked. Eventually, the fan started making a loud ticking sound, probably because it was off balance from all the gunk that built up on it. Also, I thought the unit was unnecessarily large. The bottom half of the gray base does not have a functional purpose. When I first got it, I did note the fan was fairly quiet, but I didn't think it was that much quieter than previous Holmes units I've owned. Overall, I think this unit is not worth the trouble.Customer Review: Water reservoir is a pending disaster
Summary: 2 Stars
The water reservoir is very awkward to handle. After filling the reservoir I must screw in the water delivery tube and then, without holding the rim (as per instructions), turn the heavy reservoir right-side up. There are just no good ways to grasp this thing during this procedure, and I am always concerned that it will slip from my hands.
My guess is that Hunter will have good sales replacing these reservoirs that the owners have "carelessly" handled.
Other than this defect, the humidifier seems to work very well for a small room. However, this defect alone affects almost all its advantages, and I would recommend against the purchase of this humidifier.
Customer Review: Works O.K. but not like product description.
Summary: 2 Stars
I bought Two of these units for my home which is approx 2100 sq. ft. The units say they will humidify 1250 sq. ft. The units only put out about 1 gallon of water in a 24 hr period and barely kept my house at 40% humidity. I kept the units for 3 weeks and decided to return them. When I took the units apart to return them, there was an enormous amount of calcium scale inside the unit and all over the fan. Glad I returned them! Looks like they would be a cleaning nightmare. I think having no wicks is a good concept but hunter needs to work on the design a little more. I think I'll stay with the wicks for now.Customer Review: noisy
Summary: 2 Stars
I love not having my clothes pop and crackle every time I change, but this thing is noisy. The fan rattles. I bought the same kind at a local store and it rattled too so it is likely a defect in this model. Don't buy it if you enjoy quiet.