Venta LW44 Air Humidifier and Purifier All-in-one
by Venta
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Tools and Hardware Reviews of Venta LW44 Air Humidifier and Purifier All-in-one
Customer Review: Simple, Effective, I like! Expensive True
Summary: 5 Stars
I researched many humidifiers [...] of all types and found that I wanted a COOL air humidifier. From experience with a big, cheap evaporation wick/filter type humidifier, they can be a real bother changing filters, scale build up, worrying about bacteria etc. I do like fans, because the noise is a good background white noise to sleep by. At work I have a small ultrasonic humidifier that creates white dust that can be hard to remove from metal surfaces and if left to run constantly, requires the table it sits on to be covered with something waterproof. The table was not just damp it was wringing wet!
After reading the reviews here on Amazon about particular humidifiers I decided that I was going to go with the Venta LW44 humidifier/cleaner. The situation at my house is we burn wood all winter long and the air gets dry and dirty. I bought a indoor temp/humidity gauge to monitor how well this new, expensive unit works.
What I like about the Venta:
- sturdy, simple construction
- no filters
- a simple fan
- the disk array that cleans the water is sturdy and pulls out as one unit
- a sturdy container that holds a lot of water (especially compared to some of the other humidifiers)
- it works naturally, as the air gets more humid less water is pulled thru the unit. That and the 3 speeds allows for easy regulation and there isn't the worries about sophisticated regulators breaking.
- the lid lifts off easily and I use a big container to fill the humidifier up. I do it daily because it's so easy and quick and I keep it topped off all the time.
- cleaning the humidifier was easy for me. The air in my house is dirty due to the wood stove. Sure the unit did get dirt inside as it is suppose to but it wasn't any big deal to clean because the unit comes a part with 3 big pieces - top with fan and motor, plastic disc array, bottom water container. NO FILTERS YEA! A bottle of cleaner is used.
- every 14 days I add a bottle of additive that makes the unit work better and helps prevent bacteria, scale etc.
- I like the oils that come with the unit. Interesting that one reviewer disliked them so much. They are actually essential oils so they aren't artificial.
- I can't prove it, but I feel like the air is cleaner. I use to have naggy low-grade sinus issues every winter as soon as the wood stove was put into use. Not this year so far, granted it's only been a month with the wood stove going. My eyes feel less dry. I'm digging the better air!
The unit works really well. When I first setup the unit the humidity gauge read low humidity. The wood stove was cranking out the heat. I turned the unit on (it sits in our big living room that is connected to two bedrooms and a dining room and kitchen so the room is the middle of the house) and in about 2 hours the humidity was up to a good reading of 53% humidity at 68 F temperature. So far, even the rest of the house stays at a good humidity.
As long as the humidifier doesn't break down, then I am super satisfied!! Yep, the unit is expensive but it works and the maintenance is not as much of a hassle as my other units.
Honestly, right now there is NOTHING I don't like about the unit.
Customer Review: Best Humidifier I Have Owned - Still Cranking Along After 4 Years
Summary: 5 Stars
I have owned about 4 or 5 humidifiers in my lifetime and Venta is by far the best one ever. I have had this one now for 4 years and am fully satisfied. Venta is by no means perfect. One big issue with humidifiers is keeping them clean. Fact is, nobody wants to clean a humidifier regularly. In our busy lives, we focus on other things and we usually don't want to clean a humidifier until we have no choice.
This model consistently keeps the humidity in my place between 35 - 45% which is ideal for me. It will not boost the humidity in high ranges > 60% like steam model humidifiers since it uses water evaporation. It works best if you're in a super dry room and then turn it on. For example, if your humidity is at 10%, it will quickly raise it to 35-40%. You would not be able to raise your humidity from 40% to 60% with this type of humidifier. This is a major plus because the water evaporates at a rate that compensates for the dryness level in the room and you will not end up with sweating walls and windows as with steam humidifiers.
In addition to humidifying your room, the Venta removes dust particles from the air and makes my breathing better. I personally find the unit quiet even on the high fan setting. You can use the Venta even in damp months of the year to clean the air and it won't over humidify the space. It's amazing how much dirt and dust it captures in the water reservoir.
Cleaning is not as easy as the manufacturer indicates. Point blank: when this thing gets super dirty, use a small utility plastic bristle brush, rubber gloves, and a strong cleaning solution such as bleach, ammonia, etc. Do this in your shower or bath tub. Simply using the manufacturer's cleaning solution in no way cleans all the areas that can gather sludge: the fan, case vents, motor, etc.
When the unit gets dirty, it may start to make squeaky sounds like a squeaky wheel. This has only happened to me when it gets super dirty. After a cleaning, the sound goes away.
Cost. This thing is super super expensive for what you get. I'm still in disbelief that it cost me $400. The engineering concept is pretty brilliant, so I expect you're paying for a patent. I would guess this thing could sell at $50 and Venta would still make a profit. It consists of a tank with air vents, a fan, and two cylindrical discs. The unit is almost entire plastic. Some body is making a fortune off these things.
Customer Review: Quality product - best humidifier I've ever owned
Summary: 5 Stars
Pros:
- Humidifies and purifies the air
- No filters
- Quick to clean
- Quiet fan, pleasing background noise when running - similiar to the motor of a refrigerator
- Well designed and built - sturdy plastic
- Energy efficient
Cons:
- Expensive initial investment
- Cools the air if placed in a standard sized bedroom - in the cold winter this may be a problem for some people
Notes:
We've tried 5 different humidifiers the past two winters in our 1st floor home on the dry North East Coast. This is by far the best humidifier we've had. Not only does it humidify wonderfully so that we haven't had to use lip balm on our dry, cracked lips and skin, it also takes out dust, sut, etc. from the air. We have had a Sharper Image Ionic Breeze air purifier in the room next to the one the Venta Airwasher sits in for a year. Before we used the Airwasher, we would have to clean the Sharper Image unit every week. Since we've used the airwasher, we only have to clean the Ionic Breeze every 3 weeks.
Cleaning this humidifier is the easiest of all the humidifiers I've owned. No filters or scrubbing mold. You wash out the basin and wipe it and the fan with a cloth. Then add a bottle of the Venta water additive and turn it back on. Every six months you pour in the Venta unit cleaner to the basin. At the Venta website you can buy both the water additive and the unit cleaner and they'll ship them to you for free.
Although the humidifier is a sizable cost up front, with the ten year warranty it breaks down to a more reasonable investment.
Thank you Venta for making a non-filter humidifier that works and is quick to maintain - and as a bonus cleanses the air.
Customer Review: High quality humidifier, exceptionally easy to operate and maintain.
Summary: 5 Stars
The Venta LW44 Air Humidifier is as advertised.
First, it is exceptionally easy to set up, operate, and maintain. It took me less than five minutes to take the humidifier out of the box and place it in position in the front hall. Another couple of minutes were spent reading the few directions that tell you to add the cleansing ingredient included in the box to the water to make sure the fans function effectively. I filled up the tank, turned on the machine, and walked away.
Second, daily maintenance is a snap. I take off the cover in the morning and evening and fill the machine to capacity, put the top on, and walk away. At the end of almost two weeks I brought the machine to the sink, emptied it, rinsed and wiped it out, filled it, added cleaner, placed it back in position, and turned it on again. This might have taken five minutes or so.
Third, the machine quietly puts a couple of gallons of water each day into the air. The Venta is exceptionally quiet and extremely effective. I'm not sure how much cleaner the air is, but we are no longer sneezing from breathing dry, dusty air.
Summary, the Venta LW44 is exceptionally easy to set up, operate, and maintain. The technology of rotating disks works as advertised to add moisture to a dry environment. The air seems to be cleaner, but I can't attest to the extent or degree of improvement beyond saying that we are breathing easier.
Others have discussed the high price of this machine, but if it lasts ten years as advertised, it is well worth the purchase price. Cleaning solution is a modest cost I am willing to pay to keep the machine running effectively. Highly recommended.
Customer Review: a necessity not a luxury
Summary: 5 Stars
The VENTA-AIRWASHER LW44 allows me to breath without gagging in my dry air winter time house. Cold water evaporates off the spinning discs instead of spraying water directly into the room like other humidifiers while the fan sucks in air and deposits the dust and grime where it is washed by the water. This ingenious method leaves my rooms (I have two AIR-WASHERS) with clean smelling air that is humidified at the right levels. (The dryer the air, the more the water evaporates off the discs giving the right level of humidity.)
Although the directions say change the water rinse out the unit, and add the water additive every ten to fourteen days, I do it every three weeks which works out fine. The AIR-WASHER is a great product and one that is truly essential for my families comfort and well-being. (my wife has asthma and it helps her breathing.)