Vornado HU1-0013-11 Standard 4-Gallon Vortex Humidifier
From Vornado
A multi-room cool mist humidifier / Humidifies up to 1750 square feet / 3-speed with humidistat / Runs up to 36 hours on 1 fill Patented spill-proof bottle design makes for easy filling and carrying Clean-running water dispensing system, bacteria-resistant plastic and treated wicks minimize bactera, algae, mold 3 fan speeds for precise humidity control White Granite color 5-Year Warranty
- Amazon Sales Rank: #143052 in Kitchen & Housewares
- Brand: Vornado
- Model: HU1-0013-11
- Dimensions: 11.50" h x 13.60" w x 20.20" l, 10.00 pounds
By evaporating water into a room, this portable humidifier soothes dry throats, prevents dry skin, and alleviates congestion due to colds or allergies. Set its control when a room reaches the desired humidity level and the device maintains that level by restarting when the humidity falls below the setting. Three fan speeds provide additional control; at low speed, the humidifier is bedroom-quiet. This model evaporates about 4.2 gallons of water in 24 hours at high speed. Two 2-gallon plastic bottles fit into the humidifier and permit water-level monitoring. They're virtually indestructible, spillproof, and leakproof, and have wide-mouth spouts and flat backs for easy filling. The humidifier's two wicks are treated to inhibit bacteria growth and need to be replaced every 60 to 90 days. The humidifier measures 20 by 13 by 11-1/2 inches, can be moved easily from room to room, and is simple to clean and maintain. --Fred Brack
Good Product - but understand its limitations 
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.
Quiet, solidly built
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.
Excellent but not perfect
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.
