Honeywell HWM-500 UV Warm Moisture Humidifier
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Tools and Hardware Reviews of Honeywell HWM-500 UV Warm Moisture Humidifier
Customer Review: Dissapointing, absurd amount of cleaning required
Summary: 2 Stars
I was extremely disappointed in this humidifier. First of all, I want to make it clear that this is not an ultrasonic humidifier, which I thought it was. However this was my mistake, so that is not the reason for the negative review.
The reason for the negative review is that after running it for less than 24 hours, the metal heater plate was completely covered with mineral scale. We don't even have hard water here, and the base was still full of water, so its not like the unit ran dry. The mineral deposits did not come off without a fight either- It was caked on hard, and took an hour of scrubbing with a green scouring pad, soaking it in vinegar and humidifier cleaning solution(which didn't help much), to get it mostly clean. The mineral absorption pads clearly did nothing. After cleaning it, I decided to give the humidifier another chance, just in case the deposits were a fluke that only happen on the first use(you never know..). After running it for just a few hours, I removed the tank and checked it and once again, white mineral deposits were building up. This time I noticed that some of them were forming in circular shapes, from the holes in the mineral absorption pads. So I guess the deposits form in the holes first before spreading over the entire surface.
Perhaps this issue would occur with any humidifier of this type that doesn't have a filter, but that's no excuse in my opinion. The fact is, if you attempt to use the unit according to its instructions, you will have to spend an hour vigorously cleaning it every single day, which is clearly absurd.
The only reason I gave it 2 stars instead of one is that technically the unit works, and I suppose if you exclusively use distilled or reverse osmosis water(which it does not say to use anywhere in the instructions), then frequent cleaning may not be necessary. It puts out a decent amount of moisture. While I could barely see any mist coming from the unit, after running continuously for about 24 hours on high, the tank(but not the base), was empty. Since this was the first filling, and about 1/4 of the tank immediately filled the base, that means it can put out about 3/4 of a full tank a day. I don't remember if the tank size was listed, but I think it's roughly 2 gallons. FYI there is no aimable nozzle on top, just a grill, and the moisture goes straight up.
I should note that the the customer service deserves high marks. This unit is actually manufactured by KAZ, and there representatives were friendly, helpful, and answered the phone very quickly. I was able to persuade them to replace the unit with a different unit, and they agreed to send me a model HUT200 honywell ultrasonic one instead(they told me that the unit was almost the same except for being ultrasonic, which I realized afterwards is not true at all, but I'm happy to have anything other than this one). I got the impression that this was not standard policy and that normally they would only replace it with the same model unit, but apparently they are open to negotiation in some cases.
In conclusion, I would strongly advise against this humidifier or any humidifier that uses a heater plate and does not have a filter. If you buy it anyway, don't worry about the mineral absorption pads, they do nothing, and are available online anyway(just buy the smaller 2 and 1/4 inch ones- such as 'Slant Fin 195518' available on amazon). KAZ, which apparently makes all the honeywell-branded humidifiers, does have good customer service though.
Customer Review: Doesn't Last
Summary: 1 Stars
The first one we bought didn't make it through its second winter before the base began leaking like the Titanic. Thinking it might be just a bad unit, the next year we bought another one. It lasted only one Winter and the metal cup that heats the water cracked completely in half as if it was under some kind of stress. Needless to say we will not be buying a third.Customer Review: Filters for this model are hard to find.
Summary: 5 Stars
This is our second winter using this humidifier and it works just fine. My only complaint is the difficulty in finding replacement mineral absorption pads for this model. As a previous reviewer noted, Amazon recommends Honeywell Model HMP-12P replacement pads which are too large (3") and must be trimmed down to fit (2-1/4"). The 12-count box indicates the pads are for QuickSteam Models HWM-330, 331, 335 & 450. The Honeywell UV Warm Mist model HWM-500 is not listed on the box. I did find Enviracare EMP-15P brand that claims to fit the HWM-500 model, but you only get 6 pads for the same price as the 12-count box. I'm close to running out of replacement pads so I went to the manufacturer's website (Kaz owns Honeywell among other brands)and even they recommended the wrong size! I'm going to call their helpline (800-477-0457)and will report what I learn.Customer Review: Good Warm Mist Humidifier
Summary: 4 Stars
I got this product last October 2007, and don't have the noise issue that some have complained aoubt. I don't find it to be that noisy, but I'm not satisfied with the documentation. It's supposed to have a UV bulb to kill the germs, but I can't tell if it's working since to me it doesn't seem like there's a light on and the manual doesn't say anything. The included filters are great - the last Honeywell warm mist humidifier didn't have them included so it was a nice surprise that they included them. The only problem now is where can I get replacements?!? Otherwise, I really like it - nice simple design which doesn't take up too much space and the parts fit well together...Customer Review: Good product but wrong pads recommended
Summary: 4 Stars
Good Product, however Amazon recommends Honeywell HMP-12P QuickSteam Mineral Absorption Pad, 12 Pack however Honewell on the product recommend HMP-15 which are much smaller. Error definately on amazone part.
Secondly the box of the product do contain 7 small pads for initial year supply so i donot recommend buying the pads along with product. Achieving 30# humidity is quick but you need extermal humidity meter to know the actual moisture in room. After 30% the unit takes hours to go to 50% due to saturation which perhaps normal. Otherwise for me unit is just two days old. Need to monitor atleast 30 days.