VENTA AIRWASHER LW24 Air Humidifier and Purifier All-in-one
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Tools and Hardware Reviews of VENTA AIRWASHER LW24 Air Humidifier and Purifier All-in-one
Customer Review: Expensive Mistake!
Summary: 2 Stars
The Venta-Airwasher may be good as a humidifier in countries like Germany where it is extremely cold in winter and the heating stays on 24 hours round the clock, thus there is a continuous need to replace the replenished humidity in the air. But here in San Francisco the weather is mild and we have plenty of humidity in the air due to fog and there is no need to keep heating on 24 hours. If one airs one's apartment on a regular basis, one would have sufficient humidity in doors. What we need here is a good solid air-purifier to clean the allergens, dust, etc from the air.
The problem with the Airwasher is that it has no separate button to turn off the humidifier section when the room gets saturated with humidity. Secondly, there is no thermostat built in to check and turn off the machine when the humidity reaches the optimum level in the room. Because both humidifier and air cleaner are one, you can't separate the two. Thus if you keep on running the machine after saturation point, you'll get mold all over the walls and clothes. Even my clothes in my wardrobe were wet. I had to stop using the machine. For the past two weeks I could hardly find clothes to wear that were dry. Thirdly, what they don't tell you on their web site and publicity brochures is that this machine requires an expensive chemical substance added to the water chamber on a regular basis otherwise it won't clean the air. But even then, this machine is more of a humidifier than an air cleaner. After two weeks of use I noticed almost no residue in the water chamber, i.e. it did not clean the air at all. I felt the change that air was getting cleaner once I operated the new Sharper Image Hybrid GP Germicidal Air Purifier. I am glad that I bought two different machines to try. Now I know.
By the way, the Venta-Airwasher has not been tested by the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM)or the US Environmental Protection Agency or the http://www.cadr.org/ for Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR). When I called the company in Illinois and asked why, I was told that their technology is different than the competition that's why. Well, if you believe in that excuse go and buy this machine and see it for yourself. The machine is made of plastic and is very basic.
Customer Review: Expensive yes but it lasts a long time
Summary: 5 Stars
I have had this humidifier for going on three years. I agree it is expensive but considering I was buying a new humidifier 1-2 time a year it has more then been worth it.
My main problem with other humidifiers was the cleaning. If you forget to clean it you will never get the mold out of it. I am just one of those people who forget things and with this humidifier that works fine since it only needs to be cleaned every 2 - 2.5 months.
The humidifier works well enough so my family's noses and throats from drying out. If you are looking for a sick room humidifier that turns your bedroom into the subtropics then this is not for you but if you wanr something that is low maintenance and works as a humidifier and freshens the room, then this is for you.
I do recommend using the additive it keeps the water fresher and makes cleaning necessary less frequently. You fill the bottom up and pour in the additive. For the next two weeks you just top off the container. At the end of two weeks you empty it and rinse it out and start again. Once a year (before I store it for the summer) I clean it really well. Thats it. No other humidifier can claim that.
Customer Review: Fabulous trouble free product
Summary: 5 Stars
We've owned this unit for eight years. It has functioned flawlessly. It's quiet and efficient. We live in the mountains of southwest Colorado where winter humidity can easily drop below 20%. This little unit keeps our large bedroom right about 50% according to our hygrometer.
We do not use the company's additive. Just water from our well (which has a fairly high calcium content and a high pH balance). The calcium eventually builds up. We clean it by running white vinegar through it. It's simple. Tap water varies, so perhaps the different results people get are caused by the differences in the viscosity of their water.
The design is so elegant, there's not much that can go wrong. Others here have suggested that it must be periodically cleaned in order to operate quietly. I would guess that's correct since that's what we do.
This has been a pretty dry winter, so we're considering buying a second unit so we can humidify more of the house. We would definitely recommend this product.
Customer Review: Good product + Bad service = questionable purchase
Summary: 3 Stars
Years ago I purchased an LW14, and I was happy. Recently I purchased
2 LW24's and this is where the problems start. The manual instructs
me to go to their web site to register, yet there is no registration
link. I then emailed them 4 times at their customer service address
asking about this, with no responses. I called them numerous times
at their customer service 800 number, and I only can reach voice
mail. I am not sure they are still in business; with this much trouble
registering the product I am very concerned if I even actually need
warranty work nobody will be there to assist. I cannot recommend
this purchase.
Customer Review: Great Product... not perfect
Summary: 4 Stars
Pros: Great looking, simple operation, easy to disassemble. Quiet when optimally cleaned. Customer service is friendly & helpful. One of two significant complaints that I see others have made is that it does not seem to moisturize the air. Well I can testify that it makes water disappear at a rate of 2 gallons per day; it's not leaking onto the floor so it must be evaporating. It helps with dry skin, breathing, sinuses, etc.
Cons: After 10 days, mine began to make a methodic clicking noise every 2 seconds. You won't notice it during the day, but when trying to fall asleep, it can be irritating. The clicking is caused by residue buildup on the gear mechanism. So be prepared to remove the mechanism & clean it at least every 10 days. For $300, the gear mechanism should be better designed. It is too tightly packed & has ZERO tolerance for any residue.
NOTE: The manual is vague about how to clean the gear. After removing it, you have to scrub the 2 teeth protruding from the mechanism with hot water & a brush. Spin the rubber grommet with your fingers to get each tooth to fully protrude. Always have the teeth pointing downward when cleaning so that debris does not fall into the mechanism.