Honeywell HCM-6009 QuietCare 9-Gallon Output Console Humidifier with Air Washing Technology
by Honeywell
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Tools and Hardware Reviews of Honeywell HCM-6009 QuietCare 9-Gallon Output Console Humidifier with Air Washing Technology
Customer Review: Great for large spaces!
Summary: 5 Stars
I got this almost a month ago, and it's been on every day, love it so far. We live in a split level (about 1200 sf on each level) gas forced hot air in New England and couldn't/wouldn't go with anything smaller and it was difficult to find something this size-there weren't that many options. I had seen this at a friends home and like it but still looked for quite some time on amazon reading reviews before purchasing it (I was not happy with the reviews of how expensive the replacement filters were so that delayed my purchase).
In all it's a really great humidifier. It really does feel like it "washes" the air. It's way quieter than my last hunter model (which sounded like a jet engine and the "forever filter" was gross and scaley after 2 years). This is very quiet for a model of this size, and there are two tanks so it's not heavy to refill and they can be refilled at different times. Yes, as other reviewers state they are not flat so you can't walk away when you fill them, you have to hold onto them which could have been thought out better. I have soaked the filter ever few days as recommended and it still seems to be working fine so hopefully it will last at least two months before I need to replace it.
I have a digital hygrometer that I checked to see when the air reached 42 percent humidity and adjusted the dial to shut off once it reaches that number...otherwise I'm not sure you'd know when you got to optimum humidity (another design flaw, but minor). In the cold, dry days I'm filling up both tanks up ever 12 hrs (gas fha heat is very dry). It really makes the air quite comfortable and my hope is that the price of this machine and replacement filters is offset by the heating bills as moist air holds heat easier than dry air.
Customer Review: Good througput and accurate humidifying
Summary: 5 Stars
This humidifier easily and quickly humidifies my small (600 Sq. Feet), irregular, poorly sealed apartment to any level I want. I tried one of the well-rated smaller humidifiers, but it was a struggle to keep the humidity above 40%. With this Honeywell, I can leave the fan on low and achieve 50%+ on the lowest humidity setting.
The unit isn't silent, but it is reasonably quiet on the lowest setting (though not as quiet as the name QuietCare would have you think). It does not have a built-in hygrometer/hygrostat, but it does have the ability to maintain a given humidity level (once you've achieved the desired level, you turn down the humidity level slightly and the unit will lock in that level). It actually works quite a bit better than the unit I tried with the hygrostat, only allowing the RH to drop a couple percent before turning back on.
The unit does push quite a bit of cool air, so people who are sensitive to that 'drafty' feeling will need to find an out-of-the-way place to put this. It also seems to replenish it's internal water supply more often than other models, so there are frequent gurgling sounds (but these are pretty quiet too).
The build quality and tank design are average at best, but this unit still gets five stars because it actually humidifies to my desired level with ease. One other thing to note - this humidifier uses green and orange LED's for indicators. They are not even close to as bright as the blue LED's used on some other humidifiers - which can act as an intensely bright nightlight. It seems like a small detail, but I have the humidifier in my bedroom and the other humidifiers were very annoying.
Customer Review: Worked the first year, now there are problems....
Summary: 1 Stars
The top one star reviewer got this right - the ergonomics are horrible - refilling the tanks is an abysmal chore because you have to turn the tank upside down where it won't stand up straight which necessitates that one balance it in the drain hole of the sink with one hand, while filling with the other - not fun.
Again, it is true that the tanks are 1.5 gallon each, which is only 3 gallons total, not 9 - in one day on high you would have to go through filling up the unit three times - who has time for that?
The first year I put up with the filling problems because it did its job well - we got water into the air. This year though, after filling the tanks and placing them properly, the water refuses to pass into the tray unless the water containers are jiggled a bit through the day - it is NOT doing it itself! I thought there might be a scale build-up of some sort on the spring loaded valve that would prevent water from adequately getting through - not so! Ok, so this would mean that the unit should turn itself off, thinking that the tanks are out of water, right? Nope, the unit just keeping running as if everything were ok and it were getting water. This burns me up. Come on Honeywell, I expect better!
The unit is loud on anything other than the first speed - that is something many have commented on. I would like to see whether any other people out there are seeing problems crop up in subsequent years of ownership the way that I have - please comment if you have.
The only good thing about the unit, is that it looks good. Therefore it gets one star - otherwise if I could, it would get none!
Customer Review: Medium Maintenance Machine
Summary: 4 Stars
I had read a lot of mixed review for many different types of humidifiers before I bought one. This was, as other reviews state, can provide some very good and quick humidity to fairly large or open areas of a house. But it's size and fan can create space or sound distractions to people who want humidity without the inconveniences of an appliance not suited to being hidden, tucked into a cubby hole, or generally placed to the side. Also, although the machine is supposed to turn on and off at various times to give the mechanisms a break, it goes off for very long periods, which I have only been able to guess is caused by lack of water in the reservoir. This is the most irritating aspect for me because it frequently shuts off for lack of water when one or both tanks still have water in them, sometimes significant amounts. Because the tanks only loosely fit into place, and because the water release valve has to be set exactly on the release knob in the reservoir tank, if it is off a bit or the tanks shift, etc., the water will run out of the reservoir without drawing more water down from the tanks, thereby turning the machine off. This explains (now, for me) why several people seemed severely frustrated by the machine turning off (and perhaps on) at truly random times even when the instructions say that this is "normal" as well as why complaints of this problem to the makers went relatively unfixed. Just a quirk. Pick up the tanks and re-situate them back in the base or wiggle the machine around on it's wheels until you hear the water release and then turn the machine back on. Think of it as a small pet and the irritation will lessen significantly.Customer Review: Very satisfied
Summary: 5 Stars
I am always appreciative of the other reviews I am able to read before making a purchasing decision. For this reason I thought I would submit one on this Honeywell humidifier.
In short, it is everything I had hoped for and expected. We have had it now for almost a week so no long term analysis here, just early feedback.
I am a healthy 63 yr old male and so my comments should be taken in context. I find the unit was easy to set up, good instructions, and easy to fill and refill. The caps fit on easily and turn easily. I think it would be difficult to misalign the threads which seems to me was one complaint I read.
The two tanks hold together, about a twelve hour capacity for our home so I fill them once in the morning and once in the evening. The humidity level has risen steadily to our desired comfort level. It is now heating season here in the northeast and we have hot air heating system for our 3,000 sf home. This unit plus one I purchased a few years ago, which was definitely not sufficient, are now handling the house with no problem.
Treat the plastic tanks with care. I assume they are reasonbly rugged but I would be careful not to strike a hard surface with them, especially when full.
I also thought the value was very fair and I will be using the recomended antibacterial treatments. That is a must with humidifiers.
All in all, seems like it was a very good purchase and I appreciate the other reviews for helping me to make this choice. Ordering through Amazon has also been a breeze! Great service and all from the comfort of my home.