Slant/Fin GF200 Germ-Free 2-Gallon Warm-Mist Humidifier
by Slant Fin
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Tools and Hardware Reviews of Slant/Fin GF200 Germ-Free 2-Gallon Warm-Mist Humidifier
Customer Review: This is the best humidifier money can buy!
Summary: 5 Stars
I've used humidifiers all my life as do my parents, especially in the winter.
This is by far the best unit I've ever seen or used. Very well constructed--have been using for more than two years now--no problems.
The warm mist (water is boiled into steam--a small quantity at a time) is very comforting.
There's a UV light inside that the water is exposed to before it goes into the boiler--this kiils any organisms in the water--I've never had any mold or mildew on this unit.
There is no wick like on the evaporative humidifiers (these wicks get nasty, are full of mildew--then you're spewing that crap into the air--not good when you have asthma or are trying to avoid a cold!)
I highly recommend this unit--this should be the only type of unit available--the rest are garbage.
Any of the Slant Fin brand units that are germ-free, warm-mist humidifiers are good--it's all the same technology--the only thing that varies is the size of the water tank. I also own the largest one, but this one is good for my son's room and with this size you can go nights without refilling it.
I have left a similar review on the larger unit that holds more than two gallons of water--I have one of each.
As far as the cleaning people are complaining about: I clean 1x or 2x during the winter and I've never had a problem--it's true that a fair amount of brown scale builds up in the boiler pan--but this is bound to happen whenever you boil water--any impurities are left behind--it's just minerals in the water--nothing gross. I pour some vinegar in (which is a mild and very safe acid) and let it soak overnight then scrub it with an old toothbrush. You don't have to get crazy about keeping it clean--it doesn't affect anything to let the minerals simply build up for a while.
You do have to occasionally wipe off the sensor probes so they'll keep working--but I've seen no corrosion on them--they appear to be made of stainless steel. They are there to detect the water--if there's no water then it shuts the boiler down--otherwise it's like leaving the iron on--it could cause a fire--so it's a well-thought out design.
As far as the customer service issue: Slant Fin's consumer division was recently bought out by Kaz (I only know because I had to track them down and hound them to help me) and so there have been some fumbles on customer service.
I had a tank crack for no apparent reason, I contacted them, and I had to be persistent over the course of a few months during the transition--but they eventually sent me a new tank at no cost--so I'm satisfied. People give up too easily whenever there's some little glitch--you can't expect everything you buy to work perfectly all the time and to last forever!
All in all I think this is the best technology available for a humidifier. I hope Kaz stays true to what Slant Fin has created.
Customer Review: Great idea, poor quality, lack of customer service
Summary: 1 Stars
I purchased this (Slant Fin GF200) warm mist humidifier with the idea of "germ free" in mind. The idea of having a germ free humidifier is great! The UV bulb killing bacteria, and the mineral pad absorbing any minerals work well (as far as I know).
I have owned this unit for approximately a month. I thought buying distilled water would be too expensive. So, I purchased extra mineral pads expecting hard water to be an issue. Anticipating the worst, I was prepared. Let me tell you, this unit requires lots of "love" or maintenance (if you want to get down and dirty). I cleaned the unit (resevoir in particular) frequently, every 5-7 days. I replaced the mineral pads when needed, usually at cleaning time (again, 5-7 days). Scale buildup was terrible -- even with the frequent cleanings! After alot of elbow grease or grunt work (and vinegar), I got things cleaned in about 20-30 minutes.
Then, I started to notice the coating (stainless steel) on the reservoir flaking off and rusting. First it was one spot, then it was 3-4 spots. This, IMHO, is poor quality! I am currently trying to get the product returned for repair, even though I strongly believe that it would happen again. After paying close to $100 for the humidifier and extra mineral pads, I would have expected better quality for Slant-Fin!
In conclusion: If you have hard water, avoid this humidifier. The mineral pads help with hard water, but they can't take all of the minerals out of your water, to prevent the scale buildup. Unless you replace the pads every other day. If you use distilled water, you may have better results, but you pay the extra for the "pure" mineral-free water.
Pros: great idea/concept, humidifies well, simple, quiet.
Cons: poor quality, expensive, needs lots of maintenance, scale buildup, purchasing extra mineral pads and/or UV bulbs.
Update #1: The company has failed to reply to email for warranty service. My next step is the Better Business Bureau. Stay away from this company!!!
Update #2: I finally received a reply from Slant-Fin (Canada, mind you -- I guess they actually care). They forwarded it on to a represetative in the U.S. I sent the unit back (pre-paid) and about 1 month later I received the unit back. They appeared to fix the rust issue. They didn't really clean up the unit very well with particles of metal within the unit (where the water would be -- not very healthy)! I am betting this will be the last winter season I get use out of it. As of right now, it is in storage. I am happy I got the unit in for service. I am still very unimpressed by this company. Next time I will buy from a well-rounded company like Honeywell. I suggest others to do the same.
Customer Review: No Customer Service Means ZERO Warranty
Summary: 1 Stars
This is the first time I have written about a product, but I have to warn potential purchasers not to suffer the same painful and expensive lesson. I own two Slant/Fin GF200. It has been only 1.5 years for the first humidifier and only 6 months with the second humidifier before each humidifier broke. Both are now sitting in my garage because the customer service department won't even return my inquiry. The first humidifier has one broken sensor. The second humidifier hums loudly and won't process any water. This product is supposed to have a three-year limited warranty. I have written them 4 to 5 times and my husband wrote them 2-3 times. We are very disappointed because we had to buy a humidifier of another brand because my children need a humidifier. I have wasted my money, and I thought this was supposed to be the best humidifier made. This humidifier lacks durability and its manufacturer does not fulfill its warranty. Further, it is very difficult to maintain. Even with the weekly vinegar cleaning for the bottom and the chloride cleaning for the container, I am unable to keep the machine clean. I have had to use a knife to scrap off the mineral deposit,and this still does not keep it clean. Nothing in the manual says I could use a lime remover. Finally, I noticed the pad became dirty as quickly as a week, and the cost of the pad adds up. But now, I have all of these pads and no humidifier to use. I hope this review will help you decide not to buy this product.
Customer Review: Too much work!!!!!
Summary: 1 Stars
I have to agree with several other reviewers on many points about both the good and bad of this unit. But the bad far outweigh the good! I bought it for my new infant, and purchased it before winter so that I had it on hand for his first illness. Luckily he didn't get sick for several months, but now that I have tried it (months past the time I can return it) I discover it is horrible, here are my big complaints:
The noise level is just loud enough when it gurgles to wake the baby from a light sleep.
But the worst is the maintenance. With a small infant I don't have time for a lot of extra cleaning and this requires a lot - and most of the manufacturers info available online doesn't tell you this. It says weekly cleaning, but I can tell you for a fact that if you let water sit in the unit unused for 24 hours you will have slimy water. So now you have to empty and dry the thing out daily. And God forbid you have hard water as we do. I can't wait a week to scrub the scale off the unit as it says in the instructions. If the unit is run every night I'd have to scrub the scale off every day or two.
I purchased it from a different store, but I did a lot of research online about what units are recommended. But I didn't look here to read consumer input. And I really wish I had. I hope that others reading this will run from this product! I also hope the store will take mine back.
Customer Review: Best Warm Humidifier on the market
Summary: 5 Stars
I have a horrible problem with hard water and have gone through many warm mist humidifiers. I have had this product for over a year now and it is still working flawlessly. The stainless steel reservoir is what makes this product great. It makes cleaning easy as it is the only humidifier that I have been able to clean. Every week I empty the water from the reservoir and let it soak for a couple hours in vinegar. This is the best and easiest way to remove the hard water. There is practically no work (other than letting it sit) involved in cleaning this machine. If you have hard water problems and want a warm mist humidifier then purchase this one. If you find it difficult cleaning this one then I bet you will have even more difficulty (as I have) with other warm mist humidifiers. If this is the case then you might want to consider a cool mist or ultrasonic humidifier. I have not had problems with the sensors (as other people have reported) with this machine. After 1 year of continual use they still appear to be new. Maybe this is because I soak the reservoir in vinegar as the instructions suggest. This machine does make a gurgling/boiling noise (seems typical of most warm mist humidifiers)and it sufficiently humidifies a medium to large size bedroom.