clooneyfan's Full Review: Venta - Airwasher VS 205 1.8 Gallon Humidifier
My husband and I have been using humidifiers for years. They really help with our clogged sinuses and dry skin during the winter months.
For the past 10 years, we had a Duracraft 8 gallon Humidifier. I must admit, that sucker was durable. It took a real beating until it finally developed a microscopic crack and leaked out all 8 gallons of water into my bedroom carpet and the ceiling below. It was time for a new one.
Our old humidifier was a cool mist and used the evaporation wick filters. They got to be really nasty after a few weeks of sitting in water. Plus, it was really noisy. Since we like to watch the boob tube while falling asleep that means my husband had to crank up the TV volume so we could hear over the humidifier. Things got to be very noisy in our bedroom and not in a good way!
So when purchasing a new one, we decided to do some research. I initially wanted a furnace humidifier so the entire house could be humidified. My husband was adamantly against it. He’s worked in the fire department his entire life and saw too many of them that caused a buildup of mold and calcium in the air ducts. We wanted one that held a large capacity of water like the old Duracraft but we couldn’t find any in our price range. They were incredibly expensive and huge. We researched consumer reports and other various websites. We finally decided to try an ultrasonic humidifier because I’ve heard they are quieter and don’t use a wick filter.
We ended up purchasing a Venta-Sonic Ultrasonic Humidifier (model VS 205). It provides both Cool and Warm Mist Humidification, although I must admit we have never used the warm mist feature. Warm mist uses a lot more electricity and my frugal husband is not about to donate any more money to the electric company. This model has an automatic shut off once it reaches the desired humidity level and automatic shut off when water tank is empty. It automatically controls humidification intensity with built-in hydrostat.
Instead of a wick, it uses a demineralization cartridge with state-of-the art nano-silver technology which helps to prevent mold, mildew, bacterial growth, calcium, and lime build-up. The cartridge does have to be replaced every 2- 3 months but it’s not as nasty as the old wick filters were. It is also MUCH quieter than the evaporative wick humidifier but it still makes noise. I liken it to the noise that my car signal blinker makes. A click-click-click as it turns off and on. For the most part, this noise blends in with the background sounds of the house but if you’ve got insomnia or things are quiet, you hear it.
The corrosion-resistant, Titanium-Plated Oscillator is easy to clean and maintain. The only complaint I have about this humidifier (and I understand it is common for all ultrasonic models) is the white dust it sprays. It is all over my TV and furniture. I clean it, but the next week it is covered again. From my understanding, the dust is from the minerals in the water. I've been told this can be reduced if we were to use the warm mist option or if we put distilled water into the unit. Since we use our humidifier 24/7 during the winter months, distilled water can get quite expensive so I just put up with the dust.
The specs say the unit is suitable for rooms up to 600 square feet which is more than enough for our bedroom. The unit weighs 8.4 lbs empty. My husband ends up filling up the tank daily but it’s not overly heavy or difficult for him. Mind you, we have a bathroom sink that has a high faucet so it’s easy enough for us to sit the tank in the sink and fill it up with water.
The power consumption for this unit is 38 W (with heat 122W) and the daily output is up to 3.7 gal/24 hours. Overall, I am impressed with the quietness of this unit but I do worry about the potential health implications of breathing in mineral dust.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 99 Battery Life: N/A Noise Level: More quiet than most
We all need to breathe. Internal heating systems can have a drying effect on our respiratory systems. Bacteria and viruses need optimal conditions to ...More at J&R Music and Computer World
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