Air-O-Swiss Air Washer - Black/ White (2055) Review

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(More customer reviews)For details, including photos of the internal workings of this evaporative humidifier, look for the 2055 AirOSwiss reviews done elsewhere on Amazon which has plenty of images of the inner workings. To summarize, it's an evaporative humidifier which works by drawing air in through the top via a fan then over a disk pack of about 10 slowly rotating plastic disks which dip into a pool of water, then the air exits the side carrying the humidified air.
Pros: No heated element to worry about overheating when it runs dry, no ultrasonic misting to leave water droplets on carpet/furniture, easy to clean, no filters to be replaced.
Cons: Evaporative which means it cools (fine for the desert country, not so good in winter in the Midwest), no heating, and the fill valve on the water tank is the stupidest location you can imagine, so that at best you can fill it only 3/4 full.
The other con: They SAY on their website they have a 10 year warranty, yet when I got this thing from Bed Bath and Beyond the plastic shaft inside had corroded from time and was crumbling. It was a major effort to get these guys to agree to replace it. It is NOT SAID on their warranty, but apparently the 10 year warranty does not apply to the rotating disc set (surprise!). I told them they had better put that in writing if they don't want to tick off a lot more customers other than me. They eventually replaced it. Also note, the 10 year warranty does NOT apply to the water tank and its part . . .that's only 3 months.
For $260 bucks or more, the above limitations cut it to a 3 star, even though it's a reliable humidifier that cranks out the humidity from the unit with no filters and very little maintenance. As a personal aside, I can't stand the reviews which deride humidifiers because their hygrometers show no change. Humidifiers can only be evaluated by how quickly they put water into the air . . . the ultimate humidity change is depending on the room's air flow, items of absorbency, and atmospheric conditions- none of which are in the control of a humidifier!

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"PLASTON INTERNATIONAL CORP" PURIFIER & HUMIDIFIERWhisper-quiet air washer and humidifier using a unique combination of rotating discs and ionization. Includes the Ionic silver stick that effectively kills more than 650 kinds of bacteria and viruses.2 In 1 air purifier & humidifier from air-o-swiss. No expensive filters to replace. Cleans the air of particles smaller than 1.5 microns. Ionic silver stick prevents microbial growth. Detachable water tank for easy refilling. Suitable for rooms up to 600 SQFT.

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AIR-O-SWISS 2055 Ionizing Air Washer & Humidifier Review

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(More customer reviews)Having been directed to an evaporative type humidifier, I became intrigued with the basic design of the Venta and AirOSwiss models. Both use fans to draw air over water, with turning discs passing through the water with tiny grooves and bumps on the discs to vastly increase the surface area over which the water evaporates. No heat to worry about drying out and automatically shutting off, and no bubbling water from a warm mist unit. Also, no droplets of water accumulating on nearby carpet or furniture as you would see with an ultrasonic humidifier. Also, no swampy mold accumulating in the 'swamp style' Honeywell unit that uses a wicking method to draw the water up into a sponge to then be evaporated, leaving a wet sponge to grow all kinds of stuff. The pros and cons are pretty clear:
Pros: No heat to worry about if the unit runs dry- the fan keeps running but so what? It's just a fan; also no to worry about overheating when it runs dry, no ultrasonic misting to leave water droplets on carpet/furniture, easy to clean, no filters to be replaced. No wicking sponge, so the discs are easily removed and cleaned and no 'swamp thing' accumulating in the wet wicking sponge as in other units. Also the water seems to trap small air particles so that there is an actual cleaning function. Air is drawn IN through the TOP of the unit, blows over the plastic turning discs, and comes out the sides.
Cons: Evaporative, which means it cools (fine for the desert country, not so good in winter in the Midwest), no heating, and the fill valve on the water tank is the stupidest location you can imagine, so that at best you can fill it only 3/4 full. Also, it won't shut off when water runs out, so power will be consumed with no humidification happening. See below for the one last 'con' relating to the warranty.
The other con: They SAY on their website they have a 10 year warranty, yet when I got this thing from Bed Bath and Beyond the plastic shaft inside had corroded over time and was crumbling. It was a major effort to get these guys to agree to replace it. It is NOT SAID on their warranty, but apparently the 10 year warranty does not apply to the rotating disc set (surprise!) inside. I told them they had better put that in writing if they don't want to tick off a lot more customers other than me. They eventually replaced it but it took a number of emails and phone calls, so this is not exactly the fastest responding company I've seen. Also note, the 10 year warranty does NOT apply to the water tank and its part . . .that's only 3 months.
For [...] or more, the above limitations cut it to a 3 star, even though it's a reliable humidifier that cranks out the humidity from the unit with no filters and very little maintenance. As a personal aside, I can't stand the reviews which deride humidifiers because their hygrometers show no change. Humidifiers can only be evaluated by how quickly they put water into the air . . . the ultimate humidity change in a space is dependent on the room's air flow, items of absorbency, and atmospheric conditions- none of which are in the control of a humidifier! This item definitely puts out the water into the air.

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2 In 1 Air Purifier & Humidifier From Air-O-Swiss, No Expensive Filters To Replace, Cleans The Air Of Particles Smaller Than 1.5 Microns, Ionic Silver Stick Prevents Microbial Growth, Detachable Water Tank For Easy Refilling, Suitable For Rooms Up To 600 SQFT, MAP Price $259.99.

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Honeywell HAW500 HydraPure Air Washer 2-in-1 Air Purifier and Humidifier Review

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(More customer reviews)...or alternatively quality control issues. I had, like the previous review, a leaking problem. It's a sneaky problem which I am almost 100% sure of is related to the filling cap on the tank. The problem with the vertical tank is that the only thing that prevents too much water to enter the basin is the vacuum created in the tank when the water leaves it. If that vacuum is disrupted the water will just continue to flow into the basin until it overflows. In this case it's the cap that is not sealing properly. The seal gradually loosens over a couple of hours until something gives way and the water starts flowing out. So if the unit looks fine when you set it up you might wake up (hopefully) around 2 am in the morning with a wet floor. I am on my second unit now which seems ok but its being monitored closely and sits in a rubbermaid container until it proves its not a bed wetter anymore. I spoke with the distributer (Kaz) who claim that this model does not show any excessive amount of warranty claims. I am not sure if they would ever to admit to anything else though. Another potential issue I found is that the disc that are spinning inside the unit ([...]) are sometimes a bit mis-aligned. For instance one of the discs might be too close to the edge and generates a scraping noise. You can remedy this by just removing one of the discs from the axle.
Aside from these flaws I think the unit works great when in working order. The dics turn nice and quiet in the water basin and the fan is silent enough on the lowest setting. It keeps the humidity well and when it reaches the desired level it shuts off saving both electricity and on the noise levels. The unit can be set on continuous use which the manual calls "automatic". Unfortunately its not very specific about what that mode does, in my opinion it just seems like its permanently on regardless of the environmental humidity. This would be useful in the summer when the humidity is high enough for the unit to shut down but you still want to benefit from the units filtering qualities (pollen, dust, mold, etc.)
I like the fact that it has a washable filter that does not need exchanging. You have the option of an additional disposable coal filter to catch smells but its not mandatory.
The display is nice and crisp and with a pretty blue back light so it's easy to control in the dark should you need to. The display shuts off after a few seconds so you don't need to worry about that glare that some products create from persistent led's and back lights.
All in all its a good product (when working), but has some design/quality control issues that might want you to think twice, or at least make sure you have a good return policy if you are affected by these issues.

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Honeywell HydraPure Air Washer - 2-in-1 Air Purifier & Humidifier!The only air washer that humidifies the air and cleans the air with 99% efficient filtration.Permanent filter caputures 99% of airborne particles such as dust, pollen, smoke, pet dander & mold spores. Provides 50% more humidity output than competitive models.Reduces airborne germs such as bacteria and viruses.Odor-Lock Pre-filter helps reduce common household odors.

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Sanyo ABC-VW24 Air Washer Air Purification System with Electrolyzed Water Technology Review

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(More customer reviews)The thing I like best about the Sanyo Air Washer Purification System (besides that it does a great job of purifying the air) is that it has a nice sleek look to it and doesn't detract from the room decor. It has a handle built into the top, making it easy to carry (15.9 lbs.) and it's pretty quiet as air purifiers go. It has a 4-stage HEPA filter removes 99.97% of airborne particles and allergens. The other thing I really like is that the filters can be cleaned with a vacuum cleaner and are supposed to last for about 4 years. (You'd want to use a HEPA vacuum cleaner or you'd defeat the purpose.) I called customer service to ask about the price of replacement filters and they told me the suggested retail price is $69. That's pretty much in line with other filters I've researched. The customer service people were very helpful in answering questions about the unit which I count as a big plus.
I don't know if the electrolyzed water technology is just a gimmick or not, but the unit does a good job of cleaning the air and removing odors from any room that I place it in. There are several articles on the internet about electrolyzed water technology and electrolyzed water being used to sanitize water and possibly use it to kill bacteria in a number of applications including using it as a non-toxic way to clean fruits and vegetables in the food industry. It would make sense that it could be useful to kill bacteria and viruses in the air. With pets and all their dander, not to mention all the pollen and dust in the air this time of year, it gets a real workout around here. I hope that we find that we have fewer colds in the winter.
Just a few details that I didn't include in the video: I measured the watts that the unit takes at the low, medium and high speeds with a P3 International P4400 Kill A Watt Electricity Usage Monitor device. At low speed it uses 4 - 8 watts (the higher number when it's emitting the electrolyzed water. You'll see that in the video.), on medium 13 - 17 watts, on high 57 - 63 watts, and if you use the "power" setting, 63 - 65 watts. This compares favorably with other air cleaners that I've used in the past or use now and it seems to work more quickly at removing odors.
BTW, another reviewer had mentioned that the "Device contains a chemical known to the state of Caifornia to cause cancer, birth defects, etc." Living in California I'm used to seeing these warnings on just about every piece of electrical equipment I buy due to the "Prop 65" laws here. Nonetheless, when I called Sanyo, I asked about this warning and what part of the unit had the chemical. As I expected it is the lead in the electrical cord connection, the same as my computer. When handling electrical cords it's always a good idea to wash your hands afterward.
I hope the video is useful. It's difficult to tell from a small photo what the unit looks like and I wanted you to have a better idea of how it worked and what it sounds like.

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Sanyo's new Air Washer air purification system suppresses airborne bacteria and germs utilizing an exclusive electrolyzed water technology, removes dust and allergens, reduces pollen and neutralizes odors. Sanyo's electrolyzed water technology has been tested and proven effective in suppressing airborne germs, bacteria, odors, allergens and mold through third party certification institutions including RTI. In addition, electrolyzed water has proven effective in significantly reducing the level of viable airborne germs and bacteria, according to an independent research institution in the United States. Simply add tap water to the water container and the chlorine ions in the tap water are molecularly split through an electrolysis process in the unit into electrolyzed water. The electrolyzed water attacks the protein spikes in bacteria and inactivates the spikes so they are unable to attach to human cells. The units' 3 directional (upward, leftward, rightward stream) airflow emits the purified air and extremely fine electrolyzed water mist to quickly clean the air throughout the room. A High Performance 4-stage HEPA filter removes 99.97% of airborne particles and allergens, reduces airborne pollens with allergy blocking filter and fights common odors including pet dander and tobacco smoke. The sleek design is simple to operate, has an automatic timer function and filter replacement indicator.

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VENTA AIRWASHER LW24 Air Humidifier and Purifier All-in-one Review

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(More customer reviews)At low speed you won't even know it's on and it's still quiet at med. and high speed too. We normally run it on medium or high speed when the weather is 35 or colder here in New England and turn it down to low if the temperature outside goes up or it's raining out. Doing this keeps the humidity in the house a pretty constant 40-45 per cent. We have a Colonial house and keep the upstairs bedrooms closed so the unit is just taking care of aboout 1100 ft. downstairs. I fill it in the morning and just before bedtime. They only hold a few gallons of water, but what a difference they make. We have had hardly any colds since we bought ours a couple of years ago, and we're not constantly having to put on lip balm or hand lotions like we used to. Your skin will thank you for it. But wait...there's more...hehe...Wait til you empty and clean it like I do every 2 weeks. The water you dump in the sink...unbelieveable what this unit takes out of the air. Remember, it's an air purifier too. It's amazing to see the junk that's in the dirty water. Stuff you would normally be breathing in.
It's light weight and small enough to be unobtrusive. I had a problem with mine the second year...called the company and within 3 days had a replacement part that was a snap to install, free of charge of course. Fantastic 10 year warranty.
Proof of how much we love this unit...the day it broke was a Sunday and dry as a bone...temp in the teens. Within an hour I was home from Bed and Bath with a new unit. Didn't even want to go 3 days without one running. Now we run them both on low speed most of the winter.
Check out their website...commercial buildings all over Europe use them as well as musicians with expensive wooden instruments to protect. Little known product just introduced to the US a couple of years ago. Highly recommended.

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The Venta-Airwasher utilizes cold evaporation, which is recognized as the best way to clean and humidify your air. The Venta-Airwasher does this by using water, not a filter pad to both humidify and purify at the same time. This process eliminates millions of airborne particles, leaving you with a fresh, clean, humidified air!. Europes #1 humidifier! Model LW24 covers up to 380 sq ft. 2 year manufacturer warranty.

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