Room humidifier recommendations?

I'm thinking of getting a room humidifier for the living room, which is where I keep my ukes (always in cases).

Have hygrometers in the LR and BR, and the LR tends to have significantly lower humidity. Which is understandable, because the BR door is kept closed and it benefits from showers in the bathroom within.

I'm just starting to look, but does anyone have any opinions on these or any recommendations?

This one's pretty sleek looking ($90).

http://www.amazon.com/Vornado-Evap3-Whole-Evaporative-Humidifier/dp/B00826ORV2/

This one looks good ($129), but I don't really need that much capacity. Or am I better off with one that doesn't have to be pushed to its limits?

http://www.amazon.com/Essick-Air-EA1201-Whole-House-Console-Style/dp/B00F1H4AG2/

If I had to hazard a guess, I'd say the LR is ~500' but it's totally open to the DR ~200' and open to the kitchen (which I'm not worried about).

I have Amazon credit, so that is where I want to buy.

I don't want something that will take up too much space, and I'd like it to have some design appeal.

Thanks in advance for your ideas.

If you are keeping them in the open living room, I would advise the essick. I have one of theirs and have been pretty happy with it. Filters are also pretty cheap for my model on amazon.

Living in a state that the humidity varies dramatically through out the year, I would keep it at the case level if that is where they live mostly. A hygrometer in each case with some humidifiers will do you good at a reasonable price.

X the number of ukes you own.

I bought a Vornado and have been very happy with it.

I'd definitely go with the larger unit if the physical size isn't an issue. If nothing else the larger water tank means you're having to refill it less often.

I wouldn't buy one just to be a humidifier but if you have one or have a need for one then a Nebulizer works great as a humidifier. Just add water rather than a medicinal solution.

Anthony

I humidify the ukes' room with a Vornado, although it's not the one you reference - the room is smaller, so a smaller unit is ok.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000D8EJZ/ref=wms_ohs_product?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I use this one. It is powerful, and a wicking humidifier is the way to go (less white crap all over the place than the aerosolizing/nebulizing types; I tried those $90 ones first, what a mess all over everything. People say to use distilled water--yeah, like I've got cases of that lying around!).

They say this is whole house, but unless someone lives in 350 square feet, I would disagree. This one is strong, through, and will humidify a small room (and a larger room if on full blast, but not 1900 sq feet, methinks). The low setting is fairly quiet (the high setting sounds like an approaching squall!). I have it in a larger room, but underneath my ukuleles on the wall, and it does make a micro-climate by those ukes lol. It hold nine gallons, and a small splash (about one cap full) of household bleach will keep the water smelling fresh and clean. I fill it totally (doesn't seem like it's nine gallons to me--maybe 6 gallons) and on the low setting, it'll last two days running constantly. Sometimes, if extra dry in the air, I will put it on high overnight, but never if I'm going to sleep, think or do anything in the same room (too loud o0n high). I've had mine for a year, no issues mechanically. I will probably change the filter soon (I bought one when I bought the device from Amazon), but it's still clean and non-moldy (because of the tiny amt bleach, methinks). I use a bucket in my laundry sink to bring water to this unit; not a hassle, pretty good, and the place to put the water in is huge (I can easily pour straight out of the bucket--a smaller aerosolized unit I had prior, besides shooting white schmutz all over my room, had a much smaller and more difficult filling hole).

In winter, I use Steri-lite under-bed plastic boxes and car wash sponges in one gallon zip-lock bags exclusively (no external dehumidifier).

Good luck, itsme.

itsme said:

I'm thinking of getting a room humidifier for the living room, which is where I keep my ukes (always in cases).

Have hygrometers in the LR and BR, and the LR tends to have significantly lower humidity. Which is understandable, because the BR door is kept closed and it benefits from showers in the bathroom within.

I'm just starting to look, but does anyone have any opinions on these or any recommendations?

This one's pretty sleek looking ($90).

http://www.amazon.com/Vornado-Evap3-Whole-Evaporative-Humidifier/dp/B00826ORV2/

This one looks good ($129), but I don't really need that much capacity. Or am I better off with one that doesn't have to be pushed to its limits?

http://www.amazon.com/Essick-Air-EA1201-Whole-House-Console-Style/dp/B00F1H4AG2/

If I had to hazard a guess, I'd say the LR is ~500' but it's totally open to the DR ~200' and open to the kitchen (which I'm not worried about).

I have Amazon credit, so that is where I want to buy.

I don't want something that will take up too much space, and I'd like it to have some design appeal.

Thanks in advance for your ideas.

Click to expand...

Take a look at those ratings. You are asking for problems imo. I looked into room humidifiers myself until I saw all the headaches they can cause.

I took a closet and put some pans of water in it with my instruments and have easily maintained about 45% humidity in my dry climate.

Bought this one for our dry winters. Worked very well, auto turn on/off at target humidity level.(45%)..only had to fill every two weeks...quiet as I recall it was around $120

Honeywell HCM-650. Enough moisture but never too much.

so, wha'dya buy, itsme?