Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I purchased this Essick MA1201 because our new April-Aire humidifier on our new furnace had died after just one season. The other small room humidifiers we've used in previous years haven't done the trick, but this Essick model can really pump out the lovely moist air. In fact, we had it on it's highest humidity setting (65 -- which means it runs continuously) for the first several weeks and our bedroom, where it's placed, was wonderfully moist, and the rest of the house felt pretty good too (we'd placed the Essick several inches from a furnace return register, as recommended). However, we noticed one morning that the paint on the ceiling in one corner had bubbled up and there were sticky drips running down from the edge of the ceiling for several feet on part of two walls (though the windows never got steamy). I then discovered that the moist air is largely dispensed through the side (opposite the water tank), rather than from the front. We turned the humidifier 90-degrees, so that the side vent faced out into the room and now we only put the humidity setting to 65 while we sleep. During the day we keep it at 55, which is supposed to mean 55% humidity, even though 65 is 65% humidity and higher, since it stays on all the time when set to 65. (By the way, the bubbled-up ceiling paint went back to normal, with no sign of permanent damage, after making those adjustments.) The first air filter only lasted about a month, and they're not cheap, though I found them a lot less expensive at AirFilterBuy.com. I did find that I could greatly extend the life of the filter, which becomes limp and starts to disintegrate after several weeks, by removing it when it started to sag, rinsing it thoroughly, and placing it back in the Essick with a little frame to support it. I made a frame from the old metal tubes from solar-powered walkway lights (such as you can get at Home Depot for several dollars), plus a plastic-coated metal hanger and some twisty ties. I've attached some photos to illustrate. The tubes from solar-powered walkway lights are just the right diameter to fit over the inch-tall plastic posts in the humidifier basin that serve to support a new filter. The bottom line: This is the first Winter I can remember when the skin on my face hasn't gotten chapped and rough, my throat hasn't gotten constantly parched (despite drinking gallons of water), and my dry eye doesn't hurt every night. With a little adjustment and monitoring, and some hands-on fiddling with the filters, this Essick can be a very effective and economical humidifier for a small home. Also, using a capful of Holmes Humidifier Bacteriostat S1708PDQ-U with each tank refill keeps the inside of the humidifier clean and happy.