I can breathe

I read another reviewer comment on a non related item that said when it rains it pours with broken appliances! My vacuum and humidifier both died last week!

I had cheapo Walgreen's humidifier that was smaller and much more difficult to use. The Vicks humidifier was super easy to get started with. It comes with simple instructions and start up took me 10 minutes. I did take a couple of extra steps in setting up my machine however.

 I noticed that other reviewers noted that there was a funky smell coming from the machine. Upon removing the water reservoir cap I noticed that it was pretty smelly. I washed it out with dish soap and rinsed it very thoroughly. Smell not totally gone but when I ran the machine I couldn't smell it.

The instructions indicate that run time is about 12 hrs. I ran it all night on the higher of the two settings and it ran for my full 8 hrs of sleep and it still had a little water left in the tank.

I noticed a difference in this machine vs my old clunker. The first and biggest difference is how quiet it is. On the high setting you hear a little gurgling of water but I like a little noise when I sleep anyway. I also did a little research on different humidifiers and this is a really good one for allergy sufferers like me. It kills bacteria and cleaning is easy.

It is recommended to use tap water however I used filtered water from my Pur water pitcher to reduce mineral build up on the heating element.

I can not speak for the inhalation mechanism as I really can't tolerate the smell of Vicks.

Update 11/26/08

My bedroom size is 15 x 15 and it was not over powering on the higher of the two settings. I have had humidifiers that make my room feel like a jungle, this was not the case with the Vicks. I have not used it in any other room in the house so for smaller or larger room I am sure that your results would vary.

This machine has an auto shut of mechanism and in the past months I have been using it I have not seen this feature in action as I always turn it off when I wake up.

Cleaning of this machine is simple. I just use a soft cotton towel, dry out all the parts and wipe down the heating element.

I like using humidifiers because my breathing is improved in drier months and my dogs like it because their coats stay healthier from the moisture. (less scratching, static, and shedding) I would recommend this to anyone for long term or intermittent use.