Millennium Basement Dehumidifier reviewed
 


Reviewed by Gary McEldowney: Allergy Buyers Club Staff

We were eager to test this low temperature dehumidifier because there are very few residential low temperature dehumidifiers available. We are pleased to announce that this low temperature dehumidifier does the job and does it well! We loved the LCD electronic control panel and the ability to set your own desired humidity level.

Pluses:

  • This dehumidifier works down to 50¡ãF while most similarly priced units sold in retail stores operate only down to 65¡ãF
  • This is the only unit we have seen in the residential market with a programmable humidistat and temperature display
  • In addition to removing moisture from the air, these dehumidifiers filter the air, and offer an easy to remove washable filter. Indicator lights will tell you when to clean the filter, and this feature is not available on other competitor models such as DeLonghi.
  • There are 3 drainage options - either use the bucket, garden hose or the direct drain. The drainage bucket is in the front of the unit and the drainage hose access is under the front of the bucket.
  • Slightly lighter in weight than other units in the market and rolls easily on 4 casters


Minuses:

  • The units are somewhat heavy to bring up and down stairs
  • The plastic dehumidifier unit housing is a bit thinner than we would have liked but will not rust
  • The bucket needs to be carried with two hands when carrying to empty it.
  • It does not come with a condensate pump. We did find an auxiliary pump that works well with this dehumidifier that we offer as an accessory.
  • No duct kit is available so you have to run the dehumidifier in the room you wish to dehumidify.


Summary:

These Millennium Low Temp dehumidifiers offer easy to use, lower temperature operation at an affordable price! The electronic control display with a humidistat you can set to your desired humidity level set these dehumidifiers apart from the crowd. We tested them in New England during the winter and found the low temperature operation to be accurate. We were hoping for more humidity, but this winter it was hard to find. We had to add our own water to the basement room and the unit performed up to our expectations.

http://www.allergybuyersclubshopping.com/wo-de-millennium-low-temp.html

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Misconceptions: Life Expectancy of IQAir Filters

By David Barnaby - Allergy Buyers Club staff

Editor's Note: David is our in-house IQAir Air Purifier expert. We often get asked about the IQAir filter life. This is a tricky question as it depends on a number of variables which David explains below.

The life expectancy of the IQAir filters we list on our web site for the IQAir Healthpro air cleaners are dependent on three factors.

1. How many hours a day you run the IQAir cleaner?

2. On what speed do you run the machine?

3. The pollution setting you run the filter on. This is an index from 1 to 9 with 1 being for the cleanest environment and 9 being for the dirtiest conditions.

If you go to Chapter 3, page 16 in your owner's manual there is a chart for each of the three filters depicting how many hours the filter will last based on the fan speed and the dust index. As you can see, you will get variations from 2 to 18 months depending on the speed you run it on. As far as the dust pollution setting goes, the filters come from the factory set at 4 and it is recommended you leave them at 4 unless you are aware of extremes of clean or dirty air. So assuming the dust index of 4, the pre-filter will last between 2.5 and 18.25 months. You can monitor the remaining life in hours of each of your IQAir filters from the control panel on your unit. You can also program your IQAir unit to turn on or off, set it to a particular fan speed, and activate it via a timer.






Hamilton Beach Humidifier Reviewed

By Mercia Tapping

After the Hunter 3.5 gallon manufacturer's recall, we have been testing various humidifier brands. No manufacturer has come up with the perfect humidifier in my opinion. They all have their drawbacks. This one is no exception. It is very good but does a few minor flaws in my opinion.

Pluses

1. These humidifiers are extremely quiet on the low setting known as "QuietMist". In fact, the noise is barely detectable and satisfies even the most noise sensitive person, such as my husband who hates the noise of appliances in the bedroom.

2. The fine mist emitted from the humidifiers doesn't over soak everything, and it doesn't even leave a mist on the windows either.

3. This humidifier has a unique built in humidistat, you can set your own desired humidity level between 20%-90% humidification. The manufacturer recommends 50% humidity. I was surprised at how often the desired humidity level was reached, especially because the outside conditions of rain and snow had caused the humidity level to rise in the room naturally without my noticing. If it wasn't for the humidifier's automatic humidistat, it would have continued to pump mist into the air, and the room would have been over humidified. Over humidification in a room can lead to mold growth. I love this feature on this humidifier.

4. The parts on these humidifiers that need to be cleaned are dishwasher safe, and easily disassembled for washing in the dishwasher.

5. The water tank sizes are a comfortable size and weight to carry and place back into the humidifier upon each refill. However I need to add that my husband who is the proverbial clutz, managed to not turn the cap back on tightly and spilt water all over the bedroom floor.

6. When I used the automatic humidistat setting, the humidifier turned on and off automatically and used less water and therefore didn't need to be refilled often. The humidifier actually lasted 6 days without needing a refill, which was unexpected.

Minuses

1. The biggest minus in my opinion was the humidifier filter needs replacing about every 3 months depending on use, unlike some competitors which have filters that don't need replacing. For this reason, it's a good idea to have spare humidifier filters on hand for convenience.

2. When the water tank needs replacing, it's no problem to remove the container and fill it, but when the tank is full of water, I did feel that it is a bit heavy and awkward to turn it and place it back into the humidifier.

3. When the humidifier needs refilling, it has no warning light, although there wasn't evidence of overheating after the water ran out. I found the lack of a warning light irritating but I then disciplined myself to look at the actual humidity level on a regular basis and when there was a discrepancy, then it was likely the machine needed refilling. I also began to get an idea of how many days the water was likely to last and got into a routine. Because the water tank is smoke color, it's a bit difficult to see if the water reservoir is in fact empty.

4. I hate adding another chore to my routine and having to wash the machine out, although easy to do, is a minus in my book.

Summary

The easy to use electronic auto humidistat panel on the Hamilton Beach humidifiers is a feature that gives it an edge over the competition, and the fine mist that is emitted will not oversoak a small space. If you want a very silent machine, Hamilton Beach's trademarked QuietMist low humidifier setting is just right for the noise sensitive. For people who want a no-brainer, dishwasher safe humidifier that is easy to use and clean, for all my pickiness, I recommend these models highly

http://www.allergybuyersclubshopping.com/hb-hu-hamiltonbeach-humidifiers.html


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Regards,

Mercia Tapping,
President