Honeywell HCM-6009 QuietCare 9-Gallon Output Console Humidifier with Air Washing Technology

I really debated about giving this item three or four start. I decided on four because bottom line it does a good job getting moisture in the air and some design items work well. For instance, it is on wheels so it is easy to move and the water fill containers are manageable. They had the forsight to make two instead of one and the handles are comfortable.

Now for some negatives. At the highest setting, it is still pretty loud. I live in a condo so, if I'm watching TV I usually keep it on the second highest setting or wear headphones and keep it at the highest setting. Here is another noise issue- when it starts getting empty, a loud humm starts up. Another thing I don't like is that you can't control or see what the humidity level is- it just kicks out. I think this feature is available on a higher model but it seems like it should be available on this one for the price they are asking.

Probably the biggest issue I have with this unit is that it has a side discharge for air rather than through the top like most units. This is an issue for me because when I watch TV I usually sit on the floor (TV over a fireplace would never work for me) and this unit blows COLD AIR out and it is quite uncomfortable. You could make the argument to move it somewhere else, but for maximum benefit you should keep it where you spend most of your time.

So ther you have it. I probably should give it three stars but it does what its supposed to do well- with some design issues.

One might think from the product literature that you are buying a humidifier that has a 9 gallon water tank capacity. Not true. You are buying a humidifer that has the capacity to output 9 gallons of water per 24 hours. Since each water tank is only 1.5 gallons, this means you have to fill the tanks six times (three times each tank) to get the maximum output. Not very practical for a home humidifier.

To refill the water tanks you must turn them upside down. Unfortunately the bottom (i.e. the top turned upside down), is not flat. This requires a fair amount of juggling when you refill the tanks as they will not stand up by themselves. The engineer who designed this product must have missed the class on ergronomics.

Since you can not see in the water tanks when they are in use, and there is no low water indicator on the machine, you can not judge how much water is left by looking. You have to pick up the tanks. Again ergronomically challenging.

This product is very noisy on the high setting, similar to a window fan on high. Because the water tanks do not fit well, they vibrate when they are near empty.

If you place this product on a wooden floor, it will warp the floor from the humidity. The product also leaks when you refill it.

Best to pass this product by.

First I went cheap and bought a small evaporative unit. The large filter was "permanent", but required occasional decaling and the small pump filter kept getting gummed up. I then purchased a warm mist unit, it worked at first and when required continuous use to barely maintain the proper humidity level. After got my electric bill, I stopped using it. Finally I purchased this unit. Works perfectly, keeps the house at the level I want (45%) and only automatically turn on when needed. The dual water tanks are also nice. I suggest you get a unit rated to at least double your home's square footage.

Is it PERFECT? of course not, but is IS Darned Good. I gave a 4 ONLY because there were some minor things that could have made it better (Most of which you find on the more expensive units) which seems fair enough, you want more "Gizmo's" you pay for them. really I should change it to a 5. My experience has been just great.

NEGATIVE THINGS I HAVE READ HERE FROM OTHERS, That Just Don't Bear Out in First Hand Experience: (I almost didn't buy this unit because of all the nasty things people wrote)

Maybe the Biggest Gripe is "Oh My, It's Sooo LOUD"
I frankly have NO IDEA what these people are complaining about. It is Not Totally Silent (Was that expected?) but even just 4-5 feet away from the unit running Full Tilt, Max Everything I have ZERO PROBLEMS holding a normal conversation or watching TV. (Mine sits right Next to my TV and I have not adjusted the volume from what it was before I started using this unit) The "Noise" is NOT Linear in nature. The unit has 3 fan speeds; LOW lets make sound level =1; MED lets call sound level =2-2.5; and Yeah, HIGH/MAX is sound level =5 (as an example) There is a Significant difference between Med and High, BUT As I Said, NO Problems talking or hearing TV even on MAX. (for the record, I just moved here and had not had a humidifier previously, it wasn't necessary. So This winter season I was WAY LATE buying one and getting started. My house was down to just 15% and I had this unit running MAX Output for a Week as is slowly dragged the humidity levels up. So I am WELL Acquainted with the sound of this device (at it's worst). Just yesterday i got the house up to 47% and set the humidity dial on the unit to cycle on & off (more on this later). It has been described as Airplane taking off, Hurricane, etc.... Either the fan unit was not set back on the unit properly and it's vibrating (see "user error") or These people just got a Lemon ? (return it and get a new one) or they are just gripey people who needed SOMETHING Nasty to say, because this thing just IS NOT LOUD.

Next "Water spills all over the floor"
BUNK (period). I suppose if you are some sort of nut job who throws things around and slams things, etc. you MIGHT be able to make a wave or two in there, but the ONLY water I have seen has been the OCCASIONAL (not every time) drop or two, Never a "Puddle" (And I have ALL Hard Wood Floors, so this is a real issue for me) and the "Drops" came from the OUTside of the tanks as a by-product of filling them in my sink. I now keep a kitchen towel next to the area I fill the tanks and give them a quick wipe before walking back to the unit and NO MORE DROPS. *NOW* With All That Said Given that I DO have hard wood floors and a leak of any kind could be a "not good" thing for me I have taken the precaution of buying a plastic bin I am setting the device inside of. It is big enough that IF somehow the whole thing drained the full max water volume out, the bin can hold that and more. Just Good (and cheap) insurance. If you were wondering? I bought ((Underbed Plastic Storage Container - Set of Two (Clear) (6.25"H x 18"W x 28"D))

One of My FAVORITE Complaints ?? "You have to Refill the water too much" or "It uses too much water"
REALLY ?? Just THINK about this one. You BUY a Humidifier to .... Put Water In Your Air --- And You Complain about it Doing EXACTLY what you paid for ?? I mean, was the idea you buy a Big Unit to put LOTS of humidity in the air of a large house --- and it runs off a thimble of water for 3 months ??? NO, You would only get a Thimble full of Humidity. I just find this complaint SILLY. It's Doing it's Job. On a more practical note, one I have personally been going thru. As discussed above, My house was down to about 15% humidity when I started this unit up. What is More Important was it is NOT JUST THE AIR that is dry. The Walls are dry, the floor, ceiling, furniture, EVERYTHING was Dry, so putting some moisture in the AIR, doesn't solve your problem, the house just sucks it up and your air is dry again, It Takes Quite a While to raise the humidity level of EVERYTHING in the house up before you can have the unit cycle on & off as it NOW just keeps the Air moist. (As I said About, Mine ran for about a full week 24/7 Full Max to bring the house up to a good level. NOW it is cycling on & off (as of last night) where a refill on those tanks will last longer and I wont be filling them twice a day every day (Yes, I know the math suggests I would have been filling 3 times a day, but it just didn't turn out that way. It was 2 or just slightly over 2, but I Never filled 3 times in 24 hours, Not from EMPTY TANKS each time at least. There were plenty of 1 Empty tank and the other 1/2, or 2/3rds empty refills. Now that rate has slowed WAY DOWN and I would expect to maybe fill just Once a day. Later on when the Weather gets less dry I can see this unit lasting Several Days on a single fill.

One lady said the tanks were too heavy. said that "A Gallon is too heavy", Well, 1- they are 1.5 Gallons each; 2-a Gallon of water weighs 8 pounds and that is the weight of a new born baby -- and babies don't have handles. OK, 1.5 gallons -- so thats 12 pounds and we are talking about a 3-4 month old baby now, same thing. Women pick up 3-4 month old babies all the time and they don't come with handles, Plus they Wiggle. So, REALLY ?? Grocery sacks average more than 8-12 pounds unless you are buying nothing but rice cakes and bread. Again, the ENTIRE IDEA is to put water in the air, stop complaining that it's bad, because it does its job.

One "Semi-Ledgit" issue was the lack of Digital controls to dial in an exact humidity level.
TRUE, that is part of what I was talking about at the beginning about "Gizmo's" that were not on this unit, BUT ARE on the more expensive units. Do you Buy a Chevy and say the Chevy is JUNK, because it is Not a Rolls Royce ?? If you want a Rolls, go BUY one. This unit is a Chevy.

However; another complaint was that the lack of the digital controls didn't allow for setting a reliable humidity level. Again, BUNK. as I said yesterday my house got up to where it was comfortable and (as in the instructions) I turned the humidity dial down until the unit shut off. Then leave it and see what you have. (YES, you need to have a reliable temp/humidity gauge. They sell nice ones on here for like 7 or 8 bucks. This unit didn't claim to show you the humidity. You can do it by FEEL if you want, or buy the gauge and know. I was shooting for something between 45-50%. I saw 47 on my gauge and set the dial on the unit. In the last 24 hours EVERY TIME I have checked the gauge it is at either 47% or 48%, and I would call that VERY ACCURATE. I'm going to leave it where it is another week or so till we get another cold snap and see if it holds the level. Once I'm convinced it's right, its time for the Sharpie Pen and put a little Dot or Line on the dial so I can hit the same spot next year. (I't Not Rocket Science)

You can say you don't like the color, the wheels are funny, you don't like the shape, or just say it's Momma Wears Army Boots, if you feel like saying SOMETHING Nasty, but the Bottom Line is the unit is well priced given its market and features and it does its job very well.

IDEA'S?

I found one Great One; that was every time you fill the tanks and replace them, Pop the Top of this unit and flip the filter over. The top edge of the filter dries out as it works and if left that way will, in time, get crusty with stuff and no longer soak up water as effectively. (like if you tried to flip it over only ONCE in its life span, that second half isn't going to work as well) I have found that by doing this the filter stays moist and functional and just works better. (It takes an extra 20 seconds, and it's worth it)

I'm using the bacteriostatic stuff they show as a companion product. Since i have not run it without this stuff I really cant say if it does anything, but it is cheap ($4-$5) and you only use like 1/2 cap full in each tank when you fill the tanks, so it Lasts a long time. What I CAN SAY is I have not had ANY buildup of Funky Stuff in the tanks or reservoir of the unit, and as I said, with the flipping of the filter and this bacteriostatic stuff the filters are still soft and absorbent.

Hope this Helps, I had Concerns when i bought and ended up wishing someone had "Cleared the Air" for me, so I did it for you.

BTW, I have purchased a SECOND Unit and plan to put it in my Upstairs bedroom. (I have no "Noise" Fears) I have a small ultrasonic unit up there now that just isn't doing the job. by itself it could only raise the air from 15% to 20%. Once I got this big guy put to work downstairs I have seen the humidity slowly rise to between 30% - 35% which isn't bad given it is only the moisture that manages to make it past the heater as it gets circulated upstairs.

After several years of looking for the best humidifier, I finally found it.

I previous tried warm and cool mist humidifiers and none of them have measured up to the Honeywell HCM-6009 QuietCare 9-Gallon Console Humidifier; best of all it is like having a humidifier and air cleaner all in one.

First off, anyone who complains about the noise of a humidifier like this doesn't quite have an understanding of the product. The fan is what moves the moisture and the sound from it is nothing compared to the so called "noise" that many reviewers on here have complained about.

Second, are the tanks. Two of them so you don't have to fill them as often.

Maybe it is me, but come on people, it is a humidifier. Too many tanks to fill, the noise is unbearable, too many parts...again, it is a humidifier and for me, I have tried all the rest and then got the absolute best....Honeywell HCM-6009 QuietCare 9-Gallon Console Humidifier.

It does the job as a humidifier is intended. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Also recommend using with it:

BestAir RPS3BT Humidifier Bacteriostatic Treatment (1 qt.)

Protec Continuous Cleaning Cartridge (PC-2)

The only problem is a tendancy of the filter to become moldy, but this is easily remedied by adding 1/16 Cup or so of ammonia to each of 2 reservoirs that you fill with water. This will ward off the mold. Buy extra filters. This machine is very quiet relative to the amount of humidity that it puts out (hence the filter enclosure is correspondingly more humid, and tends toward mold more easily).

I have had this unit in one of my houses since this past winter, and it is by far the best humidifier I own. It is quiet enough to keep in the bedroom at night, but powerful enough to easily humidify the 1000 square feet comfortably. With adjustable humidity settings, and 2 large tanks that you can fill separately without shutting the unit off make this very easy to use. The only thing that keeps me from 5 stars is it is difficult at time for me to get the filters due to my rural location, and the price is between 12-20 dollars depending on where I get them. Molding can be minimized with the treatment tablets (protec tank tabs) that are available, or the tiny amount of ammonia another person mentioned (if you don't mind the mild ammonia odor). I have owned 5 different brands from lasko, holmes, honeywell, hunter, and Essick, and this is the best of them all. Overall, a very good value for the extra price.

I have used many different humidifiers over the years ranging from warm mist (higher electric bills, more difficult to clean and maintain), ultrasonic (I had a lot of white dust with these units), and cool mist (medium size units, which all broke over time). Most of them stated large or medium rooms, and would never really get the humidity level up quickly or maintain that level easily throughout the day. This one definitly has the output to do so and has been comparatively quiet compared to the ones i have used prior. The fan blower is actually not a regular fan with blades out (which was on my old model, and was very very loud on the highest output setting), this one is bearable and the fan is more of a wheel fan (i guess that is what they call it) with the blades internal (which makes it quieter and preferred for me). Anyway, the output is great on this if that is what you are looking for and this one actually shuts off when it hits the humidity you set (something my older ones never did, since it never output this much humidity they would always stay on).

The cons to this is the fill tanks, I believe someone else mentioned this as well. They are NOT shaped very well for ease of filling and transportation (and have sharp edges), so becareful when you do fill them cause they get slippery as well and can crack easily if dropped. Another one is the overall size (it is fairly large with wheels to help move around the house if needed), but the size helps this humidifier have one of the highest outputs as well for the price.

Also note, the air blows out cool (since the water is cool) and blow out the sides in almost a full 360 degress through the sides (more like 270 degrees around). so don't expect the air to blow through the top on this model (like my other units used to do).

Stock up on some wicks as well, not sure how long they will hold up (maybe 1 month each at constant use before needing replacement - they say 2-3 months but i dont' believe them, since mold can grow on them if used too long), I bought 4 for this winter season.

Hope this helps someone.

I couldn't be happier with this compared to the previous ones i have used in the past, now let's hope it lasts.

I agree with some of the other reviewers that this unit is quite loud on the higher fan settings. It certainly works, and has made a noticeable differnce in the house this winter (and it's been a BRUTAL one). On a rug or carpet, the noise is less of an issue, but if you leave it on a hardwood floor, the noise and vibration (even on the low fan setting) is still noticeable.

I have been using this humidifier for about 4 weeks now & it does a great job. I live out in the desert and it is hot & dry resulting in dry sinuses for us & snarfing for our dogs. It has improved both conditions very well. I did buy a humidy indicator so I could keep an accurate reading of the levels in our house and adjust the output as I needed. I have noticed way less desert dust in the house with the "air washing" & I see it on the filter. I am not having to oil all of our rustic mexican wood furniture as often either. With the Pro Tech Cartridges I just rinse out the trough, no hard cleaning yet. With two tanks it is easy to fill and the just set nicely in my sink. If you turn the curved side towards your faucet they stand right up on the carry handles, no big deal. In a normal setting a 24 hour run time may be accurate. In the desert however, at 105+ degrees I fill both tanks 3 times for a 24 run. Once I got the humidity up in our home I now run 24 hrs on the lowest setting with a medium fan and it maintains us at a good humidity level. I find it quiet and much less obnoxious then a fan running. I really like this unit.

The humidifier works well. However, the water tanks design is frustrating. The tanks will not set on a flat surface when turned upside down for refilling. You have to hold them steady as the water runs in, getting heavier and heavier. One of my tanks flopped over and sprang a leak at the seam between the clear and opaque halves. I fixed it with epoxy and glue, but it flopped again and broke the seal a couple of weeks later. I think this will happen to most tanks eventually. Honeywell should have provided a jig or stand to set the tanks in while filling, or better yet, have tanks that will set flat.

The humidifier does get the humidity up; but, the water jugs are awkward to fill and to get seated in the unit.

The flaw described by earlier reviewers about removing the tank caps seems to have been addressed - there is a spring loaded button and the cap is knurled and also has what I can only describe as finger tip grips.

The rounded tank does make it tricky to fill all the way up. (I need to use a one quart pitcher to finish filling it even in the kitchen sink)

The 2 tank design is nice in that each tank holds about 30 pounds of water (approx 4.5 gallons x 7 lbs/gallon) and is probably better to handle than a 9 gallon (60 pound tank) would be. But, I cannot get the knack of seating both tanks so that when one empties, to other releases its water. I come down in the morning to a unit that is not doing anything because it ran out of water in one tank (but the other tank was full). When I remove the empty tank and the full tank settles in, the unit wakes up and starts doing its job.

The side discharge does create a cold wind (even on low and ten feet away) and the high fan setting is loud but at least is a white noise.

Also - the indicator lights go off when the unit is off due to lack of water (I expected a red light but this works too). I recommend that when the unit has been off due to lack of water, you flip the filter - this seems to help prolong the filter life.

Feb 15 2009 Update:
Now that I've gone thru disinfecting the unit, I know that each tank holds 1.5 gallons of water - therefore, the filled weight per tank in approx 12 pounds.

I've discovered the knack for loading the tanks so both get used up - after seating each tank, unseat and reseat the blower unit.

After doing the bleach and water disinfecting, the caps are very tricky to remove. I'm hoping that vasoline will do the trick.

The good: Finally found a humidifier that can humidify more than one room. When it works, the life is good. It is quiet enough on middle fan setting to read near it and on a low fan setting to sleep near it.

The bad: Quality control is very poor. I had to return one humidifier because the humidistat failed within the first week. The replacement has been working for a week so far without any problems.

The ugly: Horrible water container valve design. Sometimes they deliver the water to the wick, sometimes they don't. I had to fight that battle with both humidifiers that I brought home. I would wake up in the morning with the machine that turned itself off because the wick is dry; however one of the containers is filled with water to the rim. The valve just stops the water from leaving the bottle. The air pressure in the container drops and forces the valve closed; after that unless one reopens the valve the water sits in the container forever and the humidifier is not working.

I wish Honeywell spent another $0.05 on the material of the plastic valve. Would have made much better product.

As is, one has to constantly watch the humidifier and check that the wick is wet.

A later addition:

I owned it now for 6 month. The wick has died. It fell apart. I bought a new one. The problem with tanks not dispensing water persists. All-in-all I stand by my two stars

More or less just an indoor swamp cooler and does a good job keeping a two bedroom condo at the set humidity with no sweating on walls or leaks so far. Have always used filtered water and have had no scaling, scum, or other water related problems, which may also be mitigated by the conditioner ball. Haven't had any of the other problems mentioned by others, but then I always read owners manuals. The filler caps are well sealed and you will have a hard time with them if over-tightened. On low, it doesn't seem to affect ambient temp. We sleep much better now and have noticed an overall improvement in breathing and comfort when the furnace is going.

After dealing with their parts supplier four times[Kaz Inc] I will NEVER buy another Honeywell product again...They send the wrong parts,10-14 work days for delivery,poor communication & they didn't pass it on that a part is backordered...Customer Service is poor!

I have had a need for a humidifier for years and back in Ohio I always used April-Air which is build into to my furnace and does a great job of hydrating the air. However, now in Las Vegas I cannot use April-Air because of mold laws and the placement of furnaces in attics instead of basements. So each year for the past 5 I have had to buy portable humidifiers and every year has been a disappointment with all of the work to run them and clean them and change filters, etc. This year I bought the Honeywell HCM-6009 and it is easily the best of the bunch of the previous 5 years. I have only used it for 1 month so I cannot give a long term review as of yet but up to now it hydrates plenty, runs quietly, cleans easily, and the water tanks fill effortlessly...and best of all it turns itself off and on according to the degree of hydration you want in your air. I would recommend this unit to a friend but I would need to say that 1 month does not give the entiree picture as of yet.

We've been using this humidifier for about a month now. It's much quieter than our old Holmes unit, though it's still not a silent machine, especially on middle or fast fan speeds.

According to customer service, you cannot use any sort of water treatment in this humidifier, like anti-bacteria or anti-scaling additives. So, if you have hard water or are on a well, you might have to clean the humidifier and replace the wick a lot more often.

Proper replacement wicks are hard to find in bricks-n-mortar stores. You can find wicks that fit, but they usually do not have the fabric "air filter" covering. They also may not have the anti-bacteria treatment that the factory wicks feature. Luckily, factory wicks can be found here on Amazon.

The biggest issue I have with this machine is that the air venting directs the air downward, rather than up into the room. This really doesn't make sense to me, as humid air doesn't rise, so blowing down onto the floor seems counter-productive. In fact, your floor around the humidifier will definitely feel cool and moist. The side venting also limits placement of the humidifier in your room, as you should not position it where it will blow directly onto furniture. In my small room, it's next to impossible to find such an open space.

Honeywell should also be taken to task for their use of the "9-gallon" measurement on the box, without being clear that this refers to the volume of moisture in the air, and not the machine's tank capacity. It's certainly displayed in a way to imply tank capacity. Similarly, their claim that the machine will humidify a 2300 sq.ft. room may be correct on its face, but no one I know lives in a single room that size. The humidifier will not adequately humidify a multiple-room home of even much smaller size. So, don't expect a machine in your living room to do much for your bedrooms at the other end of the house.

Put the bad reviews in perspective...if you've never used a humidifier, yes, they do require monthly maintenance and replacement filters, etc. but it's just part of owning one. I've owned several types of humidifiers before I bought this one and they just didn't do the job, and most created a lot of white dust that stuck to furniture, electronics and mirrors, this one does not!! It is not a humidifier you want to put in your bedroom, it is a whole house humidifier! I have it downstairs in a corner of my dining room and it does a fantastic job of humidifying our home of 2200 square feet. It does create a draft and is noisy on high, but I use the middle setting and I don't mind it at all...it's doing it's job. It has been a wonderful purchase and I highly recommend it!! My sinuses and skin are loving it as well!! We live in the high desert at 5000 feet and my only complaint has been the dryness, but now that is not a problem!! Love it!!

p.s. the only problem we had with this humidifier, was initially, it shut off prematurely. But after just one call to their customer service, which was very helpful, the problem was fixed!! The only adjustment we had to make was to not screw the tank caps on too tightly...as it will not trigger the water outtake valve of the second tank and it will shut off without emptying the second tank. It was an easy fix and we're well on our way to enjoying the wonderful benefit of having some humidity in our home! It also helps your furniture and hard wood floors!

I am always appreciative of the other reviews I am able to read before making a purchasing decision. For this reason I thought I would submit one on this Honeywell humidifier.

In short, it is everything I had hoped for and expected. We have had it now for almost a week so no long term analysis here, just early feedback.

I am a healthy 63 yr old male and so my comments should be taken in context. I find the unit was easy to set up, good instructions, and easy to fill and refill. The caps fit on easily and turn easily. I think it would be difficult to misalign the threads which seems to me was one complaint I read.

The two tanks hold together, about a twelve hour capacity for our home so I fill them once in the morning and once in the evening. The humidity level has risen steadily to our desired comfort level. It is now heating season here in the northeast and we have hot air heating system for our 3,000 sf home. This unit plus one I purchased a few years ago, which was definitely not sufficient, are now handling the house with no problem.

Treat the plastic tanks with care. I assume they are reasonbly rugged but I would be careful not to strike a hard surface with them, especially when full.

I also thought the value was very fair and I will be using the recomended antibacterial treatments. That is a must with humidifiers.

All in all, seems like it was a very good purchase and I appreciate the other reviews for helping me to make this choice. Ordering through Amazon has also been a breeze! Great service and all from the comfort of my home.

I've had several humidifiers over the years and this is the best one yet. It works well and is easily cleaned. I haven't had to replace the filter yet so as far as costs it may be more expensive. It cleans easily enough so I don't think you need to replace as often as recommended if you take care of it. It is loud if the fan is on high but I use the medium setting and with my TV on in the same room I don't notice it. I could see where the water tank tops would be difficult to remove if you're not a fairly strong person and could break if you're not careful with them. I fill mine in a laundry tub where I have plenty of room.

I got this to replace an older Hunter unit that was a little smaller and had the permanent mesh evaporative element. The Hunter had worked fine for several years, but the filter/evaporative mesh was covered in calcifications from use. I couldn't get it clean any more with vinegar, so got this one.

Worked really well for about a month and a half. On carpet, the unit is not really rollable, and has too many parts to the tanks, etc. that make it hard to fill without spilling, but it put the moisture in the air well and at a reasonable noise level. Then it just stopped working one day. No warning, no signs of failure like burnt smell, fried wires, or anything. The fan just would not come on. It's not actually made or serviced by Honeywell, and we couldn't get any kind of warranty satisfaction.

So an expensive paperweight after less than 60 days. Obviously they have some quality control issues, and for $100, that's not acceptable.

Not going to be getting one to replace it - probably back to the DIY store Hunter.

I searched and searched for a great humidifier, and I consider the purchase of this humidifier great! The unit was purchased specifically for my parrots - with noise level and quality kept in mind. Although I've read in several reviews that filling the water containers is somewhat of a pain, I have not found this so. The only complaint I have is regarding the cost of the filter, especially when one changes it every month - it adds up! I did locate another filter (on Amazon.com) which is approximately $10 cheaper, but when I called Honeywell customer support and asked if this off-brand filter would work, they (of course) told me "no." Other than that, the humidifier is quiet, and easy to disassemble and clean. I have also found that rinsing the filter once a week keeps it usable for a longer length of time. BTW: The filter is the most accurate filter-life indicator. When you notice that the humidity in the area is not being kept at the desired level, check your filter - when it becomes stiff and dry, it's time for a new one!

I purchased this humidifier about 2 years ago because winter and radiant heat have a way of sucking any moisture out of the air. I have eczema and own two cats so the super-dry air during winter made my life difficult. I purchased this because unlike many others I looked at, this one has a HEPA filtration system. It works great at keeping my 500 sq ft studio humidified all winter long. It is quiet except when the water is getting low in the tanks; then it get noticeably louder, and kind of reminds you to fill it up. I like that you can set the humidity as well as the fan speed (I like it on the lowest speed since I don't need much more than that for my tiny place) and that it cycles on and off as needed. One con is that it has quite a large footprint. Another con is the way you have to fill up the tanks. The screw-caps are on the bottom while the top of the tanks have handles, so they can't be set down due to a lack of any flat surface. But I found that if I take it to my kitchen sink and use the hose sprayer to fill it while cradling the tank in one arm, it's doable. But I can see how this might be inconvenient or impossible for some as the tanks get pretty heavy after filling. Another note: this humidifier doesn't do much if you leave the windows open. Overall, I'm happy with my purchase. The humidity makes such a difference, especially when I wake in the morning without a bloody nose or chapped lips, and with soft, supple skin.

When I first turned it on, it was great. It did what it was supposed to do, but then it turned off and so did the lights. I thought that was normal, except it did not turn on again for the rest of the evening. Next day it did not want to turn on, so I lifted the water tank and put it back in place and it turned on. Day three, that didn't work, so I had to bump it around a little and it finally turned on. Day four, I had to disconnect it from the wall plug and reconnect and that worked this time. Forget about the automatic humidity feature. Once it turns off, it's off for the night. That feature has not worked once since I've used it. This machine sucks and I'll bet one of these days, it just won't want to turn on anymore. I would rather have a refund, so I could buy a better humidifier, but it's past the return period. At least it has a 5-year warranty, so I'll eventually probably end up sending it to the manufacturer for replacement. The warranty requires that I pay for shipping AND include a check for $10 for the return shipping. LOL!

Honeywell HCM-6009 humidifier just bought it and I love it. I am so glad I did my homework reading reviews on humidifiers, because I was going to buy a kenmore console jobby for 161.00 and they did not have favorable reviews, but this honeywell did and it was half the money. It was easy to set up--has 2 tanks to fill; plug in, set the fan setting and the moisture control where you want it and that was it. It really puts the moisture in the air--once you have it adjusted it kicks on and off as it calls for moisture AND I can not forget it is really quiet compared to my hunter--I wish I was as happy with other purchases I have made as I am with this one! If you need a humidifier you will not be disappointed with this one!

I have chronic vasomotor rhinitis, which basically means I'm stuck with the symptoms of allergies triggered by certain things and cannot be treated. :( In any case, during certain times of the year, when the air is more dry or when there's more pollen I have issues with congestion. And sometimes I'll wake up with a dry through and sinuses full of phlegm. When I get sick, it's also no fun at all in terms of congestion. I ended up buying this unit and it does a decent job humidifying the air. It lasts a good 2-3 nights on the lowest setting so I don't have to refill all the time. Refilling it is a pain and I'm scared one of the handles is going to bust off. But this hasn't happened yet. One thing I'm still confused about is the auto-off functionality. The unit is supposed to turn off after the air has reached a certain humidity level, but it seems inaccurate at best. Maybe I end up sleeping through it but it seems like the unit continuously runs all night. I guess since there's still a lot of water left though, I can assume that it actually did turn off at the right time/humidity level. In either case, it's been doing it's job so I'm happy with it. I just wish it had a built-in thermostat to see the current temp and humidity.

This is a very quiet and effective humidifier. I have a 25'x15' bedroom. It raises the humidity from 25% to 40% in an hour. The controls work better than most; they really will set the humidity to what you want. If I set the humidity to 2, I get 45% consistently, at 3 I get 55% consistently. I can sent the control anywhere in between and get good, consistent results. One filling lasts 2 days, at 45% humidity.

This is the quietest, high-volume humidifier I've ever used. All the complaints about noise are nonsense, or the result of a defective unit.

The tanks are difficult to fill. You have to hold them while filling; this can be tough on your arms, back, wrists etc..., especially when they are nearly full. They are poorly designed, as you can not set them down to fill.

If you can get past the tanks (and I can with no regrets), then this is an awesome humidifier.

Excellent product. It performs as advertised. Very consistent in maintaining the desired humidity. I've been using now for two months. The filter is easy to clean.

My family and I moved to MO from FL and the first winter here killed us. Dry skin, headaches, nose bleeds, the works. I bought a couple of the little humidifiers and they are good for a small room but we wanted something for the whole house. At least for the larger family room and the kitchen and this surely does the job. It's not very loud at all on the medium setting and that's all it takes to keep the house where we want it. It also greatly reduces the amount of static electricity so we are not always shocking each other. Great product!!!

The humidifier works well, and has good features like a humidistat and multiple fan settings. However, the person that designed the water tanks should be FIRED! I have absolutely no idea what Honeywell was thinking when they designed these water tanks. First, there are two separate tanks that have to be filled. This in itself is not a huge problem, except that you have to unscrew the large cap to do it. There is no spring loaded refilling button to push like on my last humidifier. In order for the tanks not to leak, you have to screw the caps on tight. In doing this, it makes them nearly impossible to remove. If you don't have strong hands and wrists, stay away from this product! Also, you cannot set these down in your sink to refill, as the top side of the tanks have a funky curved surface that makes them tip over if you are not holding them. This makes it a complete pain to refill, which you have to do every day, as the tanks don't hold much more than a gallon each. I would definitely NOT BUY THIS AGAIN.

We bought this humidifier a year or so ago. It works all right, but is very noisy at any setting past the lowest one. It does not humidify sufficiently at the low setting. Not on a cold, dry winter day. But that's not the worst of it. It has a filter that needs to be changed just about monthly. Especially here, with animals in the house, the filter gets clogged up with pet hairs pretty quickly. Last March, I bought four filters for mine, to save time and having to think about it. I paid $8.39 for each filter at that time. I misplaced the 3 filters I had left over from March and wanted to order one while I figured out where I stashed those three. I was horrified to see that the new price on those filters is now $26.32 EACH (!!!). That is just obscene! So now, if I want to use my humidifier, I will have to pay almost $40.00 per month on this filter plus the "Tank Cleaning Cartridge", which I am not even sure does anything at all... I'm better off buying a couple of the smaller Holmes humidifiers for about $40.00 each. They are much quieter, use up less room and do not require filters. I will have to fill up their tanks more often, but it's worth the trade-off. Meanwhile, I am wondering where to bury this oversized, noisy monstrosity that is an insult through and through to any sane-thinking person.

LOVE THIS UNIT!!! Use it in a 600 sq ft woodworking shop with a 20' ceiling and it keeps it nice and moist. I'm able to maintain from 45 to 55 percent humidity in a very dry climate and I need to fill the tanks about every 30 hours or so. Excellent product, quiet, dependable. It's the third one I've tried and the only one that works correctly.

I did quite a bit of research before purchasing a humidifier, and have been pleased after two months of use with this one. Our two-level 1900sf home went from about 35% humidity in the winter, to 50%. The humidistat is kept in the bedroom at the opposite end of the house. This is using the low fan setting and keeping the adjustment dial at about 50% of capacity. This baby definitely cranks out good humidity!

That said, a couple of issues to keep in mind. It is not quiet! I would compare the low fan setting to a box fan on medium, and the medium and high fan settings are loud enough to be problematic. My S.O. is very sensitive to background noise and the first few nights with the humidifier there was a lot of complaining. We've both gotten used to it, however, and the upside of no-longer dry sinuses and zero static electricity is worth it.

The water tanks are not balanced very well, and refilling them is a bit of a hassle as they cannot be set flat so you have to hold them upright. In our climate, two full tanks last a little over 24 hours, so I find myself filling them about once a day. I have had no problems with leaking.

Overall, a good unit with a few design flaws, but given the inferiority of many other units, this one is a good deal.

Product does a very good job and is relatively quiet. I usually have to fill the two chambers 1-2 times daily to keep my main floor comfortable. The only thing I don't like about it is that it did not come with a humidity guage and has never shut off on its own when the house was humid enough, so I pretty much just keep it running on low with mod humidity all the time.

It does a good job of getting the humidity in the air, but I have found that the filters need to be replaced frequently, because they stop absorbing. They are not cheap either. I have owned this unit for a couple years now and I find that it costs me about $35 per month to operate.

Been using this for 2 winters(12 hours a day x 4 months) so far without any issues.

Pro:
1) This is the largest "portable" humidifier you can buy
2) A full tank on low setting will last 12 hours. It increases my room's relative humidity by 20 (from 20% to 40% before capping off and maintaining it).
3) On low setting, it's very quiet. Note: you really dont need the medium or high setting, it uses up the water much faster.
4) Filters are easy to replace at any sears/dept stores, i replace them once every winter, cost isnt too bad.


Con:
1) -1 star for terrible design on refill, the 2x refill bottle cannot stand on its own, so to refill them in the kitchen sink you have to hold them which gets heavy once full of water. Whoever designed this needs to get their head checked, the fix is as simple as making the handle the same height as the surface so the refill bottles can stand on their own...


All in all, this works and does what it suppose to do, it is also the largest capacity you can buy without paying too much. I am still waiting for a solution that can hook a humidifier to a faucet to eliminate refills, for those of us living in apartments it's not possible to install an inline humidifier as we have no boiler/water tank.

The fan is quiet enough and it does produce a good amount of moisture, however, the fan does move a lot of air around. During the winter time (when this is most likely used) it creates drafty conditions that make it impratical for a newborn's nursery room. This replaced an older warm-mist unit, and frankly, I should have purchased a warm-mist for the nursery instead of this.

We used to have a big humidifier for many years and it finally just quit working properly...it was about 10 years old. Didn't want to buy another one as I thought that we really didn't need one and didn't want to spend the money at that time for a big, new one. Bad mistake. Over the past few years, I had been telling myself that we needed one through the winter anyway as it was difficult to sleep (the air is so dry in our house), my throat would be sore in the morning and nose would get so stuffed up through the night that I could hardly breathe. I had looked for one for quite some time and had done a lot of research before deciding on this Honeywell model. Our house is quite small - less than 1,000 sq. ft. and this little model does the job on the whole house quite nicely.

Is it the easiest to fill? Not the easiest, but it's far from impossible. We have a deep kitchen sink and a high faucet and I can easily put it under the faucet, balance it in the corner and fill it without any difficulty at all. It's not that hard to carry - sure beats handling a 2 1/2 gallon bucket, which is what I used to do. The handle makes it much nicer and I hold my other hand under the bottom to make it more balanced so it's not as heavy or at least doesn't feel that way. The lid goes on easily and it's stressed to not overtighten it. Not hard to do at all. It does start to drip a few drops when turning it over to place it in its spot but that is not a problem as I make sure that I turn it over right over the unit itself; it slips easily into place and sits securely. The fact that it doesn't have a way to see how much water is being used is not the best, but it's easy to pick up each canister and see how heavy it is - gives you a pretty good idea of how much water is being used and if you need to fill it. You catch on pretty quickly as to how often you need to fill depending on how much you actually use it. Not too hard to do or figure out...just takes a little time.

The unit itself is easy to put together and the instructions are simple to understand in how to prepare it for first use. We have soft water so I'm not too concerned as how often to clean it as I pretty well know from past experience. The filter is nice and sturdy and should last for quite a long time with proper care. If you have hard water, you would want to clean it regularly, though. It may be a little time-consuming to do so, but I don't think that one can complain for the ease of doing it and the money spent for the unit.

I don't run it on the high fan, so the noise doesn't bother us at all. Even on the medium setting, it is not too loud to sleep with it being in the hall area right around the corner from our bedroom. Our old one ran a lot louder than this.

I like the fact that is has casters to make moving it easy. It is a very nice-looking unit, and doesn't take up a lot of space making it easy to put in a smaller space if needed. The fact that the air comes our the front and sides does not bother us at all as we don't sit in front of it. Yes, the air is cold but so was the other humidifiers that we had. You don't place it so it blows on a thermostat and you don't place it so that you sit right in front of it. Pretty simple.

It is easy to assemble, take apart, simple parts, simple instructions to use it and so far has been a great little unit for our entire home!! I am happy with the purchase and would recommend this unit for a good sized room or a small home.

Excellent humidifier at a reasonable price. Easy to use and maintain. Recommend you also but a humidity meter (they are really cheap). Once you get the hang of it, setting it is easy.

works well, quiet compared to other models.
no odor problems as others have stated, just follow directions, not much work keeping it clean and running well

In a big room this jem kept my humidity level just right. I have forced air heat which really dries out the air to the point of nose bleeds but this jewel took care of that. During the coldest days of winter it put out 4 1/2 gallons of vapor per day that kept the humidity level at 50%. The duel tanks made it nice to fill too. Make sure you get the tank aids too, they keep the tanks from getting that slimy stuff inside. I am more than pleased with this humidifier.

This was my first purchase or usage of a humidifier, so I was not sure what to expect in terms of noise level. The HCM-6009 is very quiet unless you have to turn it up to half-speed or greater, in which case it is about as noisy as a typical hotel air-conditioning unit and therefore somewhat disruptive to sleep. Fortunately I have not had to use the higher speeds. It is very simple to assemble and designed well for the routine filling of water tanks and changing of the filter. Quality appears good and the unit seems to be well constructed. The castors were missing on delivery but one call to the manufacturer had them sent immediately.

Overall a winner in high output humidifier. At $80, its a good buy.
3 fan speeds, at low speed-its quiet enough for sleeping, at medium speed-its good for daytime use, when you still want to watch TV or listening to music, chatting with friends, at high-speed, select this when you are not in the house....

Would recommend this product to other looking for high output humidifier.

It ran perfect for one day then started buzzing, then started making a scraping noise, so replaced it with identical one, out of the box, the replacement, you could tell the fan was out of balance but it still ran quite for one day then the buzzing started and got progressively worse until I could not stand it, about a week, and I returned it for a refund.

The top one star reviewer got this right - the ergonomics are horrible - refilling the tanks is an abysmal chore because you have to turn the tank upside down where it won't stand up straight which necessitates that one balance it in the drain hole of the sink with one hand, while filling with the other - not fun.

Again, it is true that the tanks are 1.5 gallon each, which is only 3 gallons total, not 9 - in one day on high you would have to go through filling up the unit three times - who has time for that?

The first year I put up with the filling problems because it did its job well - we got water into the air. This year though, after filling the tanks and placing them properly, the water refuses to pass into the tray unless the water containers are jiggled a bit through the day - it is NOT doing it itself! I thought there might be a scale build-up of some sort on the spring loaded valve that would prevent water from adequately getting through - not so! Ok, so this would mean that the unit should turn itself off, thinking that the tanks are out of water, right? Nope, the unit just keeping running as if everything were ok and it were getting water. This burns me up. Come on Honeywell, I expect better!

The unit is loud on anything other than the first speed - that is something many have commented on. I would like to see whether any other people out there are seeing problems crop up in subsequent years of ownership the way that I have - please comment if you have.


The only good thing about the unit, is that it looks good. Therefore it gets one star - otherwise if I could, it would get none!

The machine works great but after three weeks we started smelling something that smelled like a wet dog. The filter was dark yellow and the customer service agent told us that this is mineral buildup from our water. He said that we "unfortunately have to change the filter every month" and that there is no way to clean the filter. These filters are $25 each! He apologized for the expense but said that there is no way around this. We had no idea that this was going to be an ongoing expense like this when we bought this model. I suggested that he put this information on the box so that a person buying this model will understand the ongoing expense associated with using it. It does keep our whole house at a good humidity and its relatively quiet. We really like it otherwise, just a bit sticker-shocked at the fact that we have to stock up on these expensive filters.

I bought my Honewell 6009 from someone who had a whole house unit installed in his duct work. I was suffering with dry skin, nose was raw on the inside. I got it and three new filters in the deal for $55 used. It was a great deal considering the cost of filters is close to $20 each. It is so simple to use I didn't even have to read the manual. It was up and running in a jiffy and the water tanks are very easy to manage and fill. It will take a while to get your home up to a decent level of humidity but once you are there all you have to do is maintain a decent level. I am sleeping much better at night, my nose has healed up and the thermostat is down by about 5 degrees for the same level of comfort. Love the humidity in the winter you just feel warmer and more comfortable.

I expect I will go through a couple of filters per year and that is a significant cost at around $20 each. The ability to humidify a whole house is the niche of this machine. I recently bought a Pureguardian 4500 but it was not able to humidify more than one large room at best.

I can't imagine living without a humidifier in the winter anymore. The difference is amazing.

I bought 3 of these cheaper crane humidifiers from amazon. All of them ended up in the garbage. One stopped working, one i destroyed during the very annoying cleaning process, and another just cracked.

I have two little children and having a humidifer in the north east during the winter is a must. I instead bought this Honeywell. Talk about beast? If you leave this on high and come back in the morning, you have turned your childs room into a sauna. I love this thing, because there is no annoying cleaning process, and it holds 3 gallons of water instead of the 1 gallon this crane uses. I don't even bother with the cleaning, who has time (or desire) to maintain their humidifier. It's easier to pay the $40 bucks (20 for filter/20 for antibacterial peace) annually.

I 've had this for two seasons and it's been a true champ.

After reading the earlier reviews, I thought this might be the one since other humidifiers had some scary reviews. I was very happy with the shipping and it came in its own box with minimal packaging about 98% of which I can recycle!

This unit is a work horse and within minutes starts working. As to the side air discharge, I like it since I can lay on the floor and shove my face in it and feel the cool mist, so it's all a personal matter. I have to admit that if it is on the high setting it is about the volume of my own speech, but not "loud" to the point of wearing headphones or running in terror. Now that I was able to turn it down after the initial break-in for the wick, it is quite nice.

The tanks actually do have a means of telling you that the water is low. There is a plastic bottom to the tank and it will obviously show if one is low and since one tank drains before the other, I can keep them circulating. And who isn't able to come by and wiggle the tank to see if it is low. (It also has a low water sensor that shuts the unit off it doesn't have enough water). And so far no humming noise, maybe because I keep up with the water levels. As to filling the tanks, yeah, you have to use a mixing bowl to fill them and you do have to hold on to the tank as you fill it, but who doesn't like a little bit of extra security.

Lastly, it cleans the air and it smells amazing in here. Major kudos for such a cheap unit that does a lot of work!

I have to give this unit 5 stars !!!!!! Living in Alaska's interior, the humidity is low, around 15% in the winter. This unit does the job perfectly! It took only a couple hours to get the humidity to the level I wanted. I have the fan on medium and the humidity level at a quarter turn on the dial and it keeps the humidity very steady. I only need to fill the tanks once a day. Checking the water level is not a problem, just lift the tanks and feel the weight. The noise level is not much more then a refrigerator. If you're in the market for a humidifier that will do the job, and then some, definitely consider this one. You won't go wrong.