Hunter 33202 Carefree Humidifier Plus with Permawick 2- -Gallon Water Tank

After one day of use, the water in the base was yellow with what appeared to be algae floating with it. I have had to empty out and scrub this unit every day to keep it clean (note that I use only filtered water to begin with!). Plus its awkward design makes it more difficult to clean than the cheaper models!

Also, even on low it is noisier than I expected with what I consider a "harsh" noise, and it doesn't humidify as big of an area as it claims (although it is adequate for a medium size bedroom).

Add to this poor customer service and you have one truly disappointing experience.


Noisy and Still Dry   February 10, 2004
11 out of 13 found this review helpful

The unit makes a very loud, very annoying whiny noise. Even on the lowest fan speed, I can't sleep with it on, and if I am watching tv, I have to turn the tv volume up to hear over it. I have tolerated the noise for a full two days now, and the humidity has only increased 2%. It took about 36 hours to empty its water tank, so it's obviously not very effective at getting the moisture into the air. And as others have indicated, the water in the base of the unit is getting a little grungy looking. One more thing I wish I had considered when shopping for a humidifier, is that some put out warm mist while others put out cold mist. If you are cold natured like me, avoid the cold mist ones! I shiver every time I walk past it. Maybe if you plan to use it in the summer this would be refreshing, but in the winter this is not only unpleasant, but it doesn't make sense to have something that blows cold air into a house you are trying to heat. The one positive thing I can say is that the night light looks pretty cool.


Noisy Fan Plus Loud Vibration   January 4, 2004
9 out of 11 found this review helpful

I just got this humidifier yesterday and used it in my bedroom for the first night. I was able to sleep over the sound of the fan, but then at 6:00 AM I started hearing a lot of noise. At first I thought that the neighbors were playing the stereo. Then, I thought that someone was warming up a Harley in the parking lot. It turned out to be the humidifier. It was making a very loud vibration noise, which was even worse in the room below. I put it on a milk crate to get it off the carpet and put some padding underneath it. That helped, but if it doesn't any better in the next few nights, it is going back.

I have the yellow stuff in the water too, but it is just the anti-bacteria coating from the filters so it is not a problem.


big disappointment   February 4, 2004
8 out of 9 found this review helpful

I thought this humidifier sounded perfect--no filters, low noise, yearly cleaning. What a disappointment. It sounds like a constant running faucet and on any setting other than low, it sounds like industrial equipment. After one month, there was slime and mildew all over the inside. I would never recommend it.


This one's a true DUD   February 9, 2007
C. Olson (CA-USA)
5 out of 6 found this review helpful

I purchased this humidifier in December. Less than two months later it has stopped working. Dealing with customer support has been a waste of time. They provided some instructions that did not even apply to the model I purchased. Lots of run around in email chains also, appearing that they have techinical support, but when it comes down to it, they'll ask you to lug it back to wherever you purcahsed it. If I could rate it a negative star, on a one to five scale, this one would get a -5 and their customer support a -5. Oh forget the 5 year warranty. With all the run around, I doubt it will be honored.