AIR-O-SWISS 7133 Humidifier
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Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of AIR-O-SWISS 7133 Humidifier
Customer Review: Fatal flaw
Summary: 2 Stars
This product has a fatal flaw - it has a mechanical hygrostat to control humidity. It's basically a spring loaded device. It doesn't work reliably. You set the humidity level one day, but as the spring adjusts to its own tension, its humidity control stops being accurate.
I had to return my unit 3 times. Each time they replaced the return with a brand new unit. But each one eventually manifested the same problem. *It is a design defect.* Fortunately, the device has a three-year warranty. If you are the type of person who demands that their purchased products work as expected, you will need this warranty. I had to return my unit at the end of every season.
Unfortunately, the company threatened to stop honoring the warranty because I had returned the unit so many times. Rather than send me a unit which would work reliably, they took the tact of blaming me for returning the defective units. They never claimed that the units that I returned were working at spec.
You may not notice the problem if you have the unit in a large room, but in my case it was used in a small, approx 8' x 12' room with a closed door. At the lowest humidity level setting, the room would eventually get very humid, the level couldn't get dialed down, and I had little control over the level of humidity. Because the unit doesn't have a digital readout of the humidity level, most people wouldn't notice this. But I checked the level against a stand-alone humidistat.
If the hygrostat worked, I'd give the unit 4 stars - it's otherwise a fine device. I'd echo the sentiment about the tank. I think someone in Marketing told the engineers to design the tank with a visually appealing rounded top. But it's a pain to refill. You have to always hold onto it while filling it. It will not stand up on it's own. It is cumbersome to refill and will fall over if you let go of it. It's always a two-handed operation to fill.
My advice would be to try one of their units with a digital humidity level readout. I haven't tried them myself, but I'm guessing that the hygrostat on those models will be more accurate and thus, useful.
Customer Review: Best Humidifier Ever
Summary: 5 Stars
In the 20 years of using humidifiers, the Air-O-Swiss 7133 is the best we've ever used.
After our Hunter Care-Free Humidifier rusted and the motor seized up after 1.5 seasons of use, we researched and decided to go back to the ultrasonic type. The Hunter was loud and very difficult to clean. The Air-O-Swiss solves the two problems we've experienced with previous ultrasonic humidifiers: No more white dust, and no more mineral build-up inside the unit.
The instructions say to soak the demineralization cartridge for 24 hours before first use, and we did that. And we also placed the silver ionic stick in the basin. And in 2 months of almost continuous winter use, we've never had a problem with white dust. And except for rinsing out the unit now and then, this humidifier is the most care-free humidifier we've ever owned. No more scraping off the scaly mineral build up. And no white dust.
We keep the unit on a TV tray about 29" above the carpet floor. We have forced air heat, and our bedroom is about 250 sq.ft. Based on the measurements of a separate hygrometer in the room, we can get the relative humidity up to about 65% with all settings on full and the door closed, but we aim for about 50% relative humidity which the Air-O-Swiss maintains easily. We tried using the Air-O-Swiss in a larger room (about 400 sq.ft.) and it struggled to raise the humidity above 45%.
What's also nice is putting the heat on to warm up the mist. This was especially nice when we both had colds. Plus the room feels warmer with the warm moist air. Because it's an ultrasonic humidifier as opposed to the Hunter which was an evaporative humidifier, the Air-O-Swiss is MUCH quieter. No more loud fans. And the Hunter drew air in through its plastic grill which collected dust and was extremely difficult to clean. And the Air-O-Swiss is simple and easy to keep clean. If this Air-O-Swiss lasts 3 seasons, that it will end up costing the same as the other that only last 1.5 seasons. Time will tell.
Customer Review: Best I've reviewed, evaluated
Summary: 4 Stars
I've reviewed and tried several home humidifiers and find the model 7133 a strong contender for 'best of breed'. Since I use it in the bedroom, it had to be very quiet; which the 7133 is. It holds about 2 gallons of water which on a mid-setting both for the humidistat and the output control keeps the room (about 15' x 15') at 40% humidity (quite comfortable). On filling of 2 gallons (slightly less since the filter takes up a bit of room) runs for 24 hours at this setting. Since I only use in the evenings when I'm home, it lasts for 2 days. It also seemed to me that if you want a humidifier with a larger capacity, that it gets pretty heavy lugging that much water. 2 gallons seemed like a good compromise volume.
The filter has to be changed every 3-4 months, depending upon frequency and length of use. The unit comes with 1 filter. The silver stick that also comes with it, controls bacterial growth for up to a year. Materials and constructions are of excellent quality.
I checked out several reviews of the product; looked at an older Consumer Reports on humidifiers (it didn't rate this manufacturer), but it's report on other brands didn't really impress me, since so many don't seem to come with a humidistat (an important requirement in my view, since it helps keep the humidity level steady). I purchased it for $134.95 at a local retailer, and on-line prices seem comparable. So far, it appears to be fair traded. I highly recommend this product.
Customer Review: Top quality product.
Summary: 5 Stars
I been using the 7133 for 3 years now and have had no problems at all. That is until I just replaced the demineralization cartridge (DMC)with the new ionic silver type. It worked fine for weeks then it would just stop producing the atomization stream. If I turned it off and on it would always restart. I called the service number (1-800-336-0326) and talked to a very nice women. She said that the most probable cause is the new cartridge. It might be overfilled (from the factory). Just removed a few tablespoons and try it again.
So far so good.
Update, 1/22/2010: The unit stopped again a day after removing some of the filter powder. I suspected it might be the powder itself, so I removed the filter all together and now it works fine. The new powder seems to be self-clogging when you look at it closely.
So I'm switching back to the old bagged refill powder.
I also asked if they sell the replacement ultrasonic transducer and she said no, they apparently never wear out.
The unit is extremely quite and efficient. It produces more humidity per watt than any other unit I could find.
I always use reverse osmosis water and have never seen any white dust. They state that you don't need the DMC with reverse osmosis water, but it seems to stay cleaner with it (your choice).
Having tried most of the other brands, I highly recommend this unit.
Customer Review: Recomended...a silent and effective humidifier
Summary: 5 Stars
I have been using it for a month now and I love it.
I live in a small 1 bedroom condo and the air is so dry when the heater is on. I couldnt take it anymore, I couldnt sleep becuase of the dryness in the air, I had difficult breathing during sleep and very dry skin. I even had a cheap humidifier running but the unit will get dirty so fast and is very noisy.
This air-o-swiss humidifier solved all my problems.
It's supper quiet and the cool steam makes a big difference to my body, even my plants are relieved.
Becuase of the ionic feature water stays cleaner. The replacement parts (ionic stick and demineralisation cartrige) are not expensive and last a long time.
I think any electronic device needs cleaning, this one at least, its components helps water and unit stay cleaner for longer time. Also, becuase of the thin steam window, dust does not get in the unit easily like the other ones with a fan.
I like this humidifier becuase of its features and performance. I am satisfied with this device so I recomend it to anybody who is looking for quiet, confort and performance humidifiers; not to forget its modern and sleek look =) too.