EVDC500 Energy Smart Evaporative Humidifier

I only buy evaps. I you are on a budget, there is no question about: The Vornado EDC500 is a killer deal, with great performance and a very simple control system, hold 2 gals of water, super easy to fill, quiet except for the HH(super-high) speed, night mode, dimming controls, auto shut off. Amazon right now for 80 bucks. FIVE YEAR WARRANTY. You do not need distilled water.

We have an EVDC500 and we like it. Easy to clean. Puts about 1.5 gallons into the air nightly.

We got a pair of Vornado units (EVDC500 Energy Smart Evaporative Humidifier). 2 barrel. They have the adjustable level and I use Constant On. or CO. Or Colorado mode in my head :) You do have to replace the sponge/wick material a few times a season, but they work great. Edited to add model.

Oh that one looks nice! We've had ours a few years now and love 'em. Best units we've used

I probably own all the major brand humidifiers made in the last 10 years. I have the BIG console on wheels with 4 large wicks, I just bought 2 Vornado ECDC500 I also bought the Levoit 6000s. I have bought at least 4 different models by Essick and AirCare I own a lot of guitars. The Levoit 6000s. His hands down the best. It is the only humidifier where the water drips down from the top of the wick to the bottom. As a result, the entire wick is wet and that's what you're pulling air through to humidify. All the other humidifiers wick r water from the bottom up so the top half of the wick stays dry because if you're running the fan on high the wick can never get wet enough before the fan is cooling it off. It's also way quieter than the Essick/Aircare!

I love my Vornado evaporative humidifier. It works well and is easy to clean.  

I love my Vornado Evaporative humidifier 

There is no such thing as a maintenance-free humidifier, whether it’s evaporative, ultrasonic, or even steam, they all require regular cleaning or regular changing of filters (or sometimes both). Steam is less prone to mold, but also super hot, and is prone to scale buildup which still requires cleaning. I would suggest giving your current unit a thorough clean first to see if that solves the issue. We have a 6L LEVOIT (ultrasonic/cool mist) humidifier, and I check ours every couple of weeks. If I see the mold, wipe the affected areas down with vinegar and rinse. Hydrogen peroxide 3% works well if I really want to feel thorough. We also make sure to change out the filter as recommended or more often (you can buy them in bulk). We also run two Vornado evaporative humidifiers on the first floor of the house. Let me tell you, the wicks in those develop considerable mold, and we change them out once a month or sometimes more often. Regardless of humidifier the concept is the same. You have to take care of them no matter what you buy.

Evaporative humidifiers. Pros: don't need distilled water(although probably makes the wicks last longer), no hard water dandruff like ultrasonic. Cons: need to replace wicks relatively often, should use a bacteriostatic water treatment I'm using a vornado one I bought from costco, but there are probably better ones out there.