Bionaire BCM645-U Digital Cool Mist Humidifier Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Low ambient humidity (below 30%) is both uncomfortable and unhealthy - it dries out my sinuses, gives me a dry cough, make me more prone to respiratory infections, and it also gives me dermatitis & dander in my beard and scalp (which further exacerbates my cough). For that reason, I prefer to humidify my bedroom in wintertime. Why wintertime and not year round ? Because when the temperature outside drops, it's ability to hold moisture decreases very significantly. Anyway, for optimum comfort, I try to prevent my bedroom's humidity from dropping below 40% ... better still, 45%.

I recently purchased a BCM645.

PROs:

* Digital Hygrometer/Humidistat: This unit has a convenient and easy to read digital LCD display connected to a built-in hygrometer (to detect ambient humidity level), and a hydrostat (that allows you to set a desired minimum humidity for the unit to maintain ... sort of like a dehumidifier only in reverse). The fan can be set to low med or high on manual, or low med or high on automatic; and the target humidity can be set in increments of 1%.

* Humidification Method: This uses the wick (essentially a big filter sponge) + fan method, rather than a mister. The former is superior to the latter, because misters don't fully disperse their water into the air - which can cause the floor below it to become damp (and eventually damaged by) settling/condensing mist.

* Quiet: The fan on this is surprisingly quiet.

* Footprint: It's vertical tower design gives this unit a small footprint. CONS:

* WICKS WITH SHORT LIFESPAN: My model has 2 disposeable wicks. In my case, my first pair has only been in use for less than 2 weeks, and they're already working far less well and are signaling "change", and because they're fragile they can only be partially rinsed - they need to be replaced. Supposedly, the 657 has "permanent" wicks which are sturdier and can be reused more times ... I'll look into whether or not my 645 can use the 657's wicks, otherwise it's going to be a big headache and expense constantly replacing them.

* AWKWARD REFILLING: In order to refill the 1.3 gal tank, you must lift the tank out, carry it to a sink, hold it upside down, unscrew the refill/dispensing port, and hold it at an angle under a faucet until it's full ... then you have to clutch it against your chest with one hand while you use the other to turn off the faucet and reapply the fill cap - and no, it cant stand upside down on it's own, you MUST hold it during refilling, or it'll fall over and break. IMO, this is needlessly awkward, and if your sink lacks a deep basin equipped with a high-top faucet, you have to clutch the thing to your chest with one arm while ladling in water with the other. Two very simple design improvements would solve this problem: (1) recess the dispensing port (located on the bottom of the tank), so that when the tank is lifted out of the base, it can be stood upright on a counter without opening the dispenser valve on the bottom - that'd allow hands-free refilling; obviously the number (2) improvement would then be to relocate the refill port from the bottom of the unit to the top. With both improvements, you could then carry the tank to a sink, put it down where ever's convenient, and refill it ... no need to cradle it like a baby, or lift/support anything heavy. Doing that would also enable the manufacturer to increase the tank capacity (and runtime) and improve ergonomics (especially for older users, children, and amputees) at the same time.

* LACKS A TANK EMPTY SENSOR. Because this model lacks a tank-empty sensor, and because the hydrostat only cycles off the unit when the desired humidity level is reached, this unit FAILS to shut off if the tank runs out when the ambient humidity is below the set point. That's poor design and a waste of power. The manufacturer needs to add a tank empty sensor, and integrate it with the humidistat.

* CAPACITY: The manufacturer overstates this unit's capacity, claiming it can handle a 700sq foot room. It works well in small and mid-sized rooms, but to be realistic, you'd need 2-3 of these units to handle 700 sq feet on a really dry day. Also, 1.3 gals sounds like a lot, but on a really dry day (humidity% in the low/mid 20's), it'll exhaust that in under 10 hours, and because humid air sinks and dry air rises, you'd better keep the door of the room closed or it'll struggle to humidify the entire floor of your house, rather than just the one room you put it in.

* SPEED: This unit would benefit from a slightly larger wick, because on a really dry day, even in a 250 sq ft room, it has trouble maintaining 40% if the door is even a little bit ajar, or if the room is slightly drafty. Having a larger wick would also help to reduce the frequency it must be cleaned. I'm not looking forward to having to dismantle this unit weekly (to clean the wick and chamber), much less daily (as the manual suggests).

* Lacks UV: It'd be nice if the unit had a small UV bulb to kill bacteria in its evaporation reservoir.

Bottom line:Not recommended.I like the digital readout and controls, but this unit has too many ergonomic problems to recommend it - definitely look for the models that list reusable wick/filters. I got the wrong one ... don't make the same mistake.

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TIPS REGARDING WICKS:

* PRICE This unit uses 2 sponge/wicks.The BWF-100 and HWF-100 are identical and interchangeble - when buying replacements, grab whichever brand is cheaper.I've seen prices for a 3pack (3 pairs of wicks) range from $5 to $16.

* RINSING:These wicks are rather fragile - resist the urge to wring them out when rinsing them, or you'll damage them.Instead, fill a sink with body-temperature water, let them soak for 5-10 mins (to let the deposits soften & par-dissolve), then gently press them flat (while submerged) 2-3 times.Then drain them (dont wring them) and reinstall.That should extend their performance by a few more days.Each subsequent rinse will yeild only half the benefit though.Evdentually, as the weave loses integrity, and deposits build, they'll just stop wicking and only get wet at the bottom, and they'll stay dry, shriveled and discolored up top.

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Product Description:
Digital Cool Mist Humidifier * Four Comfort Settings * Dishwasher Safe Tray * Arm & Hammer Enhanced Filter * Runs Up to 36 Hours on One Tank Full

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