Vornado HU1-0012-11 Standard 2.8 Gallon Vortex Humidifier

Submitted by alex on Thu, 2005-09-15 11:48.
  • Vorando vortex action
  • Quiet operation
  • Patented bottle design
  • High Output
  • Clean running design

  • A single-room cool mist humidifier / Humidifies up to 875 square feet / 3-speed operation / Runs up to 24 hours on 1 fill Patented spill-proof bottle design makes for easy filling and carrying Clean-running water dispensing system, bacteria-resistant plastic and treated wicks minimize bactera, algae, mold 3 fan speeds for precise humidity control White Granite color 5-Year WarrantyBy evaporating water into a room, this portable humidifier soothes dry throats, prevents dry skin, and alleviates congestion due to colds or allergies. Three fan speeds provide control, and, at low speed, the humidifier is bedroom-quiet. This model evaporates about 2.8 gallons of water in 24 hours at high speed. A 2-gallon plastic bottle fits into the humidifier and permits water-level monitoring. It's virtually indestructible, spillproof, and leakproof, and has a wide-mouth spout and flat back for easy filling. The humidifier's wick is treated to inhibit bacteria growth and needs to be replaced every 60 to 90 days. The humidifier measures 15-1/2 by 13 by 11 inches, can be moved easily from room to room, and is simple to clean and maintain. --Fred Brack

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    Submitted by guest (not verified) on Sun, 2006-03-19 05:00.

    We love this thing. Both of us have never slept better since we got it. We fill the tank about every 3rd night, super easy, and keep it on medium the whole night and only while we're sleeping. It has a mild fan-like sound (probably because it IS a fan) and I have always liked some steady sound to sleep by.
    Bottom line, after researching humidifiers, different types and their pros and cons, we decided on this one and would recommend it to anyone looking for one.

    Submitted by guest (not verified) on Tue, 2006-03-14 05:00.

    The Vornado HU1-0012-11 humidifier is very easy to set up, to operate, and to refill. It is quiet and does a very good job of humidifying my bedroom. It is a no-frills unit that does a simple job and does it well. What I like best about it is that it is very easy to refill the tank and replace the filled tank in the unit.

    Submitted by guest (not verified) on Mon, 2006-02-27 05:00.

    Bought a Vornado after doing some research. When I kept seeing that Hunter brand humidifiers needed parts, broke down, leaked, etc., I noticed a few mentioned either going back to, or buying a Vornado brand. So I did.

    I keep this one in our hallway so that it keeps the bedrooms comfortable. Wasn't too worried about the entire house. Waking up and feeling like I had just walked through a desert was.

    I fill this up about every other day. I keep on low to medium speed depending on how dry the air is. It's a breeze to fill the resovoir.

    As far as problems, nothing major. I guess the only thing is that the body can hum if the top and bottom are not sitting on each other right. Other than that, no big deal. Adjust it and it's fine.

    Submitted by ananth@mit.edu (not verified) on Fri, 2006-02-24 05:00.

    The humidifier works well and is reasonably quiet, compared to other cheap brands. The only issue is that one will have to refill the water container often, especially if used on the high or medium fan setting. Overall, I recommend it.

    Submitted by guest (not verified) on Thu, 2006-02-16 05:00.

    I've had the humidifier about a month and it's working fine. I keep it on low at night since on high it's a bit loud. On the low setting it does not disturb me at all. It keeps the air pleasantly moist when it's cold outside and the heat is cranking. I would recommend it.

    Submitted by guest (not verified) on Tue, 2006-01-31 05:00.

    This is the 2nd Vornado product I have purchased. Very happy with the floor fan. This humidifier is only average, however. The filter was dirty within one week's time. Too costly to operate with the necessary change of filters. Will return.

    Submitted by guest (not verified) on Tue, 2006-01-31 05:00.

    This is the 2nd Vornado product I have purchased. Very happy with the floor fan. This humidifier is only average, however. The filter was dirty within one week's time. Too costly to operate with the necessary change of filters. Will return.

    Submitted by guest (not verified) on Tue, 2006-01-31 05:00.

    This is the 2nd Vornado product I have purchased. Very happy with the floor fan. This humidifier is only average, however. The filter was dirty within one week's time. Too costly to operate with the necessary change of filters. Will return.

    Submitted by guest (not verified) on Tue, 2006-01-31 05:00.

    This is the 2nd Vornado product I have purchased. Very happy with the floor fan. This humidifier is only average, however. The filter was dirty within one week's time. Too costly to operate with the necessary change of filters. Will return.

    Submitted by guest (not verified) on Tue, 2006-01-31 05:00.

    This is the 2nd Vornado product I have purchased. Very happy with the floor fan. This humidifier is only average, however. The filter was dirty within one week's time. Too costly to operate with the necessary change of filters. Will return.

    Submitted by guest (not verified) on Tue, 2006-01-31 05:00.

    This is the 2nd Vornado product I have purchased. Very happy with the floor fan. This humidifier is only average, however. The filter was dirty within one week's time. Too costly to operate with the necessary change of filters. Will return.

    Submitted by guest (not verified) on Tue, 2006-01-31 05:00.

    This is the 2nd Vornado product I have purchased. Very happy with the floor fan. This humidifier is only average, however. The filter was dirty within one week's time. Too costly to operate with the necessary change of filters. Will return.

    Submitted by guest (not verified) on Tue, 2006-01-31 05:00.

    This is the 2nd Vornado product I have purchased. Very happy with the floor fan. This humidifier is only average, however. The filter was dirty within one week's time. Too costly to operate with the necessary change of filters. Will return.

    Submitted by guest (not verified) on Tue, 2006-01-31 05:00.

    This is the 2nd Vornado product I have purchased. Very happy with the floor fan. This humidifier is only average, however. The filter was dirty within one week's time. Too costly to operate with the necessary change of filters. Will return.

    Submitted by guest (not verified) on Tue, 2006-01-31 05:00.

    This is the 2nd Vornado product I have purchased. Very happy with the floor fan. This humidifier is only average, however. The filter was dirty within one week's time. Too costly to operate with the necessary change of filters. Will return.

    Submitted by guest (not verified) on Tue, 2006-01-31 05:00.

    This is the 2nd Vornado product I have purchased. Very happy with the floor fan. This humidifier is only average, however. The filter was dirty within one week's time. Too costly to operate with the necessary change of filters. Will return.

    Submitted by guest (not verified) on Tue, 2006-01-31 05:00.

    This is the 2nd Vornado product I have purchased. Very happy with the floor fan. This humidifier is only average, however. The filter was dirty within one week's time. Too costly to operate with the necessary change of filters. Will return.

    Submitted by guest (not verified) on Tue, 2006-01-31 05:00.

    This is the 2nd Vornado product I have purchased. Very happy with the floor fan. This humidifier is only average, however. The filter was dirty within one week's time. Too costly to operate with the necessary change of filters. Will return.

    Submitted by guest (not verified) on Tue, 2006-01-31 05:00.

    This is the 2nd Vornado product I have purchased. Very happy with the floor fan. This humidifier is only average, however. The filter was dirty within one week's time. Too costly to operate with the necessary change of filters. Will return.

    Submitted by guest (not verified) on Tue, 2006-01-31 05:00.

    This is the 2nd Vornado product I have purchased. Very happy with the floor fan. This humidifier is only average, however. The filter was dirty within one week's time. Too costly to operate with the necessary change of filters. Will return.

    Submitted by guest (not verified) on Tue, 2006-01-31 05:00.

    This is the 2nd Vornado product I have purchased. Very happy with the floor fan. This humidifier is only average, however. The filter was dirty within one week's time. Too costly to operate with the necessary change of filters. Will return.

    Submitted by guest (not verified) on Tue, 2006-01-31 05:00.

    This is the 2nd Vornado product I have purchased. Very happy with the floor fan. This humidifier is only average, however. The filter was dirty within one week's time. Too costly to operate with the necessary change of filters. Will return.

    Submitted by niti42 (not verified) on Tue, 2006-01-31 05:00.

    It really makes a differnce to the dry wintery room. No more dry skin and throat!!

    Submitted by guest (not verified) on Tue, 2006-01-24 05:00.

    I have to say I love this machine and it has worked wonders for us! Our 3 year old son has asthma and prior to purchasing the Vornado Humidifier, he was sick quite often. Since purchasing it, he rarely gets sick. What a difference it has made in our quality of life!

    Submitted by guest (not verified) on Tue, 2005-11-29 05:00.

    We have tried just about every style and brand of humidifier, trying to find one that is NOT a giant hassle to maintain and is quiet enough that it doesn't keep me awake all night. To make a long story short, the Vortex evaporative humidifiers are the best. They are perfect for the humidity boost we need in winter.

    The highest speed does sound like a small box fan, but we just turn the fan speed to the "low" setting at night, which makes it virtually silent. The Vortex does make a "glug" sound (3-6 glugs in a row, in my experience) when water from the bottle(s) periodically discharges (a couple times each night?) into the bottom of the unit. However, I found that my husband and I quickly got used to this. I can tolerate and sleep through this sound MUCH better than the continuous and louder giant-pot-of-boiling-pasta noise made by other humidifiers.

    No doubt, how much cleaning and wick replacement you need to do depends on your water quality. I'm on municipal water, which I assume is about average, and my wicks last for at least 2 months of continuous operation. I occasionally use the wick life extension method of soaking them in water with 2 tsp of vinegar, but I don't think it helps all that much. The filters are easy to find and not terribly expensive. There is no complicated disassembly involved to clean the unit and change the wicks, since you just lift off the top and wipe out the base. I do this once a season, no problems. The accumulation of mineral deposits that need to be scraped and scrubbed off is WAY LESS than we had with any of the other humidifiers we tried. That is, we have NO scraping and scrubbing whatsoever with these units.

    Trying to find a solution, we went so far as to have a built-in humidifier installed with our HVAC system (forced air). That system boosted the humidity 2% max, wasted water, and had an expensive filter/wick that was painful to change. Just TWO strategically placed Vortex humidifiers do an excellent job of humidifying for less money and hassle. We've had the built-in system deactivated for years now, relying only on the Vortexes ... or "Vortices", if you are a nerd such as myself. (-:

    Submitted by guest (not verified) on Sat, 2005-11-26 05:00.

    When this humidifier is running on high, it is so loud you can't be in the same room and talk on the phone or listen to TV or music unless you raise the volume. A neighbor stopped over and after in the house only a minute she said,"WHAT is that noise?".

    It also makes popping noises every 45 min to hour as the water drains out of the water holding tank. The first time I heard it I thought someone was knocking on our front door. The first time my husband heard it he said, "What the he-- is that!". If that is not bad enough, when the unit runs out of water there is no indicator light and it does not shut off...it just keeps running and running. Also, you cannot move the unit until all the water is empty. If you need to move it to vacuum or wash the floor, good luck because the vents on the bottom part where the water is are very low on the unit and the water comes sloshing out out all over. Cannot believe the incredibly poor design from a company that makes great fans.

    Submitted by kac044 (not verified) on Sat, 2005-08-27 04:00.

    I've come to trust the Vornado brand, so I had no qualms about purchasing this humidifier. I generally keep it on the "low" setting and it is more than adequate for humidifying my bedroom. However, as others have noted when water is being fed into the main unit, it is loud. I can't say I've been woken up by it, but more than once I've been laying (awake) in bed and have been startled by it. The cat has become accustomed to it though. The filters do start turning brown relatively quickly, but I've not had any problems continuing to use them. The manual suggests you empty everything out if you're not going to use the humidifier for 12 hours, but I only use it at night and am too lazy to empty it out every single morning. Initially I was also concerned that the construction seemed a little flimsy, but I haven't had any problems. I would make sure to put it somewhere where it won't get bumped into though. Despite the "quirks", I would still recommend this product.

    Submitted by kelleygrlw (not verified) on Tue, 2005-04-26 04:00.

    If you've ever been told to use a humidifier, you know how many there are to chose from! I have tried about 10 over the past 10 winters! Until this one, all were noisey, got musty or I was unable to replace the filter becasue it had been discontinued! This one is so quiet, stays fresh and works magic on my allergies! The best is that the filters are easy to get and just come in one size! No more trying to remember the model number or anything!
    Just what the doctor ordered!

    Submitted by guest (not verified) on Sun, 2005-02-13 05:00.

    I have owned many Vornado products in the past (and still have ALL of them). These folks make the very best air moving machines in the world.
    The humidifier is silent and does several rooms with no problem. It is easy to fill and has not caused a great deal of white dust as my old humidifier did.
    I am convinced that Vornado is a brand you can trust to deliver on any promises they make.
    Very very satisfied with the product-and recommend it highly.

    Submitted by roksyserg (not verified) on Thu, 2004-11-11 05:00.

    Okay, this humidifier is good as all previous reviewer said. But one thing is deceptive about this humidifier. Manufacture claim that filter will sustain its use during 60 to 90 days. How come? I had my filter for 15 days and it begin to smell a little. Of course, you can use some water treatment solutions with your water and I guess this will prolong life of your humidifier to say 25 days. But I wouldn't imagine it last for more than 30 days. Of course, everyone has different water in their home, but it seems to me Manufacture used totally distilled without any impurities or mineral content water, in order, to claim one filter to work for a such long time. One more thing, if your house have some smells, they will somewhat diminish, but your filter will be smelling funny faster than usual. So, I think, in one sense, this filter acts as a cleaner of your surrounding air as well. In any case, I bought two of them (humidifiers) some extra filters and I am happy with it.

    Submitted by bubbamack (not verified) on Sun, 2004-02-22 05:00.

    I bought two of these because the reviewers here gave it good marks and downplayed the noise it made. This product is easy to assemble and clean. Filling the water chamber is very easy compared to other humidifiers I have used. To me it is the best feature. My main gripe is with the noise it makes. First of all, the fan is not as quiet as I had hoped. There are three fan speeds, but the lowest speed is the only one that has an acceptable sound level at night. The higher two are only useful during the day when it can be drowned out by other household noises. To make matters worse, every 2 hours or so, this humidifier makes a series of loud GULPs as the water from the tank drains into the humidifier base. Based on the reviews I read here, I didn't think it would be a problem because I am a heavy sleeper, so I was suprised that the GULPing noise wakes me up at night.This is a fine product for the daytime, but for nighttime/sleeptime, I wish I had purchased something else.

    Submitted by melgregory (not verified) on Fri, 2004-01-16 05:00.

    I researched for a long time before I purchased a humidifier for our bedroom. I chose the Vornado for its good reviews and well-known name. While the Vornado is quiet while spewing out the cool mist, it makes an INCREDIBLY LOUD KNOCKING SOUND many times (at least 4) during the average 8-hour night while the water gulps down from the water chamber into the body of the humidifier. IF YOU ARE a deep sleeper, or not bothered by loud knocking sounds, then this is the perfect humidifier for you. However, if you are a light sleeper, like I am, keep searching or wear ear plugs. I am literally woken up in my sleep by the knocking/gulping sound; my husband, who is a very sound sleeper, was awaken one night by the sound, got out of bed, and went to the door half asleep thinking that one of our children were knocking on it. On a positive note, the water chamber is easy to fill and replace, as are the wicks. All parts are very easy to clean. And it does "humidify" the room quite nicely. It is just very loud and I would not buy another Vornado for that reason alone.

    Submitted by octothorpe8 (not verified) on Wed, 2004-01-14 05:00.

    A couple of years ago, I bought two humidifiers made by Bionaire. Just outside the 1-year warranty period, the power switches on BOTH of them failed. I bought this Vornado unit as a replacement based on how satisified I've been with the quality of the Vornado fans I own, and it seems to be quite solidly built and it has a five year warranty to back it up. Also, it's made in the United States, in contrast to the cheap (but not inexpensive) Chinese-made Bionaires I had before. The only complaint I can come up with is that it makes a noticible "glug" once an hour or so when it draws water from the tank. Aside from that, the fan is quiet and it's very easily refilled.

    Submitted by morrispataky (not verified) on Sun, 2003-03-16 05:00.

    I've owned lots of bad humidifiers in the past, and I hoped to go without one for the winter, but finally I had to give in and purchase another one (The dryness was killing me). I wasn't sure which one to get, finally I decided on the Vornado, and I'm very happy with it. Better than anything I've owned before. The design is simple, and easy to maintian (other machines I've owned have lots of tiny parts that get gunked or stop working properly). This machine has only three parts, and the electrical parts have zero chance of getting dirty. The only bad thing I can say about this thing is that it's a bit to noisy on the highest setting, but it's so efficient that you'll probably never need to use this. I keep it on low and it keeps a 550 sq foot room at a recommended humidity. As far the the occasional gulping sound, it's not really loud, you're computer probably makes more noise with the speakers off.

    Submitted by can8tive (not verified) on Mon, 2002-04-22 04:00.

    The design and thought that went into this machine is great. Easy to fill, clean and change filters. It is quiet. I bought 3 of them for my home.

    Submitted by richardforsyth (not verified) on Tue, 2002-04-16 04:00.

    We bought a basic Vick Humidifier..., but once I saw this one on Amazon, I bought it because of the Vornado. Well, they make great fans, but this thing [stinks]. The water tank makes A LOT of noise during the night while you are trying to sleep. Before the end of the first night, we unplugged and packed it back up to reutrn. We kept the Vicks...

    Submitted by stap123 (not verified) on Wed, 2002-01-30 05:00.

    Very basic unit. There are only 3 pieces. The top with fan, the bottom, and the glug glug water jug that looks like a WWII bedpan. It doesn't get any simpler than this. Very quiet and quite effective at its job.One of the things I forgot to think about before I bought htis was whether or not I wanted to be turning it off and on every time the need arose. Argh. It has no humidity sensor so you will be turning off and on yourself when the windows start to drip on the inside and when your throat feels hoarse. If I had to buy again, I'd go for a model with that sensor.

    Submitted by peersool (not verified) on Thu, 2002-01-10 05:00.

    Pros:If you want to humidify a small to medium-sized room quietly and efficiently this is definitely the humidifier for you! I have owned other brands of humidifiers that are as loud or louder on their low speeds then the Vornado is at high speed. I found there to be No Loud Gurgling Sound from this humidifier when filling itself from the water tank. With the fan set on medium you can barley hear it & it does a fantastic job of maintaining a very comfotable humidity level.Cons:Removing the water tank from the humidifier is a bit awkward. Instead of placing a handle at the top of the tank (which would be easy to grab) the manufacturer opted to only put a slight bump there. You have to be careful carrying & then loading the water tank into the humidifier if it is filled to capacity; or else you might spill water all over the place. The control knob is hard to grab & turn. Anyone that has difficulty using their hands will find this feature very hard to deal with.Over all the humidifier does what it is meant to do very well & very quietly. The problems are design flaws that Vornado can easily fix on future models if they so choose to do. I would not hesitate to recommend this humidifier to other people. Filter life is about 60 days.

    Submitted by hfguy (not verified) on Thu, 2002-01-03 05:00.

    I like this humidifier. I would buy it again. It is made well, and we are into our second season with no problems. However, I think it is fair to warn prospective buyers about two things: (1) Although the fan is very quiet, it does make a glub-glub-glub sound every hour or so when the water is released from the tank. We were concerned that it would keep us awake at night, but we both sleep through it. A more sensitive sleeper might have trouble. (2) It takes longer to fill the tank through the narrow opening than other humidifiers we have.

    Submitted by donnagel (not verified) on Mon, 2001-05-14 04:00.

    We found the gurgling sound of the air going into the tank to be noticeable while we slept, but our brains learned to "tune out" that sound, as it does with all other sounds normal to one's environment. The fan is virtually noiseless, as this is the trademark of Vornado fans. Very simple and clean design.

    Submitted by wcw@cmu.edu (not verified) on Fri, 2000-12-08 05:00.

    I bought this unit to help humidify my bedroom. Normal operation is nice and quiet and yet still seems to dump a good amount of water into the room.The way the unit stores the water is in a big bottle on the side. The bottle feeds into the base of the unit and there is enough water in the bottom of the unit to keep the entire bottle from dumping out all at once. This provides a convenient way for you to refill the humidifier.HOWEVER, when the water level drops enough that water is fed from the bottle there is a LOUD burbling sound as air replaces the water in the tank. This sound is loud enough to wake me from a sound sleep.