1. Review *

2. * * The Vicks UV humidifier has three claims to fame: it uses a steam approach vs the more typical cool mist you find in modern humidifiers, if offers built-in support for loading up Vicks Vasosteam and other medicated products, and it has a UV lamp to fry the various microbes that tend to grow on these products. * On the pro side, its an attractive design with decent water capacity and runtime, and anyone who uses Vicks steam products already will benefit from the integration. On the con side, the light can be a bit much (I have a picture and description of how to fix that lower in the page), and while the UV lamp certainly helps, you still need to clean this just like any other humidifier. Otherwise, prepare to host a vibrant mold or algae colony. * On the whole, this is a good choice for the following: being used in a small-to-mid size room (no larger than say 500 square feet), for people who use the Vicks medicated steam products anyway, and for those who favor steam humidifiers over the various cool mist options on the market. Read on for the details! * - See more at: http://azontestsite.net/vicks-uv-germ-free- humidifier/#sthash.B44Ts8Aj.dpuf 3. * *The Vicks Germ Free Humidifier has a pair of 2- gallon tanks, which will give you up to 24 hours of operations depending on settings. If youre using it for a compact bedroom or study, you can probably manage on the lower settings. On the other hand, stretching this to a larger room will probably require the higher settings, and there you can expect 10 to 12 hours or so runtime. - See more at: http://azontestsite.net/vicks-uv-germ-free- humidifier/#sthash.B44Ts8Aj.dpuf 4. * * The controls are nice and simple here: you have a humidity dial and an on/off power button. There are no readouts, so if you want to determine the humidity level youll need a separate monitor (of which I have an example further down the page). * The Vicks will attempt to lock in whatever humidity level you set on the dial. To program it, first raise the humidity level dial to max and let it run for an hour or two until it gets the room to where you want it. Then, slowly lower the dial until the humidifier clicks off. At that point, leave the dial where it is and the unit will attempt to maintain the chosen humidity level by running whenever it gets low. * If you set the humidity level higher than the Vicks can maintainsay, if you try to provide humidity to a 1500 square foot townhouse or the likeit will run basically continuously. This wont damage it, though it will require you to more frequently refill the tanks. * - See more at: http://azontestsite.net/vicks-uv-germ-free- humidifier/#sthash.B44Ts8Aj.dpuf 5. * * Light level is a tricky issue for me, as I keep a humidifier running in my bedroom and the presence of random flashing lights definitely disturbs my sleep. * On the downside, the Vicks UV humidifier has a bit too much going on in the flashly lights category for my taste. Which, unfortunately, Ive found true with many humidifiers. * Thankfully, theres an easy fix: a little electrical and/or duct tape to block the offending light. Ive done this for just about every appliance in my room except for the alarm clock, and it helps my sleep at night having no lights running. * I also heard of one person who has the light face a wall, where it reflects like a low nightlight. If this works for you, then you can forgo the need for tape. * - See more at: http://azontestsite.net/vicks-uv-germ-free- humidifier/#sthash.B44Ts8Aj.dpuf 6. * *This humidifier runs with minimal use of a fan, and its sound has been compared to coffee brewing: a faint gurgling noise. Even among the light sleepers Ive heard few complaints of excess noise, and others have praised it for being nice and quiet. This would be suitable for a bedroom (though you may have to do something about the light). - See more at: http://azontestsite.net/vicks-uv-germ-free- humidifier/#sthash.B44Ts8Aj.dpuf 7. * * While the filterless and UV lamp features are nice, they wont spare you the need to give this unit a regular cleaning. Here are Vicks official instructions for a weekly cleaning (from the manual): * 1. Set all controls to Off and unplug the humidifier 2. Remove the water tanks from the humidifier base and drain them. 3. If the humidifier was recently running, allow 15 minutes for it to cool down, then remove the nozzles. 4. Pour 1 cup white vinegar into the reservoir and let it soak for 20-30 minutes 5. Hold the humidifier by the base and tilt it over a sink, allowing the vinegar to empty out. Rinse it out to remove all traces of the chemical. 6. Disinfect the tanks using 1 teaspoon of bleach in 1 gallon of water. Let the solution sit for 20 minutes, swishing the unit occasionally to wet all surfaces. Empty the tanks completely, then flush out all remaining bleach. * - See more at: http://azontestsite.net/vicks-uv-germ-free- humidifier/#sthash.B44Ts8Aj.dpuf 8. * * This is a filterless humidifier, which spares you the need to buy new filters every 30 or 60 days. Even so, the UV lamp wont kill everything that grows here, so the burden is on you to clean and maintain it over time. Also, you will periodically want to use a mineral absorption pad such as the one listed here. * When configuring the Vicks humidifier to match your desired humidity level, you can go off feel and intuition and get it right fairly fast. This will work for most people, but if for whatever reason you need to hit a specific humidity level, you should use a 3rd party humidity monitor such as the Acu Rite to determine your rooms moisture level. * Also, being a Vicks steam product, this will accept and put out any of their medicated steam products. They specifically recommend Vaposteam as a cough suppressant and nasal decongestant. That brings back memories of my grandmother fixing it for me when I was a kid, and I remember it helping. * Vicks replacement mineral absorption pads http://www.amazon.com/Vicks-Humidifier-Replacement- Mineral-Absorption/dp/B0056CEAFS/ref=pd_bxgy_hpc_text_y * Pro-tec cleaning cartridge http://www.amazon.com/ProTec-PC-1-Humidifier-Cleaning- Cartridge/dp/B000XPT0DK/ref=pd_bxgy_hpc_text_z * Vicks Vaposteam http://www.amazon.com/Vicks-VapoSteam-Medication-Camphor- Suppressant/dp/B000052YIY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1356180842&sr=8-1&keywords=Vicks+Vaposteam * Acu Rite http://www.amazon.com/Acu-Rite-Indoor-Humidity- Monitor/dp/B0013BKDO8/ref=pd_sim_hpc_6 * - See more at: http://azontestsite.net/vicks-uv-germ-free-humidifier/#sthash.B44Ts8Aj.dpuf 9. * * The majority of reviews were positive, but I found a handful of people who bashed this humidifier: some people loved it, some people hated it. In my experience this can mean either a truly flawed product, or that theres a large segment of people who brought the wrong expectations to buying it. * A number of people were miffed by the light, which I can agree with. The solutions I listed above should do the job, and I didnt read of anyone who returned it because of the bright lights. * The noise level was consistently voted quite good, which I appreciate as someone easily bothered by loud background noises. * I found a couple people who pointed out that it accumulates mold and other microbes despite the UV lamp. This is to be expected: while the lamp will improve the quality of the air in the steam, it wont prevent buildup inside the humidifier. This unit still requires cleaning. * I also saw a few of the usual sour grapes review. Case in point: one person who complained that the price of Vaposteam had gone up too far and gave the humidifier one star because he didnt think it justified the expense. I consider this irrelevant to the productsuch as when people leave a bad review for a hardcover book because it doesnt have a Kindle editionand ignore it myself. * - See more at: http://azontestsite.net/vicks-uv-germ-free- humidifier/#sthash.B44Ts8Aj.dpuf 10. * *At the time of this review, Amazon is running a nice 28% off sale at $72.08. Prices rise and fall on there often, so I suggest you take a look and see what the current going rate is. - See more at: http://azontestsite.net/vicks-uv-germ- free-humidifier/#sthash.B44Ts8Aj.dpuf