It Actually Works (with some quirks)

First, it must be stated that the unit I have is the Holmes 3655u which is shown in Epinions as the 3650. They have the pictures switched. You can see the difference in the picture which contains a filter check/indicator above the Rh LED display.

I live in Vermont, and our heater runs all day and night. Therefore, we have been through countless humidifiers over the years and this is a recent purchase for this 04/05 winter season.

Why I bought this unit
I bought the unit because I thought it held 10 gallons (advertised as 10 GAL ACCUSET CONSOLE HUMIDIFIER), and therefore, I wouldn't have to fill it as often. However, it was misleading on the box....as once I opened it at home, the two tanks only hold 1.3 gallons each. The tank reservoir itself also holds .6 gallons for a total of 3.2 gallons. Holmes gets away with this by stating in the manual that the output is 10 gallons per day, so on the high setting, you would have to fill it up three times. However, on the low setting, it can supposedly run for 36 hours on one filling (only putting out 3 gallons). Marketing!

Why I like it
Now, after getting that off my chest, I must say that the unit does a pretty good job at raising the Rh, quickly too. The major plus for me is that the Rh digital LED is accurate. Many Rh monitors are inaccurate that the different companies claim they are sensitive plus or minus 5%, which is true, but this one has been accurate for me (right in sync with my house Rh monitors). Also, there is a filter replacement indicator, which actually works!

Quirks
The unit has three settings High, Med. and Low and also Auto shut off when the unit reaches the desired Rh: A-High, A-Med. and A-Low. One thing I noticed is that the unit shuts off at the desired Rh and then turns back on within seconds, which is annoying. A little noisy on high and medium settings, but I have heard worse. But the key here is that it does work.

One last annoyance is the refill indicator light. It doesn't work. It turns on for no rhyme or reason and doesn't turn off when you refill. I don't even look at it anymore, I just pick up the tanks and feel for water weight and or look at the filter indicator which reads replace if there is no water inside the unit. Clear tanks would have helped to visually see the water levels.

Bottom line
The filter is relatively cheap, about $9.99 at Wal-mart and cleaning the unit is pretty simple. The filter does contain some carbon to also help filter the air, which is nice if you have a stinky dog like us.

Overall, I would say this unit performs well 4 out of 5 and can live with the quirks. I have used some real losers over the years and although the tank refill is often and the light stays on, at least I know it works and the humidity level is right where I want it - which is important as we have a kid on the way and should help with health!

Important notes: When refilling, don't screw the lids on too tight or the water may not feed out. Just lightly finger tighten and it'll work every time. Also, most importantly, give it a chance to work. The filter check indicator takes a while to start working as water has to enter into the filter. Also, if you unplug the unit after use, it resets it and the refill light works more consistently. Live with it for at least a week to get used to it before you take it back. I wanted to take it back immediately, but now I love it.