Hunter 34357 Care Free Humidifier Vaporizes Our Home within Boundaries

The Hunter Care Free Humidifier Plus 34357 came into our home late this fall in an attempt to avoid replacing filters on similar models made by other manufacturers, thereby avoiding the cost of maintaining the units.

Add to this the idea that the Hunter unit may be, for the most part, cleaned in the dishwasher and we're in business. Maybe short-term business, but business at the outset.



Why Hunter Care Free?

First, we're huge sinus suffers here at our house. Living in a nicely divided 4-seasons zone, we really need extra moisture in the air from mid-November through mid April, just to be on the safe, sinusitis-free side. We suffer allergies from mold, as well as the seasonal strains, and therefore, filters must remain clean and free of offending microorganisms that will make each and every one of us sick. We're a fun group as long as we're well!

And, prior to the Hunter version of the humidifier, we had employed the use of BionAire, Honeywell, and a few WalMart purchases, all of which did a fine job of keeping up the moisture level in our home. Our luck with Honeywell ran out yearly, with the inability to locate the correct size filter replacement with each new model year. The same held true after five years with a larger output model made by BionAire. When the filter costs outweighs a new machine, it's time to find something else. The one-gallon WalMart humidifiers stand guard every night in our children's rooms and have, to date, run for 5 years each. I can always find filters and have no complaints on any aspect of these models, other than they're too small for other parts of the house.

Basically, we cannot live without a humidifier of some sort. The search is on each year for what we will do to assist in that department, and we can't wait long or we'll be out of luck and out of options.



I Detest Everything about Paper Filters

Mess, crud, ungodly who-knows-what lurking on them, who needs paper filters? We do, of course, if we insist on keeping the moisture in our air at a livable level. But, you have to pay attention to filters, and that's never pretty. Whether they're discolored from dust, the beginnings of mildew, onset of mold or just plain water-logged, they need replacing and sooner, rather than later.

I wanted a break. I searched local and online stores each year, hoping against hope for a remedy for my filter phobia. I just about gave up completely.

This year, I discovered the Care Free Hunter. The concept of a permanent filter tantalized me, mainly because as the sole purchaser of replacement parts, I had had it "up to here" with trying to find filters and also in cleaning the units as they acted as greenhouses for unpleasant flora both inside and outside. There's only so much cleaning a body can do on these things -- ever try opening the unit to remove dust from the fan blades? In most cases, this is known as "void your warranty in one easy step."

So, armed only with the knowledge that I might not need to purchase replacement filters, a list of model numbers, my wallet and my car keys, I made my way to the nearest home store to seek my new home appliance.

I found the 3.5 gallon version of the Care Free and hurried home with it, assembling it in less than 5 minutes from opening and storing the box to filling and starting the unit.

We're ready to humidify!



From Desert Dryness to Full-Functioning Sinus

The Hunter Care Free successfully added moisture to the first floor of our home, roughly 1,100 square feet -- and we're fully aware that this is not the unit made to cover that square footage all by itself. We really need a larger unit, but presently, Hunter doesn't make one large enough for our main floor needs. This model will move to our 2nd floor as soon as we find an adequate replacement.

By setting the humidity level (up and down arrow buttons make this quick and painless -- just press either arrow to reach your desired humidity level from 30% to 80%) and choosing the span of the output range (from 1 to 3), you may quickly begin adding moisture to your room. I did this.

The fan, when set to "high", runs with some noise, but nothing like our last Honeywell unit which sounded akin to rumble strips on the highway at any fan setting. We feel reasonably comfortable with the noise level of this unit.

The fan provides a rush of cool air in an area within about 4 feet of the unit, so placing this close to a sleeping area might cause discomfort as you work toward higher humidity. It is possible to direct the output of the fan by rotating the louvers/cover of the fan so that it sends the air in the direction you desire. This piece rotates full-circle, allowing you to keep the unit in once place and simply turn the louvers as desired.

After only a few hours of operation I felt a difference in the air quality in the room. After half a day, the remaining areas on the first floor felt more comfortable.

Yea, Hunter! Yea, us! So far, we have a "go". I'm breathing easier already.



Ease of Cleaning? Love It!

After about a week of use I felt I should honor our newfound relief system somehow. I decided to clean it.

How simple? Why don't other humidifiers work this way? Why must they be so difficult?

I removed the 3.5 gallon water tank, leak-free, I might add, and set it aside for later. I removed the motor housing and set it nearby on a towel, in case of wet edges from sitting in the base of the unit. I removed the filter that looked amazingly clear after a week of use, and set it upright on the bottom rack of the dishwasher. I then emptied the base of the unit and upended on the top rack of the dishwasher, set the washer on "pots and pans" and let it go to work.

Twenty minutes later, the base and the filter were ready for action again. I put everything back together, plugged it in and put it back to work. Everything went swimmingly, just as it did in the first use.

Yea, Hunter, once again!


Still Cranking Out Moisture, but What's with the Sound Quality?

After six weeks of continuous use, our Hunter Care Free suddenly developed a tick. A moderate tick, but audible and unending. I tried moving the unit a bit, thinking that something inside it was off kilter. No change. I shut it off and let it rest. I turned it back on ... no change. I booted it with my slippered foot. No change, not even a bad one.

I turned the fan to "low" ... and the tick departed.

Less than 24 hours later the tick invaded the "low" setting of the fan. I knew this boded no good, somehow, and proceeded to ready our Hunter Care Free for return to the store.

We'd had the unit six weeks -- it holds a 5-year warranty on the motor, and clearly, this ticking came from that part of it. I returned it and opted to purchase another of the same, thinking I had only a lemon to deal with, and I hope I'm right.

We're currently 3 weeks into ownership of Hunter Jr. Same model, and same excellent performance as its predecessor. Only time will tell if there'll be ticking from this one. And, since our favorite groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil, has just predicted an early spring, we hope our Hunter outlives the blasts of winter.

If it doesn't, we still have the receipt and the warranty to fall back on, and at worst, we'll head back to the paper filter route, though I shudder at the thought. We'll stick it out with Hunter this year, but won't give it another chance if the same problem pays a call. There's no charm in a third time around when humidifiers are concerned, or with any other appliance you know you'll depend on for the long term.

And so we wait ...