Crane 1 Gallon Cool Mist Humidifier, Thomas the Tank
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Crane 1 Gallon Cool Mist Humidifier, Thomas the Tank Details
Manufacturer: CraneBrand: Crane
Release Date: 2007-02-17
Model: EE-4094
Color: Thomas the Tank
Product features:
- Provides relief for cough, cold and flu symptoms
- Supports easier breathing and congestion relief from allergy and asthmatic type symptoms
- Provides moisture for dry coughs, sinus irritation, dry skin
- Whisper-quiet ultrasonic operation
- Moisture output up to 2.1 gal. per day
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Customer Reviews of Crane 1 Gallon Cool Mist Humidifier, Thomas the Tank
Customer Review: He's a Really Useful Engine! Sir Topham Hatt would be proud.
Summary: 4 Stars
I was pleasantly surprised with the quality of this product. It's not just a cheaply made one like others I've seen and had. It is truly adorable and although I got it for my daughter's room (she was obsessed w/Thomas when I got it, and still is quite fond of him), both my kids love it. The knobs are on the wheels - one to turn it on/off, one to turn the "nightlite" on/off, and one to adjust the amount of mist coming out. The mist actually comes out of his smokestack!! When you turn on the nitelite, the entire body lights up, which shows you the water level inside. The kids like using it for a nightlite. However, you can turn off the body light, as there are two lights on the front bumper and two on the back bumber!!! These lights are much dimmer, but perfect for those that like just a little light. It is a bit louder than my ultrasonic one, and I do wish it were quieter, but my kids liked the sound and slept well. It's best to keep this in a place where the kids can't get to it, as it looks like a toy. Our kids are old enough to know, so we keep it on a stool next to the bed - a nightstand would be perfect, if there's room on it. We use a ceramic tile to prevent any moisture issues underneath it.
The only reason I gave it four stars has to do with maintenance. It's easy to clean, and the directions are easy to follow. However, I haven't figured out the most effective way to clean the smoke stack, which is a concern for me. Since I can clean the rest with a little bleach and water, I could try to clean down in it with a bottle brush or something...I may call the mfr. to check. My kids have allergies, so I'm [...] about mold. I don't see a place to install a demineralization cartridge, but since they are sold here on Amazon, there must be a way to put one in. However, I choose to use distilled water to prevent scale buildup and ensure clean mist. I did that with my ultrasonic one and it really has helped with its lifespan. The cute factor of this unit alone makes it a HIT (Thomas videos are from HIT Enertainment), but having a really useful engine that is also cute and works well is a positive. The only downside is that she doesn't want me to pack it away when it's not needed. I don't want it out due to the dust here in the desert. By the way, I also have a warm mist humidifier (it can boil water, so having it around a baby or toddler is not a good idea), but as I researched, I learned that a warm mist in a bedroom doesn't really do a lot of good, as the mist becomes cool as it reaches the face in bed anyway. The kids love to feel the mist coming out of Thomas' smokestack. Toot Toot!
Crane makes nice humidifiers, so I recently ordered the dragon one for my son. He was thrilled, although we haven't tried it out yet.
Update 5/3/2009: Still love this, and it so helps my daughter's allergies. She usually wakes up sneezing, especially during allergy season. However, be sure to change your water constantly. At first, I was adamant about changing it every day, but as I use only distilled water for purity and absence of mineral buildup, that could get expensive. Every other day worked OK, as long as I cleaned it w/bleach once a week, as the manual suggests. Recently I was so busy, but didn't use it for 2 days. I was tempted to just plug it in, but it's breathing equipment, so I thought I'd be pretty stupid to do so. Good think I listed to myself, lol. I opened and smelled a musty smell from the water. No thanks. It went for a good cleaning so it could be used again. It's up and running tonight to the delight of my daughter. She likes the white noise and sometimes the light. I like that the noise works for her, because it is a little loud, and that I can turn off the light, as it's pretty strong. Even w/the light off, however, we have the wonderful glow from the headlights and taillights. Great product. The dragon one isn't nearly as well made and we may give up on that one, since we received 2 that had been used, as had my first Thomas from Amazon.
UPDATE 5/12/09: Still love how this works, but two issues have come up. There is no cartridge cleaner available for this item, than I can find. I'm not talking about a mineral cartridge, but rather a cleaning one. I'd bought the Protec cartridge, but it doesn't fit. Why? This tank cannot be opened fully. You open the bottom cap to put water in and pour it out. There is a cylinder inside the tank that goes up to this opening. The cylinder can't be moved, so no cartridge will fit. This makes for a cleaning issue. It's difficult to ensure all the old and cleaning water is gone because this hole's too small. Worse, you can't really get in to make sure every nook and cranny are clean, especially if you miss a day or two. The manual says to clean it once a week. I don't know if it's because I live in the desert or not, but if I have gone for more than two nights without cleaning, I get a musty smell in the tank and the cap inside smells sour. Obviously, having to clean this so often makes it a heavy maintenance item.
Also, some reviews (including on other sites) have stated this is whisper quiet. I have other ultrasonic humidifiers that are whisper quiet. This one is not. However, the sound doesn't bother the kids. It's like white noise to them. One downside is that during the night, you can hear more water drop down and a water bubble sound in the tank. This is an issue with young kids, one of whom is newly completely potty trained, as the water sound can make her water come out. We actually run water in the bathroom if she's having problems w/it not coming out, yet she can feel it. She's had dreams she's going to the bathroom. It's still adorable, but these design issues need to be fixed.
Description of Crane 1 Gallon Cool Mist Humidifier, Thomas the Tank
Crane Cool Mist Humidifier provides additional comfort to cold symptoms, dry itchy skin, and chapped lips. The whisper quiet humidifier operates on a low power consumption providing up to 11 hours of moisture from a removable one gallon water tank. Includes an automatic shut off safety feature when water tank is empty.Health, Care, Beauty Products
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