Crane Germ Defense Antimicrobial Humidifier

Comments about Crane Germ Defense Antimicrobial Humidifier Model EE-8064 and EE-8065:

Our requirements in a new humidifier:
-Ultrasonic
-Quiet
-Good design (not to look like a boom box)
-Humidistat with ability to set desired humidity level and stop running when that level is achieved
-Large capacity
-Easy to clean
-No filters or parts that need continuous replacement

This humidifier mostly satisfies all of these requirements, but we do have a few complaints/suggestions for improvement. We use this for humidifying our bedroom during the dry winter months. It has helped relieve nighttime dryness.

I rank it number one for design, compared to similar (and more expensive) brands. The white color and rectangular shape is not offensive and looks quite nice in any room. The buttons and screen are easy to understand and are thoughtfully put together.

The noise level is much better than other fan-operated humidifiers I have had. There is a small hum of the motor (white noise) that is hardly noticeable. The thing to get used to, was the water-movement/bubble noises that result from the water being pulled down from the tank. It sounds similar to the noise of a fishtank. We're used to it after a couple of weeks, but it definitely took some getting used to.

The digital interface is very nice, but the lighted display is too bright. There is no reason for the light to stay on constantly, and should definitely be addressed in future models. We cover the display with a card, which mostly blocks the light, but still leaves a small blue glow. At the least, the color should be changed to red, which is easier on the eyes in darkness and doesn't awaken the brain as much as the color blue is known to do.

That said, the user interface is very good. I didn't know we would like the timer, but we use that function every night. Generally we use the lowest power/flow setting, but I like the ability to increase the power for quick-humidifying needs. The function for setting a desired humidity level was one of our top priorities, but we only use it during waking hours. The problem with it is that once the desired level is reached, the machine cycles on and off quite frequently. For instance, if you set it to 60%, it will run until 60 is reached and then stop it's humidifying. But, if it detects that the humidity level went down to 59, it will turn on again for the instant that it takes to get back to 60. That may seem nice, but the sensor is so sensitive that this 59-60 back and forth happens in a very short amount of time - sometimes less than a minute. The machine ends up turning on and off every few minutes, which can be disruptive if you are not fully asleep (and even when awake). So, we use the humidity level setting for daytime and the timer for nighttime. It works out well for us.

Not mentioned in other reviews I read, there is noise in the user interface. First a power-on jingle, and then a beep for every button pressed. It is unnecessary and rather irritating. I would prefer no sound, or at least the option to turn off the sound on my device.

The tank handle is fragile, as noted in many other reviews. It should have been designed strong enough to support the full tank, or not included at all.

The heating element/warm mist setting still smells when operated, even after two weeks of intermittent testing. I can't stand the smell enough to justify using it. There is no smell with the cool mist.

Overall it is an excellent product that I am glad to have purchased. It could use some design updates for future models, but I still believe it to be one of the best of it's kind available. It is a good value for the functions it offers

Comments about Crane Germ Defense Antimicrobial Humidifier Model EE-8064 and EE-8065:

I had bronchitis and bought this humidifer to help with that. But i also live in an extremely dry climate. i use the humidifier every night in my bedroom and notice my throat, mouth & sinuses are really dry in the morning when i don't use it. the warm mist is a disappointment - seems about room temperature and i was hoping for warm. i put tape over the power light to dim it; but it still acts like a nightlight. overall i love this humidifer!

Comments about Crane Germ Defense Antimicrobial Humidifier Model EE-8064 and EE-8065:

Nice unit. Easy to fill - I use the shower head (which has a filter on it). It holds a good amount of water. Here's the major issue: When I press the Volume control on the TV Remote, it changes the Timer settings on the humidifier. It took me a few days to figure out why this thing was beeping all the time... Crane needs to get some programmers to fix this...

Comments about Crane Germ Defense Antimicrobial Humidifier Model EE-8064 and EE-8065:

I bought the one with analogue controls.

Overall it is a good unit. While it is quiet, the sound it does produce is a bit high pitched. I thought it would bug me but I have not had an issue sleeping with it running.
It would be nice if the handle at the top was more sturdy, the instructions advise you not to carry the tank by the handle when it is full.
I had to put duct take over the power light as it was lighting up my whole room at night.

I have not tried the warm mist so can't comment on that.

Overall I'm happy with it and would make the same purchase again.

Comments about Crane Germ Defense Antimicrobial Humidifier Model EE-8064 and EE-8065:

I bought this to replace a smaller Crane unit that burned out. I should have bought a different brand. This one is so noisy we can't be in the bedroom while it's running. It does put out clouds of steam, and does increase the humidity, but not as efficiently as the old one we had.

Comments about Crane Germ Defense Antimicrobial Humidifier Model EE-8064 and EE-8065:

Good product, easy to use right out of the box. The refilling can get messy eg. prepare for water drips by using a towel or something to take it to base from the faucet/sink or filling area.

Comments about Crane Germ Defense Antimicrobial Humidifier Model EE-8064 and EE-8065:

I now wake up in the mornings without dry nasal passages.

Comments about Crane Germ Defense Antimicrobial Humidifier Model EE-8064 and EE-8065:

Very hard to fill,instructions say not to carry with handle. Then why put a handle ??? Works great, does a wonderful job. I would of liked a two gallon container so I don't have to fill twice a day, and I should have ordered the one with the humidistat .

Comments about Crane Germ Defense Antimicrobial Humidifier Model EE-8064 and EE-8065:

Messy to fill-must be upside down. Large opening, but drips whenever carried .Must be flipped from upside down when returning it into the unit.
Light is bright, so covered it in the bedroom. I have 2 of these and neither one produces warm steam when on warm. Must be filled daily. One of them is noisier then the other. With very few choices for warm steam, this is still helpfull. I bought a portable humidistat, and use in a large Great Room- so I never get to an acceptable humidity leve, however my sinuses are vastly improved. It is putting out 2,5 gallons of steam( full tank) in each unit with no moisture on the windows. I chose the manual one after reading reviews about too many steps to turn back on.

Comments about Crane Germ Defense Antimicrobial Humidifier Model EE-8064 and EE-8065:

This was given as a gift to my daughter. She was waking up with a dry throat & nose bleeds. The humidifier has helped to eliminate those problems.