I really wanted to like this more than I do. It looks great, holds 2 gal so I don't have to fill it as frequently, produces a lot of mist, and has some nice features, such as the silver stick which keeps the bacteria level down. However, the feature that was the main reason I purchased this item is the feature that doesn't work properly. It is supposed to be able to keep the humidity level at the desired programmed level, but the hygrostat which measures the humidity level in your room and controls whether or not it should be producing mist is defective. I have two external hygrometers which tell me the room is at 50-60% humidity, and the one on this machine says 29-37% humidity. The lowest setting is 40%, and that tends to work okay for the most part, as the humidity in the room then ends up more in the 60-65% range, which is what I want, but this isn't foolproof... for example, today, the humidity was at 75% (a little high) and this humidifier kept reading at 37% and would be running... not desirable at all. I still like that it holds 2 gal, and some of the other features, but I feel that for what I paid it should function properly when brand new. I did a search for this problem to see if there was a solution, and found that it was a common problem, and that trying to have it fixed will probably be far more trouble than it is worth. Overall, I can work with it, I don't plan on returning it, but I wouldn't recommend it unless you know this issue and you can work with it too. At the very least, I recommend getting an external hygrometer so you can monitor whether or not it is functioning properly.