AIRCARE EP9800 Pedestal vs AIRCARE H12-400HB Credenza
In short: The AIRCARE EP9800 Pedestal costs $50 less; the AIRCARE H12-400HB Credenza genuinely holds a larger room (2,956 sq ft against 1,823 sq ft); the AIRCARE EP9800 Pedestal costs about $8 less a year in wicks and watts.
| Spec | AIRCARE EP9800 Pedestal | AIRCARE H12-400HB Credenza |
|---|---|---|
| Approx. price | ~$230 | ~$280 |
| Type | Console evaporative | Console evaporative |
| Mist | cool | cool |
| Rated output | 7.4 gal/day | 12 gal/day |
| Output standard | Maker's published output rate | Maker's published output rate |
| Honest room size | 1,823 sq ft | 2,956 sq ft |
| Claimed coverage | 2,400 sq ft | 3,700 sq ft |
| Claim vs physics | 1.32× | 1.25× |
| Tank size | 3.5 gal | 5.4 gal |
| Runtime at the claimed room | 8.6 hr | 8.6 hr |
| Real runtime at full output | 11 hr | 11 hr |
| Yearly running cost | ~$92 | ~$100 |
| Replaceable media | Wick, replaced through the season | Wick, replaced through the season |
| White dust risk | No | No |
| Humidistat | Yes | Yes |
| Noise on low | — | — |
| Top fill | No | No |
| Dishwasher-safe tank | No | No |
| App control | No | No |
| Power | 110 W | 140 W |
Highlighted cells are the better number in that row, and only where a direction is unambiguous — more output and more supported room, less noise, cost and price. Honest room size and runtime are computed from each maker’s own published figures; here is the calculation.
Pros and cons
AIRCARE EP9800 Pedestal
- Nine speeds means you can actually find the one that is quiet enough for the room instead of choosing between three
- The cabinet is the point - owners buy it specifically because a brown box was vetoed
- 7.4 gallons a day is serious multi-room output without the MA1201's furniture footprint
- Tap water is fine at 7.4 gallons a day; everything mineral stays in the wick
- Eleven hours at full output against the 60-hour figure, which is speed one of nine
- Wick cost matches the MA1201's while delivering less output
- At $230 it is $40 more than the MA1201 for less capability - the cabinet is what you are paying for
- The 2,400 sq ft claim overstates what 7.4 gal/day supports by about a third
AIRCARE H12-400HB Credenza
- Whole-house-class output with no installation, no plumber and no furnace to modify
- The biggest reservoir of any portable here, which is what turns 12 gal/day from impractical into livable
- Auto humidistat keeps it off the top speed most of the time, which is where the noise is
- No white dust at an output level where an ultrasonic would coat a house
- Eleven hours per fill at full output - still a twice-daily job on the coldest weeks
- 30 lb empty, over 70 lb full; this is furniture that gets placed once
- $280 is the top of the portable market and close to the hardware cost of a bypass whole-house unit
- 140W and an audible fan at the speeds that deliver the rated output
- A single wick handling 12 gallons a day hardens fast in hard water