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Avallo Accumonitor Humidifier Review

Rod

Rod

Administrator
Staff member
Joined
Jan 4, 2001
Messages
10,597
Location
Upland, CA
First Name
Todd
I recently purchased a new cabinet humidor (see picture below). Since it's rather large with several shelves and drawers, I wanted to make sure that I installed a really good humidifier, so I opted for the Avallo. I have heard nothing but good things about the Avallo system, so I thought I would give it a try…

Below is a picture of the entire system (prior to installation). You'll notice that there are four canisters, four circulation fans, a humidity sensor and the main control panel.


avallo.jpg

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The nice thing about this system versus other systems on the market is that you can actually place the humidity sensor anywhere in the cabinet. This is very convenient, as you'll get a much more accurate RH reading, which in turn will provide the proper environment for your cigars. Other systems have the humidity sensor built right onto the humidifier, which does not allow for a very accurate reading. Avallo recommends that the sensor is placed in the middle of the humidor, which is where I installed mine.

Prior to installation, I laid everything out on the table. I was amazed by the detail and engineering that went into this system. I received all necessary equipment, along with plenty of mounting brackets/wire-management accessories. The system can look a little intimidating at first, but as long as you follow the directions it's really simple to setup (and fun).




humidor_empty.jpg

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Shown here is the Antique Style Cabinet Humidor, capable of holding 3,000 cigars. I've used the Cigar Oasis in the past (with my old cabinet), however I wanted something that would humidify the entire humidor evenly. Also, because the Avallo has several canisters which can be placed through out the humidor (and not just at the bottom), it allows for quick recovery after the door is opened and closed.I decided to place two canisters at the bottom, and two canisters up towards the middle/top of the humidor. This allows for quick and more even distribution of humidity throughout the entire cabinet.

The cables supplied with the system are equipped with quick-snap connectors, making placement of all devices (canisters, fans, sensor, control panel) and final wire-routing/connecting a breeze. This allowed me to tuck away and hide the cables neatly.




control_panel.jpg

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The control panel is the brains of the system. The fans, humidity canisters, and humidity sensor all connect into this box. The panel displays the humidity set point, actual humidity within the humidor, and temperature. You can even calibrate the system and adjust the sensor to +/- 9%. It was very easy when it came to connecting everything up to the panel. All of the wires simply "snapped" into place.

humidor_avallo.jpg

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The Avallo successfully seasoned the humidor in just a couple of days. I was impressed by how quickly the Avallo brought the humidor up to 75% RH and kept it there. Before I turned the unit on, the RH in the humidor was around 49% RH. After turning the system on, it reached 75% RH in about 90 minutes. During the first two days, the system cycled approximately every 1-2 hours, however after 5 days, the Avallo cycles about once a day (that I noticed). This also tells me that I have a really good seal on the humidor.The Avallo has been installed for a little over a week now, and I am extremely pleased with how well it's maintaining humidity. Once the system reaches it's set point, the four fans (which are mounted throughout the humidor) will continue to run for 1 minute after the canisters shut off. This allows for even distribution of humidity. Other systems on the market constantly run. The Avallo is truly a few steps ahead of the rest.After having used other humidification devices in the past, I was hoping that the Avallo wasn't going to be too loud. I used one particular system in the past, and it would HUMMM all night long. The Avallo system is amazingly quiet. While you'll know it's running if you're in the same room, it's not overly loud. Overall, it's quiet and efficient.

humidor_bottom.jpg


Two canisters installed at the bottom of the humidor

humidor_mid.jpg


Middle part of humidor - two fans installed along with sensor. I also placed two digital hygrometers to ensure a proper humidity reading (the Avallo was very accurate)

humidor_mid_canisters.jpg


Placed two additional canisters towards the upper part of the humidor for additional humidity control

humidor_upper.jpg


Top portion of humidor - two circulation fans and main control panel
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I am very pleased with the Avallo system. While two canisters will humidify this size humidor appropriately, I wanted two more canisters for quick recovering once the door is opened and closed. I also wanted a lot of air circulation throughout the humidor, which is the reason for the four circulation fans.​
I am also very impressed with the workmanship and design of this system. The Avallo is made by hand (not machine made) IN THE USA! How many products are actually manufactured in the US these days? I have quite an investment in cigars and needed something that I can rely on and trust to provide the perfect environment for my cigars.​
If you are looking for a low maintenance system and need something that will protect your cigars, go with the Avallo. While it's a bit more pricey over the competition, nothing can compete with this system. If you're serious about cigars, the Avallo is well worth the money.​
Avallo's website is: http://www.avallohumidors.com​
You can purchase the Avallo from Cigar Solutions at: http://www.cigarsolutions.com​
CigarPass Rating: A​
System as shown: $499​
 
Rod, I'm glad you've found The Avallo System to your liking. I bought their end table Model #1200 a couple of years ago, and can't say enough good things about it. The box is very well designed, and the Accumonitor works great. I only have the 2 canister setup with 2 additional fans, but recovery time is relatively short, and once the box was well seasoned, I only have to refill the cannisters every 2-3 months, with 4 cannisters, you probably won't have to refill nearly as often!

The only thing I would change on my system is the singles drawer, as I use mine primarily for box storage, so I wish I had gone with another shelf instead of the singles drawer.

Enjoy your new "toy"!!
 
Rod that is the set up that is in my cabinet from Avallo. It works like a charm and both Ron and Matt are good to work with. Now we need to see picture of that babay full!
 
Excellent review Rod. I am close to a purchase and this review helps for sure.
 
Hey Rod,

I like what you have to say about this system. Maybe as I get on in years and collect more sticks, I will consider such an investment.

One question though. What was the system that "would HUMMM all night long"? I wonder if it is the system I have. If it is, I might need to go for a hearing check.

I understand not naming names in public, so a PM or email would work. Also, I was wondering if you had any dB readings for the hum? (Sorry, I'm an engineer, so I thrive on data).

Thanks in advance!
 
Matt at Avallo just installed a two canister, 4 fan system in my new cabinet humidor, and I am absolutely thrilled with it! In answer to the "hum" question, I don't have a db reading, but I can say that when I first got mine, it hummed (cycled) quite a bit and seemed kind of loud to me. But as the humidity leveled out and I got used to it, it doesn't cycle nearly as often and I don't notice the hum of the fans. I've had mine for about a month now and wouldn't trade it for anything else. Matt does top notch work! :thumbs:




edited for spelling
 
Based on your review Rod, I'm going to order one of the 4 canister models tomorrow for one of my current projects. I just feel better about having the canisters spread out, the fan timer capability, the additional fans and the control system. I want the best for my clients. This seems to fit the bill. Thanks for the review.
 
Wow, very nice setup indeed! That's pretty cool. It's been a while since this thread was started I see. I realize this is a review but have you filled that thing up yet?
 
Great info, i am in the process of buying a cabinet myself. This seems to be a very good system and spending alot of scratch on those cigars one shouldn't scrimp on keeping them properly
cared for. Definitly will look into this, thanks for the review.
 
Hey guys I wanted to share a recent issue I had today with my Avallo to help you guys from a mini heart attack. Well here in Derry, NH I loose power a lot in my house and my old humidifer would need to be turned back on after a power outage so when I first lost power with the Avallo I was happy to see it auto starts back up which is great incase I'm ever away on vaca or something. Anyway I lost power last night and since it auto starts and I don't check it right after the outage anymore I didn't even think about it. Well on the way out the door this morning I heard the fans running and just thought it was normal operation but when I got home from work today I heard them still running and checked the humidity. This is where the mini heart attack hit. It was at 75% and the Avallo Setting was at 99% I immediatly paniced and pushed the down button a bunch of times and got nothing it sat at 99% I unplugged it and plugged it back in and still 99%. I called Matt from Avallo and he was very helpful he said to hold the down button for a min. becuse when the monitor is originally built the factory default on the chip is a 200 setting so with only a 2 digit readout when pushing the down button I don't see the decrease till it hit 99 and started to decrease from there. I set it back to 65% and everything tested great.

I hope this makes sense and helps you guys out if you have this issue,

Paul
 
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