BEMIS / Essick Air 736200 (5/04 manual configuration) review

The BEMIS / Essick Air 736200 is a three-speed evaporative humidifier defined in Owner’s Care and Use Manual 586 4170, revision 5/04. Its useful distinction is the automatic humidistat: unlike the two-speed 726000, this model can cycle itself around a dial setting. The manual also describes a removable 1¾-gallon bottle and an optional Air Care filter. This is an existing-unit reference, not a current purchase recommendation; the support listing confirms the model code but does not establish a present sales offer, stock status or recall status.

Why the 736200 is not just a 726000 with another label

The manual separates the three-speed 736200 from the two-speed 726000 and 726905. It also names 737600 as a three-speed sibling, but assigns that model a running indicator instead of the 736200’s automatic humidistat. Those differences matter if you are checking a used unit or comparing an old manual with a replacement part: a shared wick family does not make the controls interchangeable. Read the label on the machine before ordering a part, and do not infer the unit’s exact generation from a wick listing alone.

The humidistat changes daily operation

The 736200 has a speed control and a separate humidistat knob. The manual says the humidistat switches the unit on when room humidity is below the chosen setting and switches it off after that setting is reached. It suggests starting near the middle and adjusting from there. That gives an owner more automatic control than a speed-only tabletop humidifier, but the reviewed manual does not publish percentage marks or a numeric target range. If a measured humidity threshold is essential, the dial alone is not evidence of a particular percentage; use a separate hygrometer to understand the room rather than assuming a number the maker did not provide.

Three fan speeds let you trade airflow for a gentler setting. The manual calls the low setting quiet, but does not give a decibel figure. Runtime also varies with room humidity, selected speed and wick condition, so its 1¾-gallon bottle should not be turned into a guaranteed hours-per-fill claim. The manual describes the moisture as invisible evaporation, not a visible mist plume.

Refilling and maintaining a bottle-fed wick unit

Refilling is a carry-and-return routine: switch off and unplug before handling, remove the bottle, open its cap, fill it, close the cap and seat the bottle so its valve feeds the water channel. The manual says the bottle holds 1¾ gallons and warns that the bottle can break if dropped. This is not an in-place top-fill design. The bottle’s water level is visible, but the manual says the unit does not shut off just because that bottle is empty. Keep it on a hard, level surface, at least four inches from a wall and away from a heat register; the guide says not to use soft carpet beneath it.

Like other wick evaporators, it leaves dissolved minerals in the wick instead of dispersing them as ultrasonic white dust. That can be helpful if mineral residue is a concern, but it does not remove cleaning work. The manual names the SGL1040 as the replacement evaporative wick and #1052 as the optional air-cleaning filter. It recommends regular cleaning and says hard water may require more frequent wick changes. Its wick-care sections use both annual and seasonal minimum language, so inspect the filter and follow the instructions for the exact unit rather than assuming one universal calendar. The optional filter is not documented as included, and no filter-free operating plan is described.

Who should keep this reference—and who should keep looking

The 736200 makes sense to an existing owner who wants to identify the automatic-humidistat version, understand its removable-bottle routine or distinguish its controls from a 726000 or 737600. Its manual positions this evaporative design for localized rooms, not whole-house humidification. It does not provide a room-area figure, output rate, exact dimensions or a numeric humidity scale, so it is a poor fit if any of those are essential selection limits.

For a new purchase, do not treat the old support-directory mention as proof that a 736200 is currently sold or that a secondhand unit is complete. Check the model plate, inspect the bottle and cap for damage, and verify that the humidistat and three speeds operate before relying on the automatic setting. If you need a current model with automatic humidity control, compare currently listed humidifiers on their own documentation rather than assuming this older configuration’s features carry over. The manual diagram shown with this reference is a control illustration, not a photograph of the complete appliance.