Humidifier filters are sold under codes that mean nothing out of context — Filter A, HFT600, PWF2, 1043, #35. Once you know what kind of humidifier you have, the right one is a single label away. Here's every common family, what it fits, and how often it's actually due.
Fastest check: the part code is printed on the old filter, or look up the model number on the unit's sticker (usually underneath or on the back) and match it below.
| Your humidifier | Filter code | Genuine replacement |
|---|---|---|
| Honeywell HCM-350, HEV-355, HCM-300 series, and the HCM-500 to 2000 series | Filter A (HAC-504) | Honeywell Filter A — 6,600+ ratings |
| Honeywell top-fill towers HEV615 and HEV620 | Filter T (HFT600) | Honeywell Filter T, 3-pack |
| Honeywell HCM-890 and HEV-320 | Filter C (HC-888) | Honeywell Filter C |
| Vicks V3100, V3500 and V3600 cool-mist evaporative | Protec PWF2 (sold as "WF2") | Protec extended-life filter, 3-pack — 6,300+ ratings |
| AIRCARE EP9500, EP9700, EP9800, EP9R500, EP9R700, EP9R800, 821002, 821990, 826800, 826900, 831000, 836000, 836000HB, SS390DWHT · Bemis 821000, 821001, 826000, 826600 | 1043 Super Wick (11 × 12 × 4 in, per AIRCARE) | AIRCARE 1043 — 10,000+ ratings |
| AIRCARE MA1201 | MAF1 | AIRCARE MAF1 |
| AIRCARE EA1407 and HD1409 · MoistAir HD230, HD1200, HD1202, HD1204, HD1300, HD1300W, HD1303, HD1305, HD1405, HD1406, HD1407, HD130000, HD13002, HD13003, HD13030, HC13030, HD13050, HD14050, HD14060, HD14070 · Kenmore 14415, 14417, 14452, 14453, 14454, 1514, 15420, 29973, 29975, 29985, 29986, 29987, 29614 | HDC12 (4 wicks; each 6.25 × 8 × 2.38 in, per AIRCARE) | AIRCARE HDC12 |
| Vornado EV100, EV200, EVDC300, EVDC500, Evap2, Evap40 and Baby HUEY · EVDC505 (not on Vornado's wick page, but its owner's guide names MD1-0034) | MD1-0034 (1-inch) | Vornado MD1-0034, 2-pack |
| Vornado Evap1, Evap3, EV3, EV5, Model 30, Model 50 | MD1-0002 (1.5-inch; Vornado also sells it as MD1-0001) | Vornado MD1-0002, 2-pack |
| Canopy Bedside | Canopy paper filter | Canopy filter, 3-pack |
Two traps. Holmes and Sunbeam units take HWF62, which Holmes also labels "Filter A" — a different part for different machines than Honeywell's Filter A, so go by the full code, not the letter. And drugstore-brand ReliOn and Equate evaporative units commonly take WF813. In both cases, confirm the code on the old filter before buying.
| Filter | Replace | Whose schedule |
|---|---|---|
| Honeywell Filter A and Filter T | every 30–60 days in use | Honeywell |
| Canopy bedside filter | every 6 weeks | Canopy |
| Vornado MD1-0034 and MD1-0002 wicks | every 4–8 weeks, depending on use | Vornado |
| Other portable wicks | 1–2 months in season | typical; check your manual |
| AprilAire #10, #12, #35 panels | once per heating season | AprilAire |
| AprilAire #45 panel | twice per heating season | AprilAire |
| AprilAire HydroCore (620 and 720) | every 12 months | AprilAire |
Whatever the calendar says, a wick that has gone hard, crusty or musty — or a humidifier putting out noticeably less moisture — is done now. Hard water shortens every schedule on this list, because mineral crust is what kills a wick. Whole-house panels belong in at the start of the heating season, not when the first dry-air nosebleed arrives; the whole-home filter schedule puts that date next to the furnace filter's, and the furnace filter guide covers the other slot on the same unit.
Wicks are simpler than fridge filters — no chips, nothing electronic checking the part — so a compatible that matches the code and dimensions will physically work. The honest differences are paper density and fit: a wick that's slightly short, or sags once it's wet, evaporates less water. If you go compatible, match the exact code in the listing title and compare the dimensions to your old filter.
Read the code printed on the old filter, or find the model number on your humidifier's sticker and match it in the tables above. Match the full code — letters alone repeat across brands.
Honeywell's schedule for its evaporative filters is every 30 to 60 days in use, and Canopy's is every six weeks. Replace sooner if the wick is hard, crusty, smells, or output has dropped.
AprilAire says once per heating season for the #10, #12 and #35 panels, and twice per season for the #45. The 620 and 720 models use a HydroCore cartridge instead of a panel, and AprilAire says to replace it every 12 months. Steam models don't have a panel; the #80 canister is roughly yearly.
Both are Honeywell's 10 × 13-inch bypass pad with an antimicrobial coating. Honeywell sells the HC26E1004 as the HE265/HE365 pad with its AgION coating, and the HC26A1008 as the HE260/HE360 pad. Honeywell Home lists its standard pad as fitting the HE200, HE250, HE260, HE265, HE300, HE360 and HE365. The simplest rule is to reorder the number printed on your old pad or its box.
Thickness and which humidifiers they fit. Vornado's MD1-0034 is a 1-inch wick for the EV100, EV200, EVDC300, EVDC500, Evap2, Evap40 and Baby HUEY, and Vornado says it has an antimicrobial treatment that helps protect the wick from bacteria growth. The MD1-0002 (Vornado also sells it as MD1-0001) is a 1.5-inch wick for the Evap1, Evap3, EV3, EV5, Model 30 and Model 50. Match the model on your humidifier's sticker to one of those lists. Vornado says to replace either one every 4–8 weeks, depending on use.
Not wick filters. Some ultrasonic models use an optional cartridge or cleaning part — the manual gives its schedule, and it isn't interchangeable with the wicks above.