AC Infinity CLOUDFORGE T5 Smart Humidifier 9L

An ultrasonic humidifier with a 9 litre tank producing both cool and warm mist, with ten mist levels, ten heating levels and control on humidity or VPD.

The only one of the three that heats the water

In the CLOUDFORGE range this is the model that stands out on one figure: 330 W, against 24 W on the T3 and 100 W on the larger 15 litre T7.

That difference is not about mist output but about heating. The T5 can produce warm mist; the T3 and T7 are cool only. Warming water costs power, and that is where most of those 330 W go.

Warm mist is useful when your space runs cool: cool mist draws heat out of the air as it evaporates, working against your heating. The ten heating levels are set independently of the ten mist levels, so you can run plenty of mist with little heat or the other way round.

If you grow in a space that is warm enough already, this model charges you for a function you will not use and the T7 with its larger tank is the more sensible choice.

Eighty hours or 800 ml an hour, not both

Two figures you meet in the specifications that should not be added together.

800 ml per hour is the maximum output. 80 hours is the maximum run time. Those eighty hours come at the lowest setting, where the unit evaporates roughly 110 ml an hour. Turn it up full and a 9 litre tank is empty in a little over eleven hours.

Both figures are true and they belong to opposite settings. In practice you sit somewhere between, so how often you refill depends on how hard it has to work, not on tank size alone.

What UV-C does and does not do

The unit treats the water with UV-C before it is atomised. That kills micro-organisms in the reservoir and keeps the water supply clean.

What it does not do is take lime out of your water. That distinction matters, because an ultrasonic humidifier works by vibrating water at high frequency, and everything dissolved in that water goes into the air with it: lime, magnesium and the rest of what makes tap water hard. It then lands on your leaves and on the vibrating plate.

UV-C solves the biological problem, not the mineral one. So use distilled or reverse osmosis water by preference, as with the other CLOUDFORGE models. If you cannot, descaling belongs in your maintenance: the vibrating plate is the part that wears from lime.

Not in one air loop with a heater

If you are assembling a full climate set-up, this is the detail to know. AC Infinity warn that their THERMOFORGE heaters must not sit in the same closed air loop as a humidifier: mist entering the heater through its intake duct can damage it.

Using both in one tent is fine. What you must not do is let the heater draw air from where this humidifier releases its mist. So keep the ducting apart.

Control and connection

The built-in control switches on humidity or VPD, with programmable timers. If the power drops out the unit restarts with the settings it had.

There is WiFi for the AC Infinity app, and the unit fits the UIS platform, so a compatible controller can run the humidifier alongside your ventilation and lighting.

The included flexible hose lets you direct the mist where you want it rather than letting it spread through the room.

Practical details

• The tank is lightproof, which discourages algae. With a transparent reservoir in a lit tent that is a real problem.
• If the tank runs dry the unit switches off. That works the same way on all three CLOUDFORGE models.
• The display can be turned off so it does not disturb your plants' dark period. At 46 dBA that is not the only consideration: this is not a quiet machine.

Technical Specifications:

• Model: AC-CFT5
• Tank capacity: 9 litres
• Maximum output: 800 ml per hour
• Maximum run time: up to 80 hours, at the lowest setting
• Mist: cool and warm
• Levels: ten mist and ten heating levels, set independently
• Technology: ultrasonic EC vaporiser
• Water sterilisation: UV-C
• Controls on: humidity, VPD and timer
• Working range: 35 to 95 percent RH
• Noise level: 46 dBA
• Power: 330 W
• Supply: 230 V, roughly 1.4 A
• Connectivity: WiFi and UIS
• Dimensions: 18.6 × 30.5 × 37.3 cm
• Protection: switches off when the tank is empty

Frequently asked questions

Why does it draw more than the larger T7?
Because it can heat the water. The T3 and T7 make cool mist only; heating costs power.

Will I get 80 hours from one tank?
Only at the lowest setting. At the full 800 ml per hour, 9 litres is gone in a little over eleven hours.

Can I use tap water now that it has UV-C?
UV-C kills micro-organisms but takes no lime out of the water. Distilled or RO water is still advisable, otherwise descaling belongs in your maintenance.

When do I choose warm mist?
When your space runs cool. Cool mist draws heat from the air as it evaporates.

Will it work with my other AC Infinity equipment?
Yes, over WiFi in the app and through the UIS platform with a compatible controller.