The design of this product is simple. From the consumer's perspective, there's 6 components: the bottom base, the top part w/fan, 2 tanks, & 2 filters. I don't remember if it came assembled or not -- it took so little time to set it up for the first use, I simply forget what I did. I've had it set to max humidity since then; at this dial setting, it seems to never shut off; that yields about 18-24 hours before I have to change one of the two tanks. So, figure if I wanted to maintain it the least possible amount, I'd fill both empty tanks every 36-48 hours. The two-tank design is smart; it allows continuous operation while refilling & lessens how much weight I have to carry. In my case, I have a wet bar in my basement so I put it on the counter right next to the sink. That way if it leaks, cleanup will be a breeze. That said, I don't see any reason it'd leak.

Cons: There's no display to tell me how humid it is / how humid I want it to be. I have to guess based on a dial.