Are you struggling with irritations or dryness of the skin, throat, nose, or lips? If your answer is yes, you most certainly might need a humidifier. Do not worry; we are here to save the day.
Humidifiers are devices used in homes and buildings to increase the humidity or moisture level in the air. These devices achieve this function by emitting water vapor into the air. Your model must be clean at all times.
Without wasting much of your time, let's get this best humidifier buying guide started.
Vital Questions to ask before buying a Humidifier
Why do you need one?
Different people need humidifiers in their homes and offices for various reasons. Research shows that people need and use them more during the winter.
During winter, the air outside becomes so cold that everyone tries their best to stay indoors. While indoors, we love to turn on the heaters in our homes to keep warm. These heaters have a way of making the humidity levels indoor drop below 30%. Humidity levels below 30% lead to
- Bloody nose, cracked lips, and scaly skin
- Cold, worsened allergy symptoms and sinus infection
- Wood warping, wallpaper peeling, and loss of flooring moisture
- Increase in static electricity.
What type of Humidifier do you need?
There are several types of humidifiers available, and each excels in its category. Let's take a look at some of them:
Cool Mist Humidifiers
Cool mist models exist as either evaporative cool mist humidifiers or ultrasonic cool mist. They are perfect for people struggling with nasal passages swellings. They produce a room temperature mist that helps to increase humidity levels. You will also pay fewer electricity bills with a cool-mist humidifier.
Evaporative cool mist:
These types of cool mist humidifiers disperses room temperature air through a wet wick with the aid of a fan. Some of the water then evaporates as water vapor and increases the humidity of the room.
Ultrasonic cool mist:
These humidifiers employ a nebulizer. The nebulizer exists as a small diaphragm that vibrates to create a cool mist; these produce less noise.
Warm mist
Like the cool mist humidifiers, the warm mist models also have two types; steam vaporizers and ultrasonics. Warm mist humidifiers are cheap and suitable for warm weather conditions. They should not be used or put where children can reach, because they contain hot water. The warm mist humidifiers are not ideal for treating symptoms of cold as they will cause the nasal passage to swell.
They might require you to pay extra electricity bills due to the boiling process. However, this process helps to kill germs that may have been present in the water.
Steam vaporizers
They have a heating element that boils to create a warm mist.
Ultrasonic warm mist
The ultrasonic warm mist humidifier features an inbuilt metal diaphragm that vibrates at high speed. This vibration causes the water to agitate into smaller water particles to create a mist. The mist is then pushed into the room with the help of a silent fan.
Air washers Humidifiers
These types of humidifiers clean the air in the room and also add humidity. They have rotating discs that work with water to remove impurities. Air washers are used in large buildings to humidify the air, but they do require regular maintenance.
What are the factors to consider before and while selecting a humidifier?
After asking yourself the questions already discussed, you need to consider a few of these factors.
Size
The humidifier's size and the size of the area or space you wish to humidify is a necessary consideration. There are tabletop, room, and whole-house humidifiers.
Tabletop humidifiers
Tabletop Humidifiers are portable and will usually serve a single room well. They are also lightweight, simple to clean and refill. This makes them the perfect travel companion.
On the other hand, room humidifiers can be used for either a single room or many rooms. They can cover a 650-1200 square feet area.
Whole house humidifiers
Whole house models are usually employed and installed in the HVAC system of buildings. They are suitable for areas covering 3000 square feet or more. You don't need to worry about refilling this water in the humidifier because it draws water directly from the building’s water supply once it runs low on water.
Cost
A humidifier can go for as low as $20. The cost will, however, increase with the number of added features. Also, take into consideration the strain the humidifier will put on your electricity bill. Warm mist humidifiers will increase your electricity bill.
Added Features
There are humidifiers with extra features like; variable speed control, automatic shutoff feature, indicator lights, humidistat, digital panel, and so much more. If you favor these added features, select a model that packs some or all of them.
Maintenance Requirements
If you are the busy type, it will be necessary for you to note the maintenance requirements of your humidifier. Evaporative models are built with filters that will require extra cleaning. Some humidifiers also come with a demineralization filter and a germ-reducing insert. These will need to be replaced when due, as stated by the manufacturer.
Noise
Nobody likes noisy devices. The type of humidifier you select determines the noise level you will have to live with. Warm mist ones produce less noise than cool mist models. If you want an almost noiseless humidifier, go for an ultrasonic.
Humidifier FAQs
Is it bad to sleep with a humidifier every night?
Humidifiers are safe, and sleeping with yours every night is also safe. It should, however, be adequately maintained by cleaning it regularly.
Do cool mist humidifiers kill germs?
No, they do not kill germs. However, they can reduce the number of germs in the air because they add moisture to the atmosphere.
Can a dirty humidifier make you sick?
Of course, YES. Dirt can make anyone sick, not to mention you will be breathing in dirty air if your humidifier is dirty.