Some Common Problems with Humidifiers

The quietest humidifiers?

Ultrasonic humidifiers are the quietest humidifiers.They are the ideal choice when noise level is a concern (if you are a light sleeper). In general,a warm humidifier is much quieter than a cold evaporative humidifier.Warm moisture models release steam into the air without using loud, powerful fans;Because the water is heated into steam,you will hear a quieter boiling /gurgling noise instead of a loud fan.The cool moisture evaporative humidifiers use a fan to blow air through an evaporative wick filter, which makes more noise than a warm moisture humidifier. The amount of fan noise depends on the setting of the fan speed, so a multi-fan speed humidifier can provide you with more flexibility to choose the best humidity output and noise level to meet your needs.In general, at the lowest fan speeds, evaporative humidifiers create a quiet background "white noise," which many people find helpful when sleeping.

What is white dust, and should I be concerned about it?

White dust is a byproduct of minerals found naturally in water, which can sometimes be released into the air during the humidification process. White dust, which can be a nuisance but is not harmful, may settle on surfaces and furniture near the humidifier. It is easily cleaned just as you would normally dust. Warm moisture (steam vaporizers) and evaporative cool moisture humidifiers do not release any white dust into the air. The only types of humidifiers that can potentially release white dust are ultrasonic humidifiers and cool mist impeller humidifiers. Many ultrasonic humidifiers come with an optional demineralization cartridge designed to trap minerals before they can become airborne, thus reducing white dust. You can also use ultrasonic humidifier water treatment to reduce white dust. The amount of white dust you may experience will vary depending on the mineral content of your water supply. If white dust is a concern, you can use distilled water in your humidifier instead of regular tap water. Distilled water has very low mineral content and will not produce white dust. For other types of humidifiers, using distilled water will also reduce the amount of time you will need to clean your humidifier, and will help prolong filter life.

What does humidifier room size mean, and which size humidifier is best for me?

Most humidifier manufacturers publish a recommended room size (in square feet) for each model they produce. A recommended room size is not a guarantee that the humidifier will be able to raise the relative humidity (RH) level of any particular room size to any specific RH level. Room size recommendations should be used only as rough guidelines when shopping for a humidifier, as these recommendations are subjective, are based on ideal environmental conditions, and can vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. Each manufacturer bases their recommended room sizes on the maximum amount of moisture the humidifier is capable of producing per day, assuming the humidifier is operating in perfect environmental conditions, with the humidifier constantly running on its maximum speed setting.

Once a humidifier adds moisture to a room, there are many factors at work to dry out the air again. These factors, which vary from room to room, day to day, even hour to hour, include: Outdoor and indoor temperatures, indoor heating level and type of heat (forced air, baseboard, wood stove, etc), location of air ducts, location and insulation of windows/doors, ceiling height, how well the room is closed off and sealed, etc. The maximum RH level possible in your room depends on your unique room environment.

We choose to publish manufacturer's recommended room sizes because that is how most humidifiers are sold today. However, after years of our own testing of every humidifier we sell in real world conditions, we have found that you will get the best performance by using the highest output humidifier possible that will fit in your room and budget.

What is humidifier output?

Often confused with humidifier capacity, humidifier output refers to the maximum gallons of water the humidifier is capable of producing per day, and is the best way to compare the effectiveness of various humidifiers. Humidifiers can vary in output anywhere from 1 to 14 gallons per day (for example, a humidifier with an output of 10 gallons per day will be capable of producing 5 X more moisture than a humidifier with a 2 gallon output). Regardless of a humidifier manufacturer's recommended room size, two humidifier models that each have an output of 4 gallons per day will be equally effective. While recommended room sizes can give you a general idea of which humidifiers to consider, a more useful and accurate piece of information is the humidifier output, which allows you to more easily compare different humidifiers and their relative effectiveness.

What is capacity, and how often will I need to refill my humidifier?

Humidifier capacity is the maximum amount of water the humidifier can hold at any one time, and varies from 0.5 to 6 gallons, depending on the size of the humidifier. Output is the maximum amount of water the humidifier can add into the environment per day, and nearly all humidifiers have a higher output than capacity. The frequency with which you will need to refill your humidifier depends on your humidifier's tank capacity relative to output, and the speed setting you select. If your humidifier has a 5 gallon output per day, and it has a holding capacity of 2.5 gallons, you will need to refill the humidifier every 12 hours in order to obtain the full possible 5 gallon maximum output per 24 hour period. The higher the tank capacity relative to the output, the less often you will need to refill the humidifier. In addition, you can go longer between refills if you run your humidifier on a lower speed, or if you do not run it constantly 24 hours per day.

The most humidifiers have a removable water tank which is filled at a sink or bathtub and it is placed onto the bottom of the humidifier. When the water at the bottom of the humidifier is used, more water is released from the tank to the bottom.Some humidifiers have an automatic shut-off function which will turn the humidifier off once the water needs to be refilled. There are also some "top fill" (or front fill) designs for humidifiers that eliminate the need for removable water tanks. With these humidifiers, you can pour water directly into the top of the humidifier using a pitcher, cup, or any other water container. It will be helpful for those with arthritis or who may have trouble lifting and carrying a water tank.