Humidifiers - The How-To's of Humidifying

Here at Air Conditioner Home, we try to make finding the right humidifier a simple process, so we've compiled a list of products that we find to be most popular and useful.  We hope this will help you in your search and with taking proper care your new humidifier, but do feel free to call us toll free at 800-734-0405.

See Our Complete Selection of Humidifiers!

Why use a humidifier?
Humidifying an area keeps the air from drying to the point where it begins to cause damage. Extremely dry air can damage furniture, electronics (through static build-up), and even your skin and hair. Most humidifiers can be adjusted to humidify the air to a level that you find comfortable and that fits your situation - perfect for both dry, winter months and occasional dry days. Higher humidity also helps your body feel warmer. Keeping a room at 40% relative humidity instead of 20% with a humidifier will make the room seem several degrees warmer. The warmer the air feels, the more you can turn down your heat for saving money.

How does dry air affect my body and furniture?
Without proper humidity levels, the air becomes, in a sense, "thirsty," for water. In this state, air will actually absorb moisture from any object it can, including wooden furniture, your skin, and your hair. With too little moisture, wooden furniture will become brittle and crack. Similar things will happen with your body. Too little humidity in the air causes your skin to become dry and cracked, your hair will dry out, show split ends, frizz, and feel brittle. Furniture finish delays the furniture problem, while applying lotion and conditioner to skin and hair will slow the damage to your physical person (however, remember that these measures are only temporary ways to mask the problems that accompany dry air).

How do I run a humidifier?
First, fill the humidifier with water, plug it into an outlet, and then turn it on to begin the humidifying process. Some humidifiers, such as the may have other settings, such as timers and target humidity levels. The water will need to be refilled as it is drained from the tank, and the tank may need to be washed depending on the style of your model.

What is the different between a warm mist humidifier and a cool mist humidifier?
Warm mist humidifiers produce a soothing, warm mist, and vapor is produced by a steam-causing heat element. Because warm mist humidifiers do not cause minerals to be deposited into the air, tap water can be used. However, because of the high temperature of the water, they are not recommended for those with young children. On the other hand, cool mist humidifiers, such as the Air King 9915, humidify the air by producing water vapor through a rapidly turning disk within the water of the unit. A filter is used to trap minerals and impurities, and because the vapor is not heated, there is no risk of burning. Therefore, whether you choose a warm mist or cool mist humidifier depends on your personal preference.

Will cool mist humidifiers cause health problems?
As long as the humidifier is kept clean, there should not be problems regarding your health. While cool mist humidifiers do not boil water like warm mist units, standard cool mist humidifiers use a synthetic, anti-bacterial pad to evaporate water. Also, ultrasonic humidifiers transmit energy through the water by high-frequency vibrations (above human and most animal hearing) that will help kill bacteria.

What noise level can I expect from my humidifier?
Ultrasonic humidifiers are virtually silent. There are practically no moving parts included, and the ultrasonic vibrations from a humidifier are high frequency. Cool mist and warm mist humidifiers depend on a fan to push moist air into the room, producing a small amount of noise. A few humidifiers still use a water pump to push water from the tank into the evaporation chamber. These types of humidifiers produce a sound likened to a fish tank without bubbling, but these still are not loud.

We recommend the following humidifiers:

See Our Complete Selection of Humidifiers!