Apart from being beneficial to our health, having humidifiers in our homes also help maintain our home furniture thereby prolonging their lifespan. Choosing the best humidifier can be tough if you do not have some tips to help you make the decision. You have to take into consideration a number of factors such as the size of the room you want the humidifier to cover, the features you are looking for in a humidifier, and the amount of money you are willing to spend. The best humidifiers should work efficiently without contaminating the room with germs like bacteria and fungi. We describe in this article how should I choose a humidifier?
The three main types of humidifiers are:
Cold mist humidifiers
Also known as evaporative humidifiers, these humidifiers produce cold mist into the surrounding area by using a wick that allows the water to be blown and dispersed as mist. This process also ensures that only pure water is released into the air thereby reducing the chances of breathing contaminated moisture. With this type of humidifier, you do not have to worry about using distilled water only. You can use direct tap water without worrying about breathing in harmful bacteria. They could be an inconvenience or harmful to someone with cold allergies.
Warm mist humidifiers
These humidifiers produce warm moisture in the surrounding environment by boiling the water first and then releasing the steam as mist. The boiling process destroys all germs that might be present in the water making this type the best in terms of producing clean moisture. They also work faster in relieving cold symptoms since warm air is better when someone has a cold. On the other hand, these humidifiers consume a lot of energy in terms of electricity and are dangerous for babies and toddlers. They are also most likely to collect germs within a short period, which makes them dangerous if they are not cleaned frequently.
Ultrasonic humidifiers
These humidifiers do not use any electricity. They use high-frequency sound waves (without producing sound) as vibrations to turn water into small invisible particles that are released as mist. With this type, you have to be careful not to use direct tap water. Use only distilled water because most ultrasonic humidifiers do not have the ability to distill impure water. Using direct tap water could lead to impurities being released into the air. This can damage your furniture or cause serious health problems or both.
Choose a Humidifier?
The rate at which it works
A good humidifier should be able to fill the expected room with moisture within the shortest time possible. The moisture should be safe for the people in the vicinity.
Cost
Buying a humidifier should not cost you all your life’s savings. They should be affordable but still efficient and effective. They should get the job done well.
How easy it is to take apart
Make sure you go through the cleaning guidelines of your humidifier. A good humidifier should be easy to dismantle and reassemble as you clean it. The pieces should be easy to take apart, clean independently, and then put back together.
Size
Unless you want a built-in humidifier, your room humidifier should not take up a whole living room. It should be small enough to be portable and easy to find a spot for. Being small in size does not mean that it should be small in functionality. You should go for a humidifier that is easy to carry but functions at an optimum speed to achieve the best results.
Technical support
All good humidifiers should come with some sort of warranty that allows you to access technical support in case the humidifier breaks down within the stipulated period. It should offer you the chance to have it repaired or even replaced should you find some defective pieces. You should also have a way of reaching the companies or distributors. This way you will know how to contact them in case you need help with choose a humidifier?.
Humidistat
Too much moisture is just as bad for you as too little moisture. For this reason, the best humidifiers should have a built-in humidistat to monitor the amount of moisture in the air. They should be able to detect if there is enough moisture so that they can stop emitting more.
Advantages of ultrasonic over other types
They are easy to take apart
Ultrasound humidifiers are easy to take apart when cleaning and refilling. This is an important factor since cleaning a humidifier is a paramount aspect in keeping the moisture clean and healthy as well as maintaining the humidifier.
They save energy
With the current economy, nobody wants more bills than necessary. Ultrasonic humidifiers do not use any electricity, which makes them the best humidifiers to help you cut down the bills.
They are safer
When you have children, safety is a very vital factor in your home. Ultrasonic humidifiers do not heat up which makes them safer for children and even adults. You do not have to worry about accidental burns around your house.
Conclusion
At some point, you will need a humidifier to help you around the house. Ensure you get one that has the best features and can function efficiently. It should have visible displays of humidity level, detect the moisture level, and react appropriately by shutting down the unit when it has reached the correct humidity level. Ultrasonic humidifiers have all the features outlined above.
They are reliable, efficient, and work effectively. With them, you do not have to worry about the sound other humidifiers produce as well. Just like everything else, they also have disadvantages, one of them being that they cannot purify the water and as such, they need distilled water only. Most of them also have sharp edges around the reservoir and this requires that you be careful when cleaning that area. You should weigh your options and compare the pros and cons before making your decision. Personally, I would choose ultrasonic humidifiers because the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.