Questions You Should Know about residential smart humidifier

The best humidifiers help create comfortable indoor living spaces by controlling condensation levels and bringing health benefits. The majority of humidifiers are simple-looking machines, but you can&#;t just plug them in and leave them to work.The best humidifiers help create comfortable indoor living spaces by controlling humidity levels and bringing health benefits. The majority of humidifiers are simple-looking machines, but you can&#;t just plug them in and leave them to work.  

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There are lots of plusses to be enjoyed, including energy savings, thanks to humidifiers. However, you need to be prepared to put in some maintenance time and use them properly. So dive in to find out which type may be best for you, some popular brands, and how to operate humidifiers with these answers to commonly asked questions about humidifiers. 

Why Use a Humidifier?  

Many people use humidifiers in their homes to counter problems brought on by dry air, such as dry sinuses, dry skin, and cracked lips. In the United States, dry air is often a winter issue when people use space heaters and other heating systems to keep their homes warm. 

The most suitable humidifier for your home depends on several factors, including your space, your health, and whether you have children or pets, among other things. 

Humidifier benefits may include: 

• Combating viruses and bacteria

   

• Help with congestion

   

• Reduced snoring

   

• Clearing nasal passages

   

• Easing the symptoms of asthma, allergies, and coughs

   

But, you may not need a humidifier. Measure the humidity in your home with a basic hygrometer &#; available on Amazon from around $12 and up &#; before buying a humidifier. These tools are useful for measuring your humidifier&#;s performance, too. 

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends relative humidity be kept below 60%, ideally in the range of 30-50%. 

How Do Humidifiers Work? 

There are several types of humidifiers, and they work in slightly different ways. Once you know which type of humidifier works best for you, you need to choose between whether it emits warm or cool mist. 

Evaporative Humidifiers 

Evaporative humidifiers draw in air from the room, pass it over a wick or filter, and then return the air into the room with extra humidity. The wick or filter &#; which needs changing regularly &#; ensures this humidifier won&#;t over-humidify a room. Because of the filter, there are also fewer minerals in the dispersed water, so an evaporative humidifier won&#;t leave white dust particles around a room. 

Ultrasonic Humidifiers 

Ultrasonic humidifiers use high-frequency vibration to launch microscopic water droplets into the air via a fan where they turn into water vapor. These machines don&#;t filter the air or water. Instead, ultrasonic humidifiers disperse minerals in the water, resulting in white dust in the room or on the floor. There may also be some puddling at their base. They are easier to maintain because they are filter-free with no wick to replace. 

An ultrasonic humidifier can over-humidify a room because it keeps releasing water droplets into the atmosphere no matter how humid the room is. Built-in humidistats help avoid this problem with an automatic shut-off feature. Should your model be humidistat-free, you can use a hygrometer to monitor your room&#;s humidity level. Also, check to see if your model has an automatic shut-off that kicks in once the water tank is empty.  

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Central Humidifiers 

Central humidifiers, or whole-house humidifiers, are built into a home&#;s heating and ducting systems. 

Impeller Humidifiers 

Impeller humidifiers have a rotating disk that produces a cool mist. 

Dehumidifiers 

Dehumidifiers do the opposite of humidifiers &#; they remove moisture from the air and are generally used in the summer to reduce humidity in a room, helping restrict the growth of mold and mildew. 

Warm Mist or Cool Mist Humidifier? 

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Both evaporative and ultrasonic humidifiers are available as warm mist humidifiers or cool mist humidifiers. A warm mist humidifier &#; also known as a steam vaporizer &#; pushes steam into the air while a cool mist humidifier sends cold water vapor into a room.Both evaporative and ultrasonic humidifiers are available as warm mist humidifiers or cool mist humidifiers. A warm mist humidifier &#; also known as a steam vaporizer &#; pushes steam into the air while a cool mist humidifier sends cold water vapor into a room. 

A warm mist humidifier warms water over its heating elements then pushes steam into the air to humidify the room, killing any bacteria in the water holding tank. Some models, such as the Vicks steam vaporizer, can incorporate medications into the mist, offering relief to people with sinus or nasal passage issues. 

Warm mist humidifiers may use more electricity than other humidifiers because of the heating element. Warm mist humidifiers are not recommended if you have young children or pets because they may burn themselves on the steam or the heating element. 

A cool mist humidifier needs to be kept clean and well-maintained. Otherwise, dangerous bacteria can grow in the water holding tank and later be dispersed throughout your home and into your lungs. 

Some humidifier models market themselves as suitable for people with asthma, for babies, or for sleeping environments. Always read the label and recommendations carefully to ensure the humidifier is approved for your needs. 

What If I Live in a Humid Climate? 

People living in humid climates often need to reduce the humidity in their homes and may need to buy a dehumidifier. Again, check humidity levels with a hygrometer to determine your needs.  

Should You Run a Humidifier All Day?  

The answer here is you may run your humidifier all day if required, but it&#;s not essential.  

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends relative humidity be kept below 60% and ideally between 30-50%. 

You can run it all day if necessary to keep humidity levels within that range. (Of course, it&#;s never advisable to leave any device running when you&#;re not at home.)  

Be aware that running electrical items like dryers can affect a home&#;s humidity, too. So leaving an ultrasonic humidifier running all day creates the risk of too much humidity in your home because these humidifiers keep adding humidity until they are turned off. 

What Are Some Top Tips for Buying a Humidifier? 

There are a wide variety of humidifiers available on the market. Here are some things to consider when choosing which type of humidifier is most suitable for your needs. 

• Location:

  Is the humidifier for a small living room, a large room, or a whole house? Know the room&#;s area in square feet.

   

• Tank capacity:

  Larger water tanks mean less refilling. Think about how you&#;ll refill it, too, and consider the tank&#;s weight, both empty and full. Can you lift a large, heavy tank to your faucet, or will you refill it with water jugs? Can you clean the tank easily?

   

• Run time:

  This is how long the humidifier can run before the water tank needs refilling.

   

• Output:

  Some models offer variable mist levels or mist outputs to help you adjust the amount of mist you need to establish the correct humidity levels.

   

• Maintenance:

  Think about how much cleaning, maintenance, and effort you will make to ensure the humidifier&#;s smooth operation.

   

• UV light:

  Some humidifiers come with a light filtration system to reduce microbe growth in the water tank, helping prevent its release into your room.

   

• Price:

  Not just the initial outlay. Evaporative humidifiers require regular filter changes, so factor in that cost, too. A budget humidifier like the

  Levoit Classic 200 Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier

  starts from around $40. Ultrasonic humidifiers are filter-free. 

   

• Quiet operation:

  Ultrasonic humidifiers tend to be quieter than evaporative ones.

   

• Lighting:

  Some humidifiers have a

  night light

  .

   

• Medicine:

  Do you want a humidifier that can dispense medication? The

  Vicks steam vaporizer

  is one example.

   

• Type:

  Portable humidifiers

  (or tabletop) have small water tanks, so they need more regular refilling. But they can be relocated easily, and there are even some travel-sized humidifiers.

  Console humidifiers

  are much larger units that require less refilling and can humidify areas up to 1,000 square feet (depending on the model).

  With competitive price and timely delivery, Ant sincerely hope to be your supplier and partner.

  Whole-house humidifiers

  connect to your home&#;s ductwork and plumbing, providing humidity to your whole house, and the water tank doesn&#;t require refilling.

Remember, if your home has dry air, then you need a humidifier to add humidity. If the air is overly humid, you need a dehumidifier. And if you want to purify the air, you need an air purifier. 

What Are Some Popular Humidifier Models? 

There are many brands, prices, and types of humidifiers. Here are some examples with a wide price range, from $25 and up. 

Diffuser or Humidifier? 

Diffusers and humidifiers may look similar but have very different uses. Diffusers tend to be smaller and are generally for use with essential oils in aromatherapy treatments.  

You should never put essential oils or aromatherapy oils in any type of humidifier. 

Humidifiers and Your Health 

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Many advertisements and websites extol the virtues of humidifiers. However, while it&#;s true humidifiers bring health benefits, they are also machines that need to be used correctly. If not, they could soon be doing more harm than good for your health.Many advertisements and websites extol the virtues of humidifiers. However, while it&#;s true humidifiers bring health benefits, they are also machines that need to be used correctly. If not, they could soon be doing more harm than good for your health. 

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Are Humidifiers Good for You?  

Air dryness is problematic for both babies and adults with asthma or sinus problems. Humidifiers can improve indoor air quality and help people with dry skin conditions, respiratory conditions, and more. 

But people using humidifiers and adding humidity into rooms must be very careful when using them. If left uncleaned, humidifiers can quickly become breeding grounds for fungi and bacteria that cause everything from allergies to fevers. A worst-case scenario is an inflammation called hypersensitivity pneumonitis, also known as humidifier lung.  

EPA studies have shown that cool mist humidifiers can disperse minerals, microorganisms, and bacteria if not well maintained. These airborne pollutants may cause respiratory problems or allergies. The young, the elderly, and those with lung diseases or respiratory allergies may be particularly susceptible. 

How Do You Maintain a Humidifier? 

Important: Always unplug your humidifier from the wall socket before performing any maintenance tasks. 

It&#;s vital to keep your humidifier in good working order for both your health and your home. Here are some maintenance tips: 

• You can use tap water in your humidifier, but distilled water is better. Distilled water has some minerals removed and should produce less white dust. Bottled water labeled as &#;spring&#; or &#;mineral&#; may not have been demineralized.

   

• With portable humidifiers, empty the tank daily and wipe it down before refilling it with fresh water. Leaving water in the tank, even overnight, can encourage bacterial growth.

   

• Clean the tank every 3-4 days to prevent the buildup of harmful bacteria. Always follow the manufacturer&#;s guidelines on which chemicals to use. Empty the tank, then scrub or brush it to remove any scale or deposits, and be sure to wipe it dry. 

   

• Change filters according to the manufacturer&#;s instructions, usually every 1-3 months.

   

• If you only need your humidifier in winter, give every part of the humidifier a thorough cleaning before storing it away for the season. Give it another thorough cleaning before using it again.

   

• Check that your humidifier&#;s tank is dishwasher friendly before washing it in the dishwasher.

   

If you develop any respiratory symptoms while using your humidifier, stop use immediately and contact your doctor. 

Is It Healthy to Sleep With a Humidifier Running? 

A humidifier can help you at night just as it does during the day. This is especially true if you sleep in a room with air conditioners turned on &#; air conditioning dries the air. 

A correctly-used humidifier adds moisture to the air, helping you breathe more easily as you sleep, especially if you have a runny nose, dry cough, or sore throat.  

Some seasonal illnesses like colds and influenza live longer in dry air conditions, too, so humidifying your bedroom can help combat transmission.  

How Close Should You Sleep to a Humidifier? 

Check the manufacturer&#;s handbook for each model&#;s advice, but for smaller, portable humidifiers, a distance of at least three feet is often recommended. 

Humidifier Energy Usage

 

Smaller, portable humidifiers are not as energy-hungry as your air conditioning or many other household appliances. However, should you start placing a portable humidifier in every room in your home and using them daily, your household&#;s energy conservation could go out the window. 

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How Much Energy Does My Humidifier Use? 

Your humidifier&#;s energy usage depends on the wattage needed to run it. As a general rule, ultrasound humidifiers use less electricity than evaporative humidifiers. It&#;s important to understand how much a new appliance may add to your electricity bill before buying one. 

Honeywell&#;s UV Cool Moisture Germ Free Humidifier (HCM-350B) needs 60 watts to run and has a 1.1-gallon tank. Imagine running it for 8 hours for one day. 

We first work out the kilowatt-hours. (Watts (60) × time (hours, 8) / 1,000 = kWh), so our Honeywell uses 0.06 kWh, and over 8 hours, that&#;s 0.48 kWh for the day. 

The overall daily cost depends on the price of our electricity. According to the Energy Information Administration (EIA), the United States&#; average price per kilowatt-hour (kWh) in February was 13.34 cents per kWh.  

So 0.48 kWh x 13.34 cents = 6.40 cents to run the Honeywell for eight hours for one day. 

How Can a Humidifier Protect Your Home? 

Your home can benefit from a humidifier, too. Here&#;s how:Your home can benefit from a humidifier, too. Here&#;s how: 

• Houseplants draw moisture from the air and will appreciate the humidity.

   

• Humidity can make a heated room feel warmer, so you may be able to turn down your costly heating a degree or two when you run the cheaper humidifier.

   

• Humidifiers reduce static electricity, which can affect your electronics.

   

• Humidity offers wood protection. Timber can warp and crack in dry conditions. A little humidity can keep wooden furniture, doors, and window frames in good shape.

   

Common Questions About Humidifiers, Answered 

Humidifiers can play a vital part in a healthy home and body, softening the harshness of dry air. However, despite being a simple machine, they need to be handled carefully to operate them safely. 

It&#;s important to research the types and models of humidifiers to make sure it meets your needs, space, and budget before making a purchase. Also, be sure to monitor your home&#;s humidity levels before and after you buy a humidifier, and you could soon be enjoying relief from allergies, dry skin, and more. 

Remember: Regular cleaning and maintenance are the keys to enjoying the health benefits of humidifiers. Failure to do so could end up harming your health. 

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What You Should Know About Central Humidifier Ratings

Our team at Save Home Heat Company installs plenty of central humidifiers for our customers in the Denver-Boulder metro area each year. The Denver area&#;s high altitude desert designation doesn&#;t seem likely to change anytime soon, and adding some humidity to the air inside our homes can often make a world of difference during the heating season.

Depending on factors that include the size and layout of the home, the level of need of the owner, budget, and even aspects such as solar gain &#; in addition to potential health concerns &#; we consistently install both standard, flow-thru humidifiers, as well as steam-powered units.

When we quote a new central humidifier for a potential customer, there&#;s often a discussion of the evaporative ratings of the units we recommend. Therefore, to help increase our readers&#; understanding of what we propose, in this post we&#;ll dive a little deeper into who creates these ratings and the factors that play a role in creating them. We&#;ll also touch base on the central humidifiers that are currently trending with our customers. Spoiler alert: the status quo continues to prevail &#; and that&#;s just fine with us!

Why Choose a Whole-Home Humidifier?

Central humidifiers offer a range of benefits for homeowners. Here&#;s a quick overview of how achieving proper indoor humidity levels can have a positive impact in our region:

• Help reduce dry skin and common respiratory ailments, including dry, itchy and teary eyes, scratchy throat, sinus issues, and more
• Help decrease airborne dust, pet dander, and more
• Reduce the viability of airborne viruses and bacteria
• Diminish static electric shocks
• Help protect wood furniture, flooring, handrails, wood trim, and other household wood products
• Achieve equivalent comfort levels with the thermostat set at a lower temperature &#; help in controlling utility bills!

Evaporative Ratings 101

When you&#;re exploring options for home humidifiers you will come across evaporative ratings for each unit. Understanding these numbers can help you decide which product is the best fit for your home. Products are independently tested and the ratings published by the Air Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI), providing a professional, objective measurement of how much moisture (i.e. humidity) a humidifier is able to add to the indoor environment within a given period of time.

In addition to central humidifiers, AHRI performs independent testing for a broad range of home comfort products, with the stated goal to promote consistency in manufacturer specifications and help give consumers confidence in their purchases. As well as helping homeowners, this information also helps direct the decisions of regulators and agencies such as ENERGY STAR and others.

AHRI gallons-per-hour humidifier ratings

Humidifier evaporative ratings are referred to in terms of either gallons-per-hour (gph) or gallons-per-day (gpd). Most manufacturers of residential humidifiers currently present these numbers in terms of gallons-per-day, and published comparisons of residential humidifiers typically refer to GPD ratings.

The majority of standard residential central humidifiers have evaporative ratings between 10 GPD and 20 GPD. These are typically flow-thru models with either a bypass or an internal fan-assisted design. Steam-powered units, on the other hand &#; note: 220 volt models perform best and are most popular &#; are rated between 20 and 30 gallons per day, a significant upgrade in humidifying capability, as compared with the more basic, standard models.

AHRI humidifier testing procedures take into account multiple &#;average home&#; factors, including:

• Furnace and humidifier run-time per day
• Incoming water temperature to the humidifier
• Temperature of the air entering the humidifier
• Airflow from the furnace or air handler, measured in cubic feet per minute (CFMs)
• Water pressure supplying the humidifier
• Static pressure (resistance to airflow) in the ducting system
• And even more!

Of course, you may not live in an &#;average home&#; as defined by the AHRI for its testing purposes. Therefore, these numbers&#; greatest value may lie in simply comparing the humidifying capability of one unit versus another.

Our Takeaway on Humidifier Ratings for the Denver-Boulder Area

Keeping it nice and simple, in our region, with our sunshine and our at times rapidly changing weather, when looking at standard flow-thru humidifiers, it often makes sense to select the option with the greater GPD evaporative ratings. More on that below when we look closer at the Aprilaire Model 600.

Regarding the higher performing, steam-powered humidifier option, there are absolutely cases this could be just &#;what the doctor ordered.&#; See the Model 800, below.

Top Trending Humidifiers with our Customers

The two central humidifiers that we install most often are manufactured by Aprilaire, aka. Research Products Corporation.

The Aprilaire Model 600: Our top performing standard humidifier

The Model 600 flow-thru, bypass humidifier from Aprilaire is our most popular central humidifier with the Denver-Boulder metro area homeowners our team serves. It has an evaporative rating of 17 GPD, very high for a standard unit, and uses virtually zero electricity. Airflow thru the Model 600 is provided by the furnace fan and a 6&#; sheet metal pipe that connects the duct-mounted humidifier to the furnace&#;s main return air duct. All of this is installed cleanly, accessible for service, immediately adjacent to the furnace.

The Model 600 depends on heat produced by the furnace in order to do its job. Full disclosure: If the heat isn&#;t running on a regular basis, this type of humidifier may not be able to consistently meet the home&#;s demand for humidity. Regardless, standard central humidifiers have proven to be a great solution for many homeowners and are effective at raising and maintaining a home&#;s humidity when the furnace is running regularly. Due to the rapidly changing conditions we often experience in the Boulder-Denver area, we often recommend the highest capacity standard unit available, for best response and recovery. In this case, that&#;s the Aprilaire Model 600.

If it&#;s critical to maintain a consistent humidity level in the home (health issues, valuable investments, etc.), 24/7, then we often end up discussing the Model 800.

Aprilaire Model 800: High performance, steam-powered humidification

The Model 800 steam humidifier is a high capacity, high performance central humidifier that has its own internal heat source for producing water vapor to be circulated to the home thru the ducting system. It doesn&#;t require that the heat be running in order to do its job, and is designed to turn on the furnace fan to circulate humidified air to the home, whenever needed, regardless of heating demand.

This versatile, central steam-powered unit is rated to deliver up to 34.6 gallons-per-day of humidity. It&#;s the highest performing central humidifier our team offers, with approximately 75% greater humidifying ability than standard, flow-thru models. In addition to concerns such as potential medical conditions, the Model 800 is a good option for large homes that have one furnace and high humidity needs.

A word for planning sake, and more full disclosure: In addition to being appreciably more expensive to install than the Model 600, the Model 800 uses electricity to produce steam inside the unit. It&#;s impact on your utility bill will depend on a variety of factors. The 220 volt model uses electricity more efficiently and as alluded to above, has a higher evaporative rating than the 110 volt model. This is the steam unit most preferred by our customers.

High Quality Central Humidifiers in the Denver-Boulder Metro Area

While there are certainly a number of similarities to be found between different types of homes and homeowners in the Boulder-Denver metro area, it&#;s important to take the time to learn about what makes the most sense for your specific circumstances before making an investment in a central humidification system. Our team loves it when a prospective customer asks questions!

To learn more about central humidifier options that make sense to consider for you and your home, please reach out to our home comfort team at Save Home Heat Company today to schedule a free, highly informative, low-pressure install quote.

Please contact me to schedule a central humidifier install quote!

Contact us to discuss your requirements of residential smart humidifier(ar,de,ru). Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.