Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
My house is extremely dry. My skin, my hair, static everywhere. I thought of getting a humidifier, but my mother always talks me out if it, saying how you always have to clean them and change the filters and its a pain. And she says how since I have multiple rooms, not open concept home, one wouldn't be enough. She just tells me to boil water on my stove and let the steam get into the air. I put water in some oil diffusers I have but they need filling all the time as they are tiny and they barely blow any moisture.
I keep wanting to buy a humidifier, but is it worth it? Is my mom right?
Yes, you have to clean them. Read the instructions on the models you check out.
I have one for my bedroom and I feel it is worth it. Winter air dries out my skin and hair and gives me nosebleeds.
Be careful about leaving boiling water on. Yes, it's nice in that you can also add things to it to make your house smell nice (I cut up a lemon and throw in some rosemary), but set a timer to go off after a certain amount of time because if it boils out you can start a fire. It's also not the most energy-efficient way of adding humidity to a home. I only used to do that because I had a pet that couldn't be exposed to air fresheners. Most humidifiers have a safety switch that turns the device off if it runs out of water.
If you're old enough to be a homeowner, you're old enough to make your own decisions. If you want one, buy one.
We have a Levoit model LV600HH ( I think they changed it to LV600S now) anyway, it is a great humidifier. We use it in the bedroom and it makes a world of difference. It has various settings and is easy to use. We use ONLY distilled water in it and have not had to do any cleaning in 2 years. Instruction say only distilled or purified water. The come with a remote and I believe the new 'S' model uses voice control as well. They sell several different models. Check 'em out !
Back in the day, raised in a house w/radiators, we put pans of water on top. Today, I put containers of water on top of a china cabinet and another on top of a grandfather clock, both directly under a heat vent. Each container almost two quarts in size. Refill once a week. Makes a huge difference, not only in humidity but house feels warmer, which means I can keep thermostat down a degree or two. Daytime set at 67. Second floor where I sleep isn't as problem as thermostat lowered to 63 when I go to bed so furnace isn't running as much.
***
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nodpete
We have a Levoit model LV600HH ( I think they changed it to LV600S now) anyway, it is a great humidifier. We use it in the bedroom and it makes a world of difference. It has various settings and is easy to use. We use ONLY distilled water in it and have not had to do any cleaning in 2 years. Instruction say only distilled or purified water. The come with a remote and I believe the new 'S' model uses voice control as well. They sell several different models. Check 'em out !
Levoit makes a very good product. I have two Levoit Mini Core air purifiers, one in LR, one MBR. Liked the first one so much, I bought a second for the BR. Whisper quiet, do a nice job of cleaning the air. Notice my breathing is better, especially in BR. That humidifier sounds perfect for those who need one.
Worth what exactly? I'd guess your house isn't exactly the same as your mother's. The local climate and the layout of any house will influence how well any humidifier works. There are whole house humidifiers that work through the house's HVAC system but that may not be an option for yours.
I've used lots of different types of humidifiers over the years as I've lived in high altitude, high latitude, and cold climates for decades. Many people find humidifying the room they spend the most time in (bedroom etc.) can help a lot. How well any humidifier might work also means tracking the relative humidity of the room it's in. You will probably want to buy a humidistat (measures relative humidity of the room it's in) to notice the difference. Easy to find at a home improvement store. Cheapos don't tend to last very long.
There are three basic types of portable humidifiers:
Steam (aka: vaporizers): They boil water to produce steam. The steam evaporates and raises the relative humidity of the room. All well and good, but they also raise the room's temperature and can encourage mold/bacterial growth because of the residual warmth too. Plus, you need to keep an eye on the reservoir water level unless the unit has an auto shut off that prevents boiling dry. The unit also gets hot and so is the steam. You need to be very careful where you set it.
Evaporative: This type depends on a saturated wick of some sort (paper, cloth, some combination) sitting in a reservoir of water. The machine's fan blows air through or across the wick. No heating involved. The moving air picks up moisture and spreads it out into the room. Most wicks need to be changed regularly and often those wicks can't be cleaned and re-used over again. If you don't clean or change the wicks they can harbor bacteria and mold or get saturated with mineral deposits from the water. The wick won't absorb water once that happens. You need to buy replacement wicks. Depending on the mineral content of the source water it may need replacement fairly frequently. Trial and error.
Ultrasonic (aka "cool mist"): This type does not require a physical wick. Water from a reservoir is nebulized (reduced to a very, very fine mist by high speed vibration) and blown out into the room where it evaporates, raising the relative humidity. Again, the water isn't heated though nebulizing does raise the water temperature one or two degrees. Negligible. These units also require regular cleaning but you don't need to replace a wick. The mineral content of your household water affects how often the unit will need to be cleaned. The expelled mist is very fine but it will collect on and dampen nearby objects, so once again you need to be careful where you set it. You may need to buy distilled or de-mineralized water to prolong the life of the machine. Once its damaged you probably can't rescue it.
No matter which type you choose, a good idea to get one that has an auto shutoff feature or at least a timer that controls how often or how long it runs. If it doesn't, the unit can end up damaged if the reservoir runs out of water. I happen to prefer ultrasonic humidifiers. If you only fill one with distilled or de-mineralized water they don't require much cleaning. A simple cleaning with vinegar or diluted bleach is enough. Many models advise against adding anything to the water. Scents or oils can damage the machine and void any warranty.
As for your original question, the only person who can tell whether it's worth something or not is YOU. And you'll need to try one in order to find out.
Last edited by Parnassia; 11-27-2023 at 06:30 PM..
Cleaning is easy and you don't have to do it every day or anything. Get you one at Walmart, they have a nice one under $20, and if you don't like it they'll take ANYTHING back. Seriously, I've never seen them not take something back. Just put it in the room where you spend most of the time, unplug it and move it into the bedroom at night. My sinuses open up as soon as they start up, it makes it a lot easier to breathe.
The problem w/ the stove is that you may not be around when the water evaporates out, could be a safety issue w/ fumes or even a fire hazard.
If you have those old fashioned standing steam radiators in each room, that's the place to set a pan on, no safety issues there.
We have a big whole house humidifier, holds two gallons of water. Sometimes we have to fill every day, sometimes less often.
Replace filters regularly and wash as needed.
Vicks Warm Mist humidifiers. Easy peezey, minimal maintenance. I run two in 2000 sq. ft. Get a humidity gauge or three for different parts of the house. I'm probably going to add a third humidifier, so I can run them on low.
Back in the day, raised in a house w/radiators, we put pans of water on top. Today, I put containers of water on top of a china cabinet and another on top of a grandfather clock, both directly under a heat vent. Each container almost two quarts in size. Refill once a week. Makes a huge difference, not only in humidity but house feels warmer, which means I can keep thermostat down a degree or two. Daytime set at 67. Second floor where I sleep isn't as problem as thermostat lowered to 63 when I go to bed so furnace isn't running as much.
I can't imagine a gallon a week makes any measurable difference at all, unless your house is one tiny room. My humidifier goes through several gallons a day and its barely enough to keep my first floor at the low end of comfortably humid.
Department stores sell them- meaning you can use store points for the purchase, or wait until a sale to get one.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
