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What is relative humidity?
Relative humidity is a percentage showing how much water vapor is currently trapped in the air relative to the
maximum amount of water vapor the air can hold at a given
temperature. Imagine that you have a glass of water and begin to stir sugar into the water.
When you get to point where you have put a full cup of sugar in the glass, you notice
that the sugar
no longer dissolves and that it begins accumulating at the bottom. At this
point, the water is saturated with sugar and will hold no more. At the point where you have
put only 1/2 a cup of sugar in the water, you are at 50% of the maximum the water can hold at the current temperature.
Now, think of the air in your home as that glass of water and the
moisture vapor in the air as the sugar. Your relative humidity level is the
ratio of the current amount of water vapor in the air relative to
the maximum amount of water vapor it will hold at a given temperature.
Where do I put a humidifier?
Most of our non-humidifiers work best when placed in a single
room. There are several sizes available to fit any room in your
house. Air-O-Swiss humidifiers range in size, from the
Air-O-Swiss 7135
to the Air-O-Swiss 7146 Travel Humidifier.
Additionally, our Germ Guardian humidifiers
come in multiple sizes to meet the humidification needs of any room in your home. All of these models will work well in your
living room or bedroom. By far the most
common area to place a unit is in the bedroom. In reality,
you can use a humidifier in any room where a low humidity level leads to problems.
How do I know what size and model is right for me?
There really is no easy answer to this question, and
deciding which model and size is right for you will
depend on several factors. You need to ask yourself
three questions before purchasing.
- How large is the room where the humidifier will be used?
- How much do I want to spend?
- Is energy consumption a primary concern?
- How many times per day do I want to refill the humidifier?
- Do I want cool mist or warm mist?
- Do I need advanced electronic controls?
What do I do when my humidifier stops working?
Your first step is to check the water level. Almost all of our humidifiers have automatic stop functionality when the water
tank is empty or low. If that is not the problem, your second step would be to reference the user manual
to check any simple trouble-shooting measures. While a
humidifier is a simple appliance, it does have several
things that could go wrong with it. Replaceable parts should be changed regularly, ie. mineral pads, evaporator wicks,
demineralization cartridges, and filters. If any of these become clogged it can reduce your humidifiers efficiency or possibly
damage the unit. Cleaning should be done regularly, and remember, if you examining the unit yourself, you are dealing
with an electric appliance that uses water, so unplug the cord.
Contact the manufacturer and they can point you in the
right direction. As with all of our products, should you have a problem with a humidifier you purchased from us,
contact customer service, toll-free, at 1-800-339-7123.
Should I keep the box?
 Should a humidifier
you purchase from us encounter problems due to no fault of your own within 60 days of purchase,
you can contact customer service to obtain a Return Authorization number and exchange the unit. For this reason, we recommend you keep
the box your humidifier arrived in for at least 60 days. If you have the storage space you may want to keep the box for as long as
the manufacturers warranty time period. You should also keep all paperwork and manuals associated with your new humidifier.
How do I maintain my humidifier?
Clearly, purchasing a humidifier is a sound investment in the health of your family, your budget, and your home. But
humidifiers do require regular and thorough maintenance; without it, they not only don't run efficiently, but they pose
a serious health risk. Bacteria and mold that can easily breed in an unmaintained humidifier are propelled into the air
and inhaled - obviously a terrible situation for those with allergies, who are already more sensitive than others.
While many units feature built-in germicidal
measures, such as using silver to purify water or
zapping microbes with UV light, it's important to know
that these are not a substitute for regular cleaning. Furthermore, be aware that what you clean your
units with is also important. Using bleach may seem instinctive in order to cleanse your humidifier of any mold or bacteria;
however, in addition to the fact that bleach's harsh fumes are never good to inhale, if the humidifier isn't cleaned properly,
vaporized bleach will be impelled into ambient air and inhaled each time the unit is running. Consider using white vinegar to
clean instead.
 Aside from keeping your humidifier free of microbes and germs, minerals can also build up in the tank and in the machine
itself. Many of our humidifiers feature demineralization cartridges that will filter mineral content out of the water, but even with
these, it's still a good idea to clean regularly. One handy product that works to remove mineral build up in almost all
humidifiers is EZ Cal Cleaner and Descaler
by Air-O-Swiss. This simple, dissolvable packet removes mineral build up and other contaminants from your humidifier. When
finished, rinse and you're ready to use the humidifier again. Each box comes with three packets, and it's recommended to use
EZCal every two weeks. That will vary though, depending on the mineral content of your water.
Are humidifiers heavy?
 No, most of the models in our humidifier line-up weigh between 5 and 15 pounds when they are empty. The weight will
increase when you have a full water tank, so you need to be careful if you are moving your unit and the water tank is full.
Never pick up your humidifier by the water tank handle.
The tanks are made to be removed easily and they will
separate from the body of the unit. Most units are made of plastic which tends to keep the weight down. The weight
for each humidifier we sell is listed in the specifications section on each product's web page as well as our
Compare Humidifiers page.
Am I forgetting anything?
If you have any questions about humidification, humidifiers, humidity, allergies, prices, or our policies,
please call our customer services representatives at 1-800-339-7123.
Compare humidifiers or return to
the humidifiers home page.
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