A humidifier may seem like a rather simple piece of equipment, but these little machines not only come in a variety of capacity sizes but also perform their functions based on different humidifying processes. Each has its own benefits as well as its own shortcomings, with the decision regarding the positives and negatives generally boiling down to the opinion of individual buyers; mostly, that is. Cool and warm mist humidifiers are common forms on the market, and they’re among the main types that consumers come into contact with. To make the buying process easier, we’ll discuss why a humidifier is right for you as well as the differences between warm and cool mist humidifiers. Learn about cool mist vs. warm mist humidifiers below.
Improving Standards of Living:
Humidifiers are wonderful machines that not only provide great service from a health perspective, but also from a home maintenance point of view. Very dry air can cause a lot of problems for people as well as the spaces they live and work in. One common health issue that dry air can either cause or exacerbate has to do with the sinuses. Whether caused by a cold, the flu, or allergies, sinus issues can be made worse by dry air because it leads to more inflammation that causes coughing, sneezing, itching, and burning. Moist air reduces these symptoms and helps us heal a lot faster. Asthma and problems with snoring can also be improved through the use of a humidifier. Humidifiers are often popular for allergy sufferers throughout different allergy seasons because of how much they help with symptoms.
Dry air can also cause skin issues, as a decent level of humidity is required in order to maintain healthy skin. Extremely low humidity levels cause the skin to dry out, thus becoming flaky and even red and irritated. Did you know that drying out your skin can also lead to acne breakouts? When your skin gets too dry and loses moisture and oils essential for a healthy balance, it will often overproduce oils in an attempt to compensate for what is being lost. This leads to pores becoming clogged and trapping bacteria, thus triggering acne. Skin also ages faster when it’s been exposed to prolonged dryness, as moisture helps it maintain glow and elasticity.
Having an optimal humidity level in your home actually has anti-viral benefits as well. A variety of scientific studies have shown that viruses have a more difficult time surviving and spreading in more humid conditions. Some studies have shown that viruses like the flu virus are 50% to 60% more capable of living and spreading in a home with low humidity as opposed to one with a humidity level over 40%. Learn about the pros and cons of humidifiers below.
Cool Mist Humidifiers – Pros and Cons:
Cool mist humidifiers are typically broken up into two types, evaporative and ultrasonic. These two types refer to the way in which the machines work to place moisture into the surrounding air. With evaporative cool misters, a filter/wick draws water from a reservoir that, in turn, has a fan blowing across it, which produces water vapor thanks to evaporation. This moistened air is blown by the fan out into the rest of the space. Ultrasonic humidifiers don’t use a wick and filter, instead relying on the ultrasonic frequency vibrations of a flat disc. These vibrations break the water on the surface of the reservoir into tiny water droplets that are then sent out into the surrounding air. A small fan is used only to aid the droplets in dispersing throughout the room, and overall the machine is very quiet.
Both types of cool mist humidifiers are considered rather energy efficient and are typically quite affordable, based on brands/models used, of course. No heating agent is involved in either of the humidifying processes, so less worry is placed on these machines in regard to fires and burns. Many cool mist humidifiers allow you to add healing vapors that aid in sinus and respiratory conditions, thus helping to increase the health benefits already presented by the added humidity itself.
Some people have expressed concerns regarding mold, bacteria, and mineralization associated with these machines, but the humidifiers are actually made to deal with these types of issues. Evaporative cool mist humidifiers have a filter that is able to trap and contain a variety of spores and bacteria, so as long as these filters are changed at appropriate intervals, such issues shouldn’t be a problem. Ultrasonic humidifiers don’t have the same kind of filtration potential, but issues of mineral dust and bacteria can easily be nipped in the bud by using filtered water and cleaning the humidifier per manufacturer instructions.
Warm Mist Humidifiers – Pros and Cons:
Also known as vaporizers, warm mist humidifiers rely on a heating device in order to create steam that is released into a room through the effects of evaporation. Since mist entering the room is in the form of steam created by boiling the water in the humidifier’s reservoir, this kind of humidifier is considered less likely to expose the surrounding area to mold spores, bacteria, and mineral dust when compared to cool mist humidifiers. Some warm mist models, like cool misters, are able to have different vapors added to them in order to improve a person’s health. A distinctive benefit to warm mist humidifiers is that they’re usually quieter than cool mist dehumidifiers, something that might make a warm mist humidifier perfect for a bedroom.
While they are considered healthier than many of their cool mist counterparts, warm mist humidifiers still need to be cleaned regularly, and they are not as energy efficient as cool mist humidifiers. This is because it requires more energy to heat the water in the tank as opposed to just blowing a fan across a filter. It’s also important to stay clear of cheaply-made models as the heating devices in warm mist humidifiers can cause malfunctions that have the ability to lead to fire and the melting of parts of the humidifier.
Picking the Right Humidifier:
Whether you’re looking at cool mist humidifiers, warm mist humidifiers, or completely different types of humidifiers altogether, there are several different factors that you should take into account.
Firstly, you need to consider the space in which you’re working with. Humidifiers feature various load capacities according to the square footage they’re meant to work with. No matter the particular model you’re looking at, the product descriptions should show the maximum square footage that the machine is able to able. If you’re dealing with a large room or you’re even looking at finding a humidifier that can increase the humidity level of your entire home, then checking out models with high outputs in terms of square footage would be key.
That being said, you don’t want to place a high-capacity humidifier in a small space. Being capable of handling the humidification of a large room means that a humidifier has a larger reservoir and is capable of putting out a larger amount of moisture. Putting such a humidifier in a smaller space is likely to lead to too much moisture being placed into that room which could lead to mold and mildew problems, something that could most certainly cause health problems.
If you have allergies, then a humidifier may or may not be for you, depending on the kind of allergy you have. If you have a pollen allergy — particularly one that occurs in the fall when your home’s interior may be dryer — then a humidifier is likely to be very beneficial. While a humidifier won’t filter any of the pollen spores from your home’s air, it will provide a good deal of relief regarding the symptoms that come along with pollen allergies. It’s also felt that the moisture put into the air by humidifiers helps to weigh down pollen spores so that they have a harder time remaining airborne.
Depending on your home’s precise humidity conditions, if you have a dust mite or mold allergy, then a humidifier might not be best for you. If your home has dropped to a very low humidity level, then you should be fine with the use of a humidifier as long as you keep the humidity level in your house around 40%. Dust mites and mold love humid environments, so you definitely don’t want to make your home a conducive living space for them. If you’ve had a problem with moisture in certain parts of your house, then a dehumidifier might make dust mite and mold issues worse. Many people tend to have damp basements while the rest of their home in winter becomes very dry. If you have a situation like this, but you’re afraid of added humidity upsetting a mold or dust mite allergy, then you could always place a dehumidifier in the basement while placing humidifiers in important areas where humidity levels have gotten uncomfortably low.
Top Cool Mist and Warm Mist Humidifiers:
This just wouldn’t be a helpful guide without mentioning a few different models to help you start refining your humidifier options. All of the models mentioned here tend to be universally regarded as high-performance, quality models.
Crane Cool Mist Humidifier Blue Drop:
One of the most affordable, easy-to-use models on the market, the Blue Drop has an aesthetically pleasing, compact design that also makes it easy to setup and place anywhere in the home without any fuss. This particular cool mist humidifier uses ultrasonic technology to vibrate a disc within the water reservoir that sends up tiny droplets that are then blown out into the surrounding air. It has an optional demineralization cartridge that’s highly recommended for those wanting to cut down on any mineral dust that might be produced. The Blue Drop is a very quiet model that automatically shuts off once the reservoir has been emptied.
Stadler Form Oskar Humidifiers Oskar Big:
Very modern in appearance, this humidifier comes with an option of black or white, but the other model sizes offer more of a variety of colors such as berry, black, white, and even lime green. The Oskar humidifiers come in three different sizes — the Oskar, the Oskar Little, and the Oskar Big — with the Oskar Big being a great choice for larger rooms as it can cover up to 650 square feet. It weighs a little over 8 and a half pounds without water, so expect it to be a little heavier once the reservoir (1.5 gallons) has been filled. This model comes with several filters/wicks and a 2-year warranty.
Boneco 7142 Dual Mist Humidifier:
Considered one of the best dual mist humidifiers on the market, the Boneco 7142 has a super sleek, super cool design that makes it stylish and streamlined enough to place anywhere you want. This model offers the choice of using either cool mist or warm mist options and features high-tech controls, an LCD display screen, and Intelligent Temperature Compensation. This last feature enables the humidifier to regulate its own output and adjust to the room’s temperature. It also features a filtration system — standard in all models — designed to capture mineral deposits and any other water impurities before the mist is dispersed. Extremely quiet as well as energy efficient, the Boneco 7142 comes with a 3-year warranty.
Boneco S450 Steam Humidifier:
A bit more expensive, this model comes with the steam feature discussed earlier that has the ability to kill off bacteria and mold that might be present in the water while at the same time keeping mineral dust from escaping into the air. The warm mist is excellent for sinus problems as well as eczema conditions and never comes out of the humidifier past the point of warm, even though the humidifier does boil the water inside the device. The ability to let the water cool a bit before dispersing it makes for a much safer machine. It comes with digital controls, a timer, and a decalcification mode designed to make cleaning a breeze, and comes with a 3-year warranty.