Humidifier-An appliance that puts moisture into the air.
Sounds simple, and on one level, it certainly is. By raising the percentage of moisture in the air, there are health, home, and personal belonging advantages that will help keep you healthier, and prolong the life of your possessions.
There are many sound reasons to have an air humidifier in your home, in fact, many doctors recommend them, including the beloved Dr. Oz of daytime television, for improving better health conditions and is one of the leading reason consumers add them to their “must have” list.
That said, there are naturally considerations to evaluate before deciding which is right for you. Here are a few of the reasons you should consider adding this appliance to your homes, along with the furnace and hot water heater. (Yes, its that important)
The basic types of humidifiers available are:
- Evaporative, also called cool mist. These are portable units, and can actually be made at home. Using a steel bowl filled with water and a fan that blows air over the waters surface. Not highly effective, it does indeed raise the humidity in a small room.
- Vaporizer, boils water which then permeates the room with steam.
- Ultrasonic, these guys vibrate a metal plate, causing water to form, which is then almost silently dispersed into the room/area. Very popular with both consumers and OUR TEAMS recommendation, they can be small and hardly noticeable, or you can opt for a larger model that has a larger reservoir for water.
- Forced air, also referred to as whole house. These are attached to your forced hot air furnace, and better regulate the humidity level by monitoring the level of water in the air, and regulating the outflow of vapor.
Though maybe not right for everyone, the humidifier with over BEST ratings was the Air-O-Swiss 7144. Available at most major retailers, Sears has this, and several other Air-O-Swiss products. This unit enjoys the most popular ratings among consumers who considered both portable, and whole home models.
- Air O Swiss 7144 Digital
Pros
- Quiet
- Built-in humidistat, which measures the humidity in the room/area
- Good moisture output
- Sleek, attractive design
- Easy touch controls
- Produces cool or warm mist
- May generate white dust, which is minerals from your water
- Tank is hard to refill
- Humidistat may not be accurate
- Needs to be regularly cleaned to remove the mineral deposits
Now, speaking of pros/cons, though humidifiers have many benefits, there are some other considerations.
Remember that:
a. humidity over 50% will encourage dust mites, and additionally, potentially harmful mold spore growth.
b. minerals in the water you load into the humidifier will be emitted into the air, and usually leave a white film on furnishings and other objects. You can minimize this by using distilled water in your unit.
c. desired humidity levels changes with the outside temperatures. An easy to remember rule of thumb, as the air temperatures go down, the humidity in your home should go do
Check out this cute line of whimsical humidifiers your child will love!
3. Humidifiers can relieve the intensity and NOISE LEVEL of snoring.
4. Cold symptoms are greatly relieved by using a humidifier.
5. Dry, itchy skin can be prevented, including chapped lips. (proper fluid intake must be maintained also)
6. Static electricity, that unpleasant tendency of a SHOCK when touching something, even your beloved pet, will be greatly reduced.
Okay, now that you are convinced, lets consider some more of the nuts and bolts of buying THE BEST HUMIDIFIER available for you.
- Kenmore 14gallon Evaporative Humidifier
- Daily cleaning is not required. (This can be a biggie if the alternative is 3 or 4 units in different rooms.)
- Hardwood floors, furnishings, and upholstery will all have extended lives, cracked and dry wood eliminated like the static electricity.
- Energy savings-you can lower the thermostat during cold months, as the proper humidity level will make the air feel warmer. Some estimates say you can save up to 4% on your heating bill!
- Attached directly to your air and heating system, water is introduced to the air without adding minerals that potentially be harmful to your family’s respiratory systems.
So, our teams call on the whole home vs. portable humidifier?
Unless you have someone at home with serious medical issues that require a pristine humidity level, we go with the portables.
Attractive, and as the Kids models show, able to be very cute, they offer a low cost, easy to maintain option that will absolutely do the job!
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