If you have noticed that your home is dry and uncomfortable, then it is likely that you need a humidifier. Having a dry home can lead to health complications and you don’t want to get sick due to a lack of humidity. Thankfully, it’s very easy for you to simply buy a humidifier to alter the humidity levels in your home. If you haven’t ever purchased a humidifier before, then you might be curious about what type of humidifier you should buy.
There are two main types of humidifiers that you will want to consider. There are warm-mist humidifiers and cool-mist humidifiers. You’ll find that each option has its positives and negatives. Take a look at the information below to learn more about these humidifier types so that you can determine which one to purchase for your home.
Warm–Mist Humidifier
Warm-mist humidifiers are often what people turn to when they have colds. These types of humidifiers have been designed to create warm moisture and distribute it into the air. They make use of heated water to add humidity to your home. These are considered to be very healthy humidifiers and they have some advantages that make them particularly appealing.
One of the best parts of using a warm-mist humidifier is that warm water can keep mold or bacteria from growing in the unit. This can be a problem with cool-mist humidifiers, making it more necessary to be on top of keeping things clean. These humidifiers can also collect minerals that are left over from the warm water. You can use these humidifiers without having to worry about replacing filters as well.
For many people, using a warm-mist humidifier is going to be convenient. Common types of warm-mist humidifiers that people purchase include vaporizers and steam humidifiers. It isn’t unusual for people to use vaporizers to help deliver medicine that can help people with respiratory conditions as well. A good vaporizer is going to be perfect to use during the winter.
Potential Negatives of a Warm-Mist Humidifier
The potential negatives of using a warm-mist humidifier might scare some people away from going this route. If you have small children, then you might find that this will not be a practical option. These humidifiers are making use of heated water to humidify your home. This makes it a potential risk to your children and it simply isn’t worth taking a chance with a child’s safety.
You will find that the water in this warm-mist humidifiers will often get to boiling-hot temperatures. If a child were to bump the humidifier and knock it over, then it could wind up scarring and injuring the child. Even people who have pets could be better off avoiding warm-mist humidifiers. Cats could knock the humidifier over and wind up suffering an injury.
It should also be said that warm-mist humidifiers are going to require a bit more electricity than the cool-mist humidifiers. This could lead to slightly higher electricity bills when you need to use the humidifier regularly. Also, these warm-mist humidifiers can make the room feel a bit warmer than usual. This could be a good or bad thing depending on your perspective and your heating needs.
Cool-Mist Humidifier
The cool-mist humidifiers are designed to be as safe as possible. These humidifier units disperse cool-mist into the air and the water will always be at room temperature level. This makes it significantly safer to use a cool-mist humidifier if you happen to have children. Even people who have pets will often prefer to use these humidifiers just to be safe.
There are two basic types of cool-mist humidifiers and they are known as evaporative and ultrasonic. These humidifier styles work a bit differently but they ultimately produce the same result. The evaporative humidifier uses a fan and wick filter to increase humidity. The ultrasonic humidifiers make use of vibration technology to create mist particles.
These humidifiers are really good at humidifying large rooms or areas. If you have a big living room that you want to humidify, then using one of these is an ideal choice. They’re not as unsafe as the warm-mist options and they work very well.
Potential Negatives of a Cool-Mist Humidifier
The biggest potential downside of using a cool-mist humidifier is white dust. You see, your humidifier is going to collect minerals from the water and these can be released as white dust. This could wind up covering your furniture and it could become a bit of a mess. This white dust isn’t dangerous in any way but it is a bit of a nuisance.
To avoid this problem, you’re going to need to make use of distilled water instead of other types of water. This means that the water that comes from your tap isn’t going to be practical to use. For some people, this is going to be quite an inconvenience. Distilled water isn’t expensive or anything but it is something else that you have to concern yourself with.
You’re also going to have to worry about mold and bacteria when you’re using this type of humidifier. A cool-mist humidifier needs to be cleaned very regularly to avoid problems such as this. You’re also going to have to replace the filter regularly to make sure that it is operating properly. It requires slightly more maintenance than a warm-mist humidifier but it is safer overall.
Warm- vs. Cool-Mist Humidifier: What Choice Is the Most Popular?
You will find that the cool-mist humidifiers are more popular than the warm-mist ones. Most people turn to the cool-mist humidifiers due to their safer nature. There are also several options to consider when buying a cool-mist humidifier, making them a very appealing choice. Whenever you want to humidify your home, it’s going to be very simple to find a cool-mist humidifier that can do the job well.
This isn’t to say that warm-mist humidifiers aren’t a viable option. In fact, there are a number of people who prefer to go this route. Some find the warm-mist humidifiers to be more comforting and it is possible to use them in the safest way possible if you are vigilant. The choice is simply up to you so you have to determine which of these options seems to be more appealing.
Ways to Make Warm-Mist Humidifiers Safer
If you would like to use a warm-mist humidifier, then you would probably like to make it as safe as possible in your home. You might have children or pets that you will worry about when using a humidifier such as this. For this reason, you should consider a few ways to use this type of humidifier safely. Taking some extra precautions should allow you to have a good experience when using your new warm-mist humidifier.
The first thing to do is to place the warm-mist humidifier somewhere out of reach. You don’t want to put it anywhere that a child could potentially reach it. If you have pets, try to consider a good spot where your pets will not bother the humidifier as well. You want the humidifier to be located in a secure spot where everything is going to be stable as well so just think about where you’re putting it before turning things on.
Also, remember to ensure that the power cord is not within the reach of children or curious pets. Do your best to conceal the cord or place it away from a normal path where people will be walking. When you need to refill the humidifier, be sure to unplug the cord from the electrical outlet first. This is for your safety and you want to make sure that you’re doing things the right way.
Which One Is Right for Your Home?
Determining which of these humidifiers is right for your home shouldn’t be too hard. For most people, using a cool-mist humidifier is going to be a more practical choice. These humidifiers are safer to use and you don’t have to worry so much about kids or pets getting injured by them. Even if you don’t have children, it still might be best to err on the side of caution. The warm-mist humidifiers do have certain advantages but you just have to weigh the pros and cons for yourself.
Whatever your choice may be, it’ll be great to be able to have a more comfortable home. You will be able to feel better and you can avoid the complications that living in a dry environment will bring about. The information about these humidifiers is listed above. Just take your time to consider things and making your choice shouldn’t be too tough.
I hope that this article has been informative and that it makes your decision easier for you. Being able to humidify your home is so important. Having a good humidifier can help you to maintain better health and it can also improve your skin condition. Finding the humidifier that is right for you matters so don’t rush things if you’d like to consider all of the important factors.
