When your home is low on humidity, it can be noticed in both the structure of your building and your physical health. Wooden furniture will start to warp or split; linen can dry out and tear from the strain of being used daily; and even the wooden support beams that hold up your house.
Physically, your skin can dry out or become itchy, your eyes lose moisture and will become irritated or watery, and you can develop a dry throat from the constant clearing to alleviate the raw feeling that comes along with breathing dry air.
Why Would You Need One or the Other?
With the winter months fast approaching and colder temperatures already being felt in the air, it is important to maintain the humidity in your home because you will be turning up the temperature of your residence with drying heating systems.
We have to heat our homes in the winter not only for our physical well-being but to also avoid a dreaded water pipe freezing and then exploding all over the place! So, using a humidifier can add well-appreciated moisture in the air and avoid any mishaps either structural in terms of the home or physical in terms of your health.
Perhaps you have heard horror stories of children, the elderly, or pets receiving burns from warm mist humidifiers, but cool mist humidifiers can alleviate this concern. Or you could use a device that isn’t mist-based at all and instead uses a complex internal operating system to omit water into the air. This is the ultrasonic humidifier.
So, what is the difference? Which one is better? Let’s take a look to find out.
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What is Humidity and Why is it Important?
Humidity is the correct terminology when considering the number of microscopic water particles that are located in the air surrounding you. This air can be either air that is in the outside atmosphere at any given time or air located inside a structure of some sort.
The reason humidity is so important for the longevity of the structure of your home and your overall physical well-being is because can improve the conditions of each.
Physically, a person benefits from humidity because it aids in the relief of:
- Dry skin or existing skin conditions
- Allergy symptoms such as congestion or itchy eyes
- Dry eyes that burn from a lack of moisture
- Constant throat issues; rawness, scratchiness, etc.
Structurally, a home or building benefits from humidity because it helps maintain:
- The wooden beams act as the support for your structure; a lack of moisture can dry them out to the point of warping or cracks.
- A lower level of flammable material in the home
- Linens, such as curtains and rugs, stay fresher longer and will not become brittle
Ultrasonic Humidifier
An ultrasonic humidifier is a home or office use appliance that increases the number of water particles in the air through an internal operating system that consists of a ceramic diaphragm that vibrates at an ultrasonic frequency.
This ceramic diaphragm uses ultrasonic frequencies to remove water from the holding tank (reservoir) and then break the water up into tiny droplets. These tiny water droplets are then sent out into the open air by the use of a tiny fan.
It is important to note that you cannot purchase the ultrasonic humidifier in a warm mist version and the water droplets are only at room temperature at most.
Advantages
- Low maintenance level for cleaning and rare internal warranty to be done
- The tiny fan or the ceramic diaphragm does not produce a lower noise while sending water into the air
- The ultrasonic vibrations produce no noise at all.
- No risk of burns as the water temperature is either room or cool
Disadvantages
- A higher risk of bacteria or germs contaminating the water unless the reservoir is cleaned as instructed
- One of the highest-priced humidifiers on the market
- Models that are older than five years can give off white dust that can irritate respiratory issues and cause further throat irritations than dry air. While special filters to remove this dust have been added to the newer model operating system, this dust can be avoided by using only distilled water in your ultrasonic humidifier.
Cool Mist Humidifier
A cool mist humidifier is a household appliance that will send microscopic water droplets into the air by the use of a small internal fan. The water comes from an internal wick filter that absorbs the water from the holding tank or reservoir and allows the fan to blow microscopic droplets off of it and into the atmosphere.
The cool mist humidifier is powered by the use of either electricity from an electrical outlet or propane.
When in peak operating condition, the amount of electricity used by the cool mist humidifier shouldn’t even register on your monthly utility bill, so if you do notice an increase, check over your device for noticeable defects and contact the provider for warranty repairs if applicable.
Advantages
- Will use less electricity than a warm mist humidifier because it doesn’t have to heat the water
- There is no chance of burns from this humidifier as it only releases a cool mist that is room temperature or a few degrees lower
- Cool mist humidifiers are available in more models than the warm mist versions’ such as impeller fans, ultrasonic, etc. because the water doesn’t need to be heated.
Disadvantages
- Can decrease the temperature of the room where the device is in use due to the cooler temperature
- Can be noisy when in use as the fan rotates at a rapid speed to remove water from the absorbent filter
- A fair to high maintenance and cleaning schedule is required to ensure the device is in peak operating condition
Conclusion
There isn’t a right or wrong choice when it comes to a humidifier because they all achieve the same basic function – they add moisture to the air and control the amount, so they help rather than harm. Make sure you look into each device and how they are controlled so you can pick the option that will suit your needs.
Make sure you are aware of the maintenance responsibilities for your device because the first sign of an aging unit or a malfunctioning appliance is a noticeable increase in your light bill. If there are maintenance checks on your device, it is important to complete them in a timely fashion. Double-check warranty policies from the makers of the device itself and the store policy from the retailer where you completed the purchase.
Winter can be hard enough on the body and soul, so don’t spend it miserable and itchy! Invest in a trusted brand to ensure that you purchase a well-made humidifier that can dampen the air and even help your body fight off dreaded flu symptoms.
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