The colder weather is right around the corner, which means you will start using your home’s heating system to get rid of that chill in the air and keep your feet warm.
It is a known fact that unless you are lucky enough to live in a warm climate, the winter will come in and bring that bitter cold that seems to settle in your bones!
Once you start using a heat source both in the day and at night, the air in your home will become drier and less damp.
A lack of humidity in your house can lead to a dry and scratchy throat, dry irritated eyes, and even a persistent cough as the dry air sinks into your lungs and settles into your respiratory system.
But how can you effectively combat the humidity levels in your home? Especially when it is well-known that damp air can lead to a bunch of problems such as health issues, structural issues, and mold infestation.
By using a device that controls the humidity levels in your home – a humidifier.
WHAT IS HUMIDITY AND A HUMIDIFIER?
Humidity is defined as the number of microscopic water particles that are located in the air surrounding you; regardless if that is the outside atmosphere or the air located inside a building or residence.
A humidifier is a household appliance that alters the level of moisture found in the air of a building and residence. Water is introduced to the air of a home by the use of an internal operating system that removes water from a reservoir to be propelled into the air, either through the use of a fan, vibrations or through a conversion to steam or mist.
The device should monitor the moisture levels of the home and only send water particles into the air when the air quality becomes dry and should automatically shut off once a certain number or a particular level of moisture has been sent.
Why Do You Need Humidity in a Home?
Humidity is important in the home because of a variety of reasons, both physical and structural:
Physical
- Dry air in a home can cause:
- Dry skin
- Dry eyes
- Irritated throat
- Flare-ups of existing skin conditions
Structural
- Dry air in a home can cause:
- The brittle or dry wooden beam that supports the structure
- Warped or misshapen furniture
- Fire hazards from dried-out belongings and furniture
Steam Humidifier VS Ultrasonic Comparison
Image | Advantages | Disadvantages |
---|---|---|
Steam Humidifier |
Advantages
|
Disadvantages
|
Airocide |
Advantages
|
Disadvantages
|
Steam Humidifier
A steam humidifier is a device that will heat or boil water and then use a fan or impeller to disperse water particles into the air.
This damp steam will be warm and will be in the form of steam itself or mist, depending on the model purchased. The internal operating system is generally powered by some source of energy and will typically run off of electrical currents from a generic household plug-in or through a battery that is already installed in the humidifier.
Higher-end models might even come with an essential oil reservoir that can be used to emit a scent of your choice throughout the air or to omit a healthy beneficial essential oil.
Ultrasonic
An ultrasonic humidifier is a device that omits water particles into the air through the use of a ceramic diaphragm that vibrates at an ultrasonic frequency. These ultrasonic vibrations are how the reservoir of water is chopped up into tiny droplets to be sent out into the air of the room by the use of a tiny fan.
The water that is omitted from an ultrasonic humidifier is not heated and will exit the device at room temperature or a little cooler.
Conclusion
Now that you are more aware of how both the steam and ultrasonic humidifiers operate, you can make an informed decision on what product would be best for you. Look at trusted brand names and weigh return/repair policies for both.
Ensure that there is a warranty of some sort on your device and regularly get it to check for defects or worn-out parts.
Compare products and read customer reviews where possible, as they are great sources of information for everything from the operating system to the level of the output of humidity to the customer service experiences they have had.
Don’t spend your winter warm but uncomfortable, guzzling liquid at every chance, using eye drops whenever possible, and spending a fortune on cough drops!
Buy a steam humidifier or ultrasonic humidifier and restore those balances in your home before they even have a chance to drop!