One of the suggestions on how to save on home heating costs this winter is to run a humidifier. A humidifier will not only add needed moisture back into the cold, dry air of your home, but it will make the air feel warmer. Moist air will also make you feel more comfortable, since dry air can cause your eyes to itch, dry skin and can irritate your throat and nasal linings.
An article on Humidifiers from the Mayo Clinic suggests you regularly replace your humidifier due to deposit build-ups that can lead to bacteria growth in the appliance.
Some other tips from the MayoClinic.com include:
- Change humidifier filters regularly.
- Drain and clean humidifiers before storing them.
- Change humidifier water often.
- Use distilled or demineralized water.
You can purchase a new humidifier and humidifier accessories including humidifier filters, humidifier belts, and humidifier wicks online at APWAgner.com. We even carry products which will help keep your humidifier in top shape including BestAir HUMIDITREAT Water Treatment Tablets which removes odors, cleans and sanitizes your humidifier.
For more suggestions on how to save on home heating costs this winter, check out the following articles:
Visit the Alliance to Save Energy website for energy conservation tips.
Categories: Appliance Help · Appliance Parts · Health · Humidifier Parts
Tagged: belts, cleaner, dry, dry skin cure, dry winter air, filters, humidifier accessories, irritated nasal passages, irritated throat, itchy eyes, Save Money on Home Heating Costs, tips for running your humidifier, Water Treatment Tablets, wick
The most common humidifiers are called evaporative or wick humidifiers. The most common type of humidifier, the wick humidifier, basically has three parts: a reservoir, a wick, and a fan. Humidifiers work by evaporating water into the air, thereby increasing relative humidity levels. As the humidity level increases, less water will evaporate. This means that the process regulates itself very well.
The wick absorbs water from the reservoir, and a fan blows air past the wick. This helps to evaporate the water into the room air. The wicks need regular cleaning and replacement. A room with low relative humidity will absorb more water into the air than a room with a higher relative humidity. After a time, the humidity level in the room will reach a state of equilibrium. This means it won’t absorb any more water into the air unless the humidity level drops, or the temperature goes up.
Another major type of humidifier is called the forced-air humidifier. The forced air humidifier is usually attached directly to the house furnace. There are two basic models of forced-air humidifiers, the drum style, and the flow-through style. Unfortunately, most modern, highly-efficient forced air furnaces don’t run long enough when heating to let much water get absorbed into the air. Many people choose to supplement the forced air humidifier with a room humidifier.
The drum style humidifier should be turned off during the summer, and the reservoir pan emptied. This will help to prevent mold growth when the humidifier is not needed.
There are a couple more humidifiers, a vaporizer which heats water to steam and disperses it into the air, an impeller humidifier, and an ultrasonic humidifier. These are generally room humidifiers.
Categories: Home Improvement
Tagged: drum style humidifier, How Do Humidifiers Work?, humidifier, reservoir, wick, wick humidifier
