Cool Humidifier, Warm Humidifier and Children Safety
Buying the right kind of humidifier becomes especially important when you have children or an infant at home. Before anything else – even the cost – children safety must be considered. Now there are two kinds of humidifying appliances: a cool humidifier and a warm one. Let us look at the pros and cons of each especially in the light of your kids’ safety.
Cool Humidifier
A cool humidifier produces cool mist that not only boosts humidity in a room, it also cools it. So it is ideal for warm places. A cool humidifier has a receptacle for holding water in it. This receptacle also has an absorbent wick in the middle that draws the water to it. A fan blows on the wick to evaporate the water. The water then escapes into the air as cool mist.
A cool humidifier is safe for children and babies provided it is kept clean. Be warned though, it can be noisy. You can shop for a model with adjustable fan speed just in case your child doesn’t like noise.
As for disadvantages. A cool humidifier uses filters. These need to be replaced often to keep optimum performance. The wick can also attract mold and bacteria, for which special cartridges need to be purchased separately. Also, a cool humidifier does not boil water like a warm humidifier does (see below) so the danger of spreading mold spores and other harmful micro-organisms is greater.
Warm Humidifier
A warm humidifier simply boils water and releases it into the air as warm vapor. You might as well use a kettle if you could. One of the advantages of a warm humidifier is that it does not use filters, so you do not have to replace anything (except the water). Another is that unlike cool humidifier, a warm humidifier emits practically no sound at all. The only thing you will hear is the sound of boiling water. But best of all, it distills the water, so the released vapor is purer and freer from germs. Warm humidifiers are good for very cold climates since it warms up the room too besides adding moisture.
The danger with a warm humidifier is that since it boils water, a playful child or toddler could be burned by accident. Also, the constant boiling can drive up power costs somewhat. Moreover a warm humidifier covers only a small area, so it isn’t useful for large rooms.
Further Considerations for Children Safety
- Consider buying a humidifier with a hygrometer installed on it. The additional device will tell you the approximate humidity level fo the room.
- Look for an automatic feature that turns off the appliance once the target level is reached, or when it has ran out of water. You don’t want to over-moisturize the room or cause the motor to overheat.
- Look for mineral absorbing features, if you use “hard” water.
Keep doing your research on humidifiers before buying. Whether you buy a cool humidifier or a warm one, your children’s safety is always most important.
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