Are Steam Humidifiers For You?
A humidifier does a great job in eliminating dry winter air in your home–the culprit behind your discomforts such as throat irritations and dry itchy skin that require visits to your doctor. Dry air is also to blame for your home’s perennially peeling wallpaper and cracked wooden flooring that your maintenance man regularly fix up.
There are basically two ways to increase moisture in the air inside your home. The first is by using cool, fog-like mist and the other is by means of steam. Humidifier choice impacts on your health and that of your love ones, so it requires careful thought and reflection.
Ironically, the cool mist that impeller and ultrasonic driven humidifiers disperse inside your home oftentimes create an environment that could make you sick rather than make you feel better. The reason for this is that when tap water in these types of humidifiers gets stagnant, it becomes a fertile breeding ground for bacteria. When the infected tap water is converted into mist and dispersed inside your home, bacteria and minerals in the tap water are scattered along with it. Because of this, many consider using a steam humidifier for their homes.
The process of boiling the water by a steam humidifier makes the resulting water vapor free from bacteria and minerals. However, as the water quickly dries off, scaly deposits are left on the water reservoir, which become a potential breeding ground for microbes. To prevent the build-up of these scaly deposits, it is recommended that the water tank of the steam humidifier should be regularly cleaned and scrubbed free of mineral deposits. If you use any cleaning agent, rinse the tank thoroughly to avoid chemical dispersal into the air during use.
Because of its relatively simple way to produce moisture, a portable steam humidifier is quite cheap and some models can be purchased for less than ten dollars. Another good feature of a steam humidifier is that a medicinal inhalant can be used along with it to quickly relieve nasal congestion. Humidifiers of this type use a heating element to produce steam. Humidifier choice, again, impinge on home environment safety especially if you have small children. If you have to purchase this type of humidifier, remember to always place it on a spot that is inaccessible to your children when in use.
An alternative is a furnace mounted humidifier that can provide moisture at a uniform level all throughout your house through your central heating equipment. Provided that you regularly maintain your furnace humidifier, it is a worry-free way of humidifying your house. Efficiency and safety come with a price as furnace mounted humidifiers cost a tad more than regular portable steam humidifiers.
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