Have you noticed that during particular times of the year that you or a family member suffer from ailments such as chapped lips, dry skin conditions, coughs, asthma or itchy skin? Maybe you have investigated your symptoms and have not yet managed to attribute them to a particular illness, maybe they recur each year and at particular points during the year. If this sounds like you, it could very well be the case that you have a dry air problem in your home. Air contains water vapour and when there is not enough of the water vapour, the air can become dry causing some of the conditions mentioned. We spend considerable periods of time in our home and dry air can easily come about in winter as a result of us heating our homes. The heat from our radiators has the potential to remove moisture from our air, a humidifier works by putting water vapour or moisture back into the air.
There are factors that you should be aware of when choosing a humidifier for your home.
- Too much humidity can be as bad for your health as too little. Too much water vapour will cause condensation, dampness and hence mould, all of which have their health implications, so make sure that you don’t overly humidify your home.
- Humidifiers can harbour germs and bacteria if they are not
- cleaned regularly and the germs and bacteria can make their way into your air supply, causing other health problems. Make sure that you read the manufacturers instructions and clean and maintain as recommended. You may need to change filters and empty the tank. Baking soda and vinegar make for excellent cleaning agents.
- You should investigate your requirements, are you needing a humidifier that will work to correct the moisture levels in your whole house or are you satisfied that you only have the requirement in one or two of your rooms? Your requirement will determine the type of humidifier that you will need.
- You can choose from warm mist humidifier and a cool mist humidifier, both will work equally well to humidify the air and both come with their advantages and disadvantages so consider both and work out which suits your requirements best.
- With some humidifiers, it is possible to disperse a medicated liquid into the air which can be great for those with respiratory issues.
- The cost will be a factor when deciding on your humidifier, shop around and consider all of your options. Humidifiers come with all sorts of functions and features and you will need to decide what you need for your purposes. Choose from steam-based humidifiers, evaporating humidifiers, ultrasonic humidifiers, impeller humidifiers, and central humidifiers. All have different advantages and disadvantages and some systems will be more costly compared with others, so do your homework before making your purchase. Look for reviews for humidifier advice, you should find plenty online, and discuss your requirements with a reputable seller. A reputable seller should be able to help you with your requirements.