When shopping for humidifiers, it is important to consider certain points beforehand. Admittedly, shopping for the right humidifier can be daunting especially if you are not armed with certain information. The following are some helpful tips that can serve as a guide to selecting the perfect humidifier for your home.
Set a Budget
It’s important to determine beforehand how much you are willing to spend on a humidifier for a number of reasons. There are a lot of humidifiers on the market and they vary widely based on different criteria including, size, model, brand, technology and capacity. Of course, these criteria are also hinged on price. Setting a budget will preempt any frivolous spending especially when confronted with the myriads of humidifiers—except you want to run into red!
Decide on the type of Humidifier
All humidifiers are generally classified as cool mist or warm mist. Warm mist humidifiers boil water to form steam and thus release warm moist air. On the other hand, cool mist humidifiers utilize cold water and blow out cool moist air. Warm mist humidifiers generally discourage bacterial contamination and are usually cheaper but they consume more energy and usually cause burns. Cool mist humidifiers are more energy efficient, humidify larger areas and carry no burn risk but can cause bacterial contamination.
Determine the Style Desired
Humidifiers are available in different styles and sizes and ideally, your choice should be determined by the purpose for the humidifier and the area to be served. For instance, personal and portable humidifiers are ideal for users who want a unit that can be easily carried around or just want to humidify a small room. On the other hand, whole house humidification is best achieved with forced-air and console humidifiers.
Features (Additional)
The features on a humidifier vary according to the brand and model. For instance, some humidifiers are designed with just basic features like the power button and two variable air speeds. Some, on the other hand, have extra features like a hygrometer (for measuring the humidity level) and a humidistat (for automatic regulation of the humidity). Needless to say, those with additional features are pricier but are also easier to use.
Ease and Cost of Maintenance
The actual value of a humidifier is determined by the cost of purchase and the ease and cost of maintaining the unit. Oftentimes, the cost of maintenance is actually a greater consideration. When buying a humidifier, you should consider the refilling capacity and convenience (1liter, 2 gallons and 5 gallons), the weight of the tank, the frequency of changing filters and other parts in addition to the availability or scarcity of the parts.
Other points to consider before purchasing a humidifier include operation noise level and settings, safety shut-off, warranty and capacity. Lastly, you should compare different humidifiers based on the points mentioned above before making a final purchase. For a better bargain, you should consider shopping on the internet for your humidifier.
