Do you suffer from dry nasal membranes and sinuses, chapped lips, dry red eyes, dry and itchy skin? Are you susceptible to frequent colds, nose bleeds, flu, allergies or even asthma—particularly during winter months? Have you noticed cracks and peelings in your wallpaper, wall paint, and furniture? If you answered yes to these questions, you should strongly consider getting a humidifier. However, before rushing out to buy the next available one, why not take a few minutes to get adequately informed.
Humidifiers and Humidification
Humidity simply refers to the amount or level of moisture in the air and varies from one climate to the other. For instance, it’s higher in summer and lower in winter but the ideal level for home environments and healthy wellbeing falls between 35 and 50%. It’s almost impossible to maintain this level naturally which explains the need for humidifiers. Thus, a humidifier can be defined as an appliance that specifically regulates the moisture (humidity) in the air to a level conducive for indoor health and comfort.
Benefits of Humidifiers: Some of the benefits of humidifiers include the following:
• Prevention and soothing of dry air passages, nasal membranes, sinuses, sinusitis and respiratory distress.
• Alleviation of allergies, flu and asthma.
• Prevention and alleviation of chapped lips and dry skin.
• Preservation of wall paints, wallpaper and furniture and reduction of dust accumulation.
Types of Humidifiers: Humidifiers are classified based on the following criteria:
• Area of coverage: This refers to the whether the humidifier services a single room or the whole house. An example of single room (or point-of-use) humidifiers is an evaporative humidifier while a forced-air humidifier is an example of whole house humidifiers.
• Air Type: Under this category, there are two types: cool air and warm air. Cool air humidifiers blow out cool moist air while warm air humidifiers blow out warm moist air. Steam humidifier is an example of warm air while Impeller humidifier is an example of cool air.
• Technology: Humidifiers are also classified according to the technology governing them. Examples in this category include: Steam, Vapor, Impeller and Ultrasonic humidifiers.
• Brand: Humidifiers can also be classified according to their brands. Some of the popular brands include: Westinghouse, Aprilaire and Holmes.
Selecting Humidifiers
A lot of users naively shop for units that end up not serving the purposes they were intended for. To get the best deal when shopping for a humidifier, there’s a need to evaluate certain points. Some of the points to consider include: your budget, type of humidifier desired, the size of the room or home, capacity of the humidifier, refilling and maintenance convenience and style. In order to secure a good deal, you should conduct adequate research to determine which unit is worth spending your money on.
Thanks to the internet, it’s fairly easy to do this and a good place to start off is on this site. Feel free to use the different articles as a guide to help you select the best humidifier for your needs.
