How to Choose a Humidifier

With temperatures dropping, it’s more important than ever to increase the humidity in your home. Studies have shown that most homes are far too dry which can cause damage both to your home and to your family’s health. Are you wondering if your house is too dry? Place a small humidity gauge in one of the rooms of your house. If it reads less than thirty percent, you need to add humidity to your home.

Choosing a humidifier to add to your home not only increases the comfort level in your house but also prevents damage to walls, wallpaper, and wood floors. Plus, humidified air is thought to reduce the incidence of bacterial and viral infections as well as allergies. If you’re convinced that your home could use a little humidity, here’s how to choose a humidifier:

Decide what size humidifier you need.

Humidifiers come in a variety of sizes. The least expensive option is a tabletop model and is generally only going to be effective to humidify a single room in your home. These generally run under $100.00. There are two general types of tabletop models, each with its disadvantages. The warm mist model is expensive to operate, while the evaporative model tends to be noisy. If you need to humidify multiple rooms, you can choose between a console unit or an in-duct humidifier. The console unit can be found for between $100 and $150, but tend to be a bit noisy. The in-duct units are quite inexpensive to operate making them very energy efficient, but the up front costs can go up to $300. Plus, professional installation of these units may be required. If you don’t want to go to the trouble of maintaining a tabletop or console unit, opt for the in-duct humidifying unit which doesn’t need to be refilled and needs a filter change only once every six months.

Consider the noise factor.

If noise is an issue and you only want to humidify a single room, you may want to opt for a warm mist tabletop humidifier. The majority of the evaporative units are quite noisy, although some people find the noise they emit to be relaxing.

Consider cost.

An in-duct units are a more expensive option than a tabletop unit, but they are very low maintenance and don’t need to be cleaned or disinfected on a regular basis. Plus, they can humidify multiple rooms. Ultimately, if your house is excessively dry, this may be the best option.

Consider the important features.

If you choose a tabletop model, be sure that it’s easy to move, refill, and clean. You’ll also want to consider how much space the humidifier will take up in your home. Another important feature is the humidstat. A humidstat is important for keeping the humidity levels from climbing too high and allowing moisture to form on windows and other surfaces which can be harmful to wood floors.

It pays to shop around and do some online price comparisons when choosing a humidifier. Knowing how to choose a humidifier will help to keep your home comfortable and healthy throughout the long, dry winter.