During winter, you may want to protect yourself against dry air. Dry air can have a negative impact on your skin, eyes, nose, and even mouth. What’s more, it can escalate skin conditions and infections. The good news is that you can control dry air with an ultrasonic humidifier. So, what does an ultrasonic humidifier do? Find out below.
What is an Ultrasonic Humidifier?
An ultrasonic humidifier is a gadget that comes with a diaphragm and water reservoir. It may also feature a different type of vibrating element. The diaphragm is designed to vibrate at a high frequency so much so that you may not even hear it. The vibrations circulate microscopic water droplets in the air from where they evaporate and this is how you get more humidity in your house.
This process doesn’t involve heating which is why the ultrasonic humidifiers are referred to as cool mist gadgets. One thing you should know, however, is that many of the regular humidifiers can also achieve evaporation with no heating and just like the ultrasonic types, they are known as cool mist gadgets in the marketing industry. There are two terms you’ll need to keep in mind when discussing humidifiers which are; evaporative and ultrasonic.
What is the difference between an ultrasonic humidifier and a regular one?
You’ll find that there are notable differences between the above-mentioned humidifier types as seen below.
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Evaporative Humidifier
Evaporative humidifiers have been in the market for ages. If you’re searching for the most ideal garden variation humidifying gadget type, then an evaporative humidifier is the way to go. Perhaps you’ve tried one of the simplest methods of humidifying a room which is; putting a jar or pot of water in the house and letting the moisture to evaporate naturally in the air especially to get rid of dry air.
If you’ve tried this, then you used the same method that an evaporative humidifier uses. The only difference between the simple manual method and an evaporative humidifier is that it’s more effective when it comes to ensuring that your house is humid enough. You can find a wide variety of evaporative humidifiers in terms of design. For instance, you can easily get a non-filter unit which releases vapor or water mist with ease.
The only shortcoming with evaporative humidifiers would be that many of them come with filters which means you’ll need to clean them regularly and replace them accordingly. What this means is that you’ll incur some operational costs in terms of replacing your filters should you choose to use evaporative humidifiers. These gadgets come with a wick filter whose role is to absorb and pull the water towards the fan.
The next step involves discharging the water from the mist in the form of spray or water mist. Don’t be fooled into thinking that the wick is small. A wick filter can be huge and it accumulates much of the space inside a humidifier casing. One important thing to note is that various models can have a similar filter design and humidification features.
What makes a specific filter design more popular? A filter’s unique functions such as cutting down exposure to grayscale or fine white dust filtering in the house and confining mineral scale will make it a popular product. You may come across other models designed both for humidification and aromatherapy purposes.
If you choose to purchase an evaporative humidifier, then you’ll struggle with trying to establish the humidifier type. Whatever you do, always keep in mind that if a filter is included in a cool mist humidifier, you’ll have to replace or clean it regularly. One thing you won’t have to worry about, however, is scale dust.
Ultrasonic Humidifier
If you’re in the market for a quiet humidifier, then an ultrasonic humidifier will be ideal for you. You may be excited to know that this gadget doesn’t have a filter which means that you won’t need to keep on replacing or cleaning it. You’ll make major savings on operational costs but still, there are various setbacks. An ultrasonic humidifier produces more gray dust which means you’ll have a lot of cleaning to do.
The reason why this happens is that it has no filter to take in mineral scale deposits. Some ultrasonic models have ceramic type cartridges which you can refresh and which are quite effective. The good news is that you can use distilled water in the reservoir to cut down production of the scale dust. The bad news is that this can be costly.
If you’re like some people in the market, you’ll choose the ultrasonic humidifier due to the fact that it’s safer seeing that it doesn’t harbor hot water inside the unit. What this means is that you’re not under risk of scalding.
Just like other humidifiers which produce mist without the need to boil the water, the water could have a certain percentage of bacteria. Which is eventually released in the house? This is why you need to disinfect your gadget to keep bacteria at bay.
Ultrasonic Humidifiers Generate White Dust
If you’ve just bought your first ultrasonic humidifier and are excited to use it, don’t be shocked when it generates white or gray dust. As you’ve briefly seen above, these gadgets don’t come with a filter which can confine mineral deposits within the gadget. This is why they’ll discharge more dust compared to their evaporative counterparts.
But the dust is nothing to worry about because it’s just but water mineral deposits. The harder your water is, the more the gray dust will be. If you live in a hard water area, you may know that it’s as a result of mineral deposits in the water source. Of course, the magnitude of mineral deposits will vary depending on where you draw your water.
One thing you should know before purchasing your ultrasonic humidifier is that all the mineral deposits that the gadget produces will come back to the house when the moisture is released. The bad news is that all the dust will land on electronics and furniture as dust and this can be frustrating.
Can you control this situation? Yes, you can by using purified water. If you don’t have distilled water, you can try to operate the humidifier moisture on the moderate option to cut down dust deposits in your home. Depending on the model of your gadget, you may want to use a decalcification filter.
You’ll be disappointed to learn that you may not be able to eradicate the white dust because the mineral deposits in hard water must escape in one way or the other. It’s worth noting also that there are some small and portable evaporative humidifiers that aren’t fitted with filters. If you purchase the small model, chances are you’ll hardly notice the mineral deposits since they discharge moisture in small volumes.
Price
Now that these two types of humidifiers come with varying systems, you know that there’ll be operational differences as well. For starters, you’ll find that an evaporative humidifier is cheaper to buy. The only set back is that they come with a filter meaning you’ll need to replace or even clean them regularly and this will increase your operational costs.
The worst challenge you’ll face with evaporative humidifiers is struggling to find the ideal replacement filters for your gadget. It’s worth mentioning that replacement filters are differently priced depending on the brand and even size but the bottom line is that many of them are reasonably priced.
Ultrasonic humidifiers on the other hand often have no filters and are more expensive compared to their evaporative counterparts. In your search for an ultrasonic humidifier, you’ll come across different types and some of them may feature a filter pack. If you buy an ultrasonic humidifier, be cautious when using it to avoid bacteria and mold growth.
Silent Operation
Where do you keep your humidifier? Perhaps you prefer it in the living area or even in the bedroom especially if it’s portable. In both areas, you’ll want to use a gadget that doesn’t disrupt your peace and this explains why many people will opt for the ultrasonic humidifier. Assuming that you like your peace away from any noise, then the ultrasonic humidifier would be the better choice.
In your search for the ultimate ultrasonic humidifier that meets your needs, you’ll find that some of the gadgets in the market operate in total silence but many of them are more silent compared to the regular humidifiers. If you’re asking yourself why this is the case, it’s because unlike their evaporative counterparts, they don’t come with a fan and this reduces noise.
Assuming that noise is your least concern but you’re on a budget, then you’ll need good quality and a reasonably priced evaporative humidifier would do. One more thing you need to understand about silent humidifiers is the fact that they’ll remain quiet as long as you operate them on a low mode. If you increase the moisture volume you’ll notice some form of noise though it may not be very distracting.
Advantages of an Ultrasonic Humidifier
There are numerous advantages of an ultrasonic humidifier as you’ll see when you finally buy yours. Here are some of them.
Minimal Virus Transmission
Winter marks the beginning of bacterial and viral infections which thrive in dry air. The good news is that you can always control dry air with enough moisture in the air. By ensuring that the air in your home is moist, a humidifier will reduce your risk of contracting infections.
Assuming you’re already down with an infection, a humidifier will create a conducive environment for you to breathe with ease and eventually get better faster. With a humidifier in your home, you’ll notice a reduction in your coughing and sneezing, and this is because humidity maintains moisture in your respiratory tract which means you’ll be less irritated.
Clean Sinuses
If you’ve ever suffered from blocked sinuses, then you understand how uncomfortable they can make you feel. Thankfully, a humidifier will discharge moisture in the room and this will eliminate tightness and dryness in your nose leaving your nasal passage well lubricated. What you should be celebrating is the fact that you’ll be less prone to throat infections.
Supple Skin
Dry air deprives your skin of moisture leaving it dry, chapped, and cracked. Dry air can have a negative impact on the skin of young babies because they have a more sensitive skin which is more affected by dry air. If you have a humidifier, your skin and that of your kids will be soft, well moisturized, and supple.
Improved Sleep
When you inhale dry air, you’ll hardly sleep comfortably because your nose and throat will the dry and parched. Try to keep a humidifier in your bedroom and see the difference. The humidifier will trigger appropriate internal conditions which help you get a night of restorative and restful sleep.
Perhaps you didn’t know this but the drier the air you inhale, the more you’ll snore. The good thing is that a humidifier will fill keep your throat moist and this will discourage snoring.
Cleaning An Ultrasonic Humidifier
If you have a humidifier, chances are you operate it every day. What this means is that you’ll need to clean and maintain it frequently as well. You can choose to clean your gadget daily or even weekly. Here is what the cleaning process involves in both instances.
Daily Cleaning
The moment you switch off your gadget, it’s necessary to clean it before using it again. The process is simple and all you’ll need is to disconnect the nozzle from the water reservoir, remove the water and rinse it using clean water. Now pat it dry using a clean towel.
Exercise caution especially with the delicate parts of your humidifier such as the sensor. Let all the parts of your humidifier to air dry and finally reassemble the gadget. The advantage of daily cleaning is that you’ll not have to worry about the water overstaying in the reservoir and hence attracting bacteria.
Weekly Cleaning
You may want to clean your humidifier weekly for a more thorough process. Here, you’ll need to fill your water reservoir just halfway with warm water combined with two tablespoons of bleach or vinegar. The additives will play a huge role in disinfecting your humidifier. Spin the water around the reservoir to ensure it reaches all parts.
Allow it to sit for approximately half an hour. Next, pick the brush that’s part of the humidifier package and scrub inside the water tank gently. Scrub the water basin too and rinse all parts using warm water and allow them to air dry.
Is an ultrasonic humidifier better?
There’s no definitive answer to this question since different people will be looking for different things in a humidifier. Of course, they’re silent which means you can even use them in your baby’s room without disrupting their sleep; many of them feature an inbuilt timer which allows you to program them to operate for a specific time whether you’re in the house or not to maintain adequate humidity in the room.
The best thing about the ultrasonic humidifiers is that you can use them throughout the year. Ultrasonic humidifiers could be safer compared to the regular types especially because they don’t generate heat. What this means is that you and your loved ones won’t have to worry about your safety when using them. Therefore, an ultrasonic humidifier could be your best option depending on what you’re looking for.
Finally
Is winter behind the corner? Have you purchased your ultrasonic humidifier? If you haven’t, then you may want to start window shopping soon. With this gadget, you’ll be guaranteed a conducive surrounding free from infections or even disruptions. If you’ve been dreading winter because it gives you insomnia, with an ultrasonic humidifier you’re assured of a good night’s sleep.