Everyone knows that in rural areas air and cleanliness of the environment have high enough indicators for a comfortable existence, and in cities and megacities these parameters have to be adjusted artificially using cleaners. To improve the quality parameters of humidity in the room using household appliances - humidifiers. This article gives useful tips on how to choose the right humidifier, the top options for 2016 and a rating based on customer reviews and comments.
Who needs a humidifier and why
A person is not able to see the air that he breathes, but very often feels the effects of a dry, gassed climate. Dry air rises sharply during the heating season, when central heating batteries dry out the air, creating uncomfortable sleeping conditions. As a result - decreased immunity, frequent headaches, fatigue increases, absent-mindedness and insomnia are observed. Dry air also has a bad effect on the interior decoration of apartments - parquet and furniture are cracking, paintings are cracking, indoor flowers are drying.
If there is a dry mouth, peeling of the skin, a decrease in overall health, it is necessary to get a hygrometer and determine the level of humidity in the room. The optimum humidity for a comfortable stay in a living room should be at least 60%, especially for children.
Traditional hygrometers - mechanical, electronic, with a built-in thermometer for measuring air temperature or without it. Top rated hygrometers come with built-in additional functions - a clock, a thermometer, an atmospheric pressure meter, an alarm clock, a radio. They are called weather stations and are practical and informative home appliances. Such devices are marked by good user reviews.
Types of Humidifiers, Pros and Cons
If you measure the air temperature in your home, you understand that humidity is poor, then the next step is to determine what kind of humidifier is needed for your apartment. The following are the main types of humidifiers, as well as their positive aspects and disadvantages.
The main types of humidifiers:
- humidifiers with integrated cold steam;
- humidifiers with built-in hot steam;
- ultrasonic humidifiers;
- humidifiers with ionizer;
- air washes;
- climatic complexes.
Cold Steam Humidifiers drive air through the built-in fan and wet grill. In this case, all the absorbed dust, dirt and bacteria are attracted to the wet grid, and the room is filled with clean and moist air. In the ranking of humidifiers occupy the lowest position due to its simplicity and cheap price.
Advantages: low energy consumption and moderate cost. The ability to adjust the level of humidification and noise. It can be used in any child care facilities, safe for children.
Disadvantages: due to the low temperature of the steam, the temperature in the room decreases. Low level of cleaning.
Hot Steam Humidifiers have a built-in heating element in their design. Water boils on the principle of a teapot and evaporates. Often, such models are used as a home inhaler with the ability to add aromatic oils and drugs to a special device - aroma capsule.
Advantages: low cost, no replaceable filters, quick room humidification.
Disadvantages: hot air can cause injury to others, so they can not be used in institutions. Due to the hot air, the room temperature rises.
Ultrasonic Humidifiers - Today it is the most common type of humidifier. The purpose of the ultrasonic humidifier is that water droplets are ultrasonically divided into small particles, forming fog or water dust, which is dispersed by the fan around the room. The rating of such devices is much higher than conventional humidifiers and, according to customers, this is the most common type of home humidifier.
Advantages: it works silently, quickly humidifies the air, the ability to program the required level of room humidification, a built-in hygrometer and remote control.
Disadvantages: an ultrasonic humidifier has a higher cost compared to conventional humidifiers. There is a need for replaceable filters. There is a subsidence of white plaque on furniture when using low-quality water.
Ion humidifiers - These are conventional humidifiers with cold or hot steam, or ultrasonic, equipped with a built-in ionizer. The ionizer enriches the airspace with negative ions, making it look like crystal air in the mountains. Saturation of the airspace with negative ions creates an effect like "after the rain."
Advantages: similar to conventional humidifiers with improved quality due to ionization.
Disadvantages: as with all humidifiers - the precipitate on the furniture, the change in the temperature of the room, the cost.
Air wash - Advanced humidifier. The sink combines both a humidifier and a cleaner. The built-in fan feeds the air flow in the middle of the sink, collects dirt, dust, bacteria from the built-in disks partially immersed in water and blows clean, moist air.
Advantages: high quality air purification.
Disadvantages: high cost, large size and the need to replace spare cartridges.
Climatic complexes - This is a multifunctional device that combines all three of the above devices - a humidifier, a cleaner and an ionizer. This climatic device occupies a top position in the ranking of all home climate equipment. The air purifier in the complex is more perfect than in a conventional sink, and allows you to clean the environment from almost all allergens, odors, gases, chemicals, fungi, mold, etc.
Advantages: high level of air purification from a wide range of harmful and dangerous contaminants, touch control, silent operation.
Disadvantages: very high price, so inaccessibility for most.
Humidifier for baby's room
The microclimate of the room for the child is very worried about caring parents. Moreover, a dry climate causes peeling and dryness of the skin, causing poor sleep and frequent respiratory diseases. Traditional folk methods in the form of wet towels on batteries and plates with water will not give a special effect. In order to increase the humidity in a room with an area of 12 m3 to 50-60%, it is necessary to spray from two to three liters of water, and only a stationary, good humidifier can do this, preferably with the functions of a cleaner.
For a children's room, especially if a child with signs of allergies lives in it, you need to choose a more advanced humidifier, for example, washing the air with a cleaner. When choosing climate equipment for children's rooms, it is necessary to take into account such parameters as power and noise level. To maintain a high rating, the production of children's climatic devices is often in the form of toys and equipped with additional functions, such as a baby monitor, so that the child is constantly under control, which, according to consumers, is very convenient and practical.
Choosing air washers, cleaners and humidifiers correctly
With all the variety of climatic equipment choices, it is necessary to determine for which room a humidifier is purchased and what is the budget for this acquisition. Despite how much money you decide to spend on a humidifier or cleaner, the tips for choosing it will be about the same.
- The area of the room. In order to calculate how much moistened space is needed, the area of the room is multiplied by the height of the ceiling.
- Performance. This is the volume of air that passes through the filters. It’s better to take one that “skips” the air stream at least two times in an hour of continuous operation.
- Capacity or tank for water. The larger the capacity, the longer the device works. In order for the humidifier to work without interruptions and stops at night, a volume of 4-5 liters is enough.
- Availability of additional features. It is much better when the humidifier is equipped with a hygrometer, ionizer and aroma vessel.
- Automation. Also designed for ease of use. Remote control, the possibility of programming the level of humidity and automatic shutdown, timer.
- Noise level. A very important indicator when choosing a device for a children's room. Highly rated models feature a slip function for silent night-time operation.
- Replaceable filters. It is better to immediately clarify which filters are necessary for the selected model of cleaner and how often they need to be changed.
If the decision to purchase a humidifier is made, then you need to focus primarily on the reliability, efficiency and rating of the model.
Browse Popular Models
Many world manufacturers of home appliances and electrical appliances have in their arsenal a line of humidifiers and air purifiers. The highest rated brands in 2016 in the post-Soviet territory were Boneco Air-O-Swiss (Switzerland), Venta (Germany), Electrolux (Sweden), Polaris (USA), Binatone (United Kingdom).
Since an air humidifier is an important element of a home interior, each manufacturer tries to give his creation a special designer chic. Boneco devices look like a stylish handbag. Venta does not pay much attention to design, focusing on the internal qualities of the device, so all of her creations, according to reviews, look like an accordion or a central heating battery. A Polaris humidifier cannot be distinguished from a teapot with floral patterns and such a device is unlikely to fit into a strict interior, but Provence will be perfect for the style. Binatone humidifiers look like a pillow or lamp under a lampshade. Manufacturers focused on the production of models for children's rooms often make devices in the form of children's toys.
A humidifier and an air purifier are indispensable home helpers in maintaining family health. Now you are able to independently choose a humidifier.
