Is it confusing for you to find just the right humidifier for your house?
Questions like “ do you need the humidifier? If yes, how can we figure out if we need one? Where should we place one?” keep annoying you?
Feeling restless because you didn’t find the kind of help you were looking for? Don’t worry we got you covered.
Let us begin: how will you figure out whether you need a humidifier at home or not? Because the right amount of humidity is an important aspect to maintain. Especially during winter, cold and dry air can create issues making it uncomfortable to breathe.
A hygrometer is used to measure the humidity levels. Measure the humidity level at home. The ideal relative humidity for health and comfort is somewhere between 30-50% humidity, according to the Mayo Clinic. Basically, it should not exceed more than 60%. If it reaches 30% and below, you need a humidifier
However, an optimal range for humidity in your home is 40-50%. Your goal isn’t to have it perfectly at some fixed number – that’s not pragmatic
Well, a humidifier can help us hinder the troubles brought by dry air. The primary function of the humidifiers is to add moisture to the air, making breathing easier and making the air inside the house comfortable to breathe.
The primary job of the humidifier works to convert liquid water into a fine mist which is released into a room to increase the humidity.
Table of Contents
Where Should You Place Your Humidifier?- Humidifier Placement Guide
What factors to consider while placing the humidifier?
The placement of a humidifier is just as essential as the size and durability of the humidifier. A large, strong humidifier will only be as effective as where it is put to operate.
Generally, here are three key factors to consider when looking for a place to put your humidifier:
- Proximity to objects: As mentioned the primary function of the humidifier is to boost the humidity of the air from the water tank. But one important thing to keep in mind is that humidifiers are to be kept away from things/ devices that are affected by getting wet. As the excess moisture released by the humidifier can condense the nearby objects. The risk of leaking comes along with all humidifiers. Keep it at a safe distance from wooden objects and electronic gadgets. Also, the water tank needs to be refilled to ensure it is accessible.
If you’re having severe congestion, sinus problems, or other similar cold or flu symptoms, a warm mist humidifier near the bed will be helpful.
That’s because warm mist products create a warm air mist in the form of steam which has a relieving effect similar to a hot, steamy shower. Heavily moist, warm air comforts nasal and sinus passageways.
When you’re sick having a humidifier located next to your bed is not only acceptable, it will help you directly inhale the gentle warm mist making you feel better. - Airflow.
Humidifiers require sufficient airflow in order to distribute moisture to the air evenly. Constraints to airflow will cause surplus moisture to build up in a small area. To have an accurate humidity reading, keep your humidifier away from your doors and windows. - Room size. How vast is the room you want to humidify? A Spacious area such as the living room will have the humidifier placed in the center so that the moisture is evenly distributed in the entire space. Do consider the size of the humidifier when sufficient for the room size
- Safety:
When you are using an electric device another important aspect is safety when it comes to any electric device. Safety is always a higher priority than convenience. Steam humidifiers get hot and can cause burns if mismanaged. In case you are using a steam using steam or a warm mist humidifier, ensure that your humidifier is kept out of the reach of children.
What Room Should You Place Your Humidifier In?
We all wished it was as simple as saying keep it where it is needed the most. But a little more to this we would like to add. In case you have a large house with an open floor plan then you will have to place the humidifier where people gather often.
Keep a check on the humidity levels with the help of a hygrometer. Position it in an area where you want to check the humidity levels. The reading will be delivered after 5 mins. It is suggested to keep the humidifier in the same room where the humidifier is placed. As many humidifiers don’t come with a built-in humidistat
It’s also a good idea to put your hygrometer in the same room that your humidifier is in. Many portable humidifiers do not have a built-in humidistat, so they have no way of telling you what the actual humidity reading is inside of the room. This is where your hygrometer comes into play. You’ll be able to see what the humidity level is inside of the room and adjust your humidifier’s settings accordingly.
But before that we move ahead with the placement we need to understand the different types of humidifiers
Types of humidifiers:
Though they may be similar in how they look from the outside, it is important to know about their individual characteristics.
Here are 3 types of humidifiers for home and personal use:
- Warm mist
- Cool mist
- Evaporative
Warm mist and cool are fairly similar but have some definite differences. Evaporative models are less common but it has their own fair share of advantages (and disadvantages) the other 2 don’t have.
Let us understand it in detail:
- Warm mist models
The warm mist models generate vapor by using electrical power to generate heat and create a gentle, low-temperature vapor in the form of steam. They’re optimal if you tend to suffer from colds, congestion, and wintertime.
The impediment is that they add heat to a room as the water mist released warms before it escapes the device. In addition to this, they don’t have dial control like cool mist models.
- Cool mist models
The cool mist models are typically used for power saver mode such as an ultrasonic device to produce a super-fine mist at room temperature. They help to conserve energy and are particularly well-suited to dry climate use.
Their distinct characteristics include near-silent operation and many models allow for finer output level controls
- Evaporative humidifiers:
The working of evaporative humidifiers is very simple: water evaporates (aided by a fan) with a special setup intended to raise the humidity in a room. One characteristic is that these evaporative humidifiers cannot raise a room’s humidity level too high (above 60%).
Should You Place the Humidifier on a Table or on the Floor?
Want to know which is the best place to keep the humidifier?
There are a few parameters that will help you conclude whether to keep the humidifier on the table, shelf, or floor:
Is the humidifier purposefully placed purposefully to be placed on the floor?
Few large humidifiers are designed to be kept on the floor. If the humidifier is tall or has wheels on it, that’s a clear sign that it is designed to be placed directly on the floor. It is said that if the humidifier is over 2’ tall, then it can be placed on the floor.
Is it an ultrasonic or evaporative humidifier?
Ultrasonic and evaporative humidifiers work separately from each other. Mostly, ultrasonic humidifiers should be placed up high to work adequately. If an ultrasonic humidifier is placed too close to the ground, then mist droplets may assemble on the floor. Evaporative humidifiers do not have this concern. However, the only thing with warm mist (steam) evaporative humidifiers generate heat – so it can become a safety hazard if a child is nearby.
Generally, you can’t go wrong with putting your humidifier on a table. Just make sure that you have a tray or cloth in place to collect water in case of leaks. If you need to place your humidifier on the floor, be sure that it is designed for that purpose. If it is a cool-mist humidifier, make sure it is tall enough to dissipate moisture into the air.
Humidifier Placement For Bedrooms
Bedrooms are one of the most predominant locations for a humidifier. As you spend quite an important part of your routine i.e. to sleep. Nobody wants to wake up in the middle of the night with dry sinuses or itchy skin.
One key thing to note is to keep the humidifier at least 3 feet away from the bed. As you don’t want to breathe in the direct discharge of moisture from the humidifier.
A suitable place for the humidifier is on a shelf or on the floor away from the bed. Just ensure that the humidifier won’t ruin anything if a leak happens by any chance (they do happen! Don’t take the risk). If you have no option other than placing the humidifier on a wooden shelf or carpeted floor, placing the humidifier on a plastic tray to catch water in case of leaks is a better solution.
Understand that it is important to keep your humidifier away from any windows or sources of sunlight. Sunlight on a humidifier can trigger algae growth in the water, so it is advisable to keep your humidifier away from the light.
If you are employing an ultrasonic humidifier, then you will have to place the humidifier in a location that is elevated above the floor. It would be suitable for you to place an ultrasonic humidifier on a nightstand, as long as the mist is released in a direction away from the bed.
Humidifier Placement For Living Rooms
It is really one of the rational decisions to place your humidifier in the living room, where you and all your family members spend a lot of good time together. So, everyone will get all the possible perks from a humidifier.
Discovering the best place for a humidifier in a living room is a bit complex. Since the living room is usually the largest room in a house, you’ll have to think through it before finalizing the place to keep the humidifier.
First, consider where people tend to bunch up in your living room. You’ll want to place your humidifier where people can breathe good air (neither dry nor too moist) but at the same time ensure that it doesn’t get in away. For this intent, placing the humidifier on a shelf or table usually works fine. Just be on the safer side and keep a tray or cloth below the humidifier, won’t damage anything in case it leaks, or it has a tray underneath it to collect water.
Measure the humidity of the air using the hygrometer. Herehygrometer in here the humidifier is kept around the living room especially. If the humidity levels are not up to the mark then adjust the nozzle to make it spray in a different direction.
Where Should You Put a Humidifier In Your Baby’s Room?
A humidifier in your baby’s room will safeguard them from dry skin, allergens, viruses, and congestion. However, it is sometimes difficult for parents to find the right place in the nursery for the humidifier.
If so, there are a few things you need to keep in mind.
First of all, you need to keep the device a minimum of an arm’s reach far away from your baby for safety. Since children are prone to fidgeting with things, consider setting your humidifier on a nightstand, dresser, or shelf.
Ensure to keep a tray or a towel below the humidifier for any leakage or spills, and leave the door of the room slightly open for fresh air circulation.
Besides this, follow the same guidelines as for your other rooms, of a three-foot distance from their beds for optimum health benefits. Note you can opt for cool-mist humidifiers instead of warm-mist ones to prevent any unfortunate accidents.
Where Not to Put a Humidifier?
After figuring out the ideal spot to place the humidifier, We also need to know where should we not place/avoid the humidifier:
- Don’t keep the humidifier where sunlight directly falls in it, as it can lead to rapid bacterial growth and exacerbate your respiratory issues.
- Do not keep your humidifier plainly on the carpet or wooden furniture to avoid mold from the humid discharge. Besides this, keeping it on the floor directly can create slippery water puddles.
- Keep your humidifier away from electrical equipment, along with laptops, phones, TVs, vacuums, and even ovens. The humid air is capable of rusting your gadgets and even starting fires.
- Similarly, make sure to keep your humidifier at a distance from electrical sockets too. Apart from rusting, you can get short circuits from the moisture that has accumulated in the sockets.
- Do not place your humidifier too far from your eyes. Keep it an easy-to-access location for emergencies and regular servicing.
- Don’t keep your humidifier on for long periods or in an already humid room. Just like dry air, too much moisture has injurious to health.
Final Thoughts
Selecting a bedroom humidifier or humidifier for any other room. A large humidifier or portable one ensures that the placement of those humidifiers is appropriate. KeepingKeep the humidifier high up and away from wooden and electronic objects is a better choice. Keep the humidifier on the tray or a cloth to catch leaks.
Measure the humidity before and after starting up your humidifier, using the hygrometer to measure the humidity levels inside your room. Use those measurements to make an informed decision on any adjustments you might need to make.