Any suggestion for humidifier?

If you do not have asthma, then you can choose cool or warm mist, otherwise you should consider cool mist only. Warm mist humidifier usually can raise the humidity in faster rate.

Other than cool/warm mist, there are only 2 types of humidifier, evaporative or ultrasonic type. Ultrasonic type MUST use distilled water to ensure there is no white dust issue, but it is quieter than evaporative humidifier. Evaporative humidifier is the most economical humidifier because you can use any kind of water and will not have white dust issue. I would recommend the Honeywell Evaporative Warm Mist Humidifier.

https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/hone ... ml?loc=plp

ccya965041 wrote: ↑ If you do not have asthma, then you can choose cool or warm mist, otherwise you should consider cool mist only. Warm mist humidifier usually can raise the humidity in faster rate.

Other than cool/warm mist, there are only 2 types of humidifier, evaporative or ultrasonic type. Ultrasonic type MUST use distilled water to ensure there is no white dust issue, but it is quieter than evaporative humidifier. Evaporative humidifier is the most economical humidifier because you can use any kind of water and will not have white dust issue. I would recommend the Honeywell Evaporative Warm Mist Humidifier.

https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/hone ... ml?loc=plp

Thanks, so I can use tap water for that with no issues? No filters to change or clean? Its cheaper on amazon: https://www.amazon.ca/Honeywell-HWM440W ... B089WKB1S2

Spiritualx wrote: ↑ Thanks, so I can use tap water for that with no issues? No filters to change or clean? Its cheaper on amazon: https://www.amazon.ca/Honeywell-HWM440W ... B089WKB1S2

No filter to replace, you only need to use vinegar to clean up every 2-4 weeks (depends on your usage, how hard for the water). I used it for 2 years and it still works great.

When you will not use the humidifier for a whole week, you should discharge the water.

I would recommend getting a hygrometer first to see if you actually need a humidifier given that Ontario has high humidity even in winter months...you don't state your location so I'm going to assume you're in Ontario.

hierophant wrote: ↑ I would recommend getting a hygrometer first to see if you actually need a humidifier given that Ontario has high humidity even in winter months...you don't state your location so I'm going to assume you're in Ontario.

Montreal. Mine says 32% in my room. Its quite dry, need it around 45% or so

Spiritualx wrote: ↑ Montreal. Mine says 32% in my room. Its quite dry, need it around 45% or so

Montreal has high humidity as well...right now it's 81%.

30-40% range is normal for the winter months. If you're finding it dry then likely you have the heat pretty high, which many people crank up due to humidity vs. cold.

You can also add moisture to your room by adding plants or a dish of water, which might be a better option than getting an appliance that consumes energy.

hierophant wrote: ↑ Montreal has high humidity as well...right now it's 81%.

30-40% range is normal for the winter months. If you're finding it dry then likely you have the heat pretty high, which many people crank up due to humidity vs. cold.

You can also add moisture to your room by adding plants or a dish of water, which might be a better option than getting an appliance that consumes energy.

Thanks for the suggestion, I'll think about it!

We heat to 20 here and the relative humidity hovers around 30-45% in the winter months. Around 30-35, it's pretty rough. Static shocks, dry eyes and inside of the nose, and skin.

We've been looking to get a couple of humidifiers but it seems like all types of humidifiers have serious drawbacks, from "white dust" when using tap water to rather involved maintenance or high power usage...

djzapz wrote: ↑ We heat to 20 here and the relative humidity hovers around 30-45% in the winter months. Around 30-35, it's pretty rough. Static shocks, dry eyes and inside of the nose, and skin.

We've been looking to get a couple of humidifiers but it seems like all types of humidifiers have serious drawbacks, from "white dust" when using tap water to rather involved maintenance or high power usage...

White dust issue is limited to Ultrasonic type humidifiers, this type you almost have to use distilled water to avoid this issue, high cost for the water supply but usually quieter. Evaporative humidifier (Warm mist) is by far very effective and no white dust issue with tap water (Super hard water/Well water).

ccya965041 wrote: ↑ White dust issue is limited to Ultrasonic type humidifiers, this type you almost have to use distilled water to avoid this issue, high cost for the water supply but usually quieter. Evaporative humidifier (Warm mist) is by far very effective and no white dust issue with tap water (Super hard water/Well water).

Might be our only option... but don't they use a significant amount of power?

djzapz wrote: ↑ Might be our only option... but don't they use a significant amount of power?

If you have used a power meter, you’ll surprised it doesn’t use a lot of electricity.

Spiritualx wrote: ↑
Montreal. Mine says 32% in my room. Its quite dry, need it around 45% or so

djzapz wrote: ↑ We heat to 20 here and the relative humidity hovers around 30-45% in the winter months. Around 30-35, it's pretty rough. Static shocks, dry eyes and inside of the nose, and skin.

We've been looking to get a couple of humidifiers but it seems like all types of humidifiers have serious drawbacks, from "white dust" when using tap water to rather involved maintenance or high power usage...

I keep indoor humidity around 45% in the winter. I find when it drops below 40% it feels very dry.

I use a Dyson humidifier/air purifier. It is the least cost effective option but it creates no white dust and cleaning is relatively easy compared to other types of humidifiers.

I've had a couple of different ones, the best has been PureGuardian. I've had 2 different ones. Easy to use, works great, no filters. I got rid of the big one and replaced with 2 smaller units... I can move them around easier and use them where needed. I think you only get the white dust if you have hard water? I never get it.

Costco instore and online have them. More options online.

Ultrasonic have above mentioned issue with "white dust" if you don't use distilled water, and the dust can damage electronics, and the humidifiers require regular cleaning. There is also indoor air quality (IAQ) issues with them because they will put everything in the air (see also white dust). They may disperse too much moisture which can make neighbouring furnishings damp.

Evaporative also need to be regularly cleaned and usually need the wick (sometimes called filter) replaced every couple of months to once per year, though if properly maintained don't have IAQ issues.

Impeller ones I haven't seen on the market recently. Concerns would be similar to Ultrasonic, plus very noisy.

A true warm mist humidifier (one that actually "boils" off the water, versus warming up mist from an ultrasonic), has slightly higher energy use, which partially offsets your required heating, and no IAQ issues. They do need periodic cleaning / descaling, but I feel less tendency for mildew.

I use a real cheap Vicks warm mist vaporizer / humidifier. No IAQ issues, no consumables to keep track of (no need for distilled water or replacement wicks), generally ok about extended cleaning intervals, and I heat with electric so it doesn't really cost me extra. Based on how soft your water is you may need a couple shakes of salt to get it to work. There are copious reminders of this on the unit, on the box, on the cord, and 57 places in the manual, but based on online reviews a lot of people miss this step. I use it to bring a 930 sq ft house from 30% up to 40% even though the box says it's for a small room of 250 sq ft. I'll just top up the reservoir every day for a couple weeks, then clean and replenish the salt as required at that point. Descale once per season.

It has no humidistat, so I have it plugged into a smart plug and cycle it on and off to maintain the desired humidity.

Also depending on the outdoor temperature you may have to adjust your target % humidity to minimize condensation on your windows. Too high of humidity risks mold growing in your walls.

If you want to be real cheap you can use a slow cooker or a rice cooker.

Excellent article from McGill Office of Science and Society.
https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/criti ... umidifiers

Agrees, with what everyone posted so far, in that ultrasonic produces huge amounts of white dust unless you use distilled water (expensive):
“astonishingly high concentrations of indoor particulate matter” when using an ultrasonic humidifier with filtered or unfiltered tap water. scientists were quick to point out that the particles they were detecting were minerals commonly considered to be harmless to humans... but the net impact of breathing in large concentrations of these particles over long periods of time remains unknown

Warm mist simply boils the water, If you have young children, there may be a concern the "warm mist" could burn the child. But the other concern is bacteria:
you may think bacteria are not an issue since this type of humidifier boils water, but you would be wrong. Consumer Reports tested a number of warm mist humidifiers and when bacteria were present in the tank (either from normal growth after three days or because they were purposefully added in the tank), they found that almost all of these humidifiers emitted bacteria into the air. Labels such as “germ-free mist” or “antimicrobial material” offered no such protection. These bacteria may not always cause disease but could lead to an exacerbation of a pre-existing allergy or asthma.

Evaporative: using wick or rotor: Can be noisy.
There is a type of humidifier that did not emit bacteria in Consumer Reports’ testing: wick-based humidifiers. These machines have a fan that blows liquid water onto a thick paper wick that acts as a filter and that turns the water into a fine mist. They can be noisy and the wick filter has to be replaced every few months because it can become moldy. A similar type of cool mist humidifier uses an impeller (a rotor) to blow water out into tiny droplets that hang in the air.
The will produce some white dust, but much less than ultrasonic. As for impeller humidifiers, the one study I could find was published in 1988 by the Environmental Protection Agency and reveals the models they tested generated one-third the mass of particles that the ultrasonic humidifiers did. Less, but not nothing

Another confusing thing is "cool mist" is sometimes used as another name for ultrasonic, and sometimes it can refer to evaporative,

hierophant wrote: ↑ Montreal has high humidity as well...right now it's 81%.

30-40% range is normal for the winter months. If you're finding it dry then likely you have the heat pretty high, which many people crank up due to humidity vs. cold.

You can also add moisture to your room by adding plants or a dish of water, which might be a better option than getting an appliance that consumes energy.

That 81% is relative humidity. Colder air can hold less water. When you bring that air inside and heat it up, the relative humidity drops, hence the dryness in a heated house.

81% in 0C air is very different from 81% in 23C air.

I use this one: https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/air- ... #store=220

Does have a filter that needs to be replaced every year - this year it's lasted the whole season so far. I use regular tap water and the anti-bactetial stuff they sell.

It does the job in my house. I put it near a cold air return and the house hovers around the right humidity. Makes a huge difference to indoor air quality. No static either.

multimut wrote: ↑ you may think bacteria are not an issue since this type of humidifier boils water, but you would be wrong. Consumer Reports tested a number of warm mist humidifiers and when bacteria were present in the tank (either from normal growth after three days or because they were purposefully added in the tank), they found that almost all of these humidifiers emitted bacteria into the air.

And interestingly from their test, the el-cheapo Vicks model I have, didn't release any bacteria.


Edit: Here is a link to a PDF report Consumer Reports sent the EPA on their test findings:
https://web.archive.org/web/20160328041 ... Claims.pdf

This is testing is about bacteria. I am curious about mold / fungus as mold spores can travel airborne, wonder in particular about the evaporative wick style.

Regardless of the technology, proper cleaning should be followed as standing water can breed stuff, and you are intentionally trying to release something (water) into the air, so you may breath in unintended materials.