Often times people look towards lotions or other ointments to treat dry skin, the same goes for itchy scalps, but there are more simple, effortless remedies that can save time and money. Humidifiers are becoming a common household item because of the benefits they offer not only for your skin but also for your overall health and home. With any appliance, they require installation and maintenance. To repair humidifiers or to simply understand the basic mechanics of one, it is important to know what a humidifier is and what it does for you.
Humidifiers are appliances used within the home to add moisture to the air. By adding moisture, the humidity increases. Humidifiers are particularly beneficial in drier seasons, such as winter. During winter our lungs, skin, lips, etc. dry out, which potentially leads to irritating skin, sleeping and respiratory conditions. The humidifier helps to reintroduce moisture into our bodies, which prevents or alleviates some of those conditions. There are different household humidifiers for different purposes. Each humidifier has its own benefits and drawbacks.
Smile hvac helped us to gather up-to-date information about humidifiers at home. Here are some different kinds of humidifiers in the market:
- Central Humidifiers – often built into your centralized AC or heating unit. This humidifier is used to add humidity to the whole house. Well designed and effective, but usually more expensive than the rest.
- Evaporators – this humidifier works by blowing air through a filter that has been moistened. This is an inexpensive way of increasing humidity; however, it only works in single rooms and poses the risk of introducing too much moisture into the air.
- Ultrasonic Humidifiers – this method of humidifying uses vibrations. Ultrasonic vibrations cause the air to vaporize and turn into a cool mist. These are a medium to high range price point according to the size of humidifier you are looking for.
- Steam vaporizers – heats water to create steam. This steam is then cooled and then blown out of the device. This is an inexpensive kind of humidifier. It is also very accessible as you can purchase them from a variety of stores. Unfortunately, it has the potential to cause burns if not properly handled.
- Impeller humidifiers – a disk is rotated at high speeds that produces a cool mist, which is then expelled out of the humidifier. This is also an inexpensive way to increase humidity, but it can only be used in single rooms
Figure 0-1: Ultrasonic Humidifier
The wide selection of humidifiers allows individuals and households to choose one according to their needs and situation. There are benefits and drawbacks of each kind, but why purchase a humidifier in the first place? Besides health considerations, there are also many other benefits that come with humidifiers. Here are 4 reasons why you need to buy a humidifier for your house:
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Health Benefits
Of course, the most important reason of purchasing a humidifier is for your health. Although humidifiers are seen as a natural remedy, there have been studies to support this hypothesis: they help with flus and colds. Viruses thrive in colder, drier climates. When humidity is introduced, a large portion of virus particles are deactivated. Furthermore, even if you do catch a cold, humidifiers may help to alleviate symptoms and allow you to recover faster. Issues of congestion, sore throat and breathing can be reduced by getting moisture into your airway and nasal cavity, which may also help with asthma conditions.
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Dry Skin and Hair
During the winter time, knuckles and lips often dry and crack. In part, the dry air contributes to dry skin. When you use Chapstick or lotion, you are rehydrating your lips or skin. Dry air may also lead to irritated eyes and a dry scalp. Using a humidifier will increase the moisture in the air that your skin can absorb. This will help keep your skin softer and smoother. The same goes for the scalp. Dry air often strips away natural oils that you have, which leads to scaling or flaking—dandruff. By using a humidifier you are managing the natural oils you have on your scalp.
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Snoring
Similar to remove congested airways and nasal cavities when sick, humidifiers may help to alleviate the dryness in your throat that occurs when sleeping. Often times snoring is contributed to a constricted airway and an open mouth. Dryness sets in when your mouth is open, which forces mucus to overcompensate and leads to a constricted airway. Snoring is the vibrations heard from having a constricted airway. The humidifier helps to bring moisture to your airway and helps to soothe your throat. This in turn prevents constriction, which then prevents snoring.
Figure 0-2: Steam vaporizer used for someone sleeping
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Plants and wood
Moisture helps with the physical wellbeing of people, and it also helps with the wellbeing of your home as well. Moisture can help keep particular houseplants healthy and thriving. By introducing moisture into the air, you are allowing your plants to absorb it as well. Additionally, any wooden floors may also benefit from having moisture introduced to it. Wood that dries out can lead to splitting or cracking. By maintaining an appropriate amount of moisture in the air, you will be help to retain the wood’s integrity and shape.
So, why should you get a humidifier in the first place? There are drawbacks to anything that need to be considered and researched, but by maintaining an appropriate level of humidity in the air there are major benefits not only for your health but for your home as well.
Humidifiers are becoming more and more popular today. People are concerned about their health and environment at home. It positively affects your body as well as increase the quality of your sleep. All these in total improve your mental health and makes you happy. So, if you still don’t have a humidifier – there are plenty of reasons to buy it and use it every day!
