Overall, humidifiers are a great way to give your immune system and skin an extra boost to stay healthy all year round, no matter the weather outside.
You might feel the need to run your humidifier all day and night. Although it's not dangerous to do so, it's usually unnecessary.
While we recommend using a humidifier during the spring and summer months in addition to the fall and winter months, using a humidifier during winter is particularly compelling. As we discussed in the previous section, the winter months are devoid of moisture, making regular humidifier use essential to optimal health.
If you live in a drier climate, you can benefit greatly from using a humidifier in the summer—especially if you use air conditioning, which is known to dry out your skin and hair, and even your eyes and throat.
Many people with central humidifiers go into the cooling season forgetting to shut down the humidifier for the summer. A central air conditioner will not cool or dehumidify properly if the humidifier is running. So please remember to turn your humidifier off at the end of each heating season.
It is a small change, but using a humidifier at night can make a big difference. It can help you to sleep better and help your body stay healthy. During both the winter and summer, in particular, maintaining a relative humidity level between 40 and 60% indoors has a number of surprising benefits.
Although running your humidifier all night is perfectly safe, there are humidifier safety tips to bear in mind: Monitor your home humidity levels: The optimal home humidity levels range from 40% to 60%. Humidity levels exceeding 60% create a breeding ground for mold and bacteria, which can infiltrate your home.
Cold, dry air sucks out the moisture from your skin, causing all kinds of problems, such as dullness, dryness, flaking, and premature aging. Humidifiers can help treat those problems during the winter months. The indoor levels of humidity of furnace-heated air can decline to 10% or less.
By running your humidifier regularly, you can make a room feel warmer without having to run your heater. Many homeowners who get a humidifier find they can turn their thermostat down by a few degrees without getting any noticeable difference.
Place your ultrasonic humidifier at least 1 foot away from all walls, furniture, curtains, and other electronic appliances and point the mist nozzle into the middle of the room.
Given these factors, it's often recommended to run a humidifier for at least 12 hours per day, typically during sleeping hours when people spend the most time in the room.
Despite all the health benefits, there are also some risks associated with using a humidifier. For example, it is actually possible that a room can have too much moisture. If your humidifier is set too high, it can result in the proliferation of dust mites which can trigger allergy symptoms.
Setting up a humidifier is your best bet for improving indoor air quality and your breathing, says pulmonologist Kathrin Nicolacakis, MD. “When the air is dry, your respiratory system just isn't happy. Even if you have no medical problems at all, you can suffer,” she says.
While some issues can be alleviated through the use of a humidifier, it's important to note that too much humidity can also be an issue. Not only can over-humid air create its own health problems,1 but also it can also cause damage to paint, plaster, and wallpaper.
A humidifier is a necessity during the winter because the heated air from a furnace is dry. That dry air has a low humidity level that will absorb moisture from you and everything inside your home.
So, does a humidifier clean the air? No. Their function neither improves the quality of the air nor reduces the particles in it. Instead, humidifiers are devices that release water vapor or steam into the air to increase humidity levels in a room or throughout the home.
A dehumidifier makes the external conditions less welcoming to mold; by removing moisture, they reduce the chances of mold growth. An air purifier, however, removes mold spores from the air, making it harder for mold and mildew to create new colonies.
Placing your humidifier 2-4 feet above the ground is recommended for even moisture distribution. As humidifiers expel moisturized air at the top, it's necessary to keep a distance of 4 feet below the ceiling to avoid mold growth.
Measure moisture levels in your home using this type of device and keep them between 30% and 50% in winter. If needed, you can use a humidifier when the air is too dry. However, be sure to monitor moisture using a hygrometer. If moisture levels reach or exceed 50%, stop using the humidifier.
So, can you use tap water in a humidifier? While you technically can; it's not recommended. Instead, look for demineralized, distilled, and purified water at the store. This kind of water is less likely to result in mold and bacteria growth inside your humidifier.
Designed for small rooms, this 0.6-gallon humidifier has adjustable mist control to regulate the humidity level. The humidifier can operate for up to 24 hours on the lowest setting, and automatically shuts off when the tank is empty.
If you keep your humidifier in the bedroom, place it about five or six feet away from you. Putting it somewhere closer to you but not too close to directly breathe in the moisture can help improve your breathing without causing further issues.