Humidifier Maintenance
Protect Your Investment with Regular Checks
A humidifier is not a plug-it-in-and-leave-it appliance. A high-end humidifier will likely have less maintenance involved, but you still need to change the humidifier’s filter and ensure bacteria is not allowed to grow in the water.
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- Use distilled water. Chemicals in your tap water may become airborne and create mineral dust (white dust) on your furniture.
- Don’t overfill the reservoir. Stagnant water in a humidifier can circulate bacteria into the air. Models with UV light or antimicrobial filters can help with this. The reservoir the water is kept in should be cleaned out and sterilized regularly.
- Too much humidity can increase the occurrence of bacteria and mold in a room, in your ducts and in your furniture, etc. It can also damage parts of some machines! Keeping a moderate relative humidity level of about 40 percent is advised.
- Wash the humidifier’s removable, immersible parts once a month with dish soap. Make sure that all mold and mildew buildup is removed. Dry them thoroughly.
- Change the filter as the filter manufacturer explains. Do not use cleaners that are not approved and never reuse the same filter (unless it is a permanent filter). See more below.
- Avoid the use of aromatherapy products and do not improvise with modifications to your humidifier.
- Keep the vents dust-free. Dust that is on the humidifier can end up in the air.
- About once a year perform a full maintenance check, preferably by a service technician.
Obviously, unplug any equipment before undertaking any of these steps.
Read manufacturer’s instructions for cleaning your humidifier unit before doing anything else.
Replacing the filter
If filters are poorly treated they may create stagnant water, a cesspool for bacteria which can get into the air.
Things to consider when choosing a humidifier filter:
- The replacement cost. Shop around. There are many places to buy filters and you may be able to settle for generic brand filters.
- Your time. How much time is involved in changing and cleaning the filter? Do you have to clean it daily, weekly, monthly or seasonally? Some units require filter replacement every season while others may be bi-weekly and require a good cleaning. This might be a consideration at time of purchase.
- Your family. Does anyone in your family suffer from asthma or respiratory illnesses? If so, you get what you pay for, so spend the extra money and get the humidifier that’s right for your family, using the best filter on the market.
