How to use an air humidifier: the intricacies of operating and refueling air conditioning devices

Agree, if you do not know how to use the humidifier correctly, you can quickly break it. To avoid damage to the device, we recommend that you first read its instructions, and then read our article.

It gives basic recommendations for using the humidifier in an ordinary apartment or office.

Why air humidifiers?

A humidifier is a unique device. It is necessary to create the optimal indoor microclimate.

Also important functions of this device include:

• maintaining the desired level of humidity in the room;
• elimination of charges of static electricity (they can occur in overdried air);
• air purification from dust and microparticles of dirt, etc.

Humidifiers prevent the development of various diseases of the upper and lower respiratory tract. They render beneficial effect on the skin, hair and nails, preventing the aging process. Also, these devices can be used to prevent nosebleeds in adults and children.

General Operating Instructions for Humidifiers

Before turning on the humidifier in the network, you need to check the tightness of its body and cord. If the case has cracks and the wire is damaged, you cannot connect the product to a power outlet. If the device fails, contact a service center.

On it (as on any other equipment) a guarantee is given. But the warranty is void if you repair the humidifier yourself.

Features of activating an air humidifier

To turn on humidifier, it must first be connected to the mains by inserting the plug into a power outlet.Then (depending on the type of device), press the on / off button on the unit body or activate the device using the remote control.

When the humidifier is turned on, the green indicator on its case lights up, and when turned off, the red icon lights up

All additional humidifier functions are indicated on the display after switching on. To activate them, press the desired button on the LCD screen.

Features of using different types of humidifiers

The humidifier must be placed on a dry and even surface. The device must be in a stable position, otherwise it may tip over during operation. Tilting the device may interfere with its proper functioning.

Installing the humidifier at a slight angle is not worth it even if it is well fixed

Before turning on the traditional type of humidifier, you need to place a filter in the water tray, attach the lower part of the device and fix the case.

Then fill the tank with distilled water and close the lid. After that, put the container on the bottom, turn on the device and select the most suitable mode using the switch on the product’s case.

If you need to turn on the steam humidifier, then it should be pre-charged with water, following the liquid level indicator in the device. Then you need to turn on the device and select the operating mode.

During operation, a green indicator will light on the device. When all the water has evaporated from the tank, the indicator will turn red, and the unit itself will automatically turn off.

When using an ultrasonic humidifier, the day before it is turned on, it is necessary to place the cartridge for demineralization in a container with clean water. The next day, it is necessary to fill the tank with water, close it with a lid and insert it into the body. After that, you should put the part with the sprayer and turn on the unit in the network.

Ultrasonic humidifiers are among the most modern and functional equipment, and therefore they are often used in offices and other commercial premises

If everything is done correctly, the green indicator on the device will light up. Then you need to select the appropriate mode and adjust the indicator of the desired humidity. When this parameter is reached, the humidifier will shut itself off.

Humidifier Safety Precautions

Before turning on the humidifier, you must familiarize yourself with its operating instructions. It gives general recommendations on the use of the device.

At the same time, when using a humidifier of any type, it is forbidden:

• add fluid to the tank of the switched on device;
• use dirty water;
• rearrange the device plugged in;
• add flavoring substances directly to the water (there is a special compartment for this);
• pour water into the humidifier through the hole designed for the exit of water vapor;
• block this hole, etc ..

The operating time of the device depends on its design features. Steam humidifiers can achieve the desired level of moisture in just a couple of hours. But traditional models usually work more slowly and sometimes saturate the air with moisture for 10-12 hours.

Information on how long and in what mode the humidifier should work in order to achieve the optimum level of humidity in the room can be found in the instructions.

Water is heavier than air, and humidified air flows automatically descend, and therefore it is better to install the device on a small elevation from the floor (for example, on a stool, coffee table, wall shelf or bedside table). Devices with large tanks (8–9 L) can be placed on a cabinet or high shelves.

When choosing the best place to install a humidifier in a living room or office, you need to unplug it from the outlet

A small humidifier should be at a minimum distance of 50 cm from the floor. If you put the device on the floor, a small puddle will soon appear around it.

Due to the nature of the operation, this device cannot be placed next to:

• electrical appliances;
• walls (otherwise ugly stains may appear on the wallpaper);
• upholstered furniture;
• books and clothes;
• central heating batteries (because they, on the contrary, dry the air and can negate the benefits of using a humidifier).

The distance from these objects to the humidifier should be about 30 cm so that moisture does not settle on them. Fine particles of water (after all, steam is one of the states of aggregation of water) that fall on technical devices can disrupt the operation of any equipment.

There should be enough free space around the household humidifier with any principle of operation for normal air circulation

If there is an aquarium in the room, then do not put a humidifier next to it. This is simply not practical, because water also evaporates from the aquarium, moistening the air. Those. a double moisturizing effect is created, which can also negatively affect the indoor microclimate. Due to too much humidity in the apartment pulmonary diseases worsen, and mold appears on the walls.

If there are children or pets in the house, the device should be placed outside their reach. In this case, even a small humidifier will be appropriate to install on a cabinet or high shelf.

Sometimes for the humidifier they design something like a plastic grille or a fence so that small children, dogs and cats do not reach it

If the apartment does not have small children and pets, then the humidifier can be placed in the middle of the room at some distance from the furniture. But the device should not impede free movement.

It is also important to remember that the humidifier is powered by the mains, so it must be installed close to the outlet. If possible, you should refuse to use surge protectors, extension cords and adapters, as these are additional connections and extra contacts.

What water can be used in the humidifier?

Not only the duration of the operation of the device, but also the nature of the effect of the device on the human body depends on the quality of water poured into the humidifier. If you use ordinary tap water in the unit, the salts and chlorides dissolved in it will fall into humidified air, and then will be in the respiratory tract of all people in the room.

Children suffer especially bad water from the humidifier, because they breathe at a faster rate and intensity than adults, and therefore a lot of harmful substances will get into their lungs and bronchi

Also, the use of dirty tap water adversely affects the functioning of the parts of the device. Scale forms on them, and the elements quickly become unusable.

To avoid this, you need to use only pure water (bottled, distilled, demineralized, spring or artesian).

In addition, boiled and filtered water can be poured into the device, but this is often not recommended.

Some chemical compounds (including salts) in tap water are not filtered and do not precipitate after boiling, and therefore in the future they can adversely affect the health of households and the work of the humidifier itself.

Settling tap water will not bring much effect either. Usually, water is sedimented for 7-8 hours, assuming that in the first 2 hours compounds of chlorine and hydrogen sulfide escape from the liquid, and then particles of heavy metals are removed from it. But in fact, it still will not be purified.

It is best to adhere to the rule: pour only the water that you can give your child or drink yourself to the humidifier tank

Today, many people are afraid to drink even filtered and boiled tap water, so why pour it into humidifiers? It is more advisable to spend money on normal clean water now than to look for money for medicines later.

Pure artesian water is sold even in vending machines on the streets, and it is inexpensive. Clean, moist air will automatically increase pulmonary immunity, and saving “on matches” (on elemental water!) Will not lead to anything good.

If the humidifier does not use all the water from the tank per day, it still needs to be changed and the container cleaned. The fact is that a warm and important environment is perfect for the reproduction of bacteria.

After turning off the device, pour out all the water and wash the tank if the device will not be used within the next few hours

The humidifier should not stand with water. When servicing the humidifier and draining the water, it must be disconnected from the mains. Otherwise, it may cause electric shock.

How to add oil to a moisturizer?

Aromatic oils may not be added to all humidifiers. Never pour oil directly into the spray tank. The device must support the function of aromatherapy and have a special compartment in which essential oils are added and specific compounds are poured.

Such devices include:

• steam humidifiers;
• ultrasound models;
• devices with washing function.

In their design there is a special cartridge or container. It is there that oil is poured, which during the operation of the humidifier is sprayed in parallel with water. All aromatic oils poured into the spraying unit must be of high quality and original.

After each procedure, it is necessary to rinse the device well (including cassettes for aromatic oils) so that different oil liquids do not mix with each other

The volume of essential oil used depends on the area of ​​the room. Experts recommend applying no more than 5 drops for every 15 sq.m. area. If these proportions are violated, all the benefits of aromatherapy disappear, headaches, allergic reactions, and nausea can occur.

As for the duration of the procedure, an air humidifier with essential oils should not work like a normal sink. At the first application, it is better to turn off the device after half an hour or an hour of aromatherapy and look at your condition.

In case of dizziness or increased blood pressure, the duration of the session should be reduced.

How to clean the humidifier?

Any humidifier needs periodic cleaning. To clean the device from scale, you need to get a water tank and disconnect from the device all the parts that are possible. If there is any water remaining in the tank, pour it out and rinse the tank thoroughly under the tap.

Before pouring detergent into the humidifier tank, wipe the case of the device with a soft cloth with a solution of ordinary table vinegar

The humidifier membrane is cleaned with a special brush, which is sold complete with the device. If this brush is lost, it can be bought separately at household goods stores.

Alternatively, a small sponge without metallic threads or fleece fabric is sometimes used. To maintain the tightness of the sealing material, you must carefully dry the device between applications, removing the plug.

Use only soft cloths to clean the water tank. Hard brushes can scratch the inside of the tank. If too much limescale has accumulated in the container, you need to take a toothbrush with soft bristles and ordinary table vinegar 9-15%.

To clean the humidifier with vinegar:

1. Open a balcony or window, as vapors of acetic acid adversely affect health.
2. Dilute half a glass of vinegar (100 ml) in 2.5 l of clean water at room temperature.
3. Pour the mixture into the tank of the device.
4. Connect the humidifier to the outlet and start it in fast mode for an hour (the spout of the device should be turned towards the window, it is better to leave the room at this time by closing the door tightly).
5. Turn off the humidifier, disassemble and thoroughly rinse each part with water.

In addition to vinegar, citric acid, soda, hydrogen peroxide and bleaches with chlorine can be used to clean the device. Citric acid helps to remove plaque safely.

Baking soda destroys putrefactive film and mold inside the device, which may appear due to high humidity. Hydrogen peroxide disinfects the humidifier tank. Bleachers destroy pathogenic microflora in the tank and prevent its reproduction.

In addition to folk remedies for cleaning the humidifier, you can use purchased scale preparations: Top House, Luxus Professional Technics, Unicum, BONECO A7417 Calc Off, etc.

The filters in the humidifier must be changed every few months. The exact replacement time depends on the type of device and the quality of the water used in the device.

Also, these filters must be washed periodically under running water. It is impossible to use aggressive chemistry to clean them: its residues cannot be completely washed off with water.

The effect of open windows on the humidifier

Any humidifier is designed to work in a room of a certain area. If in the passport of the device it is said that it is suitable for humidification of a room of 20 sq.m., then for a hall of 40 sq.m. the unit will be useless. In this case, the device can provide a normal microclimate only if all the doors and windows in the room are closed.

If a window, door or window is open in the room, then the humidifier’s performance will drop. This will happen for two reasons. Firstly, due to open doors and windows, the area of ​​the room will increase. Secondly, dry air will enter the room from the street or from other rooms and reduce humidity.

The stronger the influx of dry cold air from the street, the faster the humidity in the living room will decrease.

Moreover, air humidity directly depends on its temperature. Cold air contains less moisture than warm. For example, at +20, the air contains 17.3 g / m³ water vapor, and at 0 degrees the maximum content is already 4.84 g / m³.

If you want to ventilate the room, then it is more rational to do this before turning on the device. But you should not leave the humidifier on all night with the window closed. Sleeping in a stuffy room, even with normal humidity, is unpleasant.

In the cold season, due to the working batteries or heaters, the microclimate in the room will resemble the tropics: it will become hot and humid

The humidifier should be used not only in winter, but also in summer. In an apartment, the air may become too dry due to actively working air conditioners and climatic (weather) factors. For humidification in the summer, it is best to use models with cold steam and ultrasonic devices.

Common problems when using a humidifier

Sometimes when operating humidifiers, a number of problems arise. At the same time, you can deal with many device malfunctions yourself.

If the air humidifier does not turn on, you need to check the presence of water in the tank and make sure that the device is really connected to the mains. Often, users simply forget to plug the air humidifier into a power outlet and, as a result, cannot understand for a long time why it does not work.

If fine water dust does not come out of the steam outlet, wash the appliance thoroughly. These holes are often clogged with detergent residues. In addition to additional cleaning, you can use the regulator to set a higher percentage of humidity.

Also, the absence of steam sometimes indicates that the fluid reservoir is full and the inlet channel is flooded.In this case, you need to drain a little water and turn on the device again.

If this does not help, it is necessary to check the condition of the membrane and the mechanism that sets it in motion. If they are damaged, you will have to contact a service center.

If spraying is too weak, accompanied by noise, check the amount of water in the tank. This can happen if the tank is no longer liquid, but the device does not automatically turn off.

In ultrasonic models, such a malfunction may indicate contamination of the ultrasonic transducer. In this case, the converter must be removed, cleaned, dried and installed back into the humidifier.

If a whitish coating appears on the walls of the humidifier and objects in the room, you need to change the filter and start using purified distilled water

If there is an unpleasant odor from a working humidifier, you need to check the water and the membrane. A similar smell may indicate that the water in the tank has stagnated and bloomed. Then it is necessary to drain the liquid and wash the tank. If the membrane itself becomes dirty, rinse the emitter thoroughly with clean water and dry it well.

If the display does not work (does not light up), it is better to contact a service center specialist. Such malfunctions indicate damage to the electronic component of the device.

With a guide to the manufacture of the simplest device for humidification will introduce next article, which we advise everyone who is interested in improving the microclimate of the surrounding space to read.

Conclusions and useful video on the topic

Proper use of an air humidifier increases its effectiveness. When installing the device, you should read the instructions and find the most suitable place in the room for the device.

Also, before you start using the humidifier, you should watch the video instruction to avoid common mistakes:

An air humidifier can be used both in the apartment and in the office. You can even let children in to the device, just tell them in advance the basic rules for operating the device.

Do you want to share your own experience in the selection, operation and maintenance of an air humidifier? Do you have useful information on the topic of the article, which should be reported to site visitors? Please leave comments in the form below the block, ask questions, publish a photo.