Question: Humidifiers? What type is best?

[WaterGirl]

Thoughts on what humidifier would work best for the following area - ski condo heated with electric wall heater and wood burning stove, somewhat hard water. Not sure if want to lug distilled water to feed the humidifier but don't want "dust" either. Use a Zero water pitcher to filter drinking water, so could use that filtered water for humidifier. No small children or pets. Have used the cheap Vicks hot air humidifier but want to invest in something better. I've done a little research but would be interested in what works for other Divas....

 

[nopoleskier]

I too have been looking for a room model and a portable one to take west skiing! I have one of those Vicks models too. While in aspen at the Element the hotel provided one (sorry I forgot the name) it looked like a keurig w/water reservoir, auto shut off, (one requirement) it held enough water to run 6-8hrs (2nd requirement) I would want one that could put out all night mist. During a stay at Alta lodge they gave us salt packets to put a pinch in the water.
I noticed a big difference sleeping with humidifier in the room it definitely helped w/sleeping at altitude.

 

[Jilly]

Not sure what you're talking about with the "Vicks", but I have 2 different types. One is ultrasonic and one is boiled water. Hard water does not go well with either. The Ultrasonic is a cool mist and leave a dust on everything. The warm, boiling water is a kid hazard, but that is not a problem you say.

1. Wood stove - place a large tin can full of water on top of the stove. It will do the same thing as a vapourizer. We used a 28 oz tomato can on ours. Or you can get some fancy stuff at the wood stove store.
2. You can use tablets to clean a vapourizer/boiling water type of the hard water. Not sure if they have them for the Ultrasonic
3. The Ultrasonic last longer as the tank is bigger.
4. This is where I think you're calling some Vicks, the vapourizer type have a well that you can add medication, essential oils to.

I love the built in one on my furnace at home. I can't say I've had an issue at the condo at Tremblant except when we rented the unit with the wood stove. Usually with 2-3 people having showers in that small space its enough.

 

[MI-skier]

We lug the plain ole vicks steam humidifier on all our car trips. I hate filters. I have looked into buying something more but for the ease, cost and use, I haven't found anything better. A pinch of salt makes a big difference in output.

 

[CarverJill]

I'm totally confused about humidifiers. We have two kids close in age and got one for each when they were babies. One is the Vicks cool mist starry night one that doesn't put out any visible mist and the other puts out mist but is shaped like an elephant - I looked it up and is a Crane ultrasonic cool mist ( https://www.amazon.com/Crane-USA-Humidifiers-Ultrasonic-Whisper-Quiet/dp/B000GWHDES). Both have filters but the elephant one one can go w/o a filter I think. I have never had a ski hotel that had a humidifier I could use; usually they are moldy or broken. Looking forward to learning more in this thread.

 

[Christy]

We always have Sun Valley Lodge put a humidifier in our room and boy does it make a difference. Without it my skin is so dry that I feel like my skin and lips are going to crack and fall off. I've been wondering if there is a travel size humidifier that works well to take on trips to dry climates where we are not staying in a nice hotel. There seem to be a lot of different kinds and different price ranges.

 

[WaterGirl]

@Jilly raised some good points - I didn't want the ultrasonic b/c if the dust issue, and there are ways to increase humidity w/ out the vaporizer/humidifier such as using a can of water on the wood stove, showering, and I guess even boiling water for pasta. We don't always use the wood stove, and rely on the wall heaters to bring up the temperature upon arrival. So looking for something help with increasing humidity rather quickly. I was reading that even leaving a small amount of hot water in the bathtub overnight would increase humidity. Not sure if I want to do that in a hotel, but perhaps in my own condo. I'll try it since we have a tub/shower in the ensuite master bath.

@nopoleskier there seem to be several small travel humidifiers that would work in a hotel situation -The Best Personal Humidifier from Hamacher; BONECO Travel Cool Mist Ultrasonic Humidifier - 7146; HoMedics® Water Bottle Personal Travel Humidifier; Crane Ultrasonic Cool Mist Travel Humidifier etc.

@MI-skier yes its that cheap Vick's steam model - https://vicks.com/en-us/shop-products/vaporizers/v105sg-warm-steam-vaporizer. Tried and true, but sloshing water and no auto shut off make me want to upgrade for my current situation. Also I'm looking to use it in approximately 550 sq feet of space so probably need something bigger.

@CarverJill here is a good explanation - https://www.allergybuyersclub.com/learning/humidifiers-cool-mist-warm-review.html
I'm leaning towards the warm air / Vaporizer because I don't want to replace filters, don't wan't white dust, and like the idea that the water is "boiled" to remove bacteria etc.

In my research I did find that having the humidified air helps to acclimate to altitude = better sleep. Im all for that. I'm going from sea level with ocean humidity to mountain dry air @ 9K altitude.

So I'm leaning towards this model..... https://www.boneco.us/en-us/product-info/humidifiers/s250#overview seems to have nice features with removable tank and a filter that absorbs minerals. Cleaning mode. I guess one negative is can't "direct" the out put. Still doing some research before I buy. I do have the cheap Vicks model here at home that I can take up to the condo and use temporarily.

 

[Gloria]

I have the simple Vick’s and put hard well water in it all the time. Every once in awhile we put a tablespoon of salt in it and it’s lasted several years now. We used it for at least 3 weeks straight this summer during the fires with no problems. You can use a plug in timer with them. For super compact try checking luthier or woodworking sites, they make crazy little humidifiers and dehumidifiers that are also dust resistant.

 

[2ski2moro]

Maybe I'm just not understanding what you are doing by putting salt in a humidifier. Salt actually works as a dehumidifier. Salt attracts water (think about potato chips getting stale) and can take water out of the air.

Another thing I'm not understanding is the efficacy of portable/travel humidifiers. I saw one online that has a 20 ounce capacity, "so easy to use that you can use a standard water bottle up to 20 ounces." It will humidify a 100 square foot room. That means that the room is only 10'x10' and the cubic volume of the room is not considered. I'm not an engineer or scientist, but 20 ounces over 9 hours doesn't seem like much output to me. And my hotel rooms have been always been much larger than 10'x10'.

I think it's time for some experimentation.

1. How much water will one bath towel hold? If you put the soaking wet bath towel in front of the vent/rad/woodstove over night, how much moisture goes into the room as the towels dry? Two soaking wet towels? Are they dry in the morning?

2. If a standard bathtub holds 40 gallons, how much water will evaporate from the tub overnight? More than 20 ounces? If you direct a portable fan across the water (safety first, don't let it fall in the tub. Electricity and water don't mix.) How much more evaporation will occur than without the fan?

3. If a warm shower will fog a mirror with water vapor, will a travel humidifier fog the mirror at the same rate?

4. If you place 20 ounces of water in a bowl in front of the vent/rad/woodstove, does it evaporate overnight? How is that different from humidifying with a travel humidifier?

5. If you have a condo kitchen and can boil a pot of 20 ounces of water, how is that different from a 20 oz. travel humidifier? Maybe the heat from the burner will have an effect? So boil 30 ounces?

6. If you have a bubbler/airstone from an aquarium placed in a bucket of water, with it create more surface area on the water to significantly increase evaporation?

Enquiring minds...or is it Inquiring minds?

Just a note about cleaning, I know that vinegar is really effective in removing hard water crust. I use it for cleaning my aquarium fixtures.

 

[santacruz skier]

paging @vanhoskier ^^^^

 

[WaterGirl]

@2ski2moro I found the salt answer thanks to https://www.hunker.com/13408794/why-do-you-put-salt-in-a-humidifier - if its not right hopefully the scientists will chime in....

"In recent years, the dividing line between humidifiers and vaporizers has become blurred, and even some manufacturers use both terms to describe the same unit. Traditionally, a vaporizer was defined as a device to produce steam by heating water, while a humidifier was defined as a device that produced a cool mist that relied on other means, such as physically throwing tiny droplets into the air. Today, however, there are vaporizers marketed as "warm mist humidifiers" or "steam vaporizer humidifiers" that combine features of both humidifiers and vaporizers. Whether you can safely add salt depends on the type of unit you own.

Adding salt to water disrupts the bonds between water molecules and slightly raises the temperature at which the water will boil. At standard atmospheric pressure, the change in the boiling point is insignificant, amounting to approximately 0.555 degrees Fahrenheit, or 0.04 degrees Celsius. When impurities like salt are added to the water, the water molecules are forced further apart and can move about more freely, making it easier for the water to be converted to steam. The impurities improve the conductivity of the electrical current, but the impurity does not necessarily have to be salt, which is why some manufacturers recommend adding baking soda instead of salt or advise that if your tap water is "hard," adding salt is not necessary for the unit to function efficiently. Adding salt to a cool mist humidifier, such as an evaporative or ultrasonic type, will have no impact on the amount of mist that the humidifier produces because these models don't work by heating the water."

 

[WaterGirl]

@2ski2moro it seems some of your experimentation ideas are ways to increase humidity....
If your home is too dry in the winter, here are some suggestions for ways to increase the relative humidity levels in your home:

1. Rather than using your bathroom fan after a shower, instead use a room fan to push the damp air out into the other rooms of your home. In addition to adding humidity, this will save you energy both by not having to heat the air to replace the air which would have been going out of your home from your exhaust fan.
   
   
2. Rather than using the drying cycle on your dishwasher, leave the dishwasher door open to air dry the dishes. It not only will add humidity to your house, but it will also save you energy.
   
   
3. Rather than using your clothes dryer, hang damp laundry inside your home on laundry racks. You might even want to use a room fan to increase drying time and to spread the humidity faster around your home. Not using your dryer will both save you energy and increase your home’s humidity.
   
   
4. Water houseplants regularly and keep them well sprayed with water.
   
   
5. Place shallow pans of water near heating vents and sunny windows.
   
   
6. Purchase a room-style humidifier.

 

[2ski2moro]

And then, there are studies that say that that vapor pressure of saltwater is less than pure water at the same temperature. I am not a scientist or engineer. I would like to know.

 

[nopoleskier]

Thanks @WaterGirl I'll check out your finds..

I also looked up the science behind adding salt.. found if you add TOO Much salt it could boil over!? So salt brings water to hotter temperature I read..

 

[Gloria]

We put salt in ours when you can see the calcification build up from the hard water. It does clean it off. Salt is also used in water softener tanks, not water filters but the tank style systems for sililiar reasons.

 

[2ski2moro]

@2ski2moro it seems some of your experimentation ideas are ways to increase humidity....

Right. I was just wondering what justifies purchasing travel humidifier when there are so many other viable options. I'm trying to cut down on the things I pack, not add to it.

 

[WaterGirl]

@2ski2moro its seems there are ways to add humidity w/ out the humidifier, but not sure how long the results last. I did read one article that said shower temporarily increases humidity, but using the fan to clear the air etc reduces the humidity to almost the same level as before the shower. At least having a "travel" humidifier to put near your bed would give you more consistent results, especially if the heater is running. I really am looking for something to use permanently in my own condo I'm realizing the benefits of keeping the humidity at a comfortable level. Because of the continuous snow fall last year did't seem as dry, but I noticed it was dry last trip up when using both the wood stove and the wall heaters.

 

[2ski2moro]

@2ski2moro its seems there are ways to add humidity w/ out the humidifier, but not sure how long the results last.

How long it lasts depends on many factors and it is always changing.

Ventilation to the outside by running a bathroom fan pulls the humidified indoor air out and replaces it with dry outdoor air that comes through gaps. All houses have gaps, there is no way to completely seal a house.

Water vapor can move through holes or gaps in the house walls and windows. (Opening a door is big!) High efficiency windows. Radon remediation systems. Dryer vents. Fireplace flues. Outlets. Sliding doors. You can use that old trick of holding a candle flame around a window to see the moving air from outside to inside.

Then, you have to consider vapor diffusion, which is the movement of water vapor through materials. Some of the considerations are Is your home sealed with vapor barriers? Does your furnace burn indoor air or is it a high efficiency one that burns outdoor air?

Then, if you have too much humidity, indicated by condensation on windows or other cold surfaces, mold may be a consideration. Have you noticed mold inside walls? Water also condenses on hidden surfaces when warm moist air hits a cold surface between walls. At the ceiling or corners of the rooms? Excess moisture can cause fungal and bacterial growth.

My solution is a whole house humidifier on my furnace. Aside from cleaning the diffuser one a year, there is no maintenance. Off in summer, on in winter. I have a hygrometer to measure humidity and try to keep it under 40% to prevent condensation on the windows. Mold triggers my asthma, so I am very careful with humidity levels.

Sorry if this seems too Know-It-All. Blame it on my dad. His business was dehumidification and moisture control for NASA. His company designed the breathing systems for the space program from the 50s through Skylab. He also designed the dehumidification system for the US underground rocket and missile silos. I grew up listening to him explain moisture control. He was the Rocket Scientist, not me, but I remember what he taught me.

If having a travel humidifier makes you feel better, by all means get one. If you base your decision on physics and science, then I'm not sure it is any better than the other suggestions to add humidity.

 

[Gloria]

A travel humidor seems reasonable to me. I don’t think you can turn the bath fans off in hotel rooms if you want to use the light. Filling a bathtub vs a humidifier seems wasteful. I wouldn’t personally hang dripping wet towels around a hotel room, it seems disrespectful to me and a pain. Where none are bad suggestions in terms of increasing humidity it seems less vacationy and more like work and making a compact space even more dysfunctional.

 

[nopoleskier]

@Jilly raised some good points - I didn't want the ultrasonic b/c if the dust issue, and there are ways to increase humidity w/ out the vaporizer/humidifier such as using a can of water on the wood stove, showering, and I guess even boiling water for pasta. We don't always use the wood stove, and rely on the wall heaters to bring up the temperature upon arrival. So looking for something help with increasing humidity rather quickly. I was reading that even leaving a small amount of hot water in the bathtub overnight would increase humidity. Not sure if I want to do that in a hotel, but perhaps in my own condo. I'll try it since we have a tub/shower in the ensuite master bath.

@nopoleskier there seem to be several small travel humidifiers that would work in a hotel situation -The Best Personal Humidifier from Hamacher; BONECO Travel Cool Mist Ultrasonic Humidifier - 7146; HoMedics® Water Bottle Personal Travel Humidifier; Crane Ultrasonic Cool Mist Travel Humidifier etc.

@MI-skier yes its that cheap Vick's steam model - https://vicks.com/en-us/shop-products/vaporizers/v105sg-warm-steam-vaporizer. Tried and true, but sloshing water and no auto shut off make me want to upgrade for my current situation. Also I'm looking to use it in approximately 550 sq feet of space so probably need something bigger.

@CarverJill here is a good explanation - https://www.allergybuyersclub.com/learning/humidifiers-cool-mist-warm-review.html
I'm leaning towards the warm air / Vaporizer because I don't want to replace filters, don't wan't white dust, and like the idea that the water is "boiled" to remove bacteria etc.

In my research I did find that having the humidified air helps to acclimate to altitude = better sleep. Im all for that. I'm going from sea level with ocean humidity to mountain dry air @ 9K altitude.

So I'm leaning towards this model..... https://www.boneco.us/en-us/product-info/humidifiers/s250#overview seems to have nice features with removable tank and a filter that absorbs minerals. Cleaning mode. I guess one negative is can't "direct" the out put. Still doing some research before I buy. I do have the cheap Vicks model here at home that I can take up to the condo and use temporarily.

Thanks for this thread. Im in tjmax they have ultra sonic i almost bought 12$ but not due to expert advise here thanks