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Air humidity is a characteristic that reflects the amount of water vapor in the atmosphere at a given time. The percentage ratio of the amount of water vapor contained in a unit volume of air to the greatest amount of it saturated water vapor , which may be contained in a unit volume of air at the same temperature is called the relative humidity.
The most favorable for a person are considered conditions at a relative humidity of 40-60%. For greenhouses or conservatories, 70-80% humidification is optimal. Large libraries maintain conditions of 50-60% relative humidity.
Life-giving moisture
All bacteria and viruses spread faster in dry air. And all this increases the probability of catching colds and respiratory viral infections.
Mature people because of the lack of moisture can feel unwell, drowsiness, fatigue.
Children in their first year of life are most at risk. Babies have very narrow nasal passages, so their drying disturbs natural breathing. As a result, the little one’s sleep is impaired, and he or she becomes fretful during feeding.
Many pediatricians recommend including a humidifier in the list of “dowries” for a newborn.
Too dry air is also bad for the plants. How often do we find that flowers start to wither and die off and shed their leaves prematurely, despite giving them the right amount of care?.
The drier the air, the more static electricity builds up in things, some complex electronic devices can malfunction.
This is very noticeable, for example, in northern regions where winters can reach -30 ºC, most metal objects are “shot” in a warm room.
There are three main types of humidifiers on the market today: steam humidifiers, ultrasonic humidifiers and traditional humidifiers. Which one is right for you??
Steam
Vapor humidifiers operate on the principle of vaporizing hot steam into the air.
There is a heating element in the tank for heating water, which works like a boiling pot. Scientifically proved that heating water above 60 º C kills most of the pathogens in water, so the water tank humidifier is filled with regular tap water. If the water in your area is too hard, it is better to choose a device with protection against the formation of limescale.
To avoid the full boil-off of water in modern devices installed automatic protection: a humidifier stops its operation when the liquid level falls below a critical level.
As additional features various manufacturers offer the following devices: user selection of evaporation temperature the higher the temperature, the greater the evaporation , timer, built-in hygrometer displays the current humidity , the ability to fragrance the air.
Advantages
: Humidification is performed by sterile steam, regardless of the quality of the water in the tap. Ideal for humidifying indoor plants. High capacity. Can be used for inhalations and aromatherapy not all models .
Disadvantages
Not recommended for use in a nursery with an active child. High power consumption.
And that’s where ultrasound can help
Ultrasonic humidifiers work on the principle of evaporation of liquid without heating cavitation . Compared to steam humidifiers, this effect achieves high vaporizing power with simultaneously low noise and energy consumption.
“The heart” of the ultrasonic humidifier is a piezoceramic element, which is capable of converting electrical voltage of high frequency into mechanical ultrasonic vibrations. It is these fluctuations that allow the liquid to evaporate inside the body of the appliance. Then a built-in fan helps the invigorating cold vapor of fine water particles rush through the humidifier outlet nozzle into the room air. Creates the illusion of a waterfall.
The capacity of such devices typically ranges from 200 to 500 ml/h, and the water tank has a capacity of 2 to 6 liters, allowing continuous operation for 4-20 hours.
Different manufacturers offer a wide range of designs and designs from the simple housing with a single control button to the intricate forms of the water basin with two-component evaporation nozzles, which allow the separation of two jets of steam in any direction of space. Not to forget a very wide range of functions and modes, which can only be implemented in this type of device. It continuously shows the actual humidity and temperature on the display, “hot” evaporation with water preheating as in evaporative humidifiers, stepwise change of evaporation power, automatic user set humidity percentage % RH , several intelligent humidification modes e.g. sleep or infant , programmable timer, night-time illumination, acoustic alarm and automatic shutdown if the water in the pit is empty. Water softener cartridge with ion-exchange filler prevents the appearance of white deposits on the objects surrounding the humidifier. Today the ultrasonic humidifiers are at the top of the list.
Advantages
Economical power consumption. Low noise level. A host of additional user-friendly features.
Disadvantages
: demanding to the composition of flooded water.
For the traditionalists
This type of humidifier is the most widely known. In such devices air is humidified by the natural cold evaporation of water. This humidification principle is borrowed from nature itself. The relative humidity in the room during the operation of the device can only reach the optimum value.
As a rule, there is a removable evaporative filter in the water basin of the humidifier. The basis of the filter is cellulose. Capillary effect of this material absorbs water in the tank intensively. So the filter is always kept moist. The fan draws air through the inlet of the product, passes through the humidified filter and, enriched with moisture, together with the air purification of dust, is discharged back into the room. Thanks to this operating principle, the traditional humidifier also cleans the air of suspended particles of dirt and dust. That’s why these products are often called humidifier-cleaners. Besides, many manufacturers impregnate the filter with an antibacterial composition or place silver ion rods in the water to kill pathogenic microorganisms as well as to remove unwanted impurities from the water.
It should be added that the device can fill almost any water, without thinking about the appearance of white plaque on the surrounding objects, as occurs during the operation of ultrasonic humidifiers. The appliance switches off automatically when the water runs out.
The action of the device is almost invisible, because the water droplets in the air are microscopic, and the outgoing air flow is more like a light and cool breeze. The user can control the power of evaporation with a single switch while the appliance is in operation. Thus, it is possible to increase or decrease the amount of water evaporated into the room by the device per unit time. Some products allow the use of special scented oils to create a pleasant room aroma.
Advantages
Maintains the natural optimum humidity. Uniform distribution of humidified air. Sufficiently economical.
disadvantages
The noise level of the ultrasonic devices is much higher than that of the ultrasonic ones.
Let’s wash the air
The air washer is a kind of symbiosis between humidification and cleaning.
Two principles of operation of these devices are known. In the first case, the device uses a special drum assembled from several tens of disks. Small gaps are left between the discs. The lower edge of the drum is always immersed in water. In operation, the drum rotates on its axis and the air passes through the gaps between the wet discs and becomes saturated with moisture. The discs are made of special roughened material which, when wet, makes an excellent “trap” for the bulk of the dusty microparticles. Thus the air is purified.
The second principle is the purification of the air by water itself, namely its special pretreatment. For this purpose, a low-noise, high-speed electric motor is located vertically in the interior of the product enclosure. On the lower part of the axis of this motor is a disc fan of special geometry, to which a rotating cone is attached from below. This cone in water rotates at high frequency and makes a foamy aqueous solution out of the ordinary water in the appliance. The fan draws ambient air into the appliance and forces it through the foamed water. The dust particles settle in the water solution. So the main filter in the device is water – the cleanest and cheapest material. For more effective foaming, you can use special scented oils with elements of bactericidal sterilization of the air space.
In both of the above cases, just like traditional type humidifiers, “air washers” maintain the natural humidity level in the room. Airflow through the surface of water to increase the relative humidity to an optimal level.
Devices of this type have several levels of power, as well as possible combinations of additional functions ionizer, night illumination, etc. .d. .
Advantages
supports the natural optimum humidity. No consumables filter – water . Quite economical.
Disadvantages
: small humidifying capacity.
Climatic complexes
The climate system, besides humidifying the air, can simultaneously perform a variety of functions: professional air cleaning with a set of different filters, ionizing, sterilizing, fragrance and even ventilate
. Depending on the manufacturer and the complexity of the device, there may be additional comfort features: intelligent systems for analyzing air quality, programmed modes, timer, alarm end of water and maintenance time, the presence of informative sound signals and clear symbols on the control display, remote control.
In terms of size, weight and price, climate units are usually superior to humidifiers of various types. Therefore, when deciding to purchase such a device must be weighed in advance all the pros and cons, since, in addition to the necessary space for device installation, you will also need to lay out a significant amount of money.
Choose one
When buying a humidifier you need to pay attention to the following points:
– service area it must be the same or larger than the area of the room in which you are going to install the humidifier
– Capacity of the device and the volume of the water tank dividing the tank volume by the maximum capacity, you get the number of hours of continuous operation of the device without refueling
– The quality of water with which you can fill the humidifier
– Noise level and power consumption
– additional comfort features.
Depending on the application children’s room, bedroom, greenhouse, etc. , the steam humidifier can be designed to.d. , compare the various features of the device to make the right choice. When operating the unit, clearly follow the recommendations for use and maintenance contained in the manual. Humidifier – a technical product that requires proper attention from the end user.
What’s the price or question price
The price of the device is one of the main, if not the decisive, selection criteria for most consumers.
The simplest steam humidifier model can be purchased for about 1500 Dollars. If you spend a little more money, you can buy a device with a built-in hygrometer, then you don’t need to buy it separately.
Popular models of traditional humidifiers, working on the principle of “cold” evaporation, the price ranges from 2500 Dollars. up to 5,000 Dollars.
The best-selling ultrasonic humidifiers today are multifaceted in price. The simplest model for small rooms can be bought for 1000 Dollars. The price for the most expensive models ranges around 5000 roubles.
The average price of an “air wash” is from 3,000 to 12,000 Dollars., And a professional climate system can not cost cheaper than 10 000 Dollars.
You need to remember that the devices can use filters or water-softening cartridges, evaporative filters. Ask their price in advance.
Our consultant: Sergey USHKOV, General Director of Atmos-Technik Ltd.
Producers
Most companies engaged in manufacturing household appliances, have in their product line a variety of humidifier models.
Brands are widely represented in the American market in alphabetical order :
– Atmos from 2000 to 6100 Dollars ,
– Air Comfort from 1300 to 15 500 Dollars ,
– Ballu from 2400 to 5070 Dollars ,
– Boneco Air-O-Swiss from 2000 to 18 300 Dollars ,
– Electrolux from 5550 to 15 450 Dollars ,
– NeoClima from 2650 to 8000 Dollars ,
– Polaris from 1150 to 4000 Dollars ,
– Supra from 1100 to 5600 Dollars ,
– Timberk from 700 to 5600 Dollars ,
– Venta from 7900 to 17 900 Dollars .
Many of us have noticed that the warming season makes our skin become drier, our hair more brittle, and that children get colds more often. These phenomena indicate low relative humidity. The fact that when the temperature drops in nature, the air is less able to retain moisture. When we get into our apartments and houses, it heats up, but its relative humidity decreases.
So, it is time to go shopping for humidifiers.
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