Climate control: how to choose a humidifier

Many underestimate the importance of the microclimate in an apartment or house. But it directly affects health.

Humidity is one of the main components of the microclimate. At room temperature (20-23°C), relative humidity should be in the range of 40-60%.

During the heating season, the air in the apartment is dried,and the humidity index drops to 20%. This level can be observed in deserts. Asthmatics and people with reduced immunity are especially affected by this. Low humidity has other side effects: below 40%, static electricity builds up, and dust stays in the air longer and settles worse.

A humidifier can help you deal with these problems.air. There are many models of different types and price categories on the market, from several thousand to tens of thousands of rubles. Now the seasonal hype for humidifiers has subsided - you can buy interesting models at a bargain price. We figure out how not to miscalculate with a choice.

A word about humidity

There are two values of humidity that are worthseparate: absolute and relative. Absolute humidity is the moisture content in the air, that is, how many grams of water vapor are contained in one kilogram of air. It would seem, what else is needed to understand how high the humidity in the apartment is?

But not everything is so simple.There is one more variable in the equation - air temperature. The higher it is, the more moisture the air can hold. This is where relative humidity comes into play. It is expressed as a percentage - this is the mass of moisture in the air at a given moment, divided by the maximum mass that can generally be in this volume at a given temperature.

Why is relativehumidity in the apartment drops to 20%? The fact is that outside the window the temperature is negative, and the cold air cannot contain much moisture. This air enters the apartments and is heated by batteries.

As the temperature rises, the maximum amount of moisture that this air can contain increases. However, the actual mass of moisture does not increase. To saturate dry air with moisture, you just need a humidifier.

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Types of humidifiers, pros and cons

The simplest and most accessible are ultrasonic humidifiers. Their principle of operation is as follows: at the bottom of the water tank there is a plate that oscillates at a high frequency.

These vibrations propagate through the wateras a result, many microscopic droplets scatter from its surface. Further, the drops spread throughout the room, settle on the surface and quickly evaporate. This increases the relative humidity.

The main advantage of such devices is the lowprice. Usually they fit into the range up to 5 thousand rubles. Also, such devices are quiet, quickly raise the level of humidity in a small room and do not consume much energy. However, they also have serious drawbacks.

First, such devices are extremely demanding.to the quality of the water supplied. If it has a lot of impurities, it can damage the humidifier. In addition, impurities remain in the droplets dispersed through the air. Settling furniture, they leave a white coating.

Finally, ultrasonic models are capable ofwaterlog the air, resulting in condensation. Subsequently, because of this, mold may appear. Some models are equipped with a hygrometer so that they turn off when a certain level of humidity is reached.

More advanced devices are steam humidifiers. Their device resembles an electric kettle:inside the tank is a heating element that brings the water to a boil. The resulting steam is expelled to the outside, thus increasing the humidity of the air.

The advantages of such models include highperformance: they are able to moisten a large area in comparison with ultrasonic counterparts. Together with humidification, they slightly increase the air temperature - you can get a "subtropical" microclimate, useful for asthmatics. Also heating water to 100% kills all bacteria.

There are plenty of cons too.These humidifiers are noisy and consume a lot of energy. In addition, they, like ultrasonic models, can overmoisten the room. Steam humidifiers are very expensive, the most budget models cost from 5 thousand rubles. They are also bulky and release hot steam that can burn you.

Another type of humidifier natural. They work according to the method of "cold" evaporation:an evaporative filter is installed inside, which is saturated with water and blown by a fan. The air flow captures moisture particles and carries them around the room.

Such devices are not able to re-humidify the air -with increasing relative humidity, their performance slows down, so that it will not be possible to get above 60%. Also, natural humidifiers are unpretentious to water quality, all impurities remain inside the tank and on the filter, and are not carried around the room. Finally, their energy consumption is very low.

Of the disadvantages of natural moisturizers, you canallocate large dimensions. They are also noisier than ultrasonic models, but quieter than steam counterparts. Evaporative filters will need to be changed periodically as impurities settle on them over time and performance decreases. The cost of the humidifiers themselves varies, models with decent performance cost from 6 thousand rubles.

The difference between a humidifier, an air washer and an air conditioner

In addition to humidifiers, there are other devices on the market with similar capabilities. Air washers are one of them. According to the principle of operation, they are closest to natural-type humidifiers.

A humidifier is installed inside the sink,which is partially submerged in water. Due to the rotation, it remains wet all the time, and the fan located on top blows it, thereby spreading moisture particles.

Traditionally as a moisturizing elementused special disks assembled in a block. The advantages of this solution include durability, the disadvantages are the need to periodically disassemble the moisturizing element for cleaning.

Not so long ago, sinks withmoisturizing element in the form of a spongy material stretched over the drum. These are mainly Boneco and Electrolux models. These filters are machine washable for easy maintenance.

In addition to natural moisturizing, washing producesbasic air purification - particles of dust, fluff and pet hair settle on the humidifying element. Of course, this cannot be compared with full-fledged air purifiers, since they have advanced HEPA filters installed. However, the bonus is still nice.

If air purification is as important asmoisture, it is worth paying attention to climatic complexes. They are a hybrid of a humidifier and an air purifier. In addition to the moisturizing element, they are equipped with HEPA filters that trap any microparticles.

Also used in climatic complexescarbon filters that absorb volatile gases (smoke and odors). And in advanced models, there are otocatalytic filters that irradiate the air passing through them with ultraviolet radiation and kill microorganisms.

Climate complexes allow simultaneouslysolve the issues of cleansing and moisturizing, however, like any two-in-one device, they are a compromise. The fact is that effective humidification requires maximum air flow, and many filters, on the contrary, block it. So for working on a large area, it is better to use separate cleaners and humidifiers.

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What to choose for an apartment and a country house

If you have a small apartment and have a systemreverse osmosis for water purification, then ultrasonic filters will be the best option. True, their performance is enough for only one room. Here are some interesting patterns:

Xiaomi Futula Humidifier H2 is a powerful and concise humidifier from a well-known brand. The cost starts from 2 thousand rubles

Leberg LH-803 is a model with a built-in hygrometer and touch controls. Price - from 3300 rubles

Polaris PUH 7045 TFD is a productive model with a 4 liter tank. Cost - from 4300 rubles

To maintain humidity throughout the apartmentmore advanced devices are needed. Steam humidifiers are suitable for asthmatics, but devices with "cold" evaporation are most preferred - they combine high performance, low maintenance and low power consumption. Also, air washers will fit into their role.

Philips HU3916 is a stylish, natural type humidifier that works effectively on an area up to 45 m².

Electrolux EHW-620 is an air washer with a washable sponge dampening element. Price - from 18 thousand rubles

As far as climatic complexes are concerned, theythey will fit to maintain a comfortable microclimate in the apartment, however, for a country house their performance may be insufficient. In this case, it is better to use separate humidifiers and air purifiers.

Sharp KC-D51RW is a climate complex with an ionizer. The cost starts from 33 thousand rubles

Boneco H700 is a very powerful climate system capable of serving an area of up to 150 m². The price is from 55 thousand rubles.

Maintain a comfortable level of humidityespecially important in big cities and in our latitudes. So we recommend that you carefully approach the choice of a humidifier - it will not only improve the quality of life, but also have a positive effect on health.