Cool mist humidifiers are popular for the safety they provide in the home. Like warm mist humidifiers, they work to increase humidity levels but without the potential hazard; burns from hot water.
Humidity levels are usually low during the winter or cold season and the dry air can be debilitating to one’s health. It can cause nasal congestion, cough, asthma attacks, cold, and other sinus problems. Cold mist humidifiers can work effectively to prevent or cure these types of ailments.
Cool mist humidifiers work by releasing cool mist into the air. The mist released is usually at room temperature thus spreads evenly throughout the room.
There are two types of cool mist humidifiers; evaporative and ultrasonic. Though they work with two different technologies, ultimately they produce the same results.
Evaporative vs. Ultrasonic Cool mist humidifier
When buying a cool-mist humidifier for your home you have to choose one that works best for your home. Knowing the uses and differences of the two types of cool mist humidifiers can make the selection process easier.
Evaporative humidifiers use fans and a filter to blow and release water into the air. The entire process is a natural one, the fan pulls in air from to room and uses the air to evaporate the water in the tank into the air. Slowly, the air becomes less dry and breathable.
A filter always comes with an evaporative cool mist humidifier, and they work to eliminate bacteria and allergens from the water before being released into the air.
Ultrasonic cool mist humidifier, on the other hand, uses ultrasonic technology/ transducer to breakdown water into water that is easily spread into the environment.
Pros and Cons of Evaporative vs. Ultrasonic Humidifiers
People often ask, what are the advantages of evaporative over ultrasonic cool mist humidifier? Is one better than the other? Which should I get? Here’s a list of key differences between both cool mist humidifiers.
Filter/No filter
Evaporative humidifier comes with filters that help eliminate impurities and allergens in the water. Ultrasonic humidifier, however, is usually filterless. This can be detrimental to one’s health as they tend to release white dust (produced from minerals in the water) alongside the mist.
A simple trick to eliminate this is by using distilled water in your humidifier tank rather than tap or hard water.
The absence of a filter in an ultrasonic cool mist humidifier also has its advantage. It eliminates the need to wash or replace filters regularly, thus lowering the cost of maintenance.
Whisper quiet
Evaporative humidifier uses natural evaporation to produce refreshing and clean mist into the air. The fans tend to make noise that can be disturbing when you sleep. Ultrasonic uses vibrations from the diaphragm to breakdown water into water droplets that can float in the air.
These vibrations are super quiet and produce very high frequency usually unnoticed by the human ear. Thus they are far ideal for use in bedrooms and nurseries.
Size
Ultrasonic humidifiers are usually smaller in size than evaporative humidifiers. Because the humidifying technology they use is quite simple, they require less space. This means you can put them anywhere in the home or office. You can also take them with you on travel or vacation.
The drawback is they usually have less tank space for water and would require shorter refill times, unlike an evaporative cool mist humidifier.
Benefits of A Cool Mist Humidifier
Here are some reasons you should consider buying a cool mist humidifier in your home.
1) As with any other type of humidifier, a cool-mist humidifier provides comfort and relief from cold, allergies, and asthma attack during the winter.
2) They are also favored for the safety they provide in the home. There are fewer cases of injury in the home especially with children unlike other types of humidifiers. No hot water splashes, furniture ruining etc
3) Cool mist humidifiers are also cost-friendly/effective. Because most humidifiers use natural processes to work, a fan, they require less electricity to work. No need to heat the water before moisture is released into the air.
4) They tend to cover larger areas than other types of humidifiers. Cool mist humidifier spread moisture evenly all over the room with ultrasonic or evaporative techniques. So a small cool mist humidifier would be more effective in terms of coverage than a larger warm mist humidifier.
5) Cool mist humidifier is also useful in nurseries. Babies are usually unable to take cough medicines and have a hard time breathing when their noses are blocked. The humidifier will help them breathe properly bypassing cool moisture into their nostrils.
Wrap up
Cool mist humidifiers are generally useful in tropical environments, where the cold season is not overly severe. If you just want to increase the humidity of your room without increasing temperature then cold humidifiers are your best choice. They will provide all-round fresh and breathable air in your home, and cure many sinus problems.
It is also recommended that the humidity level in your home should be between 30% – 50%, so having a cool-mist humidifier in your home is necessary for good health.
