A humidifier's main purpose is to release moisture, and so, it is pretty obvious that one of the main components in making it work is water. To properly maintain your humidifier, distilled water is the best choice for your device, and you might be wondering what's the best one you should use. We've asked the experts, and here's what they recommend.
To ensure the quality of air released by your humidifier, any brand of distilled drinking water is suitable to use for your machine. The best distilled water you can use should be free from contaminants and mineral particles to prevent gunk buildup in your humidifier's water tank.
Finding the right type of water for your humidifier is important because it will prolong the life of your machine, and it will also prevent you from breathing in harmful air. If you are looking to learn more about the best kind of distilled water you can use for your humidifier, continue reading because we have compiled all the information you need to know about them.
Best Distilled Water for Humidifiers
Humidifiers are highly dependent on the water that is used on them. While any kind of water like tap water can be used on humidifiers, using it long-term may cause issues to your machine, as well as your health. This is because tap water has minerals that can clog your machine, and unfiltered tap water may cause contaminants that can transfer to your breathing air.
This is why distilled water is the best water to use for humidifiers. In general, any kind of distilled drinking water may be used for your machine. Distilled drinking water is treated to ensure that there are no mineral traces and contaminants in the water, therefore making it safe for your humidifiers from any gunk buildup in the tanks.
Get this distilled drinking water on Amazon.
While looking through a selection of distilled water options, you may find that there are some that are specifically marketed for use on CPAP machines or humidifiers. This distilled water is no different from the gallons of distilled water you may find locally in the stores.
They can also be used for drinking or use in mixing baby formula. They are multi-use because you can also use them for medical sterilization, laboratory experiments, canning preservation, and even steam irons.
These distilled water options, however, lend the convenience of being separately packed and measured correctly for use in your humidifiers or CPAP machines. Most of them are also TSA-approved, which makes it easier to travel with bottles of distilled water along with your machines.
Get these distilled water travel bottles on Amazon.
How To Distill Your Own Water
While distilled water is widely available in many stores nowadays, there may be times when you've forgotten to get a gallon or a few bottles to stock in your home. If this is the case, you can easily distill your own water and save your machine from being contaminated by other water types.
All you need for distilling your own water is time, patience, and a vigilant eye while watching your water boil. Here are the steps to distill your own water:
Things You'll Need
- Large stainless pot with a clean stainless lid (about 1-5 gallons)
- Oven-safe glass bowl (must fit inside your stainless pot)
- Wire baking rack (optional)
- Ice
Steps in Distilling Water
- Fill your large stainless pot halfway full with water.
- Place the oven-safe glass bowl inside the pot and let it float. Do not let it touch the bottom of your pot. If necessary, you can put the oven-safe glass bowl on top of a wire baking rack to elevate it inside the pot.
- Turn on your stove to a medium-low fire and heat the water to a low, steady boil.
- Place the stainless steel lid UPSIDE DOWN on your pot and fill the top with ice. The ice will turn the lid cold and cause the water vapor to condense on the bottom of your lid before dripping on your glass bowl.
- Let the distilled water collect in your glass bowl. Do not let your pot boil dry.
- Turn off the heat, and carefully remove your pot from the heat source. Wait for it to cool.
- The water inside the glass bowl is now distilled water. You can now remove it from inside the pot and pour it into another glass container for storage. You may also use this for your humidifiers as soon as it is already cool.
With this process, you should be able to distill your own water to use for either your humidifiers or even for drinking.
What Are The Types of Humidifiers?
There are different types of humidifiers that you can choose from, and you can go for whichever best suits your lifestyle. They are classified depending on the size of the area, your budget, and your preference. Console units are meant to cover a large space like the entire home, while personal humidifiers are great for using on your own or when traveling.
Central Humidifiers
These expensive, big humidifiers are installed directly in your home's air conditioning or heating units. This is the best choice for locations that are dry and may need a humidifier for the entire house.
Get this central humidifier from Amazon.
Ultrasonic Humidifiers
These smaller humidifiers are known to produce a cool mist with the help of ultrasonic vibration. There are different versions available (like ones with warm and cool settings) and also cover different area sizes.
Check out this ultrasonic humidifier on Amazon.
Impeller Humidifiers
These humidifiers run with rotating disks running at high speeds and produce a cool mist. It is perfect for homes with children because there is no risk of burns.
Check out this impeller humidifier on Amazon.
Evaporators
These ones blow moisture through a moistened filter using fans. These can also cover bigger areas, but one of the downsides is that it may expel too much moisture in the air and may cause issues for those with asthma and mold growth.
Get this evaporator humidifier on Amazon.
Steam Vaporizers
One of the cheaper and most widely available humidifiers out there, steam vaporizers heat water and cool it before expelling it into the air. It isn't the most kid-friendly humidifier but still, great care must be applied if using near them as it may cause burns.
Check out this steam vaporizer on Amazon.
Are There Benefits To Using A Humidifier?
Using a humidifier for your home is a great way to improve the air quality of your home. Air that is too dry can cause several problems like dry eyes, sore throat, dry skin, or it can aggravate your colds and flu. A humidifier can quickly rectify these issues by simply increasing the moisture of the air around you. Here are the other benefits you can get from using one:
1. It can prevent influenza
According to this study, using a humidifier can help reduce the risk of catching the flu because humidity levels above 40% helped deactivate flu particles. This makes them less infectious, making the air in your space a lot safer.
2. Helps loosen congestion
Humid air adds moisture to nasal passages, which can help loosen up heavy and thick mucus. This helps your cough become more productive, helping release sticky or trapped phlegm.
3. Prevents dry skin
Dry skin can cause it to crack and wrinkle easily, and it can be uncomfortable especially for those who already have skin issues. A humidifier adds moisture to the air and keeps your hair and skin healthy.
4. It can reduce snoring.
One of the things dry air can do is to aggravate the airways which makes snoring worse. The added moisture in the air adds lubrication to your nasal passages and can help reduce snoring.
5. Humidifiers are great for plants and your home too.
These nifty machines aren't useful to just the humans in the house—even the plants benefit as well. Moisture-loving plants become more vibrant and fresh with the added humidity, and your wood floors and furniture will last longer. It also prevents static electricity from building up in your home.
Final Thoughts
Humidifiers are great devices that can help add moisture to the air in your space. To keep these machines in tiptop shape, using the right kind of water is important.
The best water you can use for humidifiers is distilled water because it prevents mineral buildup and it is free from all other contaminants. With a humidifier running with distilled water, you are sure to have quality, healthy humid air in your home.
Do you have any other humidity-related topics you'd like to learn about? We have a few articles that might interest you!