Humidifiers: can you recommend one?

[Sinjz]

Got really dry cracked and itchy skin last winter. :hairpull: Don't wanna go through that again, so I'm on the look out for a humidifier. What should I be on the look out for? I'd prefer those that aren't too noisy. Recommendations please!

 

[NA8]

Best thing to do is probably boil water in a pot, or take a shower. I've used a lot of humidifiers and they're all pretty bad. Last about two years at the most. If you go to amazon.com and do a search for humidifiers, there's a lot of reviews of various models by owners.

 

[WadeF]

I've had pretty good luck with these:

http://www.drugstore.com/products/prod.asp?pid=77557&catid=91814

If you look around you can find even larger models. If you get something with a small tank you will be changing it all the time if you are running it all the time.

I have one like that in our bedroom for the winter. I set it to the desired humidity level, usually 40-45%, and it runs when needed. I have a seperate humidity guage on my night table (part of one of those weather station / alarm clock) and I adjust the humidifier as needed.

You should clean them on a regular basis, but I'm lazy and usually only clean it once or twice a year, but it only runs through the cold months.

 

[asdalton]

You should look for a wick type, cool air humidifier. Avoid anything that puts a visible mist into the air, since these create aerosolized minerals and bacteria that you will end up breathing.

Wick humidifiers have no moving parts except for the fan, but the humidistat can be their weak point in both consistency and reliability. It is worth paying more to get a good humidifier. The higher quality units tend to have quieter fans, more fan levels, and better humidistats. I have had good experiences with Honeywell and Vornado.

Always add a bacteriostat to the water, even if the filters (wicks) are labeled as microbe-resistant.

Be aware that any humidifier that creates hot vapor will use a lot of electricity. Even cool air humidifiers will have a hidden energy penalty by causing your furnace to work slightly harder. A good approximation is 100 W (341 BTU/hr, or 2.4 kWh/day) for every gallon per day evaporated.