Excessive dryness of indoor air (humidity less than 40%) has a detrimental effect on people. For example, they may feel pain in their eyes and dry throat. In addition, the skin of the hands and face dries and coarsens. In such cases, an air humidifier will be useful, which can significantly improve the microclimate in residential and industrial premises.
The main types of humidifiers
In the domestic market there are humidifiers with a different principle of action. In addition to traditional devices that use cold evaporation of water in their work, there are also steam (hot steam) and ultrasonic devices. The listed types of humidifiers are used only in everyday life. In production, atomizers are used for this purpose - spray devices.
Cold Steam Humidifiers
The work of humidifiers of cold steam is based on the natural evaporation of water molecules, as a result of which the surrounding air is saturated with moisture. Water is poured into a special tank, from where it is supplied to special evaporation elements. At the same time, the air pumped by the fan passes through them and is saturated with moisture in a natural way.
Structurally, the evaporation elements can be made in the form of replaceable paper cartridges (filters). More expensive devices use constantly wetted plastic discs. Evaporators of cold steam additionally clean the air of dust and dirt that remains on the moisturizing elements.
The performance of these devices ranges from 3.5 to 8 liters of water per day and depends on the humidity in the room - the higher it is, the lower the rate of water evaporation.
During operation, use distilled water. If you use ordinary water, the evaporating elements will quickly become clogged with salts that are in hard water, which in turn will lead to the need to replace them.
Steam evaporators
Steam humidifiers work using the usual process of boiling water, in which hot water turns into steam and saturates the surrounding air with moisture. In some ways, such devices resemble electric kettles. A fully assembled device is connected to a household power supply, the voltage of which is transmitted to electrodes immersed in water. In this case, the water begins to boil and evaporate. With full boiling of water, the humidifier is disconnected from the network. The productivity of devices of this type is from 7 to 16 liters of water per day.
The steam humidifier must be equipped with a hygrostat, which disconnects the device from the mains when optimal humidity is reached. Otherwise, the humidity in the room may exceed the permissible limit and the humidifier will cause any disease.
Ultrasonic devices
Ultrasonic humidifiers work as follows: from the tank, water is supplied to a special plate that vibrates at a frequency of 5 MHz. In this case, the water turns into a fine suspension, which, with the help of a fan, is fed into the room, where it passes into a vapor state (fog).
Ultrasonic humidifiers provide performance in the range of 7-12 liters of water per day. As a rule, they are equipped with electronic devices: a display, a remote control, etc. With their help, you can set and control the parameters necessary for effective operation.
During operation of ultrasonic humidifiers, it is recommended to use demineralized water.
What are humidifiers for?
The comfort of a person in a closed room depends on several parameters, one of which is air humidity. According to the current regulatory documents, its value should be in the range from 45 to 80%. This is especially important in the winter, when, due to the operation of heating devices, indoor air humidity can drop to 14%. To ensure normal conditions for the life of people, you need a humidifier.
Evaporators saturate the air with moisture, which occupies not the last place in the process of heat transfer of the human body. It should be remembered that heat transfer is mainly carried out through the lungs. If the air is not humid enough, the proper functioning of the internal organs of the person is disrupted, the blood thickens, the mucous membranes dry, the protective functions of the body decrease, etc. This is especially critical for children, in whose body heat transfer is much more intense than in adults. With a disease of bronchitis or tonsillitis in children, mucus collects in the bronchi and respiratory tract, which thickens in the absence of sufficient moisture, which complicates the treatment.
When using the humidifier in the room, normal humidity is created. When such air is inhaled, moisture enters the respiratory tract and bronchi of the child, which softens the mucus and facilitates coughing.
With an excess of moisture, accumulation of mucus in the airways and bronchi of the child is possible, which will create comfortable conditions for the multiplication of pathogenic bacteria and can cause bronchitis in children.
Normal humidity positively affects the skin of both an adult and a child, protecting it from irritation and wrinkles and preserving its inherent velvety. In addition, normal indoor humidity has a beneficial effect on the body of pregnant women - mother and baby feel good throughout the gestation period. It is equally important for newborns.
Humidifier damage
Humidifiers during operation are practically harmless. However, in order to completely exclude any damage to their owners, the latter must carefully study the attached operating instructions for specific models before switching on for the first time and use them wisely in the future. In addition, each type of humidifier must be considered separately.
- During operationSteam evaporator can be burned with hot steam. Therefore, they must be installed out of the reach of children.
- The harm from an ultrasonic humidifier is caused by the absence of a filter capable of retaining mineral salts dissolved in water. As a result, they, together with humidified air, are thrown out and in the form of a white coating settle on the interior items and household appliances available in the room. To avoid this, it is recommended to use demineralized or distilled water.
- Cold steam installations require regular cleaning or timely replacement of evaporative elements. Violation of this rule will lead to the accumulation of not only salts dissolved in water, but also dust particles in the air inside the device. All this will subsequently be thrown out and clog the air.
The microclimate will be more comfortable if the premises are regularly ventilated. It is recommended to do this regardless of the duration of the humidifier.
