Benefits of using a humidifier

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Benefits of using a humidifier
Humidifier adds moisture to the air, which can benefit people with respiratory symptoms or dry skin.
There are several ways to use humidifiers in the home or office, but there are also some risks.
In this article, learn about the benefits of humidifiers, how to use them correctly, and precautions to take.
Dryness and humidity
By adding moisture to the air, humidifiers may be beneficial for several medical conditions.
Dry air can cause moisture to evaporate from the skin and respiratory symptoms to worsen over time. Adding moisture to the air with a humidifier can counteract these problems.
Humidifiers can help people who experience:
dry skin
irritated eyes
dryness in the throat or airways
allergies
frequent coughs
bloody noses
sinus headaches
cracked lips
Five humidifier uses and their benefits
Some people experience respiratory symptoms in the summer months, when the weather is hot, and the air contains more allergens. Air conditioners and fans can circulate dry air through the room, and air conditioners remove any moisture from the air. A humidifier may be beneficial during this season.
However, people are more likely to benefit from a humidifier in the cold months, when cold air dries out the lungs, nose, and lips. Also, some types of central heating can dry out the air indoors.
Benefits of a humidifier may include:
1. Preventing influenza
Authors of one studyTrusted Source noted that humidifiers might reduce the risk of catching the flu. After adding the influenza virus to the air with a simulated cough, researchers found that humidity levels above 40 percent rapidly deactivated virus particles, making them much less likely to be infectious.
2. Making a cough more productive
Dry air can cause a person to have a dry, unproductive cough. Adding humidity to the air can get more moisture into the airways, which can make a cough more productive. A productive cough releases trapped or sticky phlegm.
3. Reducing snoring
Increasing the amount of moisture in the air can also reduce snoring. If the air is dry, a person’s airways are less likely to be sufficiently lubricated, which can make snoring worse.
Adding humidity to the air by running a humidifier at night may help to relieve some symptoms.
4. Keeping the skin and hair moist
Some people notice that their skin, lips, and hair become dry and fragile in the winter.
Many types of heating units pump hot, dry air through the house or office, which can make the skin dry, itchy, or flaky. Cold air outside can also dry out the skin.
Using a humidifier to add moisture to the indoor air may help to reduce the occurrence of dry, cracked skin.
5. Benefits for the home
Moisture from a humidifier can be helpful around the home. Any moisture-loving houseplants may become more vibrant, and wood floors or furniture may last longer. Humidity can also help to prevent wallpaper from cracking and static electricity from building up.
Humid air can also feel warmer than dry air, which could help a person to save money on utility bills in winter months.
Types of humidifiers
While most humidifiers have the same basic function, to add moisture to the air, many types are available:
Steam vaporizers: These use electricity to create steam, which cools before it leaves the unit. However, there is a risk of burning the skin, and people should avoid using steam vaporizers around children.
Ultrasonic humidifier: Instead of electricity, these units use vibrations to vaporize water.
Evaporators: These produce humidity by blowing air past evaporating water.
Impeller humidifiers: These are generally child-friendly and use rotating disks, rather than heat, to vaporize water.
Central humidifiers: A person connects one of these units to the central air conditioning in the home or office to add moisture to the entire space.
Sizes can vary. Console humidifiers are large enough to add moisture to an entire house or office, while personal humidifiers are portable and easy to carry.
What is an Industrial Humidifier?
An industrial humidifier is a system that is capable of providing adequate humidity levels in a manufacturing environment. High-speed production processes add to the heat load in a building, bringing down the humidity. This can lead to a dangerous buildup of static electricity in a plant where dust and other flammable materials may be in the air. Processes such as woodworking, printing, and electronic and microchip fabrication, — which involve gluing, coating, and bonding — benefit from humidity control. Energy efficiency is also a consideration with an industrial humidifier.
Related products include industrial steam humidifiers, as well as electric-powered and gas-fired models. Steam heat exchangers use a heat source for producing steam from tap water or pure water reserves. These are also designed to comply with indoor air quality requirements to ensure proper humidity levels along with clean air for workers.
Industrial humidifiers are also designed as fog systems that integrate with building automation systems. In this configuration, an industrial humidifier system can be integrated above the factory floor, with the moisture released via fog nozzles. This is a viable alternative to humidifying air traveling through ducts, because excessive heat loads can be managed at the source.
An industrial humidifier also can be a contamination control system. It can be capable of utilizing adiabatic humidification to control humidity and airborne particles, and reduce the buildup of electrostatic discharge that, when combined with particulates, can be a health hazard and a cause for major industrial accidents. Along with proper treatment of supply water, an industrial humidification system ensures a safe environment in which to work.
An industrial humidifier can be found in many manufacturing facilities. Plants that make electronic assemblies require humidification, because the air in buildings producing circuit boards and computer equipment must be free of particles. Semiconductor manufacturing is another major application, because integrated circuit printing requires tightly controlled temperatures, along with a relative humidity (RH) of around 35 percent to 45 percent with acceptable tolerances within a range of 1/2 percent to 5 percent RH.
What Does a Dehumidifier Do?
A dehumidifier is an appliance that takes moisture out of the air in your home.