Air humidifier: benefits and harms, reviews, doctors' opinion on the use of devices

From this article you can find out all the advantages and disadvantages of using such a device as a humidifier: benefits and harms, reviews, doctors' opinions on the effect of climate technology on the state of the indoor climate, the impact on people and their health. The specificity of the use of humidifiers in children's rooms and consumer feedback on the most popular models are also considered.

Air humidifier: benefits and harms, reviews, doctors' opinion

Climatic equipment is designed to increase the humidity in the room, as well as to maintain comfortable conditions for human living. If we consider such an aspect of the operation of devices as the harm or benefit of air humidifiers, do not forget that even pieces of furniture, room decoration and plants can be influenced.

The advantages of using climate technology for the room:

1. Excessively dry air adversely affects the condition of natural floor coverings. In the absence of the required moisture level, wood or parquet floors begin to dry out. The surface of the flooring becomes brittle, which accelerates the wear process. FROM humidifier ethat problem disappears.
2. Low humidity has a detrimental effect on plants. Flowers and greenery in the home slow down, turn yellow and dry out. The humidifier maintains optimal plant conditions that not only delight the eyes, but also release additional oxygen.
3. Wooden furniture and doorframes in a dry room can crack over time. Climatic technology keeps the wood in good condition, increasing the life of the furniture.

Note! These benefits can be classified as secondary benefits.

A humidifier does not actually create an ideal microclimate, because it only affects one of the components of the room's atmosphere - humidity... The well-being and health of a person is also influenced by other factors, the combination of which creates an optimal environment for living.

Pros and cons of a humidifier for indoor climate

Talking about the advantages and disadvantages of humidifiers, it is worth noting that the same amount of water vapor can affect a person's well-being in different ways. The higher the temperature index of the air, the more moisture it will absorb. This can be traced according to a certain pattern. So, if 1 m³ of air contains 2.5 mg of water, and the room temperature is 1 ° C, then the relative humidity will be 50%, because 1 m³ of air can absorb no more than 5 mg of water.

During the heating season, the air heats up to a temperature of 21 ° C, due to which the humidity drops to 14%. This is due to the fact that dry air is able to accommodate not 5, but 18 mg of water. At the same time, a person experiences a feeling of discomfort, which can be eliminated by replenishing the humidity to the required percentage using a humidifier.

The centralized heating system in winter is capable of heating the air in the room to 21-24 ° C. Such a high rate provokes its uncontrolled saturation with water vapor. As a result, it becomes difficult for a person to breathe.

The cleanliness of the air also affects a person's well-being. In an enclosed space, various compounds accumulate in gaseous form:

• human waste products;
• polymer fumes emitted by the decoration of the room;
• gases formed during cooking;
• harmful microorganisms.

Note! The device partially improves the situation (when it comes to washing the Boneco Air-o-Swiss E 2441 A air), but only thorough ventilation can fully eliminate the negative effect. A similar situation occurs in the case of allergy pathogens, as well as with dust. To combat them, radical measures are needed: dry cleaning of carpets, wet and dry cleaning of the room, thorough washing and evaporation of curtains.

The harm and benefits of air humidifiers: expert reviews on common opinions

Some of the flaws noted by users are actually imaginary. Many of these common opinions are easily explained or refuted by experts.

Humidification of the air can provoke a sore throat - indeed, if the humidity in the room exceeds 80%, not only children, but also adults can get sore throat. Due to excess moisture, mucus accumulates in the human respiratory tract, creating a comfortable environment for bacteria. The ideal figure for adults is 45-60%, and for children it is 50-70%.

The centralized heating system in winter does not allow this value to rise above 35%. Humidifier just compensates for the difference missing to the norm. In summer, the use of air conditioners also helps to dry the air, so additional humidification will be required during this season.

The device does not help to achieve the optimal mode - in order to maintain certain conditions in the room, it is important to take into account its area when choosing a device, as well as the power of the device itself. If the equipment is designed to efficiently process a room of 15 m², then its capacity will not be enough for rooms with an area of ​​25 m².

The humidifier is dangerous for the baby - using a steam device, for example, a Polaris PUH 2204 air humidifier, is dangerous, because the baby can get thermal damage to the skin from hot steam. In this case, you can simply put the device out of the reach of children or limit yourself to buying, for example, an Electrolux EHU 3715 D ultrasonic humidifier or a traditional one.Such devices are completely safe.

High costs of consumables - the cost of consumables is high, but the frequency of their replacement is different for each humidifier. Before buying, you need to carefully study the instructions and compare the price of filters and membranes in different stores.

The real benefits and harms of household air humidifiers

Despite many prejudices regarding humidifiers, this type of climate control equipment is in high demand. This popularity is due to the opinion of modern doctors.

Note! From a medical point of view, dry air is extremely harmful to human health, and it is simply dangerous for the child's body. Doctors claim that these devices are much more beneficial than harmful.

The benefits of climate technology designed for humidification:

1. Regulation of heat exchange in a child - the body of young children generates much more heat than the body of an adult. However, it is not transmitted to the environment through the skin, but through the lungs. Due to dry air and a strong loss of moisture in the child's body, blood begins to thicken. In some cases, the work of internal organs is disrupted. Dry air causes crusts to form on the mucous membranes of infants. They interfere with normal breathing and can even block it completely.
2. Reducing the risk of getting a respiratory disease - when mucus dries, all processes of neutralizing bacteria and viruses are blocked, which can lead to otitis media, bronchitis, sinusitis and pneumonia in a dry room.
3. Reducing the risk of exacerbation of allergic reactions - thanks to the purchase of an Electrolux EHU 3715 D air humidifier, which is an "air cleaner", a significant amount of allergens can be removed from the room.
4. Revitalizing and rejuvenating effect on the skin - peeling due to low humidity is eliminated, irritation from the skin disappears and the number of wrinkles is reduced.

In addition, humidifiers maintain the human immune system in working order and prevent dehydration.

The benefits and harms of ultrasonic humidifier, customer reviews

Ultrasonic devices are the most popular humidifiers on the market. These devices generate cold steam. In fact, water is converted into small particles due to the vibrational frequencies of the ultrasonic membrane installed inside the structure.

Note! The ultrasonic humidifier makes it possible to manually adjust the required room humidity value due to the built-in hydrostat.

When the device's reservoir runs out of liquid, an automatic shutdown function is triggered. Ultrasonic humidifiers operate almost silently and have minimal energy consumption.

The harm and benefits of air humidifiers: user reviews from the forum

On the forums, there are often comments that ultrasonic-type humidifiers are harmful to the health of the child. But the medical opinion of most experts suggests that such reviews can only be considered as a result of improper operation of devices.

Most often, buyers note the advantages of climatic technology:

“When a child appeared in our family, the doctor advised us to buy a humidifier in order to correct the microclimate in the nursery. I reviewed a lot of information before settling on the Polaris PUH 3504 air humidifier, the reviews about this device were good and the price suited me. The device copes well with the task assigned to it, it can work for a long time without adding water. This humidifier suits me completely. "

Ekaterina Solntseva, Saint Petersburg

“I have heard many reviews of Polaris humidifiers from my friends and neighbors. I decided to buy such a device for myself. In winter, radiators dry out the air and it becomes difficult to breathe. And sleeping in such conditions is simply unbearable. I took the PUH 3005 DI model, designed for a room of 30 m². This humidifier has a good capacity (5L), but is compact and neat looking. It is very convenient to use: it has a light indication to control the amount of water in the tank, a timer designed for 8 hours. It works almost silently. I am very pleased with my purchase and recommend it to everyone. "

Svetlana Bendas, Yekaterinburg

Disadvantages of an ultrasonic humidifier: harm to children

Ultrasonic humidifiers use a 5 MHz wave frequency to generate water dust. But it cannot be harmful to the child, since it is completely safe for health.

Related article:

How to choose an air conditioner for an apartment: effective cooling and air ventilation. Types and features of devices, additional functions. Calculation of power according to the parameters of the room. Care tips.

Ultrasound is widely used for medical purposes:

• diagnostic devices;
• equipment for carrying out physiotherapy procedures;
• nebulizers designed for inhalation.

Note! The process of converting liquid into mist inside the air humidifier is as follows: due to mechanical vibrations, ultrasonic waves force the membrane moistened with water to move. They have no effect on humans.

The real harm of an ultrasonic air humidifier lies only in the absence of a filter that could keep the impurities of minerals contained in the water inside the structure. As a result, furnishings and furniture in the room are covered with the thinnest layer of white bloom.

To solve this problem, it is enough to use the recommendations for the operation of devices:

1. Fill the liquid container with clean water - use settling and boiling, or buy distilled water from stores.
2. Select a device model with a water softening filter - this detail will significantly reduce the level of salt in the liquid, and also eliminate the appearance of white plaque on furniture.
3. Use household purified water to fill the tank - for this, household filters used to purify drinking water are suitable.

The absence of hot steam in ultrasonic models is both an advantage and a disadvantage. High temperatures in steam humidifiers completely kill bacteria in the water and air. This does not happen during operation of the ultrasonic device.

Air humidifier operation: the harm of ultrasonic models

Contaminants from the ultrasonic room humidifier are hazardous to health. Mineral compounds (salts) that accumulate on the surface of furniture can be an excellent breeding ground for bacteria.

Climatic technology is used in the presence of people, since it does not have a negative direct effect on a person. However, spraying pollutants can cause health problems, such as diseases affecting the respiratory tract. Asthmatics and people with other lung conditions may experience discomfort when using an ultrasonic humidifier.

Many parents use climate technology to relieve the symptoms of colds and coughs in young children.On the one hand, the ultrasonic humidifier saturates the air with moisture, and the effect of illness is mitigated, on the other hand, the spraying of salts contained in the water can cause lung problems and irritation of the respiratory tract.

Note! An increased level of humidity in a room can trigger the development of mold, which also affects health.

Like any other electrical appliance, a humidifier presents a risk of electric shock. There is a risk of electric shock when adjusting a plugged-in device with wet hands. For this reason, it is worth choosing a location for the humidifier that pets and children cannot reach.

All these nuances can be cause for concern, but the harm of an ultrasonic humidifier has not been officially confirmed. This type of equipment is considered the safest for a child in comparison with other types of humidifiers.

How to reduce the risks and negative effects of humidifiers

In most cases, the negative consequences from the use of climatic technology are associated with a violation of safety measures and improper operation of devices.

• when buying a device, you must carefully study the technical parameters, because the device must fully comply with the size of the room and the needs of the people living in it. Even the climatic conditions of the premises at the time of purchase, the presence of animals, children and other related factors in the house are taken into account;
• before starting operation, you must study the manufacturer's instructions. And not only the section on the use of the humidifier, but all the information that the manufacturer deemed necessary to place in the document;
• timely clean the device to prevent the growth of bacteria;
• replace the water in the container more often;
• as necessary, replace filters and other replaceable elements that wear out and become contaminated during operation;
• maintain the normalized level of humidity in the room, i.e. no more than 50%;
• take into account the needs of people with asthma by customizing the operation of the device;

• regularly ventilate the room and monitor the temperature. The optimal parameter of the air temperature of the dwelling is 20-24 ° С;
• if your health worsens, you should immediately consult a doctor;
• do not repair the device yourself.

The purchase of a modern device with great functionality will save you from many problems. On sale there are models equipped with a hydrostat, indication, special filters that provide additional water purification, ionization, etc. "Air washers" and climatic systems greatly facilitate the process of monitoring indicators, although they are much more expensive than conventional models of devices.