Submitted by rtwyyn t3_yfxec0 in BuyItForLife
Livesies t1_iu5tdg8 wrote
I don't have a specific brand, instead I recommend a type: evaporative humidifiers.
tldr: cheap and easy to run with minimal maintenance
I've been through multiple ultrasonic humidifiers that work fine but maintenance is a nightmare. Even with distilled water it turns into a petri dish within a week for me. I ended up using bleach to clean it and it would usually last two weeks. It was disgusting. Everything that is in the water gets atomized and sent into the air.
The evaporative unit I got last winter didn't require any cleaning all winter long. I used the recommended anti-microbial with each tank of water refill and never had an issue. I used two wicks throughout the winter but it was unnecessary to seal when I did.
Any humidifier with a tank is going to require refilling as needed. The convenience of tap water + anti-microbial easily beats buying or making distilled water in both effort and cost.
The ultrasonic humidifiers need a fair amount of power to run non-stop. Evaporative humidifiers just run a fan and maybe a humidity meter, making them cheaper.
I recommend an evaporative unit that's designed for the size of your home/apartment (rate of water evaporation) and meets your refilling schedule (water tank size). Beyond that there is no extra technology that goes into them, get one that looks nice or can fit somewhere out of the way.
MinkDynasty t1_iu9q1qi wrote
Ultrasonic / Cold-mist can also cause cancer if you aren't using distilled water in them. They will aerosolize minerals and other stuff in the tap water, and you will breathe all those teeny particles of iron, lead (hello Flint, MI), etc., right into your lungs. There is actual peer-reviewed research on it, but it's a high pain day for me so I'll let you guys find it.
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