Feel Better, Live Healthier With Home Humidifiers

Ironic that for half the year we should be using dehumidifiers to get rid of excess moisture in the home, while the remainder of the time we are constantly manning humidifiers to get the moisture content back up to healthy levels.

A humidifier is as important a tool for household inhabitants (especially asthmatics, allergy sufferers, and people with respiratory difficulties) as a dehumidifier is during periods of high humidity. Humidity is just one of those things that is good for us at optimal levels, but bad if levels are too high or too low.

There are good reasons to use a home humidifier. A few are:

• Respiratory comfort


• Dust reduction


• Reduction of allergens


• Airway lubrication (resulting in fewer respiratory infections)


• Home temperature maintenance (humid air feels warmer)


• Loosening of mucus from lungs, sinuses, and airways

Humidifiers are used in both home and commercial applications (an example is greenhouse humidifiers) because humidified air is natural and healthy. And there are many kinds and styles of humidifiers, as well as sizes and costs. Here are some options.

• Warm and cool mist humidifiers. Ask your doctor if they have a preference. Most do not, but many people with small children choose cool mist humidifiers to avoid steam burns.


• Portable humidifiers and room humidifiers treat just a small area of the home. They are available at very low costs and can be placed anywhere there is an outlet to run them. It usually takes more than one personal humidifier to satisfy a home’s needs.


• Whole house humidifiers are usually installed with heating and cooling units. With a whole house humidifier, no other unit is needed, and the level of humidity is controlled (kind of like a thermostat controls the home’s heat).

Humidifiers may or may not house humidifier filters. For those that do, follow the manufacturer’s instructions for replacement and overall humidifier cleaning.

There are numerous companies designing and producing home humidifiers. Honeywell humidifiers are both large and small. A Honeywell humidifier is available as a one room portable humidifier as well as a whole house unit. Aprilaire humidifier and Bemis humidifier also make reputable models in a range of sizes and styles. Reviews and more information for Bemis or Aprilaire humidifiers are available online.

During the drier winter months and in year-round dry climates, medical professionals give the same advice over and over to their patients to control respiratory function healthily - install a home humidifier. What type of humidifier and the brand you trust is up to you, but nevertheless, you family will feel better for it.