Ask Lemmy

You can go full passive humidification with terracotta, if that’s something you’re interested in. You just need a bowl, pan, dish, or other item that can hold water, and then place the terracotta on top of it. Cheapo terracotta pots work fine, they just have to be in contact with water but not fully submersed. The more surface area exposed to air, the more it will evaporate water into the air. You can put tap water in that all day long and while it might get mineral build up, it’s not going into the air.

You can achieve the same thing with a very wet towel hung up to dry if you really need it; that’s what we’re doing right now, and it’s amazing how quickly it brings it the humidity back up.

I've never heard of a humidifier leaking because of not using purified water.

Humidifiers that use ultrasonic elements to vaporize water can, as I understand it, get buildup from residue. You can get a white dust from them. But I wouldn't expect them to leak.

I've never had any issue with use of tap water in humidifiers. I've used the variety that just wicks water up into a material and has a fan blow through it. Those shouldn't even have the dust potential.

Are you talking about an ultrasonic humidifier? AFAIK, those shoot out tiny water particles along with any bacteria that might be present, creating a health risk. You're meant to only use distilled water with those.

In case you want some more info about humidifier, I recommend Technology Connections on Youtube.

Tap water is filled with minerals that get left behind when the water evaporates into the air. So your choice is purified water or you're going to have to manually clean out all those minerals that accumulate inside the device.

Maybe get yourself a nice reverse osmosis filter. Run that water in your humidifier, coffee maker, ice maker and anything else mechanical that requires water. It'll make all your devices last much longer. I used to have to add a little tap water to a keurig the first few times I used it because the water was so clear the sensor thought the reservoir was empty.

That purifier isn't cheap but you probably only need a small one that produces a few gallons a day. Barring that, someone's suggestion about boiling water in a pan is probably your best bet. The stuff in your water will eventually gum up any device you put it in.

Maybe filter it first through a Brita or similar water purifier? I'm lazy and just been buying distilled water off the shelf because my well water isn't so hot and I don't feel like replacing four humidifiers every year. The buildup is gross.

!homeimprovement@lemmy.world

I honestly have not had this problem with ultrasonic humidifiers. They just need to be cleaned every couple of weeks.

Do you have a fireplace or a stove for heating anywhere? My family always used a pan of water on top of those in the winter

Never had one leak, usually it's the wick or heating elements that get crusty. Or if you have the cool mist type, everything in the room gets a dusting.

A lot of it usually comes from things like Calcium or Limestone and can be pretty readily cleaned off with some vinegar.

I use a humidifier by AIRCARE. A bit more doing than a simple tabletop, but nothing too complex. It's a base unit that sits on the floor. Has a removable tank that I fill directly from the tap. I do add a bacteria/algae treatment to about every other fill. Need to replace a filter about once a month (I try to extend it a little longer). And then after the season (about 3-4 months over the winter) I clean the unit. They make different ones, and they're generally much more powerful than a tabletop unit, albeit with a larger footprint.

I'm looking at the Honeywell HEV320BC Moisture humidifier. Seems straight, simple, and without ultrasonic vaporizer.

Ours came with this little brick thing that I think is supposed to keep mineral buildup from accumulating, but the company stopped making that humidifier and we can't buy any more of the bricks. We'll probably be shopping for another one next season. :(

VENTA's take normal water plus their own special additive. They are pretty good if you accept to buy this extra fluid regularly.

This really depends on your tap water; in some places tap water is clean enough to work, but it seems yours is not. If you want something to just set and forget, you'll probably need to do more localised research. E.g Hardness, turbidity, etc.