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A humidifier is a household appliance that increases the level of water vapor, or moisture, in a room. The word appliance has several different areas of meaning, all usually referring to a device with a narrow function: One class of objects includes items that are custom-fitted to an individual for the purpose of correction of a physical problem, such as prosthetic and orthotic appliances. ...
Anatomy of a humidifier
The most common humidifier, an "evaporative" or "wick humidifier", consists of just a few basic parts: a reservoir, wick and fan.
Reservoir Reservoirs are common to all humidifiers and come in different shapes and sizes. The reservoir is a containing tank of water filled prior to operation, and provides fuel for the moisture output.
Wick The wick is a filter that absorbs water diverted from the reservoir. Evaporation of water from the wick is dependent on relative humidity. A room with low humidity will have a higher evaporation rate compared to a room with high humidity. Therefore, this type of humidifier is self-regulating: As the humidity of the room increases, the water vapor output naturally decreases.
Fan The fan is adjacent to the wick, and as it blows on the filter the water evaporates, changing from a liquid state into a gaseous water vapor state.
Other types of humidifiers Other types of humidifiers include: - Vaporizer (Steam Humidifier) - Boils water, releasing steam and moisture into the air. The least expensive of humidifiers, you can add medicated inhalant to the water to help reduce coughs. It produces the noisy sound of boiling water.
- Impeller Humidifier - A rotating disc flings water at a diffuser, which breaks the water into fine droplets that float into the air.
- Ultrasonic Humidifier (Cool Mist Humidifier) - A metal diaphram vibrating at an ultrasonic frequency creates water droplets that exit the humidifier in the form of a cool fog. Although silent, Ultrasonic Humidifiers should be cleaned regularly to avoid bacterial contamination which may be projected into the air.
Testing humidity Humidity can be tested by using a device called a hygrometer Humidity is the concentration of water vapor in the air. ...
A sling psychrometer for outdoor use The interior of a Stevenson screen showing a motorized psychrometer A interior of a simple indoor hygrometer. ...
See also A dehumidifier is a household appliance that reduces the level of humidity in a room. ...
Software being used to design HVAC systems HVAC (pronounced either H-V-A-C or, occasionally, H-VAK) is an initialism/acronym that stands for heating, ventilation and air-conditioning. This is sometimes referred to as climate control. ...
External links - All About Humidifiers Site to help you find the right humidifier for relief from dryness, allergies and other health problems.
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