Introduction
You may feel confused when you found such a great number of humidifiers in the market. It’s hard to decide which is the best for you. Don’t worry, in this article, we will divide all the humidifiers into two types: Humidifier with a filter vs humidifier without a filter. Besides, we will list their pros and cons individually and provide some advice for you to choose the most proper one.
What does a dehumidifier do?
Before talking about humidifiers, let's talk about humidity. Winter air is relatively dry, the average relative humidity during the day is generally less than 50%, combined with the cold climate and indoor heating, indoor humidity is often only about 30%. Such low humidity will have some impact on health, such as nasopharyngeal dryness, breathing difficulties, etc.,
The air humidity that we usually refer to is the relative humidity, which is the ratio of the actual water vapor pressure in the air to the saturation water vapor pressure at the prevailing temperature. The most suitable air humidity for the human body is generally between 40%-65%. On the other hand, this humidity range provides the shortest life span of harmful bacteria. Human skin and breathing are in the best condition.
At the same time, the microorganisms floating in the air and sticking to the items have a close relationship with water in the air.
Once the temperature and humidity are suitable, they will grow and multiply rapidly. Pollutants like mold, bacteria, etc. Will have sprouted in an environment with high humidity and right temperature
That’s why we need to some device to maintain or improve our air quality. A humidifier is a machine that can make a difference in the humidity. The unit helps in adding moisture into the air, reducing the dryness in the air. Low humidity can cause congested sinuses, lung problems, and irritation of the skin. Other than the health problems, a humidifier can also protect the furniture, wallpaper, wooden items from the damage caused by excessive drying.
The air humidity that we usually refer to is the relative humidity, which is the ratio of the actual water vapor pressure in the air to the saturation water vapor pressure at the prevailing temperature. The most suitable air humidity for the human body is generally between 40%-65%. On the other hand, this humidity range provides the shortest life span of harmful bacteria. Human skin and breathing are in the best condition.
At the same time, the microorganisms floating in the air and sticking to the items have a close relationship with water in the air.
Once the temperature and humidity are suitable, they will grow and multiply rapidly. Pollutants like mold, bacteria, etc. Will have sprouted in an environment with high humidity and right temperature
That’s why we need to some device to maintain or improve our air quality. A humidifier is a machine that can make a difference in the humidity. The unit helps in adding moisture into the air, reducing the dryness in the air. Low humidity can cause congested sinuses, lung problems, and irritation of the skin. Other than the health problems, a humidifier can also protect the furniture, wallpaper, wooden items from the damage caused by excessive drying.
Pros and cons of the humidifier with a filter
Pros
1.Absorb mineral
It’s well known that there are some kinds of minerals in tap water. That’s why we will call the distilled water pure water. When we use tap water for humidification, during the process of spreading the water mist into the air, minerals in the water will get into the air as well. The minerals in the air present as a white powder, which can stick to the surface of furniture and lead to health problems like allergies and asthma. These problems can be solved by a filter. Before the fan inside the humidifier blow the mist into the air, a filter can absorb the minerals.
2.Clean the air
Other than the problem of white powder, certain bacterial or allergens can also get into the air together with the water mist, thus causing some health issues. If you are suffering from some respiratory issues such as asthma or skin conditions, you should be more careful about the environment you live in. Under such conditions, a filter can do you a big favor for its ability to block pollutants.
Cons Maintenance
Like all the other appliances, a humidifier requires its own to clean it regularly. From cleaning the water tank to replacement of parts of the machine.
As we mentioned above, a filter needs to absorb many substances like minerals, virus and other.
That’s the reason why the filter of the humidifier should be clean at least once a week, especially if you use it daily. You may even need to use special cleaning solutions, avoiding damage to the filter.
Some humidifiers need a regular replacement of filters every two months.
The harmful substances absorbed by filters can cause secondary pollution if you fail to clean them regularly.
As we mentioned above, a filter needs to absorb many substances like minerals, virus and other.
That’s the reason why the filter of the humidifier should be clean at least once a week, especially if you use it daily. You may even need to use special cleaning solutions, avoiding damage to the filter.
Some humidifiers need a regular replacement of filters every two months.
The harmful substances absorbed by filters can cause secondary pollution if you fail to clean them regularly.
Pros and cons of a humidifier without a filter
Pros Maintenance
You can save a great deal of money and energy on machine maintenance. Some necessary cleaning to the water tank and outlet are unavoidable. If compared with the maintenance you need to do in the humidifier with a filter, the maintenance of the device without the filter is not a big deal.
Cons risk of bacteria and allergen
The main purpose of a filter is to remove harmful bacteria and allergens that can breed in the water tank. Without a filter, there is a greater risk of bacteria that can cause long-term health problems. If you already have respiratory problems, the use of an unfiltered humidifier can increase symptoms instead of reducing them.
The problem of White powder
Without a filter, the mineral in the water will be spread into the air together with the mist, thus leading to health problems and damage to the furniture.
Which to buy: With filter or without filter？
In this part, we will list some points you can take into consideration. There are different conditions under which both of these can be used.
If you want to add inhalants
If you want to add any specific inhalant to the humidifier, we would advise you to choose the humidifier without a filter. The filter can decrease the risk of pollution to the mixture of water and inhalant, enabling us to take full advantage of the inhalant.
If you have a limited budget
You want to buy a humidifier but have a limited budget. A humidifier without a filter would be a good choice for you. Such a choice can help you avoid the relatively higher cost of maintenance.
If you have an ill person to take care
If there is an ill person at home, it would be better for you to choose a humidifier with a filter. As we mentioned above, germs, bacteria, and viruses can get filtered in the humidifier. Otherwise, it likely to increase the sickness of the patient.
If you already live in an environment with dust around
If there already are some visible dust particles in your living environment, we would advise you to choose a humidifier with a filter to prevent the aggravation of dust.
If you already can not sure about the quality of water
This point is relative to the problem of white powder. Humidifiers will turn water into moisture and dispense it into the air. If you use tap water, the mineral will be spread into the air together. If you can use pure water, such a problem can be avoided. But such a solution will cost you a lot of money. The best way to solve this problem is that choosing a humidifier with a filter.
If there are children at the house
Children are more vulnerable to allergies and infections than adults. If there are children in your house. It would be better for you to choose the humidifiers with a filter. The chances of bacteria and viruses getting introduced to the indoor air are more than that of humidifiers with filters.
Here are the aspects you have better take into consideration when you want to buy a humidifier.
Keep these points as a checklist and do NOT use filterless humidifiers in these cases.
Keep these points as a checklist and do NOT use filterless humidifiers in these cases.
Two common types of Humidifier
Ultrasonic humidifier(without filter)
An ultrasonic humidifier uses ultrasonic high-frequency oscillation technology to atomize water into ultra-micro particles of 1~5 microns, and then diffuse the water mist into the air through a fan. The microparticles have a large contact area with the air and evaporate on their own before hitting the ground, which increases the humidity of the air. The ultrasonic type has the advantage of relatively high humidification efficiency and low maintenance cost.
What it needs to do for maintenance is cleaning the water tank regularly, and the cleaning is very easy.
And there are disadvantages: Water mist firstly is blown into the air and then evaporated. If you put the output of the ultrasonic humidifier against the wall, the water mist has no enough time to evaporate and condense on the wall.
This water mist will contain impurities, including minerals, germs, etc., will be diffused into the air with the water mist.
If the water is hard, it will also produce some white powdery impurities. Over time it will lead to the increment of PM2.5
Therefore, with the use of an ultrasonic humidifier, it is best to use distilled water or pure water for humidification. Besides, we advise using air purifiers together with an ultrasonic humidifier. It needs to be regularly cleaned with vinegar or citric acid to prevent the accumulation of minerals in the inner wall of the machine
What it needs to do for maintenance is cleaning the water tank regularly, and the cleaning is very easy.
And there are disadvantages: Water mist firstly is blown into the air and then evaporated. If you put the output of the ultrasonic humidifier against the wall, the water mist has no enough time to evaporate and condense on the wall.
This water mist will contain impurities, including minerals, germs, etc., will be diffused into the air with the water mist.
If the water is hard, it will also produce some white powdery impurities. Over time it will lead to the increment of PM2.5
Therefore, with the use of an ultrasonic humidifier, it is best to use distilled water or pure water for humidification. Besides, we advise using air purifiers together with an ultrasonic humidifier. It needs to be regularly cleaned with vinegar or citric acid to prevent the accumulation of minerals in the inner wall of the machine
Evaporative humidifier(without humidifier)
The evaporated humidifier has been on the market for decades, it is the most common kind of humidifier. With a very simple principle, it can be simply understood as” drying clothes”.
Use a fan to blow the filter screen or water wheel that can absorb water. The contact area between the filter screen and water wheel is larger, and the faster wind speed allows water to evaporate quickly into the air.
The advantage of evaporated type is that then we would not see the air fog in the air outlet. because the water is firstly evaporated and then sent out. There is no requirement for the position. Another point is that impurities in the water are not blown into the air so that it would not affect the air quality.
One of the disadvantages of the evaporative humidifier is the relatively low efficiency. The second is that the impurities in the water will remain in the water tank, filter, or water wheel, the water tank, and water wheel need to be cleaned or regularly.
Of course, these two humidifiers are just a basic prototype, many manufacturers will add more technology based on the original.
Use a fan to blow the filter screen or water wheel that can absorb water. The contact area between the filter screen and water wheel is larger, and the faster wind speed allows water to evaporate quickly into the air.
The advantage of evaporated type is that then we would not see the air fog in the air outlet. because the water is firstly evaporated and then sent out. There is no requirement for the position. Another point is that impurities in the water are not blown into the air so that it would not affect the air quality.
One of the disadvantages of the evaporative humidifier is the relatively low efficiency. The second is that the impurities in the water will remain in the water tank, filter, or water wheel, the water tank, and water wheel need to be cleaned or regularly.
Of course, these two humidifiers are just a basic prototype, many manufacturers will add more technology based on the original.
Conclusion
Through this article, you may know that the outcome of a humidifier with a filter vs a humidifier without a filter. We also listed some points that suitable for your condition for comparison. Finally, we provided two types of humidifiers, one with a filter and one without filters. Hope this article can help you in both understanding and purchasing humidifiers. .
Please feel free to contact us through e-mail or telephone, we will reply as soon as possible Thanks for your reading!
Please feel free to contact us through e-mail or telephone, we will reply as soon as possible Thanks for your reading!
