What Does a Humidifier Do?

By Travis Baugh

What Is A Humidifier? What Does A Humidifier Do?

A humidifier is a device designed to increase moisture levels in the air, effectively combating dryness and enhancing indoor air quality. It proves particularly beneficial during the dry winter months or in arid climates. By releasing water vapor into the atmosphere, a whole home humidifier can alleviate symptoms associated with dry skin, irritated nasal passages, and static shocks as well. Additionally, keeping humidity under wraps can protect against warping or structural damage to wood flooring or furnishings, and creates a more comfortable living environment. Learn more about the benefits of humidifiers.

How Does a Humidifier Work?

Understanding how a humidifier functions can aid you in making an informed decision about whether it's the right solution for your home. Essentially, humidifiers work by adding moisture to the air through various mechanisms, depending on the type of humidifier. Common types include evaporative, ultrasonic, and steam humidifiers.

Evaporative humidifiers employ a fan to blow air through a wet wick or filter, facilitating water evaporation and increasing humidity. Ultrasonic humidifiers utilize ultrasonic vibrations to create a fine mist of water droplets that are dispersed into the air. A steam humidifier delivers humidity in the form of steam to the conditioned space.

Regardless of the type, all humidifiers feature a mechanism to control and regulate humidity levels. If equipped with a control that includes a humidistat or hygrometer, these devices can measure the humidity in the air and adjust their operation to maintain the desired moisture levels.

Parts of a Whole Home Humidifier

The basic components of a humidifier and their functions are as follows:

1. Water Reservoir (in some types of humidifiers): Holds the water that will be used to create humidity.

2. Wicking Filter (in some types): Absorbs water from the reservoir and provides a large surface area for evaporation. It helps to filter impurities from the water, ensuring cleaner mist.

3. Base Unit: Houses the main components of the humidifier, including the motor, fan, and electrical circuitry. It also supports the water reservoir.

4. Evaporative Pad/Filter (in evaporative humidifiers): Draws water up from the reservoir and allows it to evaporate into the air as a fan blows air through it.

5. Heating Element (in steam humidifiers): Heats the water to produce steam. This steam is then cooled slightly before being released into the air as a warm mist.

6. Fan: Circulates air through the humidifier, helping to distribute the mist or vapor throughout the room. In evaporative models, it draws air through the wet wick or pad to evaporate the water.

7. Control Panel: Provides user controls for adjusting the humidifier’s settings, such as mist output level, timer, and sometimes humidity level.

8. Humidity Sensor (Hygrometer if equipped): Measures the current humidity level in the room and helps the humidifier maintain the desired level of humidity by turning the unit on or off as needed.

9. Float Valve (in some models): Maintains the correct water level in the reservoir and prevents overflow by shutting off water intake when the reservoir is full.

Different types of humidifiers might have slight variations in components, but the essential parts and their functions remain largely consistent.

Choosing the Right Whole Home Humidifier for Your Needs

Selecting the right humidifier for your home involves considering several key factors to ensure it meets your specific needs. Here are some important aspects to evaluate:

Type of Humidifier: There are various types of humidifiers available, including steam humidifiers, fan-powered humidifiers, and bypass humidifiers. The below table shows a summary of each type.
Home Size: One of the first factors to consider is the size of your home. Different humidifiers are designed to accommodate various home sizes, so it's crucial to choose one that can effectively humidify the space you have in mind. Carrier offers a range of humidifiers suitable for different home sizes, ensuring optimal performance and comfort. Steam humidifiers offer the most presise humidity control for all homes, fan-powered humidifiers better suited than bypass humidifiers for large homes, while bypass humidifiers may be a better option for medium and smaller sized homes or where energy consumption of the humidifier fan is a concern.
Additional Features: Consider additional features that may enhance your humidifier experience, such as water vapor output, capacity (gallons/day) and the unit’s warranty.

By evaluating factors such as the type of humidifier, home size, and extra features, you can choose the right humidifier that suits your needs and enhances your indoor comfort.

Do Humidifiers Work?

Humidifiers are effective at increasing indoor humidity, which can help relieve dry skin and alleviate discomfort caused by dry air. They are particularly useful in dry climates or during winter months when heating systems lower indoor humidity levels. Regular maintenance is important to maintain their effectiveness and prevent mold spore or bacteria growth.

Maintaining Your Whole Home Humidifier

Proper maintenance is essential to ensure the longevity and efficiency of your humidifier. Here are some maintenance tips:

Changing Humidifier Pads: If your humidifier has an evaporative humidifier pad, replace it as recommended by the manufacturer. A clean humidifier pad ensures the device operates efficiently and maintains good air quality.
Periodic Maintenance: See owner’s manual for periodic maintenance and service instructions.
Annual Summer Shutdown: See owner’s manual for summer shutdown procedures where applicable.

By maintaining your humidifier, you can ensure it operates efficiently and provides optimal humidity levels in your home.

Carrier Whole Home Humidifiers

Carrier offers a range of whole-home humidifiers designed to provide optimal comfort and moisture control in your home. Our humidifiers are equipped with advanced features to ensure efficient operation and enhance your indoor environment.

The below graphic shows a summary of each model by unit type, capacity (gallons/day), water vapor delivery, and other helpful notes.

Connect with your local Carrier dealer to find the right solution for your home. With Carrier humidifiers, you can enjoy the benefits of improved air quality, comfort, and overall well-being.

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Learn More About Whole-House Humidifiers

Choosing the best humidifier for your home
Cost to Buy or Replace a Whole-Home Humidifier
Furnaces and Humidifiers: How They Work Together
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Learn the difference between a humidifier vs dehumidifier
Discover what humidity should be house be at?