Everyone is familiar with portable humidifiers. The idea is to put moisture into air that is heated to reduce skin and nasal irritations and ease cold and flu symptoms. Parents put a portable humidifier in their infants’ or young children’s room when the little ones have bad colds and can’t breathe. Yet, there are whole house humidifiers that can keep everyone healthy all year. Which is better?
There’s really no contest. The winner is a whole-house humidifier. You are providing the perfect level of humidity to the entire house without having to think about it and without having to constantly add water to any machine. The whole-house models are tied into your home’s heating system, and when set for the season, the humidifier draws on moisture from its own connection to your plumbing lines.
The whole-house model is adjusted and controlled by its own “thermostat” controls near your regular thermostat. You don’t have to clean it, fill it, run vinegar through it to break down mineral accumulation, nor sanitize it. It’s the easiest, hands-off means of keeping the humidity level in your home exactly right. All it needs is a yearly maintenance check, which can be done when you have heating and cooling maintenance performed.
A portable humidifier is only good for short term use. They are not designed to humidify the entire home, and they eventually cost more because of the amount of water you have to keep pouring into them. They cost a lot to sanitize and clean to prevent the growth of bacteria and mold inside the humidifier itself.
Additionally, they are made of plastic and require a cord for electricity or extra batteries. Plastic will crack and break over time, battery-operated devices eat a lot of batteries (which aren’t cheap!) and/or electrical cords will at some point get kinked and short out. None of the aforementioned things that happen with portable humidifiers happen with whole-house humidifiers.
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