Important Tips To Keep Your Whole-House Humidifier Purring All Winter Long

Tips To Keep Your Whole-House Humidifier Purring All Winter Long

Humidifiers are a necessity, especially during the cold winter months when the air is dry. Dry air can cause a series of problems for you and your family, it can cause discomfort, exacerbate illnesses like cold, flu and allergies, it can make you lose sleep, and it can destroy your furniture over time. The whole house humidifier works with the cooling and central heating system and humidifies air through the duct in your house. Maintaining your humidifier during this period is important to keep the unit functioning effectively and efficiently all winter long.

Follow these tips to keep your humidifier in tip-top shape

Clean the humidifier

First, unplug the humidifier from the outlet and read the owner’s manual before you disassemble and clean your unit. When you take the unit apart, pour out the water in the reservoir and fill it warm water and vinegar to kill bacteria and get rid of build up. Rust, scale, dust and mineral buildup are some of the things you have to clean up from a humidifier, this may seem like a daunting task, but you only have to do it two months a year or annually especially after the winter.

Check the media panel, clean debris buildup from the panel. Take out your evaporation pad or filter and clean that out too, if you find out that the accumulation has become too much for you to clean, then it is time to replace the filter, or it won’t hold or absorb water for much longer. Take out the orifice/drain line and clean it, the orifice regulates the amount of water that flows into the distribution tray, and it could get blocked with scale or debris.

Replace the parts

The humidifier unit will suffer from wear over time, and this can reduce how well it functions. Due to the accumulation of dirt and mineral deposits, several parts of the unit will suffer from wear, rust, and corrosion. The water panel, for instance, regulates the flow of water through the humidifier and the airflow can get blocked from a buildup of debris and mineral deposits, so it is necessary to replace the panel annually. Other parts of the unit should also be replaced when they do not function properly.

Shut off the unit in warm weather

Just as you don’t want low humidity in your home, you also don’t want high humidity. Too much moisture in the house can trigger allergies, make you susceptible to flu and it can spoil electronic equipment. Shut off your humidifier during warm summer months and if you are in more temperate climate. Shutting it off will save energy and keep those electricity bills down. You can also service your humidifier after you shut it off for the summer so that the next time you need it, the unit will be in perfect working condition.

Keep the unit level

Keep the water distribution tray level to distribute water evenly down the panel, if water does not cover the panel evenly your humidifier might not function properly and efficiently, and there won’t be an even distribution from the air vents. Even distribution of water also reduces uneven wear and debris buildup.

Check for leaks

Electronic appliances often have leaks, and most people wave them away as trivial, but a leak could be a serious problem affecting your appliance, and if you neglect it for too long, it could damage the unit. If your humidifier starts to leak, shut off the unit and call an expert to find the problem and solution to the leak.

Get a maintenance kit

You don’t have to be into DIY to fix some things by yourself, especially minor problems that you can correct after a quick glance through the owner’s manual. If you plan to use your humidifier often, then you should consider buying a maintenance kit for the unit however if the problem is too difficult to handle, you should call a repair to fix it instead.