Author: Dennis Reed

Dennis Reed Owner and Author @ BreatheBetterAir.org

Do You Put Water in a Dehumidifier?

It can be a little confusing deciphering all the different types of devices on the market that do something to your air.

For instance, You got air conditioners, air purifiers, air humidifiers, air compressors, just to name a few.

And trying to understand what each one does compared to one another is a pretty big demand to place on the consumer.

Humidifiers and dehumidifiers are a couple of devices that people seemingly confuse with one another quite often.

And why not, they practically sound like they’re the same machine.

But the similarity in name is where it ends.

Do you put water in a dehumidifier?

You do not add water to a dehumidifier like you do to a humidifier.
Dehumidifiers are the opposite of a humidifier. They are a device that removes moisture from the air.

Compared to a humidifier that effectively adds moisture to the air.

Dehumidifiers pull the moisture out of the air by reducing it to condensation and funnel it into a container which is built-in as part of the machine.

When the container gets full, you dump it out. Dehumidifiers often come with a garden hose hook up to drain the water from the machine rather than dump the container when it fills.

Humidifiers on the other hand, are made to add moisture back into the air.

So they do require you to add water to them before they can perform their function.

Dehumidifiers – remove moisture from the air and require you to dump it out of the machine.

Humidifiers- add moisture to the air and require you to add water to the machine.

What is the purpose of a dehumidifier?

The purpose of a dehumidifier is to remove excess moisture out of the air.

One of the most popular ways of using a dehumidifier is to help dry out a basement.

Basements, being carved underground and basically sitting in moist soil, tend to be very moist inside as well.

The air in the basement can be very humid compared to the rest of the house.

And where there is excess moisture in a home, there is the high possibility of mold growth in that region.

Areas like basements that have high humidity also tend to have a lot of bugs because moisture provides  a source of nutrition for them.

High populations of dust mites are another symptom of having high humidity that often occurs in a basement.

Using a dehumidifier to reduce the moisture inside of a humid room like a basement helps cut down on the amount of mold and allergens caused by mold and dust mites, making it easier to breathe, and protecting the area from mold damage.

In short, it means getting an overall better use out of the room.

do i need a dehumidifierDo I need a dehumidifier?

For a lot of people, the dry mode (dehumidifier mode) on their air conditioning may be plenty to keep the high humidity inside of their home in check.

But there are many times when the temperature does not warrant running an air conditioner but the humidity is still high.

The basement for instance.

So if you have above normal humidity but the temperature does not warrant using an air conditioner, then you do need a humidifier to reduce the excess moisture from the air.

What is the purpose of a humidifier?

Humidifiers are machines that intentionally add moisture into the air.

Humidity is fickle and in order to maintain optimal health and environment, a relative humidity of between 40 and 60% is required.

While dehumidifiers remove moisture from the air when the humidity is too high, humidifiers add moisture when the air is too dry.

Dry air is usually associated with winter for a couple of reasons.

One, the climate produces less humidity, and two, heaters are used regularly. And heaters have a drying effect on the air.

Dry air is air that has a relative humidity of 40% and below.

The symptoms of dry air are many.

1.Dried and cracked nasal passages and skin top the list.

2.Low humidity also aids in the spread of colds and viruses.

3. Sinuses and allergies are also symptoms of low humidity.

  How does a humidifier help with so many of these everyday problems?
  Simple.

Moisture droplets are heavier than dust.

Without enough humidity in the air, dust, including dust particles like pollen, viruses, and bacteria,

are free to float and travel further through your air and eventually come in contact with your eyes, mouth, and nose.

  Humidified air causes dust to be too heavy to float and out of the ambient air that you breathe.

Most of us have no idea how impactful the relative humidity is on our health.

Hygrometer

You may be thinking, that’s all fine, but how do I know what my relative humidity is or how would I track it?

Fortunately, there is a handy device that you can purchase cheaply at your local hardware store that measures humidity.

It’s called a hygrometer.

They are usually paired with a thermometer. Called a thermohygrometer.

  How do you read a hygrometer to know when to run a humidifier?

A hygrometer gives you your relative humidity in the form of a percentage.

If the hygrometer reads 40% or below, you need to run a humidifier to raise your humidity to about 50%.

If the hygrometer reads 60% or more, reducing the humidity is necessary.

That may mean using a dehumidifier unless the temperature is high and the dehumidification process of the AC can handle the humidity.

Recap

It’s easy to get confused between what a humidifier is and a dehumidifier is.

There are so many air related devices that sound similar, and knowing which device does what is not always intuitive.

Dehumidifiers are appliances that remove moisture water from the air and do not require any water to be added to them.

Humidifiers add moisture to the air and do require water to be put in them.

One is for removing moisture. One is for adding moisture.

How to Get Rid of Dust in the Air? – The Lucky 13

Dust is a particularly nasty recipe of ingredients when you get down to it.

Everything from insect skeletons, rodent feces, dead skin flakes, mites, and not to mention pollen and spores.

All floating through the air, ready to come in contact with your eyes, nose and mouth,

And create havoc in your sinuses.

So what can you do?

How to get rid of dust in the air?

Here is a list of suggestions that we have compiled to help you do just that.

1.  Use a humidifier

Low humidity or dry air as it’s more commonly referred to, can play a huge part in how much dust is floating and how far it can travel through the air.

  The reason is that humidity has a “mudding” effect that weighs down dust and causes it to fall out of the air that you breathe.

The result of keeping a higher relative humidity when it comes to dusty surfaces is similar in that it congeals dust particles and keeps them from being kicked into the air.

A Humidifier is a device that adds moisture back into the air when the relative humidity has dropped.

It’s the first thing on our list because if the climate is extra dry then there is little chance of controlling dust in the air until you do something to balance the relative humidity.

LEVOIT Humidifiers

 

Click Here

2.  Air purifier

Filtering is another way of getting dust out of the air.

Most air purifiers use HEPA filters that are able to remove dust particles as small as .003 parts per million.

HEPA Air purifiers work best in small spaces. HIPAA air purifiers are usually combined with carbon filters that are able to adsorb gases and odors as well.

Other air purifiers called Ionizer air purifiers use ions to connect  dust particles together through polarity.

The result is that they become too heavy to float and fall out of the air.

The main disadvantage for ionizers for removing dust from the air is though it falls out of the air it collects on the surface. Which will undoubtedly be kicked up again.
Another disadvantage with them is that they smell a bit like ozone.

LEVOIT Air Purifiers

 

Click Here

3.  Vacuuming

Most dust is brought into the house with your feet. Tracking dust in your shoes is easily one of the biggest ways that it collects in your house.

Walking is all it takes to kick the dust that you brought in with your shoes in the first place up into the air.

Vacuuming the carpet more often is a way of reducing dust in the air.

4.  Sweeping and mopping

Along the same lines as vacuuming, dirty floors supply dust that is easily kicked up into the air when walking over them.

Sweeping and mopping more frequently is another way of keeping dust from becoming a problem in your airstream.

5. Take your shoes off at the door

Just like we mentioned a couple of paragraphs ago, dust coming in on the bottom of your shoes is one of the biggest ways that dirt gets into your home.

Kicking your shoes off before you walk through the house is a great way of keeping the dust from traveling in on your shoes.

Another option is to change shoes, when you come in the door to a pair that doesn’t go outside with you.

6.  Dusting and wiping

If your countertops, shelves and tables are dusty, then you have another supply of dust that can easily make it into your ambient air simply by turning on a ceiling fan or letting a breeze in.

Keeping dust out of the air is as easy as keeping your surfaces wiped down sometimes.

7.  Shut the doors and windows

Keeping the doors and windows open is inviting dust to come into the house and float through your air.

As a source for dust, there’s not much bigger of a reservoir than the dust blowing in from outside.

7. Seal up Windows and doors

Leaving the doors and windows open intentionally is not the only way the dust comes in through your doors and windows.

When your windows and doors are not sealed properly, then dust can gather around the unsealed areas of your home and become part of the dustiness of your air.

Sealing up your doors and windows will help keep dust from coming when they are closed.

8. Keep the dogs and cats outside

If you have pets that could come in and out of the house, you are going to have a lot of dust.

Not only are dogs running around in the yard collecting dirt, they are shedding, and spreading dander throughout your air stream.

Cat hair is particularly covered in bacteria and dander as well.

Without keeping the animals outside, there’s no real chance of keeping dust out of the house and the air.

9. Plant some grass

If you have ground in your yard that doesn’t have any grass on it or is overgrown with weeds, then you have a big supply of dust waiting to be blown into the house.

  Planting some grass seed on your bare ground areas and keeping the yard trimmed will help lessen the supply of dust available to get into your home.

10. HVAC filters

The filters in your central heat and air conditioning help filter out dust so that it does not circulate through your house via the vent work of your HVAC system.

Keeping the filters replaced helps them filter more dust and allergens from your air when the unit is on.

It also keeps your unit working much more efficiently.

11. Change your bedding more often

It’s a disgusting fact that your mattress and sheets can be covered with dead skin and dust mites.

The longer you let your bedding go without proper washing, the more dust you’re going to have coming off of your own bed.

  Also many of the allergies that you assume are entering into your airways through the dustiness of your air,

might just be hanging out on your pillow and in your blankets waiting for you to bury your face in them.

12. House plants

If you haven’t heard about it, there’s a big list of houseplants that nasa say are all natural air purifiers.

Some house plants like the rubber plant actually draw dust to themselves and have to be washed off.

Other plants like Aloe Vera and snake plants create oxygen which naturally makes your air easier to breathe.

House plants are a novel and excellent way of creating less dust in your air.

If you want to see NASA’s big list, and pick some plants that you know will do the job, you can click here.

13. Dehumidifier / Air conditioner

The humidifier was at the top of our list to help deal with dust in the air when the relative humidity is low.

But dustiness can be an issue when the humidity is high as well.

One of the big issues with excessive humidity is that it becomes a source of nutrition for dust mites.

Dust mite populations explode in high humidity.

Another problem with high humidity is that it supplies moisture for mold to take root. Once you have mold growing in your house, then you have mold spores traveling through your air.

A dehumidifier is a device that works the opposite of a humidifier.

Instead of adding humidity, it reduces the humidity in the air. Thereby reducing mold spores and dust mites.

Refrigerated air conditioners like window air conditioners and central heat and air (HVAC) dehumidify the air as they cool also.

Post air conditioners have a dehumidifier setting called “dry mode” on them.

If the temperatures are very hot with high humidity, running the air conditioner is a way to reduce dust in your air.
If the humidity is very high but the temperatures are not so much,
A dehumidifier or using the dry mode on your air conditioner is the way to go.

how to get dust ot of the airWe hope you liked our Dusty list.

We hope you’ll get some relief from the dust floating through your air by applying some of these suggestions.

Diffuser vs Humidifier vs Combining Them

One thing I’ve noticed while shopping at the local Walmart is that they have a huge selection of diffusers and fragrance plug in devices and whatnot,

But when it comes to the humidifiers, they basically have the cheapest plastic thing you can buy.

  A lot of that stuff is crammed together with the incense and candles without much explanation of what goes with what.

Diffusers vs humidifiers for instance. What is what?

The diffuser primarily is used to disperse essential oils into the air.

The humidifier’s primary job is to add moisture to the air.

Yes they both use water.

But the volume of water they use is vastly different.

Can you use a diffuser as a humidifier?

One thing that a lot of people ask is that if they can use their diffuser as a humidifier since it has water in it?

The answer is yes, technically you will get a small amount of humidity coming off of your diffuser.

Is it enough to humidify an entire room?

No,  it’s probably not enough to make a noticeable difference in the relative humidity.

The reason is, it takes about a half a glass of water to fill up a diffuser.

And most humidifiers go through a gallon of water or so every 24 hours.

But that’s not to say it won’t do anything at all to add moisture to the air.

After all, placing glasses of water around the house is an old trick for humidifying.

Have you ever left a glass of water on a nightstand or table, etc, and come back to it, only to find that it had evaporated away?

It’s the same concept.

can you use a diffuser as a humidifier

 

The difference is, it is the job of a humidifier to evaporate and disperse large amounts of moisture into the air.

It’s a machine that will accelerate what happens naturally by leaving glasses of water out.

So even though a diffuser and a humidifier may operate basically the same,

And a diffuser may add a small amount of moisture into the air,

A humidifier will do much more to remedy the effects of dry air.

  And a diffuser is best at diffusing essential oils.

LEVOIT Humidifier – Click Here

Elechomes SH8820 Humidifier –Click Here

Are there any devices that combine a diffuser and humidifier?

The answer is definitely.

There are many brands of humidifiers that have a tray to put essential oils in, to get a diffuser effect out of them.

The difference is that you’re starting from the point of view of a humidifier that can be used as a diffuser.

Rather than a diffuser that can be used as a humidifier.

And the price point is going to be quite a bit sharper for a humidifier that does it all, compared to the standard diffuser.

Is it worth it to spend the money on a humidifier that diffuses essential oils?

I think it is. Here’s why.

Essential oils and aromatherapy are something that most people just dabble in.

I’m not saying there’s not some excellent benefits to using essential oils, or that they are not important.

But I am saying that I view a humidifier as being a more essential device then an essential oil diffuser is.

  And if you can get a fully functional diffuser in a humidifier, what’s not the love?

( Believe me, there’s a couple of things about a humidifier / diffuser combination that are not to love, I’m about to spout those off, so stick around a second)

  But maintaining a proper relative humidity between 40 and 60% has numerous benefits to your health.

Humidity aids in the reduction of sick days because it keeps viruses and germs from being able to travel as well.

By the same token, asthma triggers as well as airborne allergens are far less invasive into your life when the humidity level is kept between 40 and 60% in your home.

Skin health also relies heavily on an optimal relative humidity.

Not only does Humidity moisturize the skin, it helps keep conditions like acne and psoriasis from being able to burrow deeper into the skin because of cracks caused by dry air.

And one of the most painful and noticeable results of low humidity and dry air is the drying of the nasal cavities which can lead to bloody noses and painful nostril clearing.

And this is just a few of the benefits you get from the humidifier.

Like I said, there is definitely some therapeutic and medicinal benefits to using different essential oils,

But at the end of the day, the humidifier is a much more needed device.

Humidifier with aromatherapy tray downsides ( back to the not so lovely)

There is nothing dangerous about combining a humidifier and a diffuser but there are a couple of things that make it a little bit inconvenient.

One is, a humidifier is not anywhere nearly as mobile as a diffuser.

You can pick up a diffuser with one hand and carry a baby around with the other. Not a problem.

A Humidifier on the other hand, is much bulkier and weighs a good 10 lb with a gallon of water in it. And that is a small humidifier.

So combining your diffuser with your humidifier means your diffuser is going to weigh as much as the humidifier.

But that’s a pretty small trade off I think.

The other thing is that some humidifiers require you to buy their special essential oils that are made to work with their machine to ensure that the equipment doesn’t get gummed up.

That’s pretty limiting, being stuck with purchasing one brand of essential oils and not even a full essential oil product.

Some humidifiers combine not only a diffuser function, but air purification also.

The top brand is called a Revitalizer. And any essential oils that you put in it have to be their brand because they go directly into the water.

But let me see that that is not the way most humidifier makers do it and definitely not one that I would recommend.

  Usually they will have an aromatherapy tray as a separate compartment to put the essential oils.

OliveTech Smart WiFi Essential Oil Diffuser

Click Here

Takeaway

Even though diffusers and humidifiers both use water as part of the way they work,

Diffusers are made to disperse essential oils and even though they may add a small amount of humidity to the air in the process, it’s not nearly enough to qualify as a humidifier.

Humidifiers are made to add large deposits of moisture into your Air.

Can you use a diffuser as a humidifier?

Technically a diffuser will humidify but not enough to make a real difference.

If you want to combine a diffuser and a humidifier, there are humidifiers that have aromatherapy trays so that you can use your humidifier as a diffuser.

And you can argue, like I did in the article above, that maintaining the proper relative humidity in your home is more important than dispersing essential oils.

My opinion is that buying a humidifier that has the capability of functioning as a diffuser also is a much better idea than trying to get a diffuser to humidify effectively.

Do Humidifiers Help With Dry Eyes?

This has been the weather year from hell.

Record blizzards. Record rainfall. And record heat all in one year.

It seems like we have been trapped in the house all year.

And the utility bill has shot to record highs too.

Can Low Humidity Cause Dry Eyes?

There’s a couple of times a year when dry eyes are more of a problem than usual.

The winter, especially this past year, can be so cold that you can’t get outside for much of anything.

The dry air outside and the heater going non-stop inside create a super dry environment where it feels like your eyeballs can’t make any tears.

Levoit HumidifierBut it’s not just the winter, summer can have you stuck in the house also, with the air conditioner running continuously, and ceiling fans blowing and drying the air throughout the house.

Refrigerated air conditioners like window ACS, and central heat and air units, dehumidify as they cool.

That means they are actually sucking the humidity out of the air, which can cause extra dry conditions.

Once again making the air so dry that your eyes get dry and burn.

Do humidifiers help with dry eyes?

Humidifiers are devices that add moisture into the air. Relative indoor humidity has more to do with having and maintaining good health than most people are aware of. And that includes eye health.

There are a couple of ways that a humidifier can help with dry eyes.

1.Reduce dust and allergies

One of the biggest problems with low humidity dry air is the amount of dust that can accumulate and float through the air.

Dust has an absorbing nature to it that tends to dry out your skin and in this case your eyes.

One benefit of using a humidifier when you have dry eyes is that humidity has a type of “mudding” effect on dust, which causes it to be too heavy to float.

And the particles that make up dust are not just dirt.

Dust can be comprised all types of particulates including allergens like pollen, the exoskeletons of insects, feces, dried skin, germs, bacteria, and honestly just about everything you can think of.

And without enough moisture in the air to wash and weigh down this nasty airborne recipe,

They are free to come in contact with your eyes, mouth, and skin.

Humidifiers not only emit moisture back into the air to balance out the relative humidity when the air is dry, they also have a washing effect on the air.

Which can be a big relief when you suffer from dry eyes.

humidifier for dry eyes2. Reduce the evaporation of tears

Dry eyes are not just symptomatic of dry air. There are many reasons a person or pet can have dry eyes.

I have a dog, for instance, that is a distemper survivor.

Distemper is a debilitating canine disease that leaves the dog with a nerve disorder that causes them to bob their head continually. And that’s if they survive at all.

Another one of the effects of distemper is that it causes a dog to lose their ability to create tears.

One of the things we do to help our dog deal with his condition besides using tear drops and washing his eyes with a wet rag, is to run a humidifier for him to help soothe his eyes.

Dryness in your eyes can be due to your tears evaporating too quickly.

And if you are already having a problem with producing tears or having them evaporate too quickly,

Best Humidity Level for Dry Eyes

Dry air caused by low humidity only makes the problem worse.

Maintaining a relative humidity between 40 and 60% is a must if you already have this type of condition.

Adding moisture back into the air can provide extra moisture that can help prevent the tears in your eyes from evaporating as quickly.

Humidifier Problems

But it wouldn’t be right to espouse the use of a humidifier as a remedy for dry eyes without going into a little detail on the problems a humidifier can cause if they are not maintained properly.

  The nature of the humidifier is that you have to add water to it for it to do its job.

The water that you use in a humidifier, especially when you’re talking about using it for helping with dry eye syndrome, is very important.

Unfortunately tap water can be full of all types of chemicals and debris that is not good for your eyes.

If you are considering a humidifier to help with your dry eyes, you should also consider using distilled water in the humidifier to keep anything that is foreign in tap water from getting into your eyeballs.

Another issue with humidifiers is that they must be cleaned often and never used when they have old standing water in them.

The issue is that bacteria and mold can begin to grow very quickly in the water of a humidifier. As well as all the connecting points that the water moves through. 
 Bacteria can emerge in as little as 48 hours in standing water.

  Running a humidifier with germy standing water means you will be emitting all the bacteria from the water into the air and essentially turning your humidifier into an allergy spouting machine.

Fortunately the humidifier world is beginning to catch up with the need for a humidifier that does not have the chance of getting contaminated nearly as easily as they were once known for.

Some companies like Pure Guardian have begun to put UV lamps pointing at the water in the humidifiers as a way to kill any type of bacteria that is growing in the basin.

Others include germ resistant plastics in their construction that keeps mold and bacteria from having anything to feed on inside of the basin of a humidifier.

Hopefully if this trend continues, the humidifier industry as a whole will follow suit and germ-free humidifiers will be the norm instead of the exception.

Low Humidity Symptoms – Benefits of a Humidifier

Low Humidity Symptoms

The effects of humidity and the lack thereof can have a lot of symptoms on your body that you may have not considered before.

Some of them are very logical and make complete sense straight away, while other symptoms may not be as obvious.

Low relative humidity is at the heart of many issues that you face every day.

But it is one of the last places most people look when they are looking for solutions for a variety of different problems.

Here’s a small list of low humidity symptoms:

 

static electricity low humidity1.Static electricity

You reach out for your wife’s hand or to give your daughter a hug and suddenly you get zapped. Static shock! And it seems like everything you touch is a live wire for the next few weeks.

Static electricity is an indication that the humidity is low.

Static electricity is essentially an imbalance of negative and positive ions in the air.

The shock you feel is the balancing of the ions jumping from one object to another.

But when the air is keeping a relative humidity of 40% or more, the moisture in the air absorbs the shock instead of you and your next victim.

If you notice you’re getting zapped with  static electricity around the house more than usual, you can be certain that your humidity is low.

A humidifier is a device that adds moisture back to the air which is beneficial for reducing the amount of static electrical shock around the house.

Check out the Levoit Warm and Cool mist Humidifier Here.

Humidifier Benefit # 1

Reduce Static Electricity


2. Dry Nose/ Bloody Nose

Another symptom of low humidity that is easier to identify than some others is having a dry nose.

When you blow your nose and it feels brittle and painful to do so, or worse, you have a baby that has a sore brittle nose, the relative humidity in your house has more than certainly dropped.

Nosebleeds go hand in hand with dried nasal passages. If you notice blood on the tissue that you have used to clear your nose or worse, you flat out have a crack on the inner walls of your nose and blood is beginning to drip,

You will more than likely find that the relative humidity in your home has dropped below the 40% mark.

A cool mist humidifier can add the depleted humidity back into your air and give you some cool relief inside of your nasal passages.

Humidifier Benefit # 2

Soothe and Hydrate the linings in your nose


3.Dry skin

Following the same logic as having a dry nose is the low humidity symptom of dried and cracking skin.

The moisture in a person’s skin is absorbed primarily through the humidity in the air.

There is a saying that “dry skin equals dehydrated skin”.

Winter is the time of year that is known for having drier air consistently.

It is also the time of the year when the air is continually dried out further but running the heater continually.

So it is not a coincidence that people experience drier than usual skin during this time of year.

But dry skin is not exclusive to colder seasons,

The climate indoors can suffer from low humidity in the summer as well.

  Tightly sealed rooms running air conditioners that are dehumidifying as they cool and having fans blowing can also have an effect on the relative humidity inside.

Humidifier Benefit # 3

Return Moisture to your skin

dust -low humidity4.Extra Dusty house

Have you noticed the surfaces in your home or office seem particularly dusty?

A dusty room is a symptom of low humidity.

When the airborne particles in a room don’t have enough moisture to weigh them down or give them that ” mud” like texture,

they are free to float further and longer and essentially make the room extra Dusty.

  Dustiness is also a major issue when dealing with dry skin.

Your skin is not the only thing absorbing the moisture from the air.

Dust and dry skin.

Dust is also absorbing the moisture, not only out of the air, but out of your skin as well.

You have probably been in a old room where dust has settled for years,

Or maybe you have been around a wood shop where there are mountains of dust everywhere and in the air. 

If you have then you probably noticed how dried out your skin felt afterwards.

It’s the same concept, being in a dusty room with low humidity.

The combination of dust and dry air will suck the moisture right out of your skin.

Humidifier Benefit #4

Reduce dust and dry skin caused by dust

5. Acne

Acne can be a symptom of low humidity. As surprising as that may sound, the effect that dry air has on your skin can facilitate the spread of acne.

Dried cracked skin can allow the bacteria it causes acne to burrow down deeper into the epidermis.

Dry skin can also flake and clog your pores even more.

And finally the imbalance of humidity can cause your skin overcompensate in the creation of oils.

If you are struggling with acne, dry air may be one of your issues. A humidifier can restore the balance of relative moisture back into your air and produce a positive result in your fight against acne.

Humidifier Benefit #5

Help inhibit the spread of Acne

6. Allergies / Asthma triggers

When the air is dry and there is little moisture to cling to the dust particles in the air.

The particulates such as pollen, insect remains, feces, and the other 1000 particles that make up dust, are free to float further through your home than if there was adequate moisture to weigh them down.

Allergies and asthma attacks can result from the lack of moisture that is responsible for reducing household allergens and triggers.

Elechomes SH8820 is a humidifier that does everything you need and more. It also has a carrying handle that puts it above the fray. Pretty sweet.

 

Humidifier Benefit #6

Reduce the travel of allergens in the air

7. Dry eyes

Dry eyes can be described as eyes that have dried out tears.

Hello there are many causes that can cause the tear ducts to produce less tears than they should,

The dry air caused by a lack of humidity can also cause the tears in your eyes to evaporate quickly and leave you with dry burning eyes.

Running a cool mist humidifier will add moisture back into the air and help create an environment where your eyes don’t dry out nearly as bad.

Humidifier Benefit #7

Sooth Dry Eyes 

8. Cold and flu viruses

One of the most fascinating symptoms of low humidity is the easy spread of colds, flus and viruses.

Not only does the lack of moisture in the air create conditions that are conducive to viruses and bacteria traveling further and staying airborne longer,

Low relative humidity has a drying effect on the linings of your airways.
The result of dry mucus linings is they are not able to ward off foreign substances as easily. source

And creates a type of docking effect where viruses and germs can remain longer causing an increased risk of infection.

The National Library of Medicine has stated that the majority of adverse health effects caused by relative humidity would be minimized by maintaining indoor levels between 40 and 60%.

If the flu and cold bug is going through your house, the chances are that your relative humidity is lower than the 40 to 60% optimal range.

The humidifier may help reduce the spread of cold and flu germs, and it can also have a cooling effect on your sinuses when you are struggling with congestion and a raw nose and throat brought on by being sick.

Humidifier Benefit #8

Help Prevent the Spread of Colds and Viruses 

Is a Humidifier Good for Allergies? How So?

Allergies are a topic most of us can identify with.

Allergy symptoms like Itchy burning eyes, sneezing, headaches are all annoyances that we can relate to.

And we can tell you when pollen season has arrived by the way we’re feeling.

But allergies and humidity are not something that we automatically make the connection between.

In fact, you may be surprised to find that the relative humidity, whether high or low, impacts whether or not you may be having allergy and respiratory symptoms.

Low humidity, which would be characterized by a percentage level of 40% and below,
Is the condition known as dry air.

Itchy flaking skin, static electricity, and raw bloody noses, are a regular result of dry air.

High humidity, which would be characterized as humidity 60% or more,
generally results in frizzy hair and a swampy feeling.

But both have elements that cause allergies to flare.

humidifier for allergies

Is a Humidifier Good for Allergies?

A humidifier is a device that adds moisture to the air. It’s that simple.

A humidifier is good for dry air allergies because when there’s a lack of moisture in the air, airborne particles like pollen and mold spores, have nothing to weigh them down and are able to travel further.

On the other hand, when a room has the ideal relative humidity of between 40 and 60 percent, dust particles are not able to float as readily, which makes them not inhaled as easily.

A humidifier also helps moisturize the breathing airways and nasal passages,

bringing a great deal of relief when you are suffering from symptoms like congestion and dry nose, common to colds and allergies.

Humidifier for Allergies 

Our top 2 choices for humidifiers are Levoit and Pure Guardian

Levoit is the mother of all humidifiers.
It has all the features you could ask for in a humidifier and it can be used as either a cool mist or warm mist.

 

 Pure Guardian has just about all the same features as the Levoit but it has  something Levoit doesn’t.

Self cleaning UV and mold resistant plastic.

The newer generation of humidifiers goes the next step in providing remedies for keeping the humidifier from becoming contaminated with bacteria and mold.

This feature alone may very well outweigh the rest.

When is a humidifier not good for allergies?

  A humidifier has a built-in disadvantage in that it has to be cleaned often in order for it not to become a source of airborne allergens itself.

Let me explain a little further,

Because of the nature of the humidifier and the way it works, it requires filling and refilling with water.

Standing water can become contaminated with bacteria in as little as 48 to 72 hours.

Not only the water inside of the basin, but the mouth, the cap, and the filter all have water moving through them and have the capacity to get moldy and covered in bacteria very quickly.

Running a dirty humidifier will take all the germs in the humidifier water and spit them into the air.

Another time when a humidifier is not good for allergies is when the humidity is already high.

A high relative humidity can cause allergies to flare as well as low humidity.

High humidity causes dust mites populations to explode. The humidity in the air is actually what dust mites feed on. Which creates an ideal environment for them to flourish.

Also extra moisture in the air gives mold one of its main components to take root.
And where you have mold you have mold spores traveling through the air, ready to be inhaled.

So when the humidity is high, the last thing you want to do is add more moisture to the air with a humidifier.

A dehumidifier is a device that reduces the moisture in the air.

hygrometer- humidistatDehumidifier for Allergies

 If you have high humidity but your temperatures are not too high, then a dehumidifier may be the ideal machine you need to bring down the overall relative humidity in your home.

If you’re having high humidity combined with high temperatures then you probably already have a window air conditioner for a central heat and air unit that’s running.

Both of these types of air conditioners dehumidify as they cool. Many units allow for the dehumidifier function to run independently. It’s called dry mode on your settings.

Most allergies in relation to humidity can be avoided by keeping your relative humidity between 40 and 60%.

Hygrometer
But to know what your relative humidity is, you have to have a way to measure it.

A hygrometer is a gauge that does just that. You can buy one pretty cheaply.

But they also come standard on a lot of humidifiers and dehumidifiers.

In fact if you are shopping for either a humidifier or dehumidifier, finding one that has a hygrometer / humidistat will help you keep up with your humidity level and help your appliance keep it at an optimal point.

Levoit comes with a hygrometer/ humidistat as a common feature.

Recap

Allergies and allergic symptoms have more to do with the humidity then you may have ever given it credit for.

Most people can tell you when pollen season has arrived because of how it makes them feel,

But most people do not make the connection between humidity and allergies.

Low humidity, known as dry air, allows allergens as well as germs and viruses to float and travel much further.

Adding moisture to the air with a humidifier weighs down airborne particles so that they settle to the surface faster and stay out of the ambient air that you breathe.

Cool mist from a humidifier also hydrates and gives dry and swollen nasal passages some much needed relief .

High humidity is also a problem for allergy sufferers because excessive moisture in the air breeds higher levels of dust mites. It also facilitates the growth of mold.

A dehumidifier is a better option for reducing moisture when temperatures are mild.
If the weather is hot and humid, refrigerated air conditioners also perform as dehumidifiers. Most even have a dry mode setting that allows you to run your AC as a dehumidifier.

A Humidifier for Nosebleeds and Dry Nose Relief?

At the time of writing this article, it is mid September, and the daytime high temperatures are still in the high 90s.

Summer is refusing to give up.

But even though the afternoon highs are still insane, the mornings are getting pretty chilly.

We are moving into Autumn, whether the Summer likes it or not.

One thing that starts to happen when the season changes is that the tissues begin to come out more and more.

Lots of crusty, dried out nasal passages,
and bloody noses.

It’s been happening to me the last few days pretty regularly.

And as we get closer to Winter and deeper into it, the dryness only continues and is perpetuated with heaters and closed up houses.

It’s not uncommon for the nasal passages to get so dry during the winter that they actually crack and bleed.

Nosebleeds are one of the telltale signs that your humidity is definitely too low.

You may have noticed a lot of static electricity in the house too.

The National Library of Medicine says that the majority of adverse health effects caused by relative humidity would be minimized by maintaining indoor levels between 40 and 60%.

This would require humidification during winter areas with cold winter climates.

best humidifier for nosebleedsLow humidity not only affects your nasal passages, it can also have an effect on your capacity to block and resist viral particles from entering your airways.

What’s more, without the proper level of moisture in the air, viral particles have more freedom to travel further inside of a room.

Which means the dry air can make it easier for you to get sick.

It’s pretty obvious that relative humidity affects your life much more than most of us have given it credit for.

Luckily there’s a solution.

The good ‘ol humidifier.

What is the best humidifier for a dry nose?

The best humidifier for nosebleeds is a cool mist humidifier.

When the inside of your nose is dry and cracked, the cool mist that emits from a cool mist humidifier will offer you some much needed relief.

Sleeping next to a cool mist humidifier a few feet away can help you wake up without the pain of having to blow a dried crusty nose out.

Cool mist humidifiers come in the traditional wick style and ultrasonic.

The noise that humidifiers make has been compared to a blanket of white noise that can help your baby sleep.

That’s not a bad point. A sound that helps a baby sleep while it gives them relief from a dried out nose…

Not everybody wants a white noise machine in the bedroom though.

Ultrasonic humidifiers are known for being a quieter choice but if you have dogs sleeping around the house,

They can actually be much louder for canines because of the sensitivity of their hearing.

Humidifier for Dry Nose

 

Fortunately, today’s humidifiers give you a lot more choices than having to pick a cool mist or a warm mist, or just outright owning both a cool mist humidifier and a vaporizer.

The Levoit gives you the option of using your humidifier as a cool mist humidifier or a warm mist humidifier. 2 in 1. 

It also comes with a humidity meter and humidistat to read and give you the capacity to set the humidifier so that it comes on and turns off as needed according to the humidity level in the room.

And it can do all of that through Wi-Fi.
By just accessing the accompanying app, you can schedule your humidifier, set alerts for functions like giving you a heads up when it’s time to fill the water, and when it’s time to clean the machine.

As you probably know, keeping a humidifier clean is the key to preventing it from becoming contaminated with bacteria.

This air humidifier is easy to clean and also comes with a larger basin so that you do not have to fill it as often.

And what’s a modern appliance without a remote control?

best humidifier for dry nose

Humidifier disadvantages

As we have already touched on, humidifiers have a big disadvantage.
They have to be cleaned often.

Bacteria and mold will start building up very quickly around the water cap.
Standing water can become contaminated in as little as 48 hrs.

It’s very important not to run a cool mist humidifier that has standing water in it.

If you do, you risk spreading germs and bacteria throughout the air.

That’s why one of the very first features I suggest looking for in a humidifier is one that is easy to clean.

Warm mist humidifier steamers have an advantage in that they bring the water to a boiling point to produce steam, which can kill bacteria before it becomes a problem.

But using steam to humidify when you have a dried and bloody nose doesn’t give you the same relief as a cool mist humidifier

Best of both worlds.

Germ-free is the next step and humidifier evolution.

There are a couple of humidifiers that use ultraviolet light to kill the bacteria inside of the humidifier before it has a chance to grow. Pure Guardian Ultrasonic has nearly all the features of the Levoit. It’s a combination of a warm and cool humidifier, it has a large tank and an essential oils tray. But it does something that the Levoit does not do and that is provide a UV lamp to kill bacteria. The materials are also made out of treated plastic that also help resist the formation of mold and bacterium inside of the humidifier. Dyson also has a humidifier that uses ultraviolet light to kill the bacteria and protect the user from any type of germ spread from the humidifier. Like most of their products, it is on the expensive side. But it has some features you won’t find with any other brands like for instance, it oscillates. It also makes the claim that it kills 99.99% of bacteria, mold or mildew. And you can add in a “high velocity fan” with the Dyson AM 10.

Nosebleeds, much of the time, are a symptom of low humidity in your home.

When the humidity drops, the body’s source of moisture also diminishes.

But thankfully a cool mist humidifier can replenish the moisture in the air and give you some relief when you have a dry and brittle nose.

Today’s humidifiers come loaded with all the bells and whistles.

Being able to access your humidifier with your smartphone is a fully realized ideal these days.

Alerts telling you when to clean the air purifier and when it’s running out of water are at your fingertips.

  There are even a few options available that give you a germ-free bacteria and mold resistant security.

Ultraviolet light and mold resistant plastic are the new wave of humidifiers and well worth checking out.

Because even though a cool mist humidifier can give you some much-needed relief when your skin and nasal passages are dried out,

Humidifiers have a built-in problem in that they must be cleaned often.

Having a humidifier that’s easy to clean or even better yet a humidifier that is bacteria free using UVC,

is the first thing I want to know when shopping for a humidifier.

Humidifier for Dogs? Does Humidity Affect Your Pets?

Are humidifiers good for dogs?

Winter is the time of the year when the relative humidity usually drops  below the point that is healthy, not only for the people in your house, but also your dogs and other pets.

Low Humidity affects animals, much the same way as it does humans.

It dries out the skin and facilitates the travel of germs and bacteria through the air.

Dry skin makes an excellent breeding ground for acne and other conditions like psoriasis on people,

humidity and dogsBut it can be an even bigger problem for dogs.

Why is that?

Dogs can’t resist scratching. They will scratch themselves raw. And dry skin is itchy.

And without enough moisture in the air to keep the dust from floating, airborne bacteria can attach itself to a dog’s hide and cause even more itchy havoc.

And you can see, low humidity is not a canine’s friend.

humidifier for dogs

What type of humidifier is the best humidifier for dogs?

A cool mist wick humidifier is the best for dogs because it doesn’t make the air steamy or emit a high pitch sound.

But it might be better to explain why certain types and features of humidifiers are not recommended for dogs.

Steam humidifiers are not the best for dogs.

Steam can make a room feel swampy.
That’s not such a good feeling and if you have a permanent coat on, it can be miserable.

Steam humidifiers are also the ones that usually come with the mentholated
Additives that you can put in the humidifier and are supposed to help with congestion.

But these additives have an ingredient in them called camphor that is poisonous for dogs and most animals.

Aromatherapy and essential oils like treaty oil and eucalyptus are also dangerous for pets.

So even though it’s a nice feature on a humidifier to have the capacity to use it with essential oils, it should not be used as a diffuser for your dog.

Another type of humidifier that is not recommended for dogs is the Ultrasonic.

  It’s all in the name of these humidifiers. “Ultra” and “Sonic”

These humidifiers are very quiet for humans.

But for dogs, they can make a very high pitched noise that is an irritation.

On the same lines of a dog whistle, people can’t hear one, but dogs hear them very loudly.

Best Humidifier for Dogs

The best humidifier for dogs is a humidifier that suits not only your animals, but your own needs too.

Very rarely does a dog have his own area, where he can also have a humidifier that is exclusively for him or her.

The best humidifier for dogs or people is currently the Levoit.

Humidifiers have come a long way. They’re not your mama’s humidifier, you might say.

These days they come with some pretty elaborate features

1. Hygrometer

A hygrometer is like a thermometer but instead of measuring the temperature, it measures the relative humidity.

Why is this important?

Because how do you know if your humidity has dipped under the 40% mark that is the lowest you want your relative humidity to drop. 40 to 60% humidity is optimal.

2. Hydrostat

This is similar to a thermostat on the furnace, except for it controls the humidifier according to the hygrometer settings.

A hydrostat feature ensures that humidity stays at the optimal point.

3.  Auto shut off

There was a time that if you had a humidifier running in the house, it would keep running regardless of whether it ran out of water or not.

Not so with humidifiers these days.

Auto shut off turns the power off on your humidifier when it runs out of water.

4.  Easy to clean

A humidifier that is dishwasher safe and easy to clean is an important feature because of the amount of maintenance humidifiers require to keep them from accumulating bacteria and mold.

5.  Cool mist / warm mist optional

Warm mist may not be preferable for dogs but there are times when you want to have the option of using steam instead of cool mist.

Gone are the days where you had to have a humidifier for cool mist and a vaporizer for warm mist. Levoit has this feature and performed well in either capacity.

6.  Aromatherapy /essential oil ready

Again not a feature you want to use when your dog is in the house. Most essential oils that are geared towards breathing better contain menthol which is not good for dogs.

But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have the option of using a humidifier as an aromatherapy diffuser when you want or need to.

7. Wifi

Humidifiers have joined the Wi-Fi craze.

Wi-Fi gives you the capacity to check the relative humidity right from your phone,
Turn the humidifier on or off remotely or schedule a time you wanted to go on or off.
It also has bells and whistles like alerting you when your water is too low or when it is time to maintain your humidifier again.

8. Remote

A remote goes without saying these days. Every device in your bedroom needs a remote. Who wants to get up out of bed and turn down a humidifier or turn it on?

9. Large tank

A large tank is one of the biggest necessities in my opinion when it comes to finding the right humidifier.
A humidifier that has to be filled too often is a humidifier that is probably not going to get the use it needs.
A Humidifier with a large tank cuts down on the amount of refilling and can make your life much easier.

humidity affects dogsRecap

Dogs can have adverse reactions to low humidity and humans can, and maybe even more.

More because, when dry skin causes a person to itch, they typically don’t scratch till they are completely raw.

But that can’t be said of dogs. They would generally scratch themselves till they’re bleeding if they are itchy enough.

A humidifier for dogs it’s a great way to add moisture to the air when they are having scratching and itching episodes related to dry skin.

But there are definitely some features that some humidifiers have that are not cohesive with dogs and can cause them more discomfort and even be poisonous to them.

Ultrasonic air humidifiers are known for being extremely quiet to humans but they may be too loud for dogs since they have such sensitive hearing.

Warm mist humidifiers can make a room feel swampy especially for dogs and other animals.

Warm mist humidifiers or steamers generally come with some type of menthol additive that can be dangerous to dogs also.

Essential oils like eucalyptus and tea tree oil should be avoided when you are using a humidifier for dogs also.

Does Dry Skin Cause Acne?- Humidifier Series

If you have ever struggled with acne, then you know how hard it can be to get rid of and the amount of distress that it can produce.

You also know that there isn’t a magic bullet that can instantly fix it.

Finding solutions that actually make a big difference can be hard.

  And there’s a lot of rocks to look under to find one.

Does Dry Skin Cause Acne? Dry skin is one of those parts of the puzzle that can actually be a big component to discovering why you are having persistent acne and taking a step to reduce the problem.

Dry and cracking skin can create a fertile surface for acne to spread deeper and further down and help clog pores through flaking. Dry skin can also cause skin to create to much oil to balance the effects of the dryness.

One of the biggest factors that leads to dry skin is a drop in the relative humidity.

Which is usually due to the winter cold taking over.

Not only is the humidity level in winter typically lower, it also is the time of year when the heater is drying everything out.

Including your skin.

can dry skin cause acneHealthy glowing skin needs a consistent 40 to 60% relative humidity to stay sufficiently hydrated.

When the relative humidity is down, your skin will reflect it by drying and cracking, opening the door to multiple symptoms including those associated with psoriasis and acne.

Does dry skin cause acne?

  Dry skin facilitates the spread of acne in a couple of different ways.

1.  Dry skin damage allows the bacteria that causes acne to burrow down deeper into the epidermis.

2. Dry skin can also cause a counter balance reaction that causes the skin to create more oil than usual.

If you were to look at your acne problem in terms of a growing a garden,

Having dry skin would equate to the soil in your garden being tilled and well prepared for planting seed.

  So even though the dryness of your skin is not technically the cause or the seed( in this example) of the acne, it can be one of the factors that helps it grow stronger and faster.

Obviously the relative humidity is not 100% the reason for all dry skin,

Some other reasons can include reactions to soap, perfumes, and chlorine.

But the climate is easily the biggest factor to point to when you are experiencing dryer than average skin.

Fortunately introducing moisture back into a room is simple enough with the use of a humidifier.

How do you know if this article is specifically about you whether or not you should be using a humidifier?

The answer is by measuring your humidity to ensure you are keeping to the 40 to 60% relative humidity rule.

How exactly do you do that?

A hygrometer is a humidity meter that can be easily read to measure your own humidity and determine your own needs.

  Hygrometers are usually paired up with a thermometer. These “Thermo hygrometers” are sold at pretty much any home improvement store and are pretty inexpensive.

If you measure your humidity, and it is below the 40% mark, then you’re on to something. It’s time to take steps to improve the moisture in your home or environment.

will dry skin cause acneHumidity is usually not considered one of The usual suspects when health issues arise.

Unless of course you’re having a crazy amount of static electricity or the inside of your nose is dry and bleeding.

But humidity has a lot more to do with keeping healthy and avoiding a lot of seasonal health issues than most people are aware of.

Most people can tell you that the humidity is adversely affecting them when it is too high.

But not as many people recognize the symptoms of low humidity.

Regulating the humidity in your home not only will help moisturize your skin,
It also keeps the dust particles including germs and bacteria from being able to travel.

Is a cool mist humidifier or warm mist better for acne?

Warm mist humidifiers tend to need less maintenance because the temperature of the water is raised to a point that bacteria and mold doesn’t take root.

But the steam from these humidifiers tends to make a room feel swampy.

Cool mist humidifiers produce moisture  in the air that is actually refreshing,

But they do require more frequent maintenance to keep bacteria from growing in them.

  An important distinction to make when we talk about humidifiers and raising the relative humidity is we are not talking about facial steaming.

Most dermatologists agree that a facial steamer will do more damage to your skin and actually exacerbate acne, as well as other skin conditions like psoriasis and rosacea.

Recap

Dry skin can be a big component in the spread of acne because it allows the bacteria that causes acne to burrow deeper into the epidermis.

The flakes that result from having dry skin can also get inside of the pores and lead to redness and acne symptoms.

Dry skin equates to a lack of moisture in the air.

A common condition in Winter that is easily rectified with the use of a humidifier.

If you are concerned that dry skin and the low relative humidity is exasperating your acne,

An easy way to test the humidity in your house is with a hygrometer.

A hygrometer is a fairly cheap gauge that is easily read and will let you know if your humidity has dropped or risen beyond the safe region of 40 to 60 percent mark.

If you have found that it has fallen, then a humidifier is a device that will add moisture back into your air and return your home to a safe RH.

What Heaters are Safe to Leave Unattended Overnight?

Easily one of the most important questions you can ask about a space heater is whether or not it is safe to be left on all night while you’re sleeping?

Safety is and should be one of the main features you search for in a space heater.

Especially when it comes to needing a space heater to warm up a room that will be unattended.

It’s a touchy subject. And no one wants to suggest a product or a way of using a heater that causes a fire and God forbid an accident of death.

And you’re not going to find a manufacturer that doesn’t tell you to “never leave a space heater unattended”. That’s just asking for a lawsuit.

However impractical,

When you’re talking about leaving a space heater on while you sleep,

You’re going to cross a line. So make sure you do it gently.

What Heaters are Safe to Leave Unattended Overnight?

There are certainly some types of heaters that lend themselves to keeping a room warm with less worry than others.

For instance, an oil heater doesn’t get nearly as hot to the touch as say a ceramic heater. And it is encased in steel whereas most space heaters are made out of plastic these days.

But if you are wanting to use a room and need it warm, you will have to turn the oil heater on a while before you use it.

Because oil heaters do take a while to heat up a room. And unless they are on a dedicated circuit, they tend to auto shut off pretty fast if you turn them on high.

Which all pretty much adds up to leaving the heater unattended while the area warms up.

It’s a built-in problem because no one  is going to sit in a freezing room waiting on an oil heater to make a difference in a room.

And let’s face it, sleeping is practically the same thing as ” left unattended” for most people.

Most any type of “electric” space heater will be safe provided it has the proper safety protection features installed. 
 
  I say electric because fuel type room heaters that use propane or kerosene are not meant to be used in a closed off space. 
 
 The risk of carbon dioxide poisoning comes with burning fuels.
 
 Leave those for the shop and garage.

 

Perhaps a better question than:

 ” What type of heater is safer?”

 is instead

 “What heaters provide the best safety features?“

Space heaters have improved remarkably since I was a kid.

I remember having a steel contraption that glowed orange and buzzed loudly sitting on my carpeted bedroom floor. You didn’t want to touch it either. It was super hot.

It was a different time with a whole different mentality towards safety.

(But I’m glad I was a kid then instead of now).

The safest heaters that you can get away with sleeping with them on, are going to be the ones that have the better safety features.

What types of safety features should you look for in a heater?

 

1. Long Enough Cord
2. Tip over protection
3. Cool to the touch
4. Thermostat/Auto Shut-Off
5. Timer
6. Thermostat

1. Long Enough Cord

  One of my biggest pet peeves when it comes to space heaters is that they call for being centered in a room away from anything that could possibly be a fire hazard.

  But the cord that they come with is usually so short that you have to have the cord stretched through the air to come anywhere close to long enough to get centered on the floor.

That makes the cord on a heater a major tripping hazard that can easily lead to Knocking your heater over.

Getting a heater with a long enough cord is definitely a must for using a space heater safely.

2. Tip over protection

A pretty standard safety precaution that comes on nearly all space heaters these days is tip over protection.

This is a safety feature that turns the heater off as soon as it tilts.

This keeps the heater from starting a fire on the floor or even burning it.

And as we discussed before, the cord on a heater can easily become a tripping hazard because of its length.

Tip over protection is put in place for just this type of problem.

3.  Cool to the touch

Modern space heaters are much cooler if you happen to touch one then they used to be.

  A space heater that doesn’t burn you when you touch it is a feature that no one should do without.

And certainly an added protection if you decide to run your space heater while you are sleeping.

4. Thermostat / Auto Shut-Off

A thermostat and auto shut off go hand in hand. Without them your heater would just continue to heat.

Auto shut off keeps from overloading the breaker as well.

Both of these features are a requirement if you are going to leave the space heater unattended for any length of time.

5. Timer

A timer is a great protection feature that will allow you to run the heater for a period of time and shut down.

Some timers offer a scheduling feature that will periodically turn the machine on and off during the night.

Though “smart heaters” are not be as available as say a smart air purifier or humidifier, smart plugs offer the capability of scheduling when a certain outlets are powered.

unattended space heater overnightOther precautions

Easily one of the most prevalent and dangerous things you can do with a space heater is to drape something over it like clothing.

Using an electric space heater to dry clothing is asking for a fire accident.

The best rule of thumb is to keep the heater at least 3 ft away from anything considered the least bit flammable.

As over dramatic as it may seem, this would include things like curtains, coats, especially boxes, fake plants, etc.

  Even sitting a heater on carpet is a scary proposition. A much safer option is the place it on a large cookie sheet.

To keep it away from anything remotely flammable is the ideal.

Leaving a space heater unattended sitting on a desk is a recipe for an accident.

Recap.

A space heater you can leave on while you sleep is not an easy thing to shop for.

No one wants to be responsible for a fire. Nor does anyone want to be on the butt end of a lawsuit.

So using a room heater while you sleep is a personal choice. But one you can make some good decisions about if you absolutely need to.

First, the safest heaters come pre-installed with the best safety features including: auto shut off, tip over protection, cool to the touch, and a long cord that doesn’t have to be stretched through the air.

Other precautions include never draping anything over a space heater. Never using a space heater to dry clothes, and keeping a space heater at least three feet away from anything combustible.

And if you have to place it on the carpet floor, use a buffer like a large cookie sheet between the heater and the carpet.

The point being, take the utmost of precautions if you are in a situation where you need to have a space heater running while you sleep.