Dennis Reed - Page 45 of 53

Why Does My Room Smell Musty?

Musty is a word that is sometimes used to describe the feeling you get from a stale or a stuffy room. It’s usually a smell that you just can’t quite put your finger on, but you know that there is something that is not quite right. But in most cases that “not quite right feeling” is the presence of mold and mildew.

Why Does My Room Smell Musty?

A musty smell in a room is an indicator that you have moisture coming in somewhere that along with dirt or grime has become a source of food and nutrition for mold and mildew to take root. Mold can take root and grow very fast when given the right ingredients. A musty smell should be taken seriously as a warning that there is an issue with mold close by.

I’ve had a personal experience with this.

In my neighborhood there was an issue with heavy rains that washed over the curbs and went up the driveway and eventually seeped into the backdoor of the house.

It didn’t seem like much at the time so we really didn’t do too much about it besides put some towels down to soak up the water. And it was the very back of the house that doesn’t get a lot of traffic anyway.

A couple of months later I noticed a rotten smell coming from that area.

I pulled out a bookshelf that was in that corner and pulled up the edge of the carpet only to find that dark green and black mold had spread heavily underneath the carpet and had made its way all over the wall and the back of the shelf, including all the books on it.

It was pretty shocking to see how much the mold had taken over.

We had to take the carpet up and remove and replace the drywall on that side of the room.

Luckily the mold did not turn out to be the dangerous Stachybotrys or black mold.

All that to say that if you have a musty smell in your room, it’s a situation that you should take seriously.

Mold can do more destruction than you may be giving it credit for. And do it much faster than you may think.

Mold can also exasperate allergies and is known to be a trigger for asthma.

What you are looking for in your room when you have a musty smell is an inappropriate source of moisture.

According to the National Library of Medicine , Mold spores are practically everywhere and there is really no way to get away from them or keep them out of your house. But without an adequate source of moisture, they cannot grow and colonize into a problem.

So the fundamental thing you’re looking for in the case of a musty smell is moisture and the supply of that moisture.

Why Does My Room Smell Musty in The Morning?

What could be some reasons your room smells musty?

Wet carpet

Wet drywall
Window seals
Excessive humidity

Dew
Leaves
Moldy items in trash

Moldy food laying around
Mold inside of the HVAC duct work

1. Wet carpet

Remember that you are looking for the source of the moisture.

If you have wet carpet then the ideal is to figure out why it is wet.

Some reasons may be as simple as a soaking wet towel laying on the carpet or has there been a big spill that was not cleaned up?

If you have a large area that is damp, then there may be a leak that has sprung from a pipe beneath the flooring.

it will be worthwhile for you to peel the carpet back and make sure that your floor is not soaking wet beneath.

And if it is, you should make it a priority to have it fixed as soon as possible to avoid further damage and mold growth.

2. Wet drywall

It can be a smell can be coming from the walls if a pipe inside of the wall has busted. Examine the walls and see if you can find any areas where they are bubbling, swelling, or peeling which would indicate that moisture has gotten inside of the drywall.

3. Window seals

One area that moisture can get into the house easily is the windows. If the windows are not sealed properly, you can find moisture creeping in around the window. If it has been going on for a long time, you will also find the frame around the window rotting.

4. Excessive humidity

If you live in an area with a climate that is prone to high humidity, you may find that it is the humidity that is causing moisture to build up inside of your room. If this is the case, then mildew is probably showing up on your walls or ceiling somewhere.

This is the case in many basements. The level of humidity inside of the room causes condensation to build on the walls and create a natural food source for mold and mildew.

The best solution in that case is to use a dehumidifier to pull moisture out of the air so that it does not have a chance to become a problem in the form of mold.

5. Dew

Many people claim to be more concerned with the dusty smell in their house in the morning time.

That morning musty smell is usually associated with the moisture that develops in the air in the early morning hours.

It’s the moisture that is commonly known as dew.

Dew can help turn the volume up on the smell of mold and mildew in the morning.

6. Leaves

Leaves, specifically in the Autumn season can pile up in gutters and around the house and make an excellent environment for mold to take root. And once the mold has colonized inside of the leaves, any sort of rustling around caused by the wind or by kicking the leaves can unleash mold spores into the air.

7. Moldy items in trash

Sometimes a musty smell is coming from a moldy item that has been thrown away and just sitting there stinking. The trash can is one of the first places to look when you smell something musty in your room.

8. Moldy food laying around

Moldy food can cause a very pungent musty smell when it is laying out or in the trash can. Items like half eaten hamburgers and apple cores are best disposed of in the main kitchen area where the trash is taken out more frequently.
If you have a musty smell in your room, looking for any food that has been left out to mold is a good place to start.
Another place that you can find moldy musty smells is in the kitchen sink where the garbage disposal is. If the garbage disposal has not been cleaned properly in a while, you are liable to smell moldy food coming from there.

9. Mold in HVAC ductwork

If there is mold in your ductwork, you can be sure that it will be distributed throughout the house every time the heating or air conditioning comes on.

According to this study, mold can be commonly found inside of an air handler, specifically the wheel fan blades, the ductwork, and the cooling coil fins.

Another source of mold coming into the house through the ductwork is the evaporative coils. Dirty evaporative coils contain all the ingredients for mold to flourish and find its way inside of the house.

If you have a musty smell coming from your HVAC ductwork, cleaning the evaporative coils located on the outside section of your unit is a good place to start to reduce the volume of mold spores coming in.

Another trouble area for HVAC systems when it comes to mold is the drip pan. If the drip pan is not draining sufficiently, water can build up in the pan and become a source of mold.

Clearing any blockage from the drip pan to the outside drainage is also a good way to ensure that you do not have mold growing and coming in through your HVAC.

UV systems are often used to target areas like evaporative coils and drip pans so that mold does not have a chance to colonize and become a problem in your air quality.

Is There a Fan that Blows Cold Air vs. Just Air?

Is there a type of fan that blows cold air versus just plain air?

Not really. Once you add cold air to a fan, it basically becomes an air conditioner or an evaporative cooler.

An air conditioner is really just a fan that blows refrigerated air.

Albeit much more sophisticated than that since it it dehumidifies as it cools the air, but fundamentally the same.

And a evaporative cooler is a fan that blows air off of pads that are soaked in water.

Technically a fan is just a motor that has propellers attached to it to move air.
The temperature of the air that a fan is moving may seem to be cooler because of the wind chill effect that it is creating, but the temperature is the same going in, as it is coming out of a fan.

And logically once you begin to cool the air off any other way, whether it be through a refrigerant or damped pads,

you can no longer call it a fan because you have begun to condition the air with an outside element, which then makes it an air conditioner.

But whatever you want to call it, the point is to get some cool air on you when you’re hot.

DIY Air Conditioner

You have probably heard of DIY air conditioners that are basically fans that blow over ice, done with beer coolers.

If you want to take the time and put in a little more effort, this type of DIY fan/ AC is a excellent way to get a fan to feel like an air conditioner.

The ideal is to cut circular holes, a large one on top for a fan to blow into, and two on the sides to connect some flexible duct too. (This is done using a circular blade saw, the type that you use for a door handle, only much bigger. And a power drill.)
Connect connect the flexible duct to the hose that you cut on the sides using duct tape or aluminum tape.
Feel the beer cooler with ice up to the point of the flexible duct.
Plug the fan in and turn it on.
Enjoy the cool air coming off of the ice through the flexible duct.

your going to need a constant supply of ice as well as a cleaning schedule because you are looking at a recipe for mold when you combine a container of water with heat in a dark place.

Evaporative coolers work much like the DIY beer cooler air conditioners you see on YouTube.

They are usually window type air conditioners that have a water supply that keeps pads soaked with water as a fan blows cool air off of the water into the house.

Evaporative coolers or Swamp coolers have one major flaw, they increase the humidity in the room.

You’ve probably heard the saying” it’s not the heat, it’s the humidity”.

That’s because the humidity can make it feel much hotter than it actually is during the warm and hot months.

And it’s not an accident, that evaporative coolers have taken on the nickname ” swamp coolers. And thats because in the right conditions, an evaporative cooler can make a room feel like a swamp.

That’s not to say that there’s not a place for them, everyone likes the feeling of cool air coming off of the ocean or a lake.

But it’s all the same premise.

Portable Air Conditioner

Refrigerated Air Conditioners have the advantage of being used as a fan when you don’t need the colder air.

And the advantage of reducing the relative indoor humidity which can be at the source of the temperature inside of the house.

Recap

Are you looking for a fan that blows cold air like an air conditioner?

Unfortunately you’re not going to have too much luck with a fan blowing cold air like an air conditioner unless you can first cool the air off before the fan blows it.

Which is technically what an air conditioner is.

And evaporative cooler is a type of fan that blows air off of water which makes the air feel cooler. But this type a fan is also called a swamp cooler because of its tendency to fill the house full of moisture, making it feel like a swamp.

And since, the high humidity in warm weather is as much a factor in the heat, adding more humidity to the air it’s only going to make it feel that much more uncomfortable.

But if you’re just looking for a personal fan and want to make it a little cooler, they do make small evaporative coolers that feel just fine blowing on you whereas trying to cool down a whole house or room may make it feel balmy.

There are plenty of DIY solutions for making a fan blow cold air. Most amount to the same technique of blowing the air over ice or water.

A better solution is a small mobile refrigerated air unit. They will not only blow cold air, they will help reduce the humidity in the room at the same time.

The biggest downside is they have to be vented. So that means either using a window air conditioner or running the provided ductwork to a window or attic.

Can You Sleep With an Aromatherapy Diffuser On?

The benefits of aromatherapy essential oils range from a spiritual feeling of well-being to an all natural aid to reduce the symptoms of all types of illness.

But when are essential oils not considered a health aid but rather the opposite and even worse a hazard?

For instance, even though the effects of Lavender oil are known for its relaxation qualities and ultimately a sleep aid, should you sleep with a diffuser on?

Can you sleep with a aromatherapy diffuser on?

No. You should never diffuse more than 30 to 60 minutes at a time. Not only does Sleeping with a diffuser on, not increase the benefits of an essential oil, it can cause the body to stress, making your sleep less restful.

Although there are many natural calming effects that are experienced by breathing the aroma of certain essential oils like chamomile and sweet marjoram and could be considered an aid to fall asleep,

Superior Essential Oils

Can you leave a diffuser on overnight?

The continual breathing of essential oils while you are asleep does not provide any benefit and can rob you of the natural exchange of fresh air that you get through the proper use of essential oils in time intervals.

There are times however, that certain essential oils like eucalyptus could be beneficial to help you breathe better while you’re sleeping in the case of a chest or head cold when you are dealing with congestion.

A practical solution to this is to go the smart Wi-Fi scheduling diffuser route.
That way you can schedule the diffuser to come on once or twice throughout the night to mist the air with the medicinal breathing effects of essential oils like eucalyptus and peppermint.

ASAKUKI Smart Wi-Fi Essential Oil Diffuser

SMART WI-FI TECHNOLOGY
ADJUST IT TO YOUR NEEDS

RELAXING ATMOSPHERE
PERFECTLY SAFE

if you already have a diffuser but it does not have the smart capabilities of a Wi-Fi diffuser, an Smart Plug is a great way to schedule when power is going to the diffuser and turning it on and off as needed.

Sleeping with a diffuser on around pets

Many people are unaware of the danger of using some essential oils around their pets. Specifically essential oils that contain menthol.

Menthol is a strong scent for human beings. Multiply that by approximately 15 times and you can imagine how strong the smell of menthol can be for dogs.

Another type of inhalant similar to menthol that is used to assist with cold symptoms is an ingredient called camphor.

Camphor is the active ingredient in Vicks.

And there is, it turns out, this ingredient is toxic to dogs.

If you are using a diffuser with a menthol based essential oil including peppermint, tea tree oil, or eucalyptus,
Or the Vicks additive that comes with their warm mist vaporizer,

Be aware how these essential oils can affect your animals and give them a way out of the room in case it is too strong for them.

Another issue that animals can have with diffusers, specifically ultrasonic diffusers, is that they can emit a very high vibrating pitch that is unnoticeable by humans but can be very loud to a dog.

OliveTech Smart WiFi Essential Oil Diffuser

Voice Control
Super Quiet & Auto Shut Off
Customize your own schedules

Free Cleaning Kit

And on the subject of ultrasonic diffusers, being that they have a reservoir for water, the chance of mold and bacteria accumulating in the diffuser is much higher.

This is also an area where animals are sensitive and can be predisposed to getting bacteria, fungi, and parasites on their skin and develop dermatitis.

Poisonous

Essential oils can be poisonous if ingested. Though most animals are not going to eat something that they instinctively know is unhealthy, being that essential oils are derived from plants, the livelihood of a pet ingesting an essential oil maybe a little higher than otherwise.

Recap

Though many essential oils like lavender are known for their stress reducing and calming effects on the mind and on the body, a little can go a long way and must be used with discretion to get the best results and effectiveness from them.

Essential oils when inhaled, should be diluted somewhat and never breathe for more than 30 to 60 minutes at a time.

The exchange of fresh air with the scent of the essential oil is essential to the overall effect of the aroma.

Sleeping with a diffuser on does not give you the exchange of fresh air you need with the aroma to get the best possible effect nor does it affect your mood when you are already asleep.

Although it is true that some essential oils can be a great sleep aid to help you fall asleep, the continual smell of the essential oil while you’re asleep will not only not help you sleep better, it may even produce more stress and cause you to have a less restful sleep.

An easy solution if you are looking for a diffuser to help you fall asleep but not necessarily wanting to sleep with it on is a smart diffuser.

It’s true that every appliance you can imagine has a smart version that you can turn on and off with your phone or schedule when you want to use it has popped up lately.

But smart diffusers actually make a lot of sense when you’re talking about using them as a sleep aid.

If you already have a diffuser and are not shopping around for another one, scheduling electrical outlets are available that essentially do the same thing.
A smart plug can essentially turn any appliance into a smart appliance giving you the ability to schedule and check it on your phone anytime you want.

Pets and diffusers

Pets for many people are companions even when they are sleeping. But there are many essential oils that include menthol that are not safe for your animals to breathe and definitely not safe to ingest.

Another issue with diffusers and pets is that ultrasonic diffusers make a ultra high sound that can drive your animals crazy.

If you’re going to use a diffuser around your animals, leave them a doggie door or a way out so that they do not have to be in the vicinity.

Also: DIY Humidifier

Does a Michigan Basement have a Higher Potential for Radon?

What is a Michigan basement? A Michigan basement is basically an oversized crawl space. An area under the house that has been dug out to make room for storage. And most known for the location they stem from. You guessed it, Michigan.

Though they are not typically made large enough to be able to walk around in some people do put their washer and dryer there. Other major machinery and appliances that can be located in a Michigan basement for easier access include the water heater, the HVAC, and the electrical breaker box.

Access to plumbing underneath the house is also a reason people may dig out a larger crawl space beneath the house.

Michigan basements are rarely finished beyond cementing for breaking the walls so that the walls do not cave in. The floor it’s typically just left as dirt.

The climate inside of a Michigan basement is is damp and cool. For this reason the dugout crawl space is often used as a wine cellar.

A wine cellar needs to stay around the 45°, to 60° range and maintain a relative humidity of about 60%. That describes the climate inside of a Michigan basement pretty well.

As you can imagine, being that the floor in the Michigan basement is usually just dirt, it is easy for this type of basement to flood. Especially in heavy rain.

Sump pumps with radon mitigation and dehumidifiers are generally kept on hand to keep the area dryer during the rainy season.

Other drawbacks too keeping a Michigan basement is the exposure to Radon.

The air pressure in a home can perform like a vacuum pulling radon out of the soil beneath the house.
Digging out the dirt beneath the house for a Michigan basement adds to the danger of radon exposure.

Radon is an odorless gas that comes from soil and is the second leading cause responsible for lung cancer when exposed for long periods of time. A Radon test is the only way to know whether or not you have a problem.

Radon Barrier.

The environmental protection agency recommends covering the floor of a Michigan basement with plastic and venting the area outside underneath the plastic to avoid radon exposure.

The plastic sheeting could be as simple as your standard 6 mm polyethylene. But if you go with a contractor you will probably have to upgrade to a fire rated membrane. The plastic won’t stop the radon but it will cause the radon to travel through the path of least resistance. As long as there’s some type of exhaust fan at the edge, the result is good.

Insulating a Michigan basement is also a must to keep right on from leaking into the house. Spray foam is the easiest way to get around joist and makeshift walls.

If you find you have high levels of radon, then you may be looking at installing a radon removal system which could include pouring a cement slab over a radon guard insulation and a vapor barrier to keep the radon from leaking up and also providing a way to capture it.

Though all houses have the potential of radon coming Getting in, a home with a Michigan basement has a higher potential for Radon.

Homes with Michigan basement should test for Radon often and employ a radon mitigation system for her a radon abatement service to ensure that radon levels in your home are below the accepted safety standard of 4.0pCi/L

My Electric Space Heater Keeps Tripping the Breaker?

Having a electric space heater that keeps tripping the breaker is an exasperating problem.

Only this past winter my wife told me that the electricity going to her office at work keeps blowing and she’s losing her computer progress every time it happens.

When they finally figured out the problem, it turned out that she had put a space heater on her feet… Which seems like a perfectly reasonable thing to do if your feet are getting cold sitting at your desk all day.

But the problem was, it was plugged in on the same power strip as her computer, her printer, her coffee machine and her microwave.

Funny but not uncommon.

Space heater keeps tripping the breaker

When your electric space heater keep stripping the breaker, you can generally be narrowed down to two or three things that you can easily check out for yourself.

1. Overload

It’s combined with other appliances on the same circuit.

Space heaters use a lot of Watts. Almost every brand of space heater you can purchase is a 1500 watt unit.

That means that they cannot run on high at the same time as any other appliance or machine on the same plug is running at all.

Not only do they use a lot of energy, most of them surge when they come on.

Taking the heater off the combined outlet and plugging it in to its own dedicated outlet could be the solution you’re needing.

2. Heater going bad

Considering the amount of wattage, the typical space heater uses, if the heater has any loose connections, you can expect that it is simply getting too hot.

Things you can check:

1. Turn the heater down and run it on a lower temperature. If you’re still blowing the breaker, then your heater is malfunctioning.

1. Feel of the cord running to the wall while it is running. If it is getting hot. Your machine is malfunctioning.

Look at the outlet. If the plug looks melted or burned in any way, your heater it’s not working right.

If you have any of these issues, it’s time to get a new heater.

3. Extension cord

Since space heaters are a household item, most people do not give a second thought to plugging them into a extension cord to locate them to their most convenient spot.

The problem is not all extension cords
are rated to be able to handle the amount of wattage coming from a space heater.

If you have a space heater on a extension cord, you should be thankful that the breaker is blowing rather than the extension cord melting and catching a fire.

Though definitely not as convenient, putting the heater on a dedicated outlet without the use of a extension cord or power strip is the safest way to go.

4. The breaker itself

Breakers weaken and go out. Hello this is usually not the case, it is not impossible that the breaker itself needs to be switched out.
The easiest way to tell if this is the case or not is the plug the heater into another outlet in another room, and see if you’re still blowing the breaker.

Hopefully this helps to get you back to a safely running space heater or at least let you know that it’s time to replace it.

The main issue is that people rarely think about how many amps a electric space heater pulls. They tend to be viewed as an everyday item like any other appliance that you just plug in and go.

Unfortunately that is not the case with space heaters and though most people realize that you would have to put a washing machine or refrigerator on its own dedicated circuit, the same kind of consideration is not given to electric heaters.

In case you’re wondering, they decided to go with oil-filled heaters in my wife’s offices because of the surge and demand that the little electric space heaters were putting on their load.

What is a Smart Diffuser?

What is a Smart Diffuser? In the last few years, almost every appliance you can think of, has become “Smart”. Smart refers the ability of your appliances to hook up with your phone through WI-Fi.

And you can argue that it is a great feature. But in how many cases can you think of, where the smart capacity is really that necessary?

The ones that immediately come to mine are security cameras and thermostats that can be scheduled rather than automatically coming on when you do not need them.

You can make a case for air purifiers that can be monitored through by your phone and a refrigerator that can tell you what the contents are in it ,when you’re at the store, but after that I start drawing a blank.

But one device that has a definite use for smart WI-Fi is an aromatherapy diffuser.

What is a smart essential oil diffuser?

A smart diffuser is a diffuser that comes with WI-Fi capabilities that give you the ability to schedule when it comes on and the ability to turn it on or off at any time through a smart phone app.

Why would you want or need these features?

Aromatherapy essential oils can have amazing effects on the mind and the body when used in short intervals. But after so much time, a person can become nose blind and not even recognize the smell of the essential oil in the air.

A smart aromatherapy essential oil diffuser gives you the ability to fill the diffuser and schedule it so that you get the appropriate amount of aromatherapy and are not overdoing it.

Another way having a smart diffuser can benefit you is you want to come home to a scent of lavender which is known to reduce stress and have a calming effect on you after a hard day at work. If you have the smart capability on your diffuser, you simply access it from your phone so that it turns on 10 or 15 minutes before you get there.

Using a diffuser to fall asleep

Many essential oils can can promote falling asleep and helping you sleep better when you are there. But sleeping with a diffuser on can be way too much of a good thing and actually stress your body out causing you to get a less than restful nights sleep.

By using the scheduling option of your smart diffuser you can control when the diffuser turns off so that you can relax to the aroma of your favorite essential oil to get to sleep and not worry about having to turn the diffuser off before you fall asleep.

Diffuser for Cold and congestion

On the same lines of using essential oils to fall asleep is the use of different essential oils like eucalyptus oil to help you breathe easier when you have a head or chest cold.

Different essential oils like peppermint and tea tree oil along with eucalyptus can help you breathe better while you are sleeping but you do not want to breathe it all night. But in the case of a cold, you may want to have the aroma at different intervals throughout the night.

That’s another way that having the scheduling capabilities of a WI-Fi smart diffuser can be beneficial in your home.

Like I said before, not every appliance needs a smart option, but with them aromatherapy diffusers, you can definitely make a good case for purchasing a smart diffuser.

Other smart diffuser features:

Scheduling is not the only feature you will find on a smart oil diffuser, though arguably the most important.

Other features that you will find on smart diffusers include:

1.Voice control

Why not? Think about it. If you’re trying to relax and having a hard time de-stressing, you probably are thinking about diffusing some lavender oil but you don’t want to have to get up and turn your diffuser on. Easy, just tell the diffuser to turn on for 15 minutes using the voice control feature.

2.Lighting

Most aromatherapy diffusers come with lights built in. Having the ability to turn the lights on or off or dimming them to match the ambience of the room with the aroma of essential oil is a very important capacity that having a smart diffuser can give you.

3.Mist control

You don’t always want your diffuser misting full blast and you don’t always have it set to mist enough. Having a smart Mist control on your diffuser is an excellent way to turn the stream of the mist up or down without having to get up and down trying to get it just right.

4.Notifications

Smart capabilities on your diffuser mean never having to manually check when your diffuser is running low on oils or water in the reservoir tank.
You can set your diffuser to let you know when your essential oil diffuser needs filling or check the status of your oils and water right from your phone app.

5.Google and Alexa

Accessing everything in your home from the lights to the thermostat has become a part of everyday life thanks to the ability to communicate with Alexa and Google from a smart hub in your home. Smart diffusers have the capacity to be connected to Google and Alexa in the same way. Why talk to your diffuser directly when your servant Alexa can do it for you.

Already have a diffuser?

If you already have a diffuser and don’t want to purchase another one but yet you like the ideal of having the smart capabilities of scheduling and being able to turn it on and off with your phone, smart plugs can basically make any appliance in your house into a Wi-Fi controllable device that can be monitored from your phone.

It may not be able to dial into your luxurious taste quite as well as purchasing the real deal, but smart plugs are useful for all types of appliances including space heaters, humidifiers, air purifiers, or anything that you can think of that you want to use in intervals or turn off when you’re asleep.

Also: Do it yourself Humidifier

4 Types of Germ-Free Humidifiers

Germ Free Humidifiers. It’s safe to say that humidifiers are one of the most maintenance heavy appliances you can have around the house.

Not only do they require refilling, they have a tendency to develop a pesky little problem called mold that if isn’t kept at bay can make the humidifier a air pollution problem all on its own.

It only makes sense that someone has been thinking about this problem and trying to come up with the solution to keep humidifiers from developing mold and bacteria or at least not as easily as it has been known to in the past.

4 types of germ-free humidifiers

1.Vaporizer

There has already been a self-cleaning humidifier available for years.

It’s called a vaporizer. And it cleans the water through boiling every time it is used.

Vaporizers humidify the air by adding steam which is done by boiling water.

The main issue with dirty humidifiers is the mold and bacteria that grow so easily in and around the appliance.

Standing water in a humidifier is also a invitation for mold growth.

But since vaporizers boil the water before it is emitted into the air as steam, any bacteria, germs, or mold is killed in the process before it ever has a chance to be coming part of your breathable air.

Another plus of using steam to moisturize the air is that it lends itself to adding a essential oil like eucalyptus or a medicinal product like Vicks to help open up your airways when you’re feeling congested.

Cons of Vaporizers

Though Vaporizers may have seemed to answer the problem of using a dirty humidifier,

they also have their issues that make them not as desirable for a lot of people.

First, like we’ve already pointed out, they bring water to a boiling point.

Which brings up a safety issue of keeping them around small children or even some nosy pets.

They do get very hot to the touch and if one is turned over, the temperature of the water is scalding.

Secondly, steaming the air heats up the room and makes it feel balmy.

And that may not be exactly the type of relief you were looking for when you are feeling under the weather.

Even the Mayo clinic suggest that warm mist humidifiers or vaporizers do not give the type of soothing relief from cold symptoms that a cool mist humidifier does.

Vicks is pretty much the top of the line for vaporizers and warm mist humidifiers. Not to mention they provide a anti congestion medicine to use as an additive with your vaporizer.

2. UV Humidifier

A humidifier with an ultraviolet light targeting mold and bacteria before they are able to pollute your air quality is a logical step in the hunt for a germ-free humidifier.

UV lights have been used to help reduce mold and bacteria as well as viruses on air purifier filters as well as treat the air through a tiO2 catalyst for quite some time.

The use of a ultraviolet lamp inside of a humidifier water tank eliminates the need for using distilled or de-mineralized water because the UV will kill 99.99% of bacteria and mold in the water that passes by it.

Another benefit of ultraviolet technology and humidifiers is the reduction of the white sediment dust known in cool mist air humidifiers.

Cons of UV humidifiers

Of course there is the expense of replacing the UV light approximately once a year, but since the humidifier does not require anything but tap water, the expense will probably be somewhat offset.

Honeywell HCM 350W is the standard in ultraviolet humidifiers.

3.Humidifier made with Antimicrobial plastic

If there were only a material that you construct a humidifier out of, that would resist the growth of of mold and germs..

Turns out there is.

Antimicrobial plastic is a type of plastic that has an antimicrobial additive that helps keep plastic products cleaner by inhibiting the production of mildew, bacterium and mold.

Antimicrobial plastic is a very exciting new technology that has the potential of completely changing the face of humidifier, dehumidifier, and air conditioning.

In a independent lab test, containing a sample of untreated plastic and a sample of plastic that has the antimicrobial additive, MRSA was added to both samples and incubated for 24 hours. The results were that the bacteria untreated plastic actually grew exponentially from 50,000 to over 500,000.
The antimicrobial plastic on the other hand had 99.9% fewer bacteria than the untreated plastic.

Air innovations are known for their stylish looks and different designs. Their model mh-71b is a germ-free humidifier that uses antimicrobial plastic in its construction. Give it a look.

4. Anti bacterial water additives

Maybe the simplest way to keep your humidifier from becoming a mold and bacteria germ farm is to use an antibacterial additive in the water.

This isn’t a new ideal, adding colloidal silver to humidifier water is a practice used in the alternative health industry for a long time.

Colloidal silver is said to have antimicrobial properties that help keep bacteria from growing in the water and also adds a natural antibiotic that is ingested when breathe in.

There may be some truth to this since most of the antimicrobial additives that you can purchase to put in your humidifier water have silver as one of the ingredients.

Antimicrobial additives are prepackaged pods and slow release containers that you put right into the humidifier tank to help keep bacteria and mold from taking root in the tank.

They are also an accessory that are sold with other types of any germ humidifiers like the ones we’ve already talked about including the ultraviolet and the humidifiers that are made from antimicrobial plastic construction.

Protech PC2 cleaning balls can kill up to 99% of bacteria and help protect your humidifier from algae, mildew and mold, and the slimy buildup you often find and your ultrasonic humidifier.

Guardian technologies also offers a product called Aqua Sticks that is a similar product that you add directly to the tank on your humidifier. The main ingredient in the Aqua Stick is Silver ion.

There is one major downside to using a Silver additive in your humidifier water and that is it only works in a ultrasonic humidifier.

Apparently the additive needs the extra catalyst of vibration to get the best performance out of it.

Recap

Humidifiers are particularly heavy on the maintenance side as far as appliances go because of the preposition of mold growth that happens very easily with inside of a humidifier.

This makes the need for a germ-free humidifier great.

In this article we have identified four ways in which a humidifier can be germ-free or less prone to bacteria growth.

1.Vaporizers use boiling water to steam the air, boiling kills any microorganisms in the water before it can become a problem

2.UV humidifiers contain a ultraviolet lamp that targets the mold and bacteria in the water and kills it before it can become part of the moisture emitted into the air.

3.Antimicrobial plastic is a material that resists the production of mold and bacteria as well as viruses.

The use of antimicrobial plastic in the construction of the humidifier can greatly reduce the threat of mold and germs that can easily become a threat with a standard humidifier.

4.Lastly there antibacterial additives that can be used in ultrasonic humidifiers that reduce the ability of mold and bacteria to take root.

6 Common Mistakes People Make When Using a Humidifier

Humidifiers typically come out of the closet during the dry winter months when the heater is running all the time and the air inside the house is stale and arid from having all the windows and door shut tight.

The main purpose of a humidifier is to add moisture back into the air when the relative humidity is low like in a heated home during the winter.

Dry air can create all types of symptoms including bloody noses, dry throat and dry cough as well as dry out your skin in exasperate topical skin conditions like eczema.

But as you probably already know, humidifiers have a dark side if they are not well maintained.

What are some of the common mistakes people make when using a humidifier?

1.Poor maintenance

Easily the most common mistake people make is not cleaning out the humidifier nearly as much is as needed.

Humidifiers especially in a hot house, can develop mold and bacteria inside them in a very short amount of time.

And since the whole purpose of a humidifier is to emit moisture droplets into the air,

when those droplets have bacteria and mold spores attached to them because of a poorly kept machine,

The humidifier is spitting out mold and bacteria along with the moisture that it is intended to be released.

And since molds for the bacteria in the air are a main source of household allergens… I think you get the point.

A dirty humidifier can easily be the source of your allergy symptoms rather than be the aid that it was meant to be.

2. Using tap water

It’s no secret that tap water has many unwanted chemicals that make it undesirable as a source of drinking water.

Tap water can contain Chlorine, Herbicides Mercury, Lead, and Fluoride just to name a few.

While the main point of using tap water in a humidifier is because the sediment left over from the tap water can help the production of mold,

There is the other side of it
That is when you are using water with so many contaminants in it to moisturize your air, you are in turn, inhaling a number of those contaminants as part of your air quality then.

The easiest way to avoid this is to use distilled water.

This is a controversial subject when it comes to humidifier do’s and don’ts.

And it could be argued that this is not a rule that applies to everyone since not everyone’s water supply is equally polluted or clean.

3. Excessive humidity

Humidity is not always your friend as you probably well know. Running a humidifier when you do not need it can cause the humidity to rise above, not only a comfortable place, bit a safe place in your home.

High humidity in the home is actually one of the main food sources for dust mites and mold.

Humidity droplets also can act like traveling containers that carry bacteria and viruses further through a room.

It is important to know the humidity level inside your home before you turn on and leave on a humidifier.

If you don’t already have a humidifier, consider buying one with a humidistat to measure the humidity.

If you have a humidifier already and it doesn’t have a humidistat, consider purchasing one to measure the relative humidity in your home to ensure that it is not exceed 40 to 50%. 40% being the more desirable.

4.Standing water

Standing water in a humidifier that is not being used can account for most of the bacteria and mold breeding in the unit.

If the water has been standing or even as little as 48 hours, you will probably see a film on top of the water we’re mold and algae are forming.

It’s important to dump the water out of the humidifier when it is not in use to avoid the humidifier becoming a germ farm.

Many people put a little bit of vinegar in their humidifier water to help prevent mold and bacteria from growing in the machine. Vinegar is a known bacteria inhibitor.

Apple cider vinegar is also known to have medicinal properties that can help alleviate congestion when it is combined with steam.

Adding apple cider vinegar to your vaporizer or warm mist humidifier is an easy way to help keep your unit clean and add extra value to your air moisturizer.

5. Improper Storage

Once the need for the humidifier is over and the air is back to its normal moisture consistency and everyone can breathe again in the house, the humidifier tends to be turned off and forgotten about.

But as as it is already been well established, mold and bacteria can easily grow inside of a humidifier making it a health hazard instead of a helpful device to increase humidity and help you breathe better.

Storing a humidifier right when it is not in use is important to keeping your humidifier working properly and safely.

When storing make sure that you thoroughly clean the humidifier and let it completely dry before it is put up.

Moisture is not the only prerequisite for mold, dark areas also have a big role.
When you store a damp humidifier and a dark spot, you were asking for mold to grow on and inside of the machine.

6. Cleaning before use

Even a humidifier that has been cleaned and stored properly can have nooks and crannies that did not exactly get completely dry before being stored.

If it is the first time for the season to be using the humidifier, it is important to thoroughly clean the unit before using it again.

Mold can be a resourceful plight they can find moisture in places you would not have thought.

Recap

Humidifiers can be one of the best and easiest devices that you can own to relieve symptoms related to dry air such as chapped lips, bloody noses, and scratching nasal passages.

But because of the way humidifiers work, they are predisposed for the breeding of mold and bacteria.

Putting an emphasis on the risk that a humidifier can create in your home and keeping your humidifier clean and clean and dry when it is not in use is very important to owning a humidifier.

9 Features To Look For in a Dehumidifier

How do you pick a dehumidifier?

Of course you want a machine that takes the humidity out of the air. But what other bells and whistles do they come with? Are there different types of dehumidifiers or size options?

Here’s a layout of the different features that you can expect to get with a dehumidifier along with how you can best choose a dehumidifier based on your own needs.

1. Size

Dehumidifiers come in three sizes.

30 pint
50 pint

70 pint

What size dehumidifier you need is based on the size of square footage that you’re wanting to reduce the moisture in and the amount of humidity that you’re wanting to reduce.

Each size is also based on the optimal amount of square footage one can cover versus the minimal amount of square footage that it will be adequate in.

In other words, a 30 pints dehumidifier maybe adequate for 1500 ft if your level of humidity is not excessive.

But if you have an exceptionally high level of moisture in a room, then a 30 pint dehumidifier would be more suited to 500 square feet.

So in the case of a 30 pint dehumidifier, the average would be 1,000 ft.

So based on the same type of calculation:

A 50 pint dehumidifier it’s for an average square footage of 1500 ft. 2500 square feet for a list damp area and 1,000 ft for an extremely wet area.

A 70 pint dehumidifier
An average square footage of 2000.
Excessive moisture 1500 and lighter moisture 2500.

2. Programmable Humidistat.

Also called a hygrometer or just plain humidity gauge.

Whatever you want to call it, it is the difference between a dehumidifier that measures the moisture in the air and turns on and off accordingly and a dehumidifier that you set up manually.

A very nice extra feature.

3.Automatic shut off

An automatic shut off will turn the machine off before it overflows. Some dehumidifiers will have an audible beep to let you know it’s time to empty the bucket.

Drainage spout. Dehumidifiers are sized by the size of their drainage tank.
The bigger the tank the bigger the area that it can effectively remove moisture in before the tank has to be emptied.
But another feature that you can get on a dehumidifier is a side drainage connection. This feature is so that you can hook up a garden hose or hard pipe it to drain outside into the garden for instance.

4.Mobility

Dehumidifiers can be a pretty bulky appliance weighing up to 40 lbs and even more. Getting a dehumidifier with casters so that the unit is easily pushed and pulled around is essential especially if you are moving it with the tank full to empty the water.

5.Auto defrost

Dehumidifiers operate the same way that a air conditioner does in that it drags warm air over refrigerated coils and captures the moisture from the air in the form of condensation.

And just like an air conditioner, when the temperature gets too low, the refrigerated coils can freeze over.

There are many circumstances like a damp basement that are not reliant on heat as a source of humidity. Like in the case of a wet basement, humidity can be high while the temperature is freezing.

Many dehumidifiers come with auto defrost so that the machine can be used in lower temperatures than the typical AC dehumidifier can run at.

The idea was simple, the machine runs till the coils freeze over, then the defroster kicks in to remove the ice.

Other types of defrost dehumidifiers simply power the compressor down and blow a fan across the coils.

6.Washable filters

Another way that dehumidifiers are similar to air conditioners is that they have a filter that has to be replaced periodically.
Purchasing a dehumidifier with a washable filter can remove the need and expense of purchasing filter replacements.

7. Noise Control

The noise that a dehumidifier produces is also an area that a dehumidifier is comparable to a window air conditioner.
Comparing dehumidifiers to find one that creates lower dBs is well worth it especially if you’re going to have a dehumidifier in the same room as the TV or if you are planning to edit a video or record sound in the same room with it.

8. Heat Control

Dehumidifiers, like a window conditioner, expel heat as it is running.

If you ever have walked behind an air conditioner while it is running, you have probably felt heat coming off of the machine. Dehumidifiers have the same type of heat coming off as they operate.

Since it is typically in the summer when the humidifiers are mostly needed, having Heat expelled from the rear of the unit is not exactly what you want.

Some dehumidifiers create less Heat in the process of removing moisture than others do.
Finding out how much heat a dehumidifier puts out is a must when you are researching what type of dehumidifier to buy.

9. Type of Dehumidifier

Finally if removing a lot of humidity from the air is not the most important thing for having a dehumidifier on your list, there is another type of dehumidifier that uses a chemical to adsorb humidity called a desiccant dehumidifier.

The benefit to this type of dehumidifier is that it is much quieter than the typical dehumidifier.

But the downside is that the chemical that it uses to adsorb the humidity has an aroma.

How to Stay Warm Without Heat or Electricity

Are you prepared for a power outage this winter? You never know when it’s going to snow so hard that you can’t leave your house and are possibly snowed in for several days. And what’s worse, electric lines can easily snap and leave you without electricity during a blizzard.

What do you do if you find yourself in that situation?

How do you stay warm without heat or electricity?

Generator

Gas heater
Battery Operated Heater
Fireplace

Put on Extra Layers of Clothing
Wrap Up in Blankets
Close Up any Part of the House You Don’t Need

Weather Seal Around Doors and Leaky Windows
Warm liquids and Hot soup
Open the Curtains and Let the Sunlight In

Huddle Up
Go to Grandma’s house or a shelter
Warm Bath

Hopefully this article is a before the fact type of article that succeeds in urging you to invest in a generator or gas heater of some sort.

1.Generator

When electricity goes out, having a emergency generator on hand is the best possible scenario. A portable generator is not only useful in emergencies, it is a great way to stay warm when you are on a camping trip or hike.

2.Gas heater

Having some sort of gas heater, whether it be propane or kerosene on hand if you are stuck in a situation with no electricity to heat your home is a lifesaver. Consider purchasing a indoor vent free propane heater. You stop a heater comes equipped with a oxygen sensor that will shut the machine off if it detects a lack of oxygen in the room and the risk of asphyxiation.

3.Battery operated heater

Just like you should keep a flashlight loaded with fresh batteries ready for such a Time as this, having a battery operated space heater and package of brand new batteries handy will get you out of a miserably cold situation and sustain you till you can get the power back on.

4.Fireplace

Keeping your fireplace stocked is a simple way of making sure that you have a way of keeping warm at the electricity goes out.

5.Thermal underwear

Long johns, thermal underwear, whatever your favorite way of referring to them is, can give you an extra layer of warmth , whether or not you are stuck in a cold house or you’re out on a job where there is no heat or electricity.

6.Put on extra layers of clothes

Lettering up is a great way to keep the warp insulated inside of your clothes. Remember that your feet and your head is where your body heat exits the fastest. Pay special attention to where extra socks and a toboggan to keep your body temperature at a safe place.

7. Blankets

Stocking up on blankets may seem like a waste of space until you find yourself in a situation where you need those blankets. Bundling up in a warm blanket is a excellent way of building up body heat in order to get and stay warm.

8.Close up the parts of the house you don’t need

If you find yourself with that electricity trying to warm up in your house, close the doors to any part of the house you don’t need. That will not only reduce the amount of area that needs heating, keeping everybody in the same room will combine everyone’s body heat.

9.Weather seal around doors and drafty windows.

Putting towels under the door and window seals will help keep cold air from pushing through the windows and the doors.

9.Drink warm beverages and eat hot soup

If you have a gas stove, a hot bowl of soup or warm tea can have a very warming effect on your body.

10.Open the curtains and let the sun in

During the day when the sun is out, open the shades and let the sun warm the room up. The sun coming through the window will have the extra benefit of the window magnifying it, and helping add some warmth to your home. In the same respect, close the drapes at night so that the cold night Air does not amplify through the Windows.

11. Huddle up.

Two bodies are better than one. If you have someone to huddle up with even if it’s a dog or a cat, the combination of bodies will cause an exponential rise in the amount of body heat you can generate.

12. Go to Grandma’s house or a shelter

Sometimes the best thing to do is just find a different place to get. If your home is too cold for you to safely stay then it might be time to find a shelter that will help you out during the excessive cold.

13. Warm bath

Assuming that you have a gas water heater, taking a hot bath is a great way to warm up quickly. The trick is to get dried off and into some jammies and under the covers before you get cooled off afterwards