Easy Ways to Prevent Mineral Buildup in Your Humidifier

If you’re dealing with common problems associated with dry air in your Broken Arrow home, then chances are you’re already using a humidifier. Humidifiers are an indispensable tool in restoring indoor moisture and tackling dry air-related issues, including skin irritation, dry throat and even static electricity buildup.Unfortunately, mineral buildup caused by lime scale and calcium deposits can prevent your humidifier from working as effectively as it should. The following shows how you can prevent mineral buildup in your humidifier and tackle existing buildup, as well.

How to Prevent Mineral Buildup

Here are a few tips you can use to stop mineral buildup in its tracks:

• Empty your humidifier’s water reservoir after each use. Allow water to remain stagnant inside of the reservoir can allow mineral buildup to occur. It can also encourage the growth of mold and bacteria, which could spread throughout the humidifier. It’s important to empty the reservoir and wipe it down after your done using your humidifier.

• Always use distilled water with your humidifier. Distilled water is specifically processed to remove dissolved minerals and other impurities, making it less likely to encourage mineral deposit buildup inside of your humidifier. Tap water, on the other hand, is filled with impurities that could prevent your humidifier from working properly.

• Keep your humidifier clean and disinfected. This preventative step is important for keeping mineral buildup at bay. You should clean your humidifier on a regular basis to prevent mineral buildup as well as mold and bacteria growth.

How to Treat Mineral Buildup

In most cases, mineral buildup can be treated with undiluted white vinegar. Simply allow the vinegar to soak where mineral deposits occur for a few minutes, then wipe the area with a clean cloth. You can also use mild soap and water to clean up minor deposits.

Contact the professionals at Air Assurance and learn more ways to prevent mineral buildup. We proudly serve homeowners in the Broken Arrow area.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about mineral buildup and other HVAC topics, call us at 918-217-8273. Credit/Copyright Attribution: “geralt/Pixabay”

Can a Humidifier Help During the Heating Season?

Whenever humidity falls below 30 percent, both you and your home suffer. The dry air causes a host of problems that are easy to solve with a humidifier, from chapped skin to cracks in the wood inside your home.

Comfort Issues

Dry indoor air speeds the evaporation of moisture from your skin, which has a cooling effect. Turning up the thermostat to combat dry air increases heating costs, and may not increase comfort as much as raising the humidity can. As air warms, it dries even more, increasing the discomfort. Besides feeling cooler, air that’s too dry will:

• Spread viruses and bacteria faster. Winter is the cold and flu season because overly dry air speeds the transmission of the bacteria and viruses. When these microorganisms enter your body, parched throats and nasal tissues are particularly vulnerable to infection.

• Dry skin quickly. Besides being uncomfortable, chapped skin can result in skin cracks that may become infected.

• Heighten respiratory distress. Dry air increases symptoms associated with allergies, asthma, and sinus issues.

Home Health Issues

Besides the health concerns, a humidifier solves problems associated with your home, like:

• Wood shrinkage. As the humidity falls, the air pulls moisture out of anything made from wood inside your home. Cabinets, flooring, furniture and even the wood from which your house is made will shrink, which may or not recover once humidity rises.

• Electrical damage. Static electricity increases as the air dries, and appliances and devices are vulnerable to static electricity, especially the low voltage components inside them.

Increasing the Humidity

Whole-house humidifiers offer the most energy efficient and easiest way to combat dry indoor air. They tap into the plumbing system and deliver water automatically. Unlike portable devices that need manual filling and weekly cleaning, central units require little maintenance.Working in tandem with furnaces, they use little energy and control the level of humidity with a humidistat, which operates just like a thermostat.A humidifier is an indispensable way to manage humidity indoors during the winter. For more information, contact Air Assurance, providing trusted HVAC services for Broken Arrow homeowners.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about humidifiers and other HVAC topics, call us at 918-217-8273. Credit/Copyright Attribution: “freedigitalphotos”

To Alleviate Dry Winter Air, Consider The Convenience Of Whole House Humidifiers

Cold, dry air can cause or exacerbate respiratory issues, intensify allergies and dehydrate skin, causing painful cracks in your lips, on your nose and around your mouth. It can also be a threat to wooden furniture or wood floors, as moisture is drawn from these porous materials, making them brittle and prone to damage. To offset the dryness of the winter air, many Broken Arrow-area homeowners are choosing the convenience of whole-house humidifiers to create a more comfortable home environment.One major benefit of whole-house humidifiers is that because they are installed directly into your central heating system, you can set them both at once and they will operate simultaneously. Humidified air is distributed evenly to each room in your home through the same ductwork your furnace uses. Unlike many single-room humidifiers, which do not self-regulate, a whole-house humidifier can measure moisture levels in the air and adjust accordingly. This is important, as it reduces the likelihood of mold or mildew growth caused by abnormally high humidity levels.Maintenance is also simpler for whole-house humidifiers versus their single-room counterparts. The latter require the routine cleaning of water tanks to prevent the buildup of mold and bacteria. By contrast, you will only need to clean your whole-house humidifier once or twice a year to remove mineral deposits left behind by evaporated water. No further maintenance is typically necessary.Humidified air feels warmer than dry air, even at the same temperature, so you will be able to keep your thermostat lower and save on your heating bills. A whole-house humidifier is also designed to become a part of your household's water system, so it won't require you to purchase expensive distilled water as a single-room humidifier would. With a whole-house humidifier, you can enjoy a higher level of comfort at a significantly lower cost each month.For more information on the benefits of installing a whole-house humidifier in your home, contact Air Assurance. We're been serving the Broken Arrow/Tulsa area since 1985.Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  Air Assurance services Tulsa, Broken Arrow and the surrounding areas. Visit our websiteto see our current promotionsand get started today!      Photo courtesy ofShutterstock.