Last Updated: February 26, 2024
When the winter is knocking at your door, gifts of dry air and low humidity in hand, it’s time to get on your socks and gloves and get ready for some chilling fun!
Let’s face it; every homeowner faces a lot of problems during winters, and it is indeed unpleasant to be a host to such nasty weather. It does not only pose a problem for the comfort & health of you and your family, but also to the precious belongings in your home. So, how to deal with this monster? Simple; buy a humidifier!
But if it is not that easy to decide the right humidifier for your home, it is determining just that, that many dread. We understand what a customer has to go through when it comes to making this decision. With so many different types of humidifiers in the market, you find yourself going through all that information overload. And in the process, the ability to make a choice gets hampered.
Starting at the very beginning, the factor that plays an important part is the area of interest. When it comes to the size of the humidifiers, there are two kinds that you need to familiarize yourself with – Whole-house humidifier and portable humidifier.
1. Whole-house humidifiers are capable of giving optimal humidity to your entire house. Usually installed in your home’s HVAC system, it draws water directly from the water supply of your house. Also known as the central humidifiers, or furnace humidifiers, these are designed with a motto of “set it and forget it,” where you can preset the humidity level, and it will take care of the rest.
2. Portable humidifiers are small, standing units and can humidify up to one or two rooms. Often available with wheels, these can be plugged in directly into a standard electrical outlet. Also, known as room humidifiers, they come in smaller, desktop models, only covering a smaller area around their placement. These come in a variety of designs, and the aesthetics can be different with different models. Be it in the design of watermelon for your kitchen, or a mist-breathing dragon for your kid’s room, these can be effective and fun, adding to the overall aesthetics of your environment.
Differences between Whole-house humidifiers and portable humidifiers
To have an even better understanding of both the types, we will distinguish between them on the basis of their features and functionalities.
Performance
As discussed earlier, whole-house humidifiers humidify the entire area in your house, while room humidifiers are limited to one room only. Many people, however, do start with portable humidifiers for a small space, which is a fine choice for starters.
The benefit of having a portable humidifier is that you can move it from room to room, as you like. But, if you want to humidify the whole house, it will be inadvisable to buy portable humidifiers for every room since the cost involved here might be more than what a whole-house humidifier will cost you.
Capacity
Since whole-house humidifiers require water directly from your water supply, there will not be any need for tanks to limit the capacity. It draws the water automatically and adds humidity to the house. This, however, is not the case in portable humidifiers. As long as there is water in the tank of your unit, your room will get continuous humidification. But when the water dries up after a few hours, you have to fill water again. You have to keep doing that, whereas, in case of a whole-house humidifier, that’s not the case.
Maintenance
The maintenance for both humidifiers varies greatly, which generally includes cleaning of the humidifiers, changing filters, or pads frequently. For whole-house humidifiers, you only need to clean them or replace their pads once in six months or a year, depending on the demands of the unit. So the upkeep for this type is not frequent. Portable humidifiers, however, need maintenance more frequently(weekly -biweekly), and the water needs to be changed, along with regular cleanup, and filter change. If the water has been in the unit for a long time, it can be a breeding ground for contaminants. These can then spread throughout the house through the air.
Appearance
Since the installation of a whole-house humidifier usually takes place in the ductwork near your furnace, it remains out of your sight. It will remain hidden from the view, meaning you do not have to worry about the appearance of your environment. A portable humidifier, on the other hand, takes up space on your floor or desktop and can interfere with the aesthetics of your house if it does not have a pleasing appearance. If you are not willing to compromise on the way it looks, you can choose from a variety of great designs available in the market.
Noise
Whole-house humidifiers operate quietly as compared to the portable humidifiers. The most noise that you can hear from them is near the furnace, but you would not feel disturbed by it. Portable humidifiers cause much more noise, and they are not very easy on the ears since they are mostly placed near a bed or in the living space. There are, however, portable models available, which make very little noise.
Installation costs
If you are a fan of DIY stuff, then you might enjoy installing a whole-house unit on your own, also saving some money along with it. But professional help may be needed if you’re not that handy with installations since it might need alterations in your ductwork. Portable humidifiers, on the other hand, are easy to install, requiring no extra costs. You can easily set them up yourself.
Operational costs
Whole-house humidifiers can operate on a lesser amount of resources (i.e., water, electricity), even if they humidify the whole house. Portable humidifiers consume a lot more energy if you are running multiple units, not making them efficient enough.
Conclusion
Both types of humidifiers have their pros and cons, and you can determine which is the best for you, based on your requirements. If you are looking for humidification of the entirety of the house, whole-house humidifiers are the best option for you. But for people who need a humidifier for smaller spaces, like bedroom, office, or nursery, then a portable humidifier is the best way to go.