Humidifier maintenance is mostly overlooked, Yet it is a big contributor to mold growth in your home if not properly maintained

A dirty humidifier can become a dangerous breeding ground for bacteria and mold. For people with breathing related health problems this can be very dangerous and evening healthy people this may bring on flu like symptoms. Proper humidifier maintenance is a must.

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These problems can be avoided easily with just a little proper humidifier maintenance and cleaning. It is recommended that you clean your humidifier unit at least once per year and twice would be even better. These are the step to making sure your unit is clean and ready for a season of good operation.

1.

Turn the water off to your humidifier unit. Turn the knob on the control dial to the off position.

2.

Depending on the type of humidifier system that you have, you will probably have either a reservoir style humidifier unit with a turning wheel or a flow through humidifier unit with a square filter element. With the reservoir style humidifier you will need to drain any water that is in the reservoir tank. Remove the turning wheel from the humidifier unit. Replace the foam filter that covers the wheel. Make a solution of 80% white vinegar and 20% hot water. Use this solution to clean out any residue from the inside of the humidifier unit. If this has not been done in a long time you may need to let the solution sit in the reservoir for a while. After the humidifier unit is clean, rinse out the unit with water. Replace the turning wheel and you are ready for a healthy season.

In the flow through style humidifier unit normally all you need to do it remove the filter unit from the plastic frame that holds the filter and replace it with a new filter. If the humidifier unit has any scaly residue then you can remove this with the vinegar and water cleaning solution we talked about before.

3.

After the humidifier units are cleaned, rinsed and the filters replaced turn the water back on to the units and adjust the dial connected to the unit for the proper humidification level. This level should be set to coincide with the outside temperature. For instance if it is 30 degrees out side you should have about 35% humidity inside your home. You will need to adjust the dial as the temperature outside changes through out the season.

Having the humidity set to high in the winter time will cause condensation to collect on the inside of your windows because of the differential from inside to outside temperatures. This is bad because this condensation can cause both rotting problems around your windows and possible health problems related to mold growth. Having the humidity set to low can also cause some health problems for different people. Also your home will feel colder if the humidity gets to low.

Proper humidifier maintenance will ensure a safe environment for your family and well conditioned air for you to breath.

By: Tom Corliss

Watch this video for more humidifier maintenance tips: