A humidifier adds moisture to dry air, the opposite of a dehumidifier. On the Highveld, in the Free State and in the Karoo, winter air is very dry, and indoor heating makes it drier. Skin, lips, eyes and noses feel it first, and many parents use a humidifier in a baby's room. Choosing the wrong type, or not cleaning it, causes more problems than it solves. Tell us about the room, and we pass your request to independent suppliers who quote you directly.
Cool mist, warm mist and evaporative
There are three common types:
- Ultrasonic cool mist: a vibrating plate breaks water into a fine mist. Quiet and low in power, but hard water can leave white dust, so use clean or distilled water.
- Evaporative: a fan blows air through a wet wick. It tends to stop adding moisture as the air gets humid, and the wick needs replacing.
- Warm mist: water is boiled to steam. It uses more power and the hot water is a risk around children, so place it well out of reach.
Cool mist is often recommended for children's rooms.
Size and the right humidity
Makers rate humidifiers by the room size they can handle and by the millilitres of water they put out per hour. A large lounge needs more output than a bedroom. A target of about 40 to 50% RH is comfortable, and very dry air is below about 30%. Do not push higher: windows that run with condensation and a musty smell mean you are over-humidifying.
Buy a humidity meter and place it away from the unit to see what the room really reads. Humidity swings through the day, so check in the morning and again in the evening before you change the setting. A unit with a built-in humidistat stops when the target is reached, which saves water and prevents over-humidifying. If the room has a single small window and a closed door, you will reach the target faster, so keep the door shut while it runs.
Cleaning and water
Standing water can grow bacteria and mould, so empty the tank every day, wipe it, and give it a proper clean every few days following the maker's instructions. Use clean water, and distilled water in ultrasonic units if your tap water is hard. Replace wicks and filters as the maker says. Essential oils go only in units made for them, as oil can crack the plastic and damage the unit.
When a humidifier is the wrong answer
If a room is damp, with mould on the walls, a humidifier makes it worse. If you are unsure which problem you have, look at the windows: running with condensation means too much moisture, while static shocks, dry skin and cracked lips mean too little. Along the coast and in a wet Cape winter you are more likely to need a dehumidifier. If you are also worried about dust or smoke, a purifier is a separate machine with a different job.
What to put in your request
- Room length, width and ceiling height in metres
- Whether it is for a baby's room, bedroom or lounge
- Cool mist, warm mist or evaporative, if you have a preference
- How hard your water is, or if you will use distilled
- Delivery address or whether you will collect
Humidifiers for homes, rentals, businesses and industry
- Homeowners and tenants: a cool mist unit in a bedroom or baby's room through the dry winter
- Landlords, agents and body corporates: a unit in a flat with heaters running, as tenants complain of dry air
- Offices, schools and clinics: a unit in a heated, closed office where staff get dry throats
- Warehouses, archives and storage: humidity for stored paper, wood or instruments that crack when dry
- Factories and food plants: humidity control where static or dry air affects a process or product
- Growers, nurseries and farms: humidity in a propagation room or a tunnel in dry weather
- Hotels, gyms, spas and pools: units in guest rooms and spas where winter air is dry
- Insurers, assessors and restoration firms: a unit for timber and floors that dried too fast after a leak
- Builders, HVAC engineers and contractors: humidity for new timber floors and joinery that crack in dry rooms
Frequently asked questions
Which humidifier is best for a baby's room?
Can I use tap water?
How do I know if I am over-humidifying?
Do you sell humidifiers yourselves?
Humidifiers by province and city
- Johannesburg
- Pretoria
- Centurion
- Midrand
- Sandton
- Randburg
- Roodepoort
- Krugersdorp
- Randfontein
- Germiston
- Boksburg
- Benoni
- Kempton Park
- Alberton
- Vanderbijlpark
- Vereeniging
- Durban
- Pinetown
- Pietermaritzburg
- Richards Bay
- Newcastle
- Ladysmith
- Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth)
- East London
- Kariega (Uitenhage)
- Mthatha
- Cape Town
- Bellville
- Paarl
- Stellenbosch
- George
- Worcester
- eMalahleni (Witbank)
- Middelburg
- Secunda
- Mbombela (Nelspruit)
- Rustenburg
- Brits
- Klerksdorp
- Potchefstroom
- Mahikeng
- Polokwane
- Tzaneen
- Kimberley
- Upington
- Bloemfontein
- Welkom
- Sasolburg