As your furnace heats your home during the winter, it removes moisture, which can make indoor air feel dry. Moreover, heated air expands, causing relative humidity to fall. This creates dry indoor conditions that cause many uncomfortable and unhealthful side effects, such as dry skin and sinus passages, itchy eyes, sore throat and painful static-electric shocks.
Humidifier Maintenance
A humidifier adds much needed water vapor to dry indoor air, which helps alleviate the symptoms it causes and improves indoor air quality. Over time, minerals in water accumulate on humidifier components, reducing effectiveness. Use these tips to help prevent mineral buildup in your humidifier for a more comfortable and healthful Calgary home.
- First, turn off the power to your humidifier, and pull the plug from the electrical outlet.
- Then, drain the water from the reservoir, and wipe away any sediment that has collected.
- Refill the reservoir with a 50/50 solution of distilled white vinegar and water. Let the solution soak for three to four hours.
- Next, dampen a clean soft cloth in the vinegar/water solution, and drain the vinegar/water solution from the reservoir.
- Use the vinegar/water soaked cloth to wipe the interior surfaces of your humidifier.
- Then, remove any parts, such as trays, filters and hoses, using the vinegar/water soaked cloth to wipe the parts.
- Next, rinse the cloth with warm water and wipe all parts again.
- If mineral deposits persist, rub briskly with a scratch-free pad and vinegar.
- Afterwards, set the parts on a clean towel to dry.
- Lastly, reassemble the humidifier and fill the reservoir with distilled or filtered water. If you use tap water, add a water-softening tablet to dissolve the minerals.
If you have any questions about how to prevent mineral buildup in your humidifier, or need any other plumbing, HVAC or home efficiency information, please contact Arpi’s Industries, Ltd. We’ve been providing plumbing and HVAC services to Calgary residents and businesses for more than 50 years.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Calgary, Alberta about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information, talk to an Arpi’s technician today. Credit/Copyright Attribution: “Yury-Stroykin/Shutterstock”
