How Does a Cool Mist Humidifier Work?
If you want to counter the dryness of the air in your home and maintain a healthy humidity level, then a few options are better than a humidifier.
Especially in the time at the end of the summer and the beginning of the winter, this home equipment becomes necessary for anyone sensitive to dry air.
If you have wondered how a cool mist humidifier works, this article is just for you.
In this article, we will break down everything you need regarding the working process of a cool mist humidifier. So, without further ado, let’s dive into the details, shall we?
Contents
What is a Cool Mist Humidifier?
As the name suggests, a cool mist humidifier produces a cool mist to moisturize and counter the dryness in your room or the humidifier’s surrounding atmosphere.
How Does a Cool Mist Humidifier Work?
The general concept that a cool mist humidifier uses is that it takes the cold water, creates small water particles, and turns them into fine water droplets. When these water particles reach the fine droplets state, they are sent out in the atmosphere by the humidifier.
Almost in every type of cool mist humidifier, the water droplets are sent out via a fan which pushes the air outwards from the machine. The particles seem like a small cloud or mist as they come out. That’s why many named this type of humidifier cool mist humidifier.
This is the main concept of how a cool mist humidifier works. But the process can be different, depending on the type of cool mist humidifier and the mechanics of how it generates and dispenses the water particles.
Types of Cool Mist Humidifiers Based on Water Particle Generation
In general, there are three types of cool mist humidifiers that you will be able to find in the market. These humidifiers, although they generate cool mist, are of a different type as they produce water particles differently. The three types of cool mist humidifiers are:
- Evaporative Cool Mist Humidifier
- Impeller Cool Mist Humidifier
- Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier
Evaporative Cool Mist Humidifier and How It Works
This is a more traditional type of cool mist humidifier that we encounter in our daily lives. The general concept of this type of cool mist humidifier is that it takes the dry air in the room via an internal intake fan, filters it, and then lets it out through an air vent into the room until the room reaches the proper humidity level.
Although the process sounds straightforward, it isn’t easy. As the filtering process requires a good amount of work. And as we all know, a humidifier isn’t a cool mist humidifier until it generates water particles. The involvement of water particles starts when the air passes through the filtering process.
When an evaporative cool mist humidifier takes the damp and dry air into the system, it passes through one or multiple saturated wick filters. While passing through the wick filters, the air starts to absorb water via the reservoir located in the humidifier. After that, the air that comes out from the humidifier is moisturized and starts to balance the dryness. This process continues until the room reaches optimal humidity.
Pros
- The price is lower compared to other types of cool mist humidifiers
- Generates less white dust compared to other cool mist humidifiers
Cons
- This type of cool mist humidifier needs to be cleaned regularly, or the change of bacteria and mold will increase rapidly.
Impeller Cool Mist Humidifier and How It Works
If you want a cool mist humidifier that works in a large area, then impeller cool mist humidifiers are the best option. The working process of this type of humidifier is relatively straightforward.
This type of cool mist humidifier uses rotating discs to generate the cool mist. The general concept is that the water will hurl through the disc, and due to the disc’s rotation or circular kinetic force, the water particles will turn into fine droplets of water.
These droplets will then be sent outwards as the cool mist is generated from the humidifier. This process is time-consuming as the disc must reach its optimal speed before producing results.
Pros
- The price is lower as there aren’t any complicated parts involved in this type of cool mist humidifier.
- Covers a wide area
Cons
- It takes a while to start the humidifying process optimally
- The sound from the rotating disc can be very annoying and loud
Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier and How It Works
Now the most common and highly used cool mist humidifier we all have come across in our day-to-day lives is the ultrasonic cool mist humidifier like the Crane Drop Shape Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier.
The concept regarding the working process of an ultrasonic cool mist humidifier is that the humidifier generates ultrasonic vibrations, which turn the water into water particles and then into fine droplets. This is possible due to the ceramic diaphragm oscillating the ultrasonic sound frequency required to create vibration. The vibration that occurs then makes the rest of the process easy.
Here is how the mist-generating part looks and works.
Pros
- Faster than any other type of cool mist humidifier on the market
- Very quiet compared to other humidifiers
- Don’t have any safety issues
Cons
- Price can be relatively high than other types of cool mist humidifiers
Final Thoughts
There are a lot of factors that one must consider before purchasing a cool mist humidifier for themselves. Although they are cool mist humidifiers, each type has different work mechanics. And you should always choose the one that suits your situation perfectly.
Hopefully, this article answers your question about how a cool mist humidifier works. If so, pick the right humidifier for your depending on their workflow, and best of luck!
