Restoring humidifier "filters"

[JB]

I have dry eye syndrome. If the air is too dry They tear and burn terribly. Both the furnace and the AC dry the air too much.<br /><br />I have a countertop humidifier that uses filter like pads placed in a fan airstream.<br /><br />When the pad is fresh it works very well, but our water is so full of other stuff that the pad crusts up with deposits in a day or so.<br /><br />I then soak them in vinegar for an hour or so and they appear and feel fresh again, but they don't work as well as a new one, which costs several bux.<br /><br />Is there a better way to restore them? I think the vinegar is dissolving any lime, and the yellowish tinge and hard crust are gone, but they simply don't work as well as a new one.<br /><br />I have thought of buying distilled water for the humidifier, but at 2 or three gallons a day that would get expensive fast.<br /><br />Suggestions? Thanks.

 

[Bondo]

Re: Restoring humidifier "filters"

Just a Shot in the Dark, JB........<br /><br />Is your heating system Hot Air, or Water,.???...<br /><br />Is there a way to sit a bucket of Water where it'll just evaporate,..???.....<br /><br />I know around these parts,... It's rare to see a Woodstove without a bucket of water sitting on it.........<br /><br />Back when I had Hot Air,.... I set a pan of water on 1 of the registers,....And filled it daily.....<br /><br /><br />BTW,...... A Very Merry Christmas to you this morning...............

 

[JB]

Re: Restoring humidifier "filters"

I have forced air HVAC which has no accomodation for a built in humidifier, Bondo. Pretty normal Texas system.<br /><br />I used a pan on the range set on warm, but it created an area of over-damp conditions. My Doc recommended a cool air circulating unit like my Dura Craft. It works well except for the short life of the filters.<br /><br />When I heated with wood I always had a pan of spiced water on the woodstove and I keep a kettle on the hearth when I have a fire in the fireplace.<br /><br />Thanks for the thoughts, and Merry Christmas.

 

[eurolarva]

Re: Restoring humidifier "filters"

Another alternative to distilled water would be a brita filter for your water tap and maybe a water softener for your main water supply. The softener will cost you but the bita water cleaner should not be too bad. It should prolong the life of the humidifier evaperator pad.

 

[JB]

Re: Restoring humidifier "filters"

That sounds like a capital idea, Eurolarva, but. . . .well, um, what do the Brita filter and cartridges for it cost?<br /><br />Maybe I will dig my moonshine still out of the barn and distill my own water.

 

[BoatBuoy]

Re: Restoring humidifier "filters"

Another option would be to fabricate a rainwater catch barrel. It's not the same as distilled, but much softer than tap water.

 

[eurolarva]

Re: Restoring humidifier "filters"

Filters run about 20 dollars and are suppose to do about 100 gallons of water. That works out to under a quarter a gallon. Then again as bad as you decribed your water you might only get 50 gallons out of it. Here is a link to BRITA

 

[Link]

Re: Restoring humidifier "filters"

Just a thought JB<br />For under a twenty dollar bill you could buy one of the Brita Picthers and try it first.<br />I drink at least a gallon of water every day and its all run through Brita Picther then cooled in the fridge.<br />When we remodel the kitchen we are going to install a Brita filter system. But we already know it works for our purposes.

 

[KRS]

Re: Restoring humidifier "filters"

Our honeywell humidifier came with two liquid soutions, one was a sterilizer, the other (I think) softens the water.<br /><br />We rotate the filter (it's a rectangle) in the unit to make it last longer.

 

[treedancer]

Re: Restoring humidifier "filters"

If they still sell Lone Star beer there try that it will remove any scale.Unless they change the formula.