Cool vs Warm Mist Humidifiers
If you live in a very dry place, you’d need a humidifier to introduce moisture into the air. There are two basic types of humidifiers, the cool and warm mist humidifiers. The basic difference between the two is their effect on the air. The cool mist humidifiers extract energy from the air to convert water into a gas. This consequently lowers the temperature of the air. In contrast, a warm mist humidifier heats the water to make it evaporate. Since the water is hot, the air temperature will also rise.
There have been issues in the past about warm mist humidifiers causing injuries to children when they knock it over. The heated water can spill onto the child and cause burns. Because cool mist humidifiers do not involve hot water, there is no risk of burns.
Cool mist humidifiers tend to be noisier than warm mist humidifiers because of the spinning fan it uses to force air through the wet material. Warm mist humidifiers also produce boiling sounds, but are significantly quieter than cool mist humidifiers. The only exception is the ultrasonic humidifier which doesn’t use a fan.
One thing you can do with warm mist humidifiers is infuse the water with oils and even medicines that will then be dispersed into the air. This is very beneficial to those who have breathing problems and need medications. Cool mist humidifiers cannot really do this since the evaporation process is passive.
Because of the passive nature of cool mist humidifiers, it is relatively low but will humidify a large room fairly evenly. In contrast, a warm mist humidifier will quickly introduce a lot of vapor in a small area, but because it doesn’t use a fan, the vapor takes a lot longer to spread into a large room.
All of these differences need to be taken into consideration when choosing a humidifier. You really shouldn’t choose a cool mist humidifier in cold places because the water will not evaporate as easily or a warm mist humidifier in already hot areas unless you need it for medication.
Summary:
1.Cool mist humidifiers lower the room temperature while warm mist humidifiers raise it.
2.Cool mist humidifiers are safer for children than warm mist humidifiers.
3.Cool mist humidifiers tend to be noisier than warm mist humidifiers.
4.Warm mist humidifiers can be used to disperse oils while cool mist humidifiers cannot.
5.Cool mist humidifiers are good for large areas while warm mist humidifiers are good for small spaces.