I use a 2 gallon ( room ) humidifier in the winter months.
My water has a high mineral content, and the wick clogs up in 4 > 5 weeks.
Replacement wicks are pricey, especially over a winter season.
Can anyone suggest a way of de-mineralizing the wick ? I was thinking of using CLR, or even soaking it in a can of vinegar.
It's a tube-shaped wick, about 8" diam., 8" high.
???
I tried vinegar on one once & it dissolved the entire thing.
Ranking right up there with my compressor in the 'slap-myself-in-the-forehead-and-ask-why-I-didn't-do-it-years-ago' is my Aprilaire humidifier. If you have forced air heat, then do yourself a favor and get one.
$160- a fairly easy install- and only touch it once a year to change the filter. It adds as much as .0.7 gallons of water an hour to every room that has a heat duct.
If your wick has no metal parts, CLR should work OK. If there are metal parts, then something less vigorous is called for, like oxalic acid, a component of common auto radiator flush compounds.
Joe
use r/o or distalled water.
Fooling with those wicks, regardless of the cost, gets very old after a while. I finally switched to a vaporizing humidifier, and it's *much* more convenient IMO.
When the wick is good, how long does it take to evaporate 2 gallons?
More below.
Hey, that's what it says all right, "Has an evaporation capacity of
0.70 gallons per hour"And look at those people freaking out because I want to boil water and add a gallon of water in 4 hours once a day.
When the furnace won't heat the house enough for some reason.
I hope they read this thread.
Thanks for posting.
He's right about the Aprilaire. I used to install furnaces. They are excellent.
You can get some more life out of your wicks by dumping out all the water once a week, and gently rinse the wick under the faucet.
Distilled water has less minerals. But, pricey.
Some humidifiers use a pump and sprayer, to make a mist (I think? I'm probably wrong.) I used to use a trigger spray bottle to make humidity. Fill with hot water, and spray near the ceiling.
I like ultrasonic humidifiers, I used one in a machine I built for a printing ink supplier and I have one I used at home. I put it up somewhere and can't find it now. I have an earlier version of this Sunbeam product.
-snip-
I just remembered another reason I like my Aprilaire. Lack of sitting water to breed bacteria in.
Jim
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