Humidifier Radiator

Finding a humidifier radiator and understanding what it does are two different things. Most people have never even heard of a humidifier radiator. The truth of the matter is that this is the term often given to the independently upright radiators that are found in vintage apartments in places like New York City and Chicago where the buildings have not been retrofitted with central heating and air conditioning. These metal frame structures are typically below waist height and warm an apartment or office by releasing moisture in the form of warm mist periodically to generate heat. Even many readers that are not familiar with the common name for this appliance are aware of the distinctive hissing and humming sounds that these radiators produce. I know that for this author the sound takes me back to being to a young child in an elementary school classroom on particularly cold winter days. Across much of the US and even the world these specific types of heaters were quite literally lifesavers for a generation of society.

While oil filled radiators and other similar adaptations were also popular pieces in the timeline of man’s evolution to stay warm it was the humidifier radiator that drew particular attention for its innovation. In addition to providing much needed warmth the mist humidifier version offered an additional unique practicality in terms of aiding in preserving certain types of furniture that was particularly susceptible to drying out. Without regular moisture many types of woods, leathers, and other finishes common to furnishings during this time period would be prone to cracking and peeling. Without proper moisture in the air expensive family heirlooms passed on for generations could be ruined in a single winter.

The functionality behind the working components is really quite simple. A holding bowl must be regularly filled with room temperature water that will then be heated and released into the air in the form of warm mist. Circulation of this warm vapor fills the room and in turn produces the desired end effect of a sufficiently heated space without the necessity of a fire. This heating method was particularly useful in tall apartment buildings where fireplaces in every unit were simply not practical from feasibility or engineering standpoints.

The main selling point that attributed to the proliferation of this particular model was not the salvation of furniture but rather the inexpensive nature of the product. Water was essentially the primary fuel being heated/burned and that was readily available even in the early era of indoor plumbing and running water. Perhaps the most frequently complained about drawback was the issue of refilling that was required increasing often as the weather grew colder and the need to run the machines more often became a more consistent concern. The fact that the units were inexpensive also made them suitable for having in multiple rooms. This was a heating luxury that even middle class families could readily afford and this contributed to the increased number of units sold which ultimately made the production, distribution, and sale of humidifier radiators very profitable for some time.

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Humidifiers | Cool Mist | Filters

I'm lucky to have been born into a family where I had a mother that made changing the filters on the cool mist humidifiers that I had in my bedroom a regular part of the house maintenance. As is often the case with young children the world I lived in was the only world I knew. Essentially I didn't even realize that my other friends didn't have the same nightly access to humidifiers, let alone ones with properly changed filters. There is a old Yiddish saying that says, "to a worm in horseradish sauce the whole world is horseradish" (I'm not making this up). Well, as a I child my whole world was one in which a cool mist humidifier being filled up with water and then turned on was just as much of a nightly ritual as being red a bedtime story, tucked in, and hearing my loving parents recite the following phrase each and every night, "goodnight, sweet dreams, I love you."

It's hard to say if I was generally spoiled as a child but it's hard to argue that I wasn't spoiled with love. Whatever the case may be I was and am still unmistakably blessed to live in a world where I'm constantly surrounded by people that care about me. Someday I plan on committing that same level of care to my own children when I tuck them in at night and flip on their humidifiers just like my parents did for me a generation earlier. As I previously alluded to I found out some time later that unfortunately not everyone is as fortunate as I was when it comes to having loving parents that provide a comfortable cool mist filled bedroom for each of their children. We weren't rich but we lived comfortable. My mother always said that the humidifier filters helped to keep us healthy and safe from germs. It should come as no surprise that I've never stopped believing the message that my mother told me so many years ago. I continued to have a humidifier next to my futon mattress in college and most certainly have a cool mist humidifier in the bedroom in my apartment that I sleep in every night now (even though it's a bachelor pad - complete with bamboo bed sheets). How many bachelor pads have you ever heard of that have humidifier cool mist filling up the room on a nightly basis?

Who can benefit from humidification? The answer is that pretty much everyone can. The biggest benefit that I enjoyed growing up (and still do to this day) is that humidifiers serve to help sore throats by keeping the throat from drying out while sleeping. If you're someone that constantly wakes up in the middle of the night needing to drink water then you're a great candidate for getting a Honeywell humidifier or a similar brand like a Hunter or Bemis model. Whatever choice you go with make sure that it's easy to clean and that the filters are easy to change. When it comes to dealing with humidifier filters the trick to having a good experience is to make sure that the filters you'll need are available in your area. Conveniently available filters that are the correct size to fit into your humidifier can be hard to find locally if you order your cool mist humidifier online. While internet purchasing can be great for many things you might want to specifically try to find brands that are carried in stores near where you live. Of course if you live somewhere extremely rural that might not be the case, but for the first time in history more people live in the cities in the United States than in the country. A suggested strategy involves shopping around locally with a notepad and a pen. Use the pen and paper to take notes on the models that you like and make particular attention to cost. Even though the price tags will vary slightly with in store retail choices at bricks and mortar locations the general price range will be roughly the same. Yes, you can find cheap humidifiers and cheap humidifier filters but you have to know where to look and sometimes convenience can be more than worth saving a few cents. If you really think you'll be going through a lot of filters consider buying them in bulk. Some circumstances that might warrant buying humidifier filters in bulk would include large families. I'm talking about the kind of families that do a lot of shopping at Costco. Interestingly, most people think that the demographic for people shopping at Costco is families with less income but it's actually the opposite as it turns out. The misconception is the result of most folks naturally assuming that Costco and Sam's Club are discount centers that offer to the cheapest prices and the logic goes that the people who have the least amount of spend have the most incentive to save and consequently end up buying at wholesale clubs like the two previously mentioned. The interesting point this has all been leading to is that the demographic studies actually show the opposite and I'll explain why. Whether you're buying ketchup, mustard, humidifiers, filters, or paper towels if you're at Costco you're buying bulk and these types of purchases are the easiest for people who (1) have plenty of storage space at their homes, (2) have SUVs to haul to stuff back home, (3) are fiscally responsible enough to recognize the savings involved in buying in bulk, and (4) have enough money on hand to make the large upfront purchases knowing that in the long run they're saving money. The four criteria just described does not portray a financially struggling household. Poor people generally have to take public transportation like buses to do their shopping. It would be impossible to haul back a healthy Costco run via bus. People with low income don't have an abundant amount of storage space like affluent people with large homes do. People living paycheck to paycheck can't afford to buy several months worth of particular products even when those products are nonperishable items like cool mist humidifier filters. If your household fits the four criteria outlined above then you are in fact in a situation where buying in bulk is not only worthwhile but it is recommended.

Shopping for a humidifier isn't that much different than shopping for any other household item. I suggest the following approach. Earlier I mentioned taking a pen and paper with you as you visit local stores to get a feel for what's available. Depending on the amount of space in the area where you'll want to put the humidifier size can matter as far as this is concerned. Take the time to determine what size is optimal and what is too big before you go out shopping. Most people like to fit the cool mist humidifiers into corners in every bedroom of the house and this can be in restricted space that is confined or dictated by existing more expensive or necessary furniture like dressers and drawers. Get out a tape measure if you don't already have one and do what's necessary to find out the three dimensions of the space your working with. Length, width, and height are all important. When looking at store models that are in the box at a store like Bed Bath and Beyond don't forget that although similar in size the unit will be smaller once it's removed from the packaging. The packaging provides an extra layer of buffering that can make judging the true size difficult. Don't be afraid to ask a sales person for help. It is these people's jobs to assist you with situations just like this. Simply explain your situation and the measurements you're working with and they should be more than happy to assist you. In most cases a store model will already be on display. These humidifiers are completely out of the box so the extra padding that the packaging provides is no where to be seen and you don't have to worry about the perceived dimensions because you have access to the real product right in front of your eyes.

Hardly anyone buys a cool mist humidifier strictly for aesthetic purposes but this doesn't mean that there aren't humidifiers that look good. Be optimistic that you can find an attractive one but keep your expectations in check as humidifiers have the primary purpose of being practical with only secondary concerns for how beautiful they are. Your best bet will be to try and find the color and style that best matches the furniture and general style of each room that will house a humidifier. Don't be as concerned with matching the colors exactly as much as finding a unit that blends in nicely based on basic color schemes without too much emphasis places on exact matches. If you have realistic expectations going into the process you should be able to find a cool mist humidifier that works perfectly for the look you're going for. Style is very important to a lot of people and depending on how nice your place is and how much time and money you've spent on expressing your own style where you live will determine to what extent aesthetics play in your ultimate choice of humidifier.

There are actually humidifiers that are designed for young children. The designs are entirely of the physical nature and don't have anything to do with the look being special for children beyond the comforting characters than many of the pieces are shaped into. The system is the same and the products work the same way with the water filtration, humidity, and filters but the exteriors are shaped like lovable characters that kids will find fun and as a result embrace the humidifiers and hopefully grow up in safe, healthy, happy, loving families like the one that I was fortunate enough to find myself in (described at the beginning of this post).
When shopping for a humidifier with a child design (like the one pictured above) or even just a regular one use the shopping strategy that we began discussing earlier that involves taking a pen and paper with you to the various stores you visit and taking notes on which models you like the best. Ask sales representatives to help you out by giving you insights that might not be evident just by looking at the boxes. Don't be afraid to ask the tough questions like what they've personally heard about each one and what other customers are saying. Ask which humidifier is the best value. Ask if there is a particular make and model that is being returned at an unusually high rate and try to steer clear of that one. You might be surprised at all the information you can get from a sales girl in the store. After all she is around the humidifiers all day so she understands them better than almost anyone.

Continue hopping from store to store until you've taken an exhaustive inventory of what is available in your area and more importantly what's best for your situation. While all of this driving around town may sound like a hassle it's worth the time if you're buying multiple units. With any luck you'll use the cool mist humidifiers for years to come and maybe even eventually pass them on to your children some day (not likely). In all seriousness thought humidifier warranties are something to consider and ask about. The truth of the matter is that there aren't a lot of moving parts and as long as you properly fill, clean, and change the filters your humidifier should work wonderfully for years to come.

To conclude your humidifier shopping compare your list of in store prices, makes and models to what you can find online. Many times the best deals can be found online because you are searching for the best deals essentially around the world and not just in your isolated neighborhood. A couple of things to keep in mind when shopping online for cool mist humidifiers or really any product is that there are both unique costs and unique savings associated with shopping online. Shipping is the most obvious cost that is incurred when you order something online instead of buying it at a local store. Many websites like Amazon.com will wave the shipping costs if you hit a certain threshold of purchase, i.e. $100. Other websites like Overtstock.com have year round excellent shipping deals. At Overstock the shipping is only $2.95 year round and during certain promotional periods it is completely free. Depending on what retailer you purchase from you can actually avoid paying sales tax if you live (or have the humidifier shipped to a different address) in a different state from where the the seller is located. In order to take advantage of this sales tax loophole you'll need to not only live in a different state than where the retailer is located but also need for the retailer you're buying from to not have any stores in your state. Another way to save money is to find promotional codes online. If you're close to making a purchase and see a box asking for a promo code stop what you're doing right there and open another internet browsing window and search for the words "promo code the site you're buying from." Obviously instead of actually writing the words "the site you're buying from" verbatim you'll want to type the website you're close to making a purchase from, i.e. Amazon.com, Overstock.com, etc. You can often find great deals this way that will help you save more than a few dollars (often upwards of 20%) on cool mist humidifiers and humidifier filters.

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