How often Should Humidifier Filters be changed?

If you are searching about replacement/changing of your humidifier filter, it means that you are already using a humidifier. A humidifier is a useful and practical device which keeps the air around you filled with moisture, as the air tends to get dry and less humid, humidifier replaces the lost moisture in the air. It also keeps the air around you clean and hygienic by removing the impurities from the air. For this purpose, humidifiers use filters.

How often should Humidifier Filters be changed?

A randomly working humidifier’s filter should be changed every 3-4 months. If you use your humidifier daily, you must change its filter every 2 months. The surface of the filter is coated with a material that can slow the growth of mold, but it does not repel mold from attaching. A dirty filter can also expel a lot of bacteria, debris, and dirt in the air of the room.  Some humidifiers come with a mineral absorption pad, if yours have it, make sure that it is replaced every 2-3 weeks to ensure that it does not omit minerals.

Hard Water Problem – If the water you are putting in the humidifier is hard, make sure you replace the filter every month. Hardness in water caused by calcium and magnesium. These minerals can clog the filter pretty fast, and thus it needs to be replaced earlier. A visible sign of clogging is white dust emission from the humidifier.

Whole House Humidifiers

Some people use whole-house humidifiers. The people living in cold areas often install a humidifier in their homes to keep the air moist. Whole house humidifiers are also termed as water panels, water pods, or evaporative pads. You need to change the filter every winter/heating season. The hard water rule is also the same for it.

How to clean a Humidifier Filter?

Some humidifier filters can be cleaned. Cleaning can extend a filter’s life. You must not try to clean paper filters or heavily soiled filters. If your filter has mold growth on it, you must replace it instead of getting it cleaned.

You can use the following steps to clean the filter.

Remove the filter – First of all, you need to remove the filter so you can clean the loose dust, debris, or any scale build-up. Use a light-powered vacuum cleaner to suck the dust or an old toothbrush to wipe the filter off.

Dip the filter in Water-Vinegar Mixture – Make sure you have already prepared a gallon of water with a cup of white vinegar in a plastic bucket. Dip the cleaned filter in it for at least 20 minutes to get rid of all the bacteria and other dirt/scale. For better results, shake the water every 5 minutes.

Wash the Filter – Now, you have to take the filter out from the bucket, wash it thoroughly with water and let it dry. Do not squeeze, twist, or wring the humidifier filters as it can damage them.

Dry the Filter and Put it back – Make sure you dry the filter at room temperature without using any external heat source or placing the filter under the sun. If you do this, you may end up with a damaged filter instead of a cleaned one.

How to extend Humidifier’s filter life?

By employing the following tricks, you can extend the life of humidifiers in your home.

• Inspect the filters regularly so you can know when they start to get blocked, so you can give them a timely clean.
• Keep the outside of the humidifiers neat and clean, and free from dust. It reduces the dust which gets settled on the surface of the filter.
• Make sure that the area close to the humidifier is free from animal hair, smoke, dust, and dirt. Make sure you cover the humidifier with a cloth when you are cleaning or vacuuming the room.

Final Word