Did you know that where you place your humidifier will determine how effective it will work for you? When I bought my first humidifier, I almost thought I purchased one that was not working due to uneven humidity distribution in my living room.
Only the immediate area to the humidifier was high in humidity, while the rest of the living room experienced dry air. I later realized I had placed the humidifier on the floor and in a corner.
Where is the best place to put a humidifier? Place your humidifier on a table or a nightstand at least 2 to 4 feet off the ground. Set the stand in the middle of the room. Do not place the humidifier too close to the carpet or ceiling. Lastly, avoid placing it in the corners or directly facing the sunlight.
In this article, I have explained the best places to place a humidifier, among other topics like whether it is possible to place a humidifier on the floor, if humidifiers are bad for carpets, what to put under a humidifier, where to put a humidifier in an office among other related topics.
Best Place to Put a Humidifier
Table of Contents
My experience with my humidifier led me to research perfect areas to place it. Below are specific places you could put a humidifier in your home.
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Not Too Close to the floor or the Ceiling
Place a humidifier on a nightstand or a table; it is better if it is at least 2 to 4 feet off the ground or below the ceiling. Placing your humidifier on the floor will prevent it from experiencing efficient airflow, causing uneven humidity distribution. Also, kids and pets may trip or knock it over.
A humidifier is also prone to spilling water. Suppose you place it on the floor near a carpet. The carpet will absorb spilled water from the humidifier, which you might not notice.
Moisturized air expelled from the humidifier is also not friendly to the ceiling, so you shouldn’t let your humidifier get close to the ceiling. The moisture will cause the ceiling’s paint to begin to break.
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Place your Humidifier where the Air is in Continuous Motion
After placing your humidifier on a table or a nightstand, don’t hide it in a corner. Place the stand in the middle of the room where the air is moving. The air in the room will aid in the distribution of humidity. If possible, place the humidifier between two doors or windows for moisture to be passed from one room to the next.
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Place a Humidifier Near a Room Heater
Room heaters are equipped to produce and distribute heat into our home. They tend to have high air temperature with low humidity levels. They are also installed with features that ensure the heat is evenly distributed in the house, making their surroundings a perfect place for a humidifier.
When the heater produces dry air with minimum humidity, the humidifier placed close by will ensure the air produced is highly moisturized before being distributed.
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Place a humidifier at the center of the room
If you can’t place the humidifier anywhere else in a room, at least place it in the centre where there is limited obstruction from household furniture. The centre of the room has excellent airflow that allows humidity distribution in the house.
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Put a humidifier close to house plants
House plants do not usually get enough moisture to enable them to survive for long in the house. Place a humidifier close to them, giving them a higher chance of survival due to the introduction of enough moisture into the air.
Considerations to Make in Deciding Best Place to Put a Humidifier
When deciding where to place a humidifier, there are certain things that you should put into consideration. Such things have been illustrated below.
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The Elevation Point
As discussed earlier, a humidifier should not be placed on the floor; therefore, before placing it in your home, you should consider its elevation point. The elevation point should be situated at the centre of the room. It should also not be too close to the window to avoid direct sunlight and not too close to the walls or corners.
The elevation point should also not be too high or close to the ceiling. Let the elevation point be 2 to 4 feet below the ceiling or above the ground.
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How to Protect the Stand Holding the Humidifier
The humidifier will always spill some water now and then; you should look for a way to protect the stand from mould growth after a while.
You may consider putting a piece of cloth, towel, mat, or anything made of water-resistant material under the humidifier. Remember to change the towels or wipe off water often.
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Accessibility of the Humidifier
When considering where to place a humidifier, think of a place that is easier to access. A place you can easily refill it and monitor the water levels without looking for it.
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The Humidity Level in the Room
Indeed, some rooms do no at actually need a humidifier because already there is enough moisture in the air. The ideal humidity level of a room should be between 30-40%. The addition of extra humidity from a humidifier might encourage the growth of moulds
How Far Away Should you Place a Humidifier?
We have all thought of how far we should place our humidifier in different rooms of our houses. Below are detailed explanations of where to place a humidifier in specific house areas.
1. Bedroom
It is not wise to place a humidifier close to your bed. Most of us put it close to the bed to provide immediate breathing relief. Better set the humidifier at the centre of the room for the moisture to diffuse in the air before you inhale.
Also, Warm-mist humidifiers are not safe when placed close to your face; they tend to cause severe burns to your skin.
2. Living room
Both the size of the living room and the size of the humidifier should be considered. If you have a huge device, do not place it in a small living room as it will encourage mould growth and mildew. Suppose the humidifier size is proportional to the size of the room.
Put the humidifier in the centre of the room and away from direct sunlight from the windows. The humidifier should also be placed away from household furniture and electricity sockets.
3. Kitchen
When placing a humidifier in the kitchen, ensure to put it far from electronic kitchen appliances like a microwave, fridge, or even electrical sockets.
Moisture from the humidifier will interfere with the electronic devices by causing them to rust. There is also a high risk of electronic fires due to water droplets.
4. Electronics, i.e., tv
Ensure you avoid placing a humidifier close to a television. You may not notice the effect of a humidifier on your tv immediately. It takes a while for a humidifier’s steam to cause damage to it. Its functioning will be interfered with due to the moisture that causes the formation of rust.
5. Bathroom
The bathroom is already moist enough to have a humidifier installed in it. However, if you genuinely want one in your bathroom, consider turning it off when taking your shower so that the moisture levels do not become too high to allow mould growth and mildew.
Should a humidifier be on the floor?
No, do not place your humidifier on the floor. It would help if you didn’t set your humidifier on the floor unless it is the big one designed to stand on its own.
The best place to place your humidifier is on a table or a nightstand. There are several reasons why you shouldn’t put a humidifier on the floor, and they are discussed below.
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Growth of mould and mildew
As water spills and the moisture is expelled from the humidifier, the water soaks into the floor, and eventually, mould and mildew begin to grow. Also, the water vaporizing from the humidifier may form water droplets under the carpet, which become excellent breeding areas for molds.
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The floor may become too slippery
A wet floor can become too dangerous for you, your kids, and your pets. A humidifier may spill some water on the floor, causing you to trip over and hurt yourself.
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Someone might trip over it
Everyone has had those moments when you trip over something you know exists in your living room. To be safe, ensure you do not place the humidifier on the floor to avoid tripping over it.
Are humidifiers bad for carpets?
Yes, a humidifier is not good for your carpet. A humidifier should not be placed close to your carpet. Elevate your humidifier 2 to 4 feet above your mat. A humidifier is highly likely to cause damage to your carpet by spilling water.
The fiber material of your carpet will always absorb water each time the humidifier spills some. The water and the dust gathered by the carpet combine to facilitate the growth of molds and eventually damage your carpet or cause serious health issues.
What should I Put Under my Humidifier?
As I have already discussed earlier, putting your humidifier on a table or nightstand is better. However, most tables or nightstands are made of wood; therefore, mould could grow on them after a while.
The best thing to do is to place a waterproof material on a table or a nightstand before placing your humidifier. The waterproof surface will prevent the wooden table or nightstand from absorbing moisture or water from the humidifier, damaging them after a while.
Where Should you Not Put a Humidifier?
I also gathered some areas where you should never consider placing your humidifier. Below are the areas.
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Do not place your humidifier in the corner
There is not enough airflow in the corners of your house, which only means there will not be humidity distribution.
Most houses have high humidity levels in the corners, and placing your humidifier in a corner will only increase the humidity level, leading to the growth of molds.
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Do Not Place your Humidifier Close to your Ceiling
Just like the floor absorbs vaporized moisture from the humidifier, the ceiling also does. The paint on your ceiling will begin to break due to the high moisture content absorbed by the ceiling.
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Do Not Place your Humidifier Close to Electronic Devices or Electrical Outlets
The moisture from the humidifier will form water droplets into the electronic devices and electrical outlets, causing them to rust, cause short circuits, and eventually become a fire hazard.
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Do not place your humidifier directly into the sun
Direct sunlight to your humidifier is dangerous. Especially if you leave some water in the reservoir, the water is heated by the sun giving it a perfect environment to start breeding bacteria.
When the humidifier vaporizes the water containing the bacteria, the bacteria are diffused into the air. Inhaling such air will cause you to suffer from asthma or allergies.
Where to put a humidifier in the office room
Place a humidifier on your office desk; however, do not let it be too close to your face. A humidifier shouldn’t be too close to you, despite how much you want it to relieve your breathing and get rid of the dry air.
Allow the humidity from the humidifier to vaporize humidity into the air for you to inhale fresh, moist air. Also, the humidifier should not be too close to a wall, office corner, or ceiling.
Does A Humidifier Fill The Whole Room?
All humidifiers are not created to fill specific square footage. Each humidifier has a particular square footage size of a room it can fill with humidity.
When you purchase a humidifier, ensure you know the exact size of your room to buy a humidifier that will circulate your entire room with moisture.
Faqs On Where to Put a Humidifier
1. Should the humidifier run all night?
Yes. Running a humidifier throughout the night will give you better sleep quality. It can also reduce your snoring.
2. Is Sleeping with a humidifier good for you?
If you have cold or flu-like symptoms, sleeping with a humidifier may quicken the recovery process. Humid air might also aid in lubricating your nasal passages making it easy for you to breathe when asleep.
3. Do cool mist humidifiers make the room cold?
No. even though a cool-mist humidifier may make the air in your house feel cool and fresh, it cannot lower the temperature to make it feel cold.
4. Where do I put the water in a humidifier?
Humidifiers come with a water tank. This is where you will put the water.
5. Can I just put water in my humidifier?
No. You should use distilled water to avoid contaminating your indoor air with impurities.
6. What happens if you don’t use distilled water in a humidifier?
While other water types may still humidify your room, there are high chances that your humidifier may clog with minerals and lead to air contamination if you do not use distilled water.
Final Thoughts
As we have all learned, a humidifier should not just be placed anywhere; it should be elevated. A humidifier should also sit on a waterproof surface so that it does not damage the wooden table it is standing on.
Also, knowing the size of your living room, bedroom, or office is essential before purchasing a humidifier. Carpets, house corners, walls, ceilings, and electronic devices should not be close to a humidifier.