It is not in vain that much attention is paid to maintaining air humidity in a residential area, since it affects human health. But what's the point of paying for an expensive device if you can assemble a humidifier with your own hands? It will not be inferior in performance to the factory analogue.
There are several types of devices that can be made literally on the knee. In this article, we examined the principles of operation of household humidifiers and how to make them yourself.
Popular and effective ways of creating conditions for better evaporation associated with heating water and the effect of an air flow on it are considered. We will also show you how to assemble a homemade device based on an ultrasonic nebulizer.
The content of the article:
-
Dry air problem
- Reasons for lack of moisture
- The simplest methods of increasing air humidity
-
Making homemade humidifiers
- Using radiators
- Evaporation with ventilation
- Using ultrasonic nebulizers
- Evaporator in duct ventilation
- Conclusions and useful video on the topic
Dry air problem
Humidity, temperature and oxygen concentration are the most important parameters of the microclimate of a dwelling, on which a person's well-being depends. In winter, indoors, the water content in the air decreases. This is an easily explainable physical process, the consequences of which can be eliminated by fairly simple actions.
Reasons for lack of moisture
In a climate of moderate humidity, typical for most regions of Russia, dryness in the room occurs during the cold season. It is due to a simple physical phenomenon: the volume of water required for one hundred percent humidity decreases with decreasing air temperature.
Thus, the cold air entering from the street carries very little water into the room. And the warm flow outgoing through the ventilation system is able to carry away several times more. This leads to an imbalance.
The maximum possible volume of the contained water at “-20” and “+25” degrees differs by almost 30 times. This is the main reason for dryness in an apartment when frosty air enters.
The lack of moisture is partially compensated for inside the apartment due to the following phenomena:
- availability of open water sources;
- evaporation of moisture from washed dishes, washed things;
- breathing of humans and domestic animals;
- watering flowers, wet cleaning.
Often this cannot completely restore the moisture content to the desired values. In regulatory documents such as SNiP 41-01-2003 "Heating, ventilation and air conditioning" and SanPiN 2.1.2.2645-10 "Sanitary and epidemiological requirements for living conditions in residential buildings and premises" indicators of optimal relative humidity set in the range of 30-45%.
In this regard, tenants are trying to achieve standard indicators through any adaptations. There are many household humidifiers.
However, quality appliances are expensive and require maintenance. Therefore, many are inclined towards alternative methods of saturating the air with water or making homemade devices.
Most modern household air humidifiers operate on the principle of generating "cold" steam from ultrasonic spraying.
So, the main reason for dry indoor air is the flow of air with a very low moisture content. However, there are theories that some devices (heating radiators, oil heaters, convectors, incandescent lamps), "dry" the air.
This myth-making is supported by manufacturers of heating equipment and "advanced" managers to increase sales of high-value appliances.
There can be no physical grounds for the disappearance of water molecules in a living room, if there is no portable hadron collider or an artifact of an alien high-tech civilization.
The chemical reaction of water binding due to intramolecular interactions (hydration) occurs in such an insignificant amount that it can be neglected. Therefore, it is possible to "save" only on ventilation, but this will lead to a violation of the oxygen balance. There is only one thing left - compensation for moisture loss.
The simplest methods of increasing air humidity
The problem of dry air has been known for a long time, so there is experience increase in humidity in such elementary ways:
- Hanging wet cloth on ropes. Evaporation is intense, but the material dries quickly. In addition, the laundry takes up a lot of space.
- Installation of filled containers with a large evaporation area. These are usually basins, although an aquarium can be used if the top glass is removed.
Having a lot of plants in your home also increases humidity. They have to be watered frequently, which causes water to enter the air through the leaves (transpiration).
Such a flower evaporates about 200 grams of water per day, that is, it is able to release moisture for 30 cubic meters of room air in order to saturate it up to 35 percent humidity at a temperature of “+22” degrees
Wiping the floor and interior items with a damp cloth has an effect similar to hanging a wet cloth: the air is quickly saturated. Therefore, this type of cleaning should not be neglected, especially in winter.
Making homemade humidifiers
Simple evaporation has a disadvantage: either the process is too slow, or it is necessary to occupy a large area under the “evaporator”.
To solve this problem, an increase in the rate of water entry into the air is used due to its heating or blowing. Since such air humidifiers are easy to make with your own hands, you do not need to spend money on purchased products.
Using radiators
Water that has a temperature higher than the ambient air evaporates much more intensively. A heating system is usually used as a heating element. Its main advantages are that it does not require additional energy consumption and works all the time.
A constant flow of water to the radiator can be ensured in the following way: a container is installed under the battery, into which a rag is lowered, the upper part of which is tied to the radiator. As a result of the capillary effect, the water rises, heats up and evaporates.
The rag is attached to the front of the radiator. This may spoil the appearance a little, but such a design is effective and simple.
A similar, but slightly more complex design can be made for a heating pipe. To do this, use an ordinary plastic bottle, in the side of which a hole is cut. The container is secured with wire or other durable material. A rag is tied to it, through which water will flow.
You can make a humidifier as follows. However, since the evaporation area will be small, the volume of moisture entering the air will also be insignificant.
There are many containers for air humidification on sale that are attached to the front of the radiators. The same design can be made from plastic bottles yourself.
Wall-mounted evaporators are available in a variety of shapes and sizes. They are made of ceramic or plastic. You can also make and paint such a container yourself.
You can put a container with water on the battery. The lower the liquid level, the faster it will evaporate. The body material can be any: the main thing is that it has a high thermal conductivity.
The danger of objects installed on a battery lies in the difficulty of securing them securely. A cat or child can drop the entire structure on the floor.
These methods work well for radiators with a temperature of 60-80 ° C. Do not use them for ovens or boilers, in which the body temperature is much higher, as rags or plastic will catch fire.
Evaporation with ventilation
Air saturation with moisture occurs much more intensively under wind action. This factor is used in homemade humidifiers, which are easy to build with your own hands if you have a fan.
You can think of many combinations with batteries or a fan. However, you need to follow safety precautions and do not need to do it like this, as shown in this photo.
A homemade humidifier with a fan works according to the following principle: into the tank through the inlet the hole enters the air flow, raises moisture and exits through specially made for this holes.
Usually, a plastic bottle is used as a vessel, with a volume of three liters or more. To organize the flow, a computer cooler operating from 12 or 24 volts is most often used.
The most difficult thing in the practical sphere is to securely fix the fan and ensure its tightness so that humid air does not come out and does not fall on the blades and the live part.
Instead of a plastic bottle, it is better to use a more rigid container for the humidifier body, for example, plastic buckets. It is easier to fix the cooler on them
The main disadvantage of such humidifiers is the presence of noise from a working fan. The power consumption of standard coolers is low and is in the range of 3-6 watts.
Using ultrasonic nebulizers
The most productive are ultrasonic humidifiers with built-in cold water nozzle. It can be purchased from specialized stores or well-known online sites.
To assemble the simplest ultrasonic humidifier you will need:
- an ultrasonic nebulizer designed for a volume of 0.3 l / h (its cost, together with a power supply, is about 500 rubles);
- cooler from a video card or processor (price - 150 rubles);
- plastic container (price - 70 rubles).
The ultrasonic nebulizer must be glued to the bottom of the container, and a hole must be cut out in the lid above it, to which a hose can be attached. Such a device “perfectly” will cope with humidifier functionsnested in prefabricated units.
It should not be too long to avoid condensation. Cut the second hole for the cooler and install it in such a way that it directs the air flow into the container.
You can connect a 12-volt cooler to a 220-volt network using an old mobile phone charger that is not used for its intended purpose. Just connect the wires
You will have to make another hole in the cover for the power cable from the sprayer. As a result, the ultrasonic sprayer will create cold steam, which will be blown out by the flow generated by the fan.
This model has one serious drawback. During natural cold evaporation, pure water rises into the air, while an ultrasonic atomizer, creating a “mist” of tiny droplets, also captures dissolved elements.
If humidifier use often, calcium salts found in tap water, settling on interior items, create a white bloom visible to the eye. It is not hazardous to health, but it has to be cleaned up all the time. Therefore, devices based on an ultrasonic nebulizer must be filled with filtered or distilled water.
Evaporator in duct ventilation
With a large area of an apartment or a private house, the problem of humidifying the air arises with the help of several separate devices. They need not only to be bought or made on your own, but also to constantly monitor the availability of water and the quality of work. In this case, the installation of one device in the supply ventilation channel will help.
You can make your own humidification unit, which works either on the principle of creating a "fog" by an ultrasonic evaporator or using the idea of flow passing through a wetted barrier. In the second case, the larger the wet surface area blown, the greater the evaporation volume.
There are two fundamentally different approaches to wetting the blown obstacle. You can make a rotary installation, the lower part of which is in the water. As a result of rotation, the “discs” become wet through which the supply air flow passes.
An example of a central part of a rotary humidifier. Ordinary gramophone records are set on a metal shaft. The main condition is that the material of the discs must get wet well
You can also buy a barrier in the form of a cellular cassette. With the help of the pump, water is supplied to the sprinkler, which, flowing down, evaporates and enters the room through the ventilation system.
Schematic diagram of a humidifier based on a honeycomb cassette. The incoming air must be warmed up, otherwise it will be able to pick up little moisture
It should be remembered that when using channel humidifiers, it is necessary to periodically carry out procedures aimed at disinfecting the unit from pathogens. This includes biocide treatment and drainage of the system when the system is idle.
Conclusions and useful video on the topic
Plastic bottle humidifier using computer cooler:
Humidifier using ultrasonic evaporator:
Manufacturing of a duct humidifier based on honeycomb cassettes:
To make a household air humidifier on your own, you do not need special skills or expensive materials and components. Most likely, the design of the device will be less elegant, but its functionality will be similar to the factory device. In addition, in the event of a breakdown, the homemade product is easier to repair.
Would you like to share a version of a humidifier of your own invention or manufacture? Do you have useful information on the topic of the article that is worth sharing with site visitors? Please leave comments in the form below the block, post a photo and ask questions.
