Steam Humidifier Frequently Asked Questions

If you're interested in buying a steam humidifier for your home, lab, or office, you've probably got some questions. Here are some of the most common questions when looking into buying a steam humidifier. You can learn all about our steam humidifiers or buy them here.

What exactly is a steam humidifier and what does it do?

A steam humidifier is an appliance that humidifies the air by heating water electrically until it boils and creates moist air or humidity in the form of steam. This moisture is picked up by the system blower and pushed throughout the home.

How is a steam humidifier different from an evaporative style of humidifier?

The steam model creates steam whenever the humidity is needed by boiling water electrically, even if the furnace isn't on. An evaporative type of humidifier only works efficiently when the hot air furnace is working. It needs the hot air to evaporate the moisture from the wet humidifier filter (also known as a pad).

Why is a steam humidifier better than the evaporative stryle of humidifier?

A steam humidifier will work whenever moisture is needed, no matter what the heating or air conditioning situation is. The steam unit is the master of the "blower system". The evaporative style humidifier only works with hot air, and thus is a slave to the furnace, only working when it is on.

Will a steam humidifier work when an air conditioning system is on?

Yes it will. Unlike an evaporative type of humidifier, a steam humidifier works as well with cold air as with hot, it just needs air moving over the water pan, making steam.

Will a steam humidifier work better on a heat pump style of heating system?

Yes it will. The air temperature in a forced air heating system created by a heat pump or its supplementary electrical strip heating is much below the temperature required by an evaporative humidifier, but a steam humidifier works perfectly under these conditions.

Will a steam humidifier work in a lab where high humidity conditions are required, or an office where high humidity levels are required?

In on-demand situations like this, the steam design is the only one that works to provide moisture when cold or hot air may not be available when humidity is required.