been looking online at several models... anyone have suggestions? I know it will help with sinus issues and the uke peace of mind issue
Basic humidfiers fall broadly into three categories: Evaporative, Vaporizers, and Ultrasonic. All have pluses and minuses.
Evaporative use a honeycomb of fibers call a wick (and often mischaracterized as a filter). Water from a tank is soaked into the wick, and air from a fan blows it as vapor into the room.
Pros: Inexpensive to run, as the fan is the only real cost. Minerals and other impurities tend to get absorbed into the wick, meaning there is less of it in the air. Units themselves are fairly inexpensive. Safe, as there is very little risk if they are knocked over. Like all humidifiers, needs frequent cleaning, but probably less so than the other models.
Cons: Wicks need to be replaced frequently, and at around $10 each, can run into money. If the wick is allowed to dry out completely, it will probably never work properly again and will need to be replaced. Like most humidifiers, if you have hard water, you may notice a fine white dust in your room (although I find this is less prevalent than with Ultrasonics).
Vaporizers use heat to turn water into steam.
Pros: Heating the water helps remove impurities and nasty things that like to live in stagnant water. Probably best for your lungs, too. Less incidence of white dust in the room. No wicks to clean or replace.
Cons: High energy costs, since you are constantly heating water. Increased risk of damage or injury due the presence of hot water and heating elements. I wouldn't use one where there is a risk of it being knocked over by children or pets. Needs be cleaned frequently, as the impurities that don't go into the air stay in the humidifier and can turn to gunk.
Ultrasonics use very fast vibrations turn turn water to mist which is then blown into the room
Pros: Almost silent. No wicks to clean or replace. Inexpensive to run.
Cons: Probably the highest incidence of white dust, especially if you have hard water (pellets that you drop in the tank can help manage this, but they won't remove it). Frequent cleaning necessary to combat organisms that grow in standing water.
