HoMedics humidifiers are just like most other appliances you have at home. Sometimes they act up, and most owners have no idea why. Fortunately, there aren’t too many problems associated with these humidifiers that can’t be solved with a bit of experimentation, ingenuity, and experience with other appliances. However, if you’re concerned about the device, here are some troubleshooting tips that match the most likely problems you’ll encounter.
The humidifier not producing mist is one of the biggest indicators that something is wrong. After all, its primary function is to release water into the room in the form of vapor or mist. That said, how you troubleshoot a HoMedics total comfort humidifier depends on what is wrong in the first place.
It might be low water levels in the reservoir, or your device may be reading the humidity levels in the room to be optimal. Another reason the HoMedics devices stop producing mist is if mineral deposits clog the machine.
This can happen if you typically use hard water, as the water will evaporate, leaving mineral deposits on the transducer and heating elements. Notably, mineral deposits and scale buildup from hard water can encourage the growth of contaminants, according to Infection Control Today Trusted Source Hard Water Scaling Linked to Bacterial Growth in Homes New research by the School of Sustainable Engineering at Arizona State University has found that the hard water scaling normally found in the pipes of homes is an active environment for harmful bacterial growth. www.infectioncontroltoday.com .
Also worth noting is research Trusted Source Calcium and magnesium ions in the droplets react with carbon dioxide in the air, resulting in “white dust,” which may be inhaled into the human body and cause respiratory diseases such as asthma. www.researchgate.net shows white dust that comes from using humidifiers with hard water can be one of the causes of respiratory illnesses like cancer. Nevertheless, if you continually use hard water with no health issues, the mineral deposits may eventually build up and block the machine from releasing any mist.
Lastly, your HoMedics auto-off timer may be active.
If the water levels are too low, HoMedics cool mist ultrasonic humidifier troubleshooting includes refilling the tank. Often this coincides with the recommended cleaning cycle, so it shouldn’t happen too often.
On the other hand, if the humidistat says the room’s humidity levels are optimal, you may need to change the settings to continuous on. Alternatively, you can raise the humidity settings to match your needs better.
For those whose humidifiers are clogged by mineral deposits, you need to clean the device and eliminate as much sediment as possible. You might also need to use a scouring pad.
After that, it’s best to use preventive measures, e.g. using distilled water or demineralization cartridges when using hard water. Some HoMedics come with said cartridges, and if you typically get hard water from your taps, a model like the HoMedics Humidifier for Bedroom, Office, and Plants may be ideal.
If your auto-off timer is active, you may need to deactivate it or set it to “0” hours so the machine can run continuously. That way, it can produce mist all through the day.
Another common problem with humidifiers, especially new ones, is they can sometimes make everything wet. This often happens with owners who haven’t previously used a humidifier or recently moved into a new place because the relative humidity is different.
In El Paso, Texas, for instance, relative annual humidity is about 32%, according to Climatemps Trusted Source Relative Humidity in El Paso, Texas, Usa El Paso, Texas, Usa average relative humidity by month and annual. www.el-paso.climatemps.com . If you were to move from El Paso to a city like Houston, where relative humidity levels are much higher, you’d need to change your humidifier settings to match that. This is especially true for humidifiers that don’t have humidistats that can check the humidity in the environment and react accordingly.
Most people don’t remember and only notice when the curtains, furniture or other installations start getting wet. Also, the humidifier may be too big or too powerful for the room size.
Ideally, you should ensure you first get an appropriately-sized humidifier for the room size. If you’re sure yours is the right size, another solution is to lower the power. You can even start with the lowest setting and dial it back up as needed. Finally, keeping the device a good distance from ceilings, corners, carpets, and furniture should also help keep them dry.
Although uncommon, you sometimes hear of humidifiers leaking water onto the desk or table they’re placed on. This might even spill onto other home installations, so you want to get that sorted ASAP.
Often the culprit is an improperly placed reservoir tank. As such, you’ll need to investigate and, if necessary, remove it and put it back again. If this isn’t the problem, there may be damage to the drain line, in which case you’ll need to repair it or buy a new model.
Humidifiers often stop working right after a cleaning session for different reasons. For instance, it could just be off since you didn’t plug it in correctly, the outlet is damaged, or for devices with the auto-off feature there, you could have forgotten to refill the tank.
That said, an auto-off feature could be immensely beneficial in protecting the device from damage if there’s no water in the tank, so there’s no reason to avoid it. It can even help conserve energy. In the HoMedics Portable Humidifier, for instance, the device won’t run once the water is depleted in the tank, thanks to the auto-off feature.
Another plausible reason for the device not working after cleaning is that you forgot to press the ON button after plugging it on, or you didn’t push it enough. This happens a lot more often than people think, and often, they can leave it like that for hours before they realize something’s wrong.
If you forgot to refill, you could pour in some water to see if it’ll start up again. HoMedics cool mist ultrasonic humidifier troubleshooting may also involve pressing the ON button for about five seconds. If that doesn’t work, check if it’s plugged in correctly. You can also try a different outlet just in case the one you’re using is damaged.
Troubleshooting a HoMedics total comfort humidifier may also be necessary if it’s noisy since these machines are typically very quiet. Luckily, there are only two possible reasons for them to be noisy.
For models without auto-off features, the water level may be too low. Alternatively, the device may not be level.
The obvious fix for a water level that’s too low is to fill up the tank with fresh water. Alternatively, you can place the device on a flat surface to kill the noise if the device is tilted.
Some more advanced HoMedics humidifiers have lights that act as notification alerts. For instance, blue or green might indicate standard functionality. However, red for some HoMedics models typically indicates the machine is dirty.
The only way to fix a red light is to clean and reset the machine.
To reset a HoMedics humidifier, you’ll turn it off by pressing the power button and then unplugging it. It’s wise to refill the tank or conduct other maintenance chores, like cleaning the device while it’s unplugged.
After that, you can plug it back up and press the power button for at least five seconds. The red indicator light should light up once every two weeks so expect to clean it at least bi-weekly. The red cleaning light will remain on if you don’t clean the device.
Now you should know all the HoMedics humidifier troubleshooting tips and tricks available. If you try most of the solutions above and your problem persists, your device may be damaged. However, more often than not, the minor issues you encounter should be easily solvable.
