Humidifiers and Electronics?

[xMax]

I have just purchased a cool mist ultrasonic humidifier to help reduce nose, throat, and skin dryness during the cold winters here in Canada. But after reading some reviews on the particular humidifier i purchased (the Air O Swiss Model 7135), i ran into one review from Amazon where the reviewer claimed that the humidifier destroyed his laptop.

His speculation is that a demineralization problem or excess humidity caused the damage to his computer.

With great concern not to damage a system i nearly paid 10 000$ for a couple of years ago, i decided to do some research on humidity and electronics. But oddly, there seems to be very little available information on this subject matter. Even my motherboard manual doesn't say anything except to avoid extreme humidity, without giving any measurements or readings or demineralization issues.

For this reason, i would like to ask if anybody would happen to know any information that might be helpful to my situation.

Thank you.

 

[BadRobot]

humidifier close to the computer?

 

[xMax]

I don't know. The humidifier has not arrived. But i am considering putting it in my medium sized room which is where my computer is in. But if its going to damage my computer, then i will place the humidifier in the room next to mine.

 

[futuristicmonkey]

Look on the nameplate of your psu. Either it or the manual _will_ have the operating conditions written on it. If the environment is okay for your psu (and it's not a complete piece of garbage) then the environment will be suitable for your psu. With this info in mind, try to compare the conditions of the room with the humidifer running and with a hot, humid day in the summer. Here in Winnipeg our summers could put a humidifer to shame -- I don't know where you live, but chances are it won't hurt your computer.

-ben

 

[Markbnj]

I assume since you want to run a humidifier that the room is overly dry now? In that case no, you're not going to damage anything, since you'll be shooting for normal levels of humidity and that will be within the specs. You might even lower the chance of static damaging a component. On the other hand if you need to really raise the humidity to tropical levels for some reason, then I would think about putting the computer somewhere else.

 

[xMax]

futuristicmonkey: I live in Montreal, and i guess our summers do tend to get humid. Of course, my computer is in my basement room, a not so humid place, especially with the Air Conditioning on throughout the summer. So i can't exactly make a comparison between running my PC on a humid summer day and running it beside a humidifier. Nonetheless, i will check the PSU Manual to see if they have any meaningful figures.

Markbnj: You have a good point. I will just have to use common sense and not place the humidifier right next to my PC. With that said, and with my aim of bringing the humidity to normal or slightly above normal levels, then there shouldn't be a problem.

Of course, that is the humidity factor. Then there is the mineral deposits factor. But the guy who said his computer got damaged also noted that it was on account of a malfunctioning humidifier that left many mineral deposits floating around in the air and inside his computer. Which means that assuming mineral deposits could affect the computer, and that my humidifier will be faulty or malfunction in some way, then i could be in trouble. But the odds of that occurring seem to be slim.

Perhaps i should stop being paranoid, something i always tend to be.

Thanks for your replies guys.

 

[wwswimming]

Originally posted by: xMaxthe particular humidifier i purchased (the Air O Swiss Model 7135), i ran into one review from Amazon where the reviewer claimed that the humidifier destroyed his laptop.

i live with "dry eye syndrome" and "blepharitis"; these were the names
given by the doctors i contacted for the eye pain which onset in the
months following LASIK eye surgery.

and i am (or was) a mechanical engineer (we're supposed to know about
humidity; a lot of my career has been spent designing heating, ventilating,
and air conditioning for a range of electronic stuff).

so i've researched humidifiers ... a fair amount.

did a quick search to see the specific model you're talking about
http://www.allergybuyersclubsh...-7133-humidifiers.html

$140

it might help. i don't know if a 10-20% increase in humidity materially
helps you.

i suggest getting a cheap humidity/ temperature meter; i got mine from
Radio Shack. then calibrating it by taking it to places of known high
& low humidity, before you rely on it.

one option is a swamp cooler. it works by blowing hot, dry air through
wet membranes. evaporation occurs ... humidity rises, temperature falls (not
a side effect that you need, admittedly). if you need more capacity than
the table-top humidifiers offer, an industrial-strength swamp cooler will
humidify dry room temp. air.

if really high humidity (90% +) damaged PC's, i'd expect computer
repair people in Florida (high humidity) to notice.

if that model did damage somebody's PC ... did it do it by putting noise
on the power line ? ... can't help but wonder.

 

[dkozloski]

A lot depends on the quality of the water supply for the humidifier. Humidifiers that mechanically vaporizer the water and introduce moisture into the atmosphere also put everything else in the water into the the air as well. Many municipal water systems add calcium carbonate to the water to adjust ph to reduce the leaching of the lead from soldered/copper plumbing systems. You will soon know after you fire this thing up and use it for a while. Everything in the room will be covered with white powder. That being said, all it will mean is that the fiters for your computer cooling system will have white powder on them and you will be wiping white rather than black dust from the monitor. If this humidifier is not plumbed in but is filled by hand you can use distilled water purchased at the grocery store to fill it and you will have no trouble at all. Purchase a hygrometer and adjust the humidifier as required to keep from satuating the air in your living space and your computer will never know it's there.

 

[xMax]

wwswimming:

if really high humidity (90% +) damaged PC's, i'd expect computer

Good point. So the humidity factor should not be a problem on my computer. Especially considering that I'm not going to be putting out anything near 90% humidity levels.

i suggest getting a cheap humidity/ temperature meter; i got mine from

I purchased a hygrometer with my humidifier. But i didn't know that they need to be calibrated. I guess i will have to calibrate it. However, given that the humidifier itself has a built in hygrometer, then getting the same results from both devices may be convincing enough that the readings are correct. (i deliberately got the hand held hygrometer so that i don't rely on just one hygrometer(from the humidifier).

As for swamp coolers, i can only say that i will research it. Although i would be moving too far off the ballpark if i took that direction.

dkozloski:

I will be using soft water. This is unquestionable. The exact type will depend on what the product manual suggests.

The white powder you are talking about is called white dust, which the product claims to prevent because of numerous filtration systems built into the water and with the use of soft water. So there should be no problem with white dust.

And with that said, i guess it shouldn't be a problem to have this humidifier in my room. If the humidity factor is covered and the floating minerals should be negligible, then all should be OK.

All that is left is my viral upper respiratory infection that has lasted for nearly 3 weeks and could last much longer. I had a similar infection 5 years ago that lasted just about the entire winter, about 5 months. This is why I'm all concerned right now. I cannot have this problem last that long again.

But anyhow; thanks for your replies folks.

 

[arcas]

I've bought 3 humidifiers over the years including a 1.9gal/day ultrasonic one that's collecting dust in my closet. The ultrasonic one looks neat in action with all the visible vapor and all but in terms of actually raising the humidity in the room, it didn't work well. I even set up a fan to blow the mist towards the ceiling so it'd disperse better. I have a 1.6gal/day cool mist evaporative humidifier that works MUCH better. Yeah, you have to replace the wicks but it's worth it.

After moving to my current house, I bought a 10gal/day whole-house evaporative humidifier (my furnaces are in the crawlspace and attic so I can't add a furnace-mount one). It's annoying to buy filters but if you plan ahead and buy them in bulk online, you can get them cheap.

I recommend you rethink your decision to go with an ultrasonic one.

 

[jagec]

Originally posted by: xMax
Of course, that is the humidity factor. Then there is the mineral deposits factor. But the guy who said his computer got damaged also noted that it was on account of a malfunctioning humidifier that left many mineral deposits floating around in the air and inside his computer. Which means that assuming mineral deposits could affect the computer, and that my humidifier will be faulty or malfunction in some way, then i could be in trouble. But the odds of that occurring seem to be slim.

If you live in an area with really hard tap water, it might be best to filter your water or distill it before putting it in the humidifier, if you're worried about minerals.

Excessive humidity IS bad for electronics, I can speak from personal experience...but if you need a humidifier, you're probably going for a comfortable level, so it shouldn't be a problem.

Originally posted by: wwswimming
if really high humidity (90% +) damaged PC's, i'd expect computer
repair people in Florida (high humidity) to notice.

Except everyone in Florida keeps their houses air conditioned to 50 F or something retarded like that. So the air inside is pretty dry.

My parents live in the jungle, and their computer goes bad every few years. Part of it's probably insects and other crap getting inside, but the humidity affects it too.

 

[arcas]

Water "hardness" is a measure of the amount of dissolved calcium and/or magnesium in a given amount of water. A water filter, even a reverse osmosis filter, won't remove dissolved minerals. Water softeners can do it by exchanging sodium ions for the calcium and magnesium. But you probably don't want to install a water softener just to fill a room humidifier. Distillation will obviously also work but if you're going to go through the trouble of boiling the water to distill it, why bother with the humidifier? Just let the steam into the room. Or better yet, just buy a warm mist humidifier that boils its own water.

 

[emfiend]

If your computer is in the basement, then possibly the colder temperatures will make condensation more likely. That could conceivably hurt your electronics. At lower temperature, water condenses more readily. I guess if you leave your computer running 24/7 this should not be a problem. Humidity on its own should not be a problem since its likely that you've got low humidity problems to be buying a humidifier in the first place.

 

[xMax]

Sorry for the absence folks. I thought this thread was over.

Well, after receiving my ultrasonic humidifier and reading the manual that tells me to use distilled water or reverse osmosis water, i decided to research the difference between the two. Sadly, or perhaps, fortunately, i discovered an article which talks about the dangers of ultrasonic and impeller humidifiers and how they release bacteria into the air. Also, with the degree of difficulty in maintaining the device, i decided to return it.

What a shame. You cannot imagine how many times i purchased and returns items. I have a serious indecisiveness problem. I just could never make up my mind on anything. Always looking for the best product, service, or solution for whatever engagement.

Anyhow, i then did some more research and discovered that a vaporizer does just about the same thing as a humidifier, but without bacterial or mineral issues since the bacteria gets killed in the boiling process and the minerals remain in the vaporizer. Moreover, the cost and maintenance is a fraction compared to humidifiers. Imagine that!

The only disadvantages of vaporizers is the dangers that come about from the emission of hot vapors, which don't go well with the presence of children, and the heat that is generated from the vapors, which doesn't go well with hot climates. Both these disadvantages are not an issue for me since there are no children in my house and since i am using this device during the cold winters in a cold region.

So thats pretty much it. I'm heading out right now to buy a 20$ vaporizer from Sunbeam or Vick's, some white distilled vinegar(to clean the vaporizer), and maybe some distilled water for the added assurance of minimizing bacterial growths(just in case). And yes, i know, distilled water doesn't really boil. I would have to add salt.

Oh yes, i will be purchasing a thermometer/hygrometer that also tells dew point, which is an important reading to avoid condensation buildups, which leads to growth of bacteria and molds on the windows and wall.

So the good news is that I will not be worrying about minerals affecting my computer, and the humidity should not be a problem, based on the information i have received from your replies(since i will not be outputting ridiculous humidity levels).

I'll post back here soon with results.

Thanks again folks.