# Dry apartment



## meaganelise9 (Dec 4, 2011)

So I have a boiler system in my building, and my apartment gets incredibly hot even when I turn my heat off (sometimes close to 80). It's kind of miserable. You can see why my Blepharopsis does well..

So I was shopping for new humidifiers because mine took a big ######, and I just kinda thought this was interesting:

http://www.homedics.com/home-environment/humidifiers/novita-umidificatore-da-tavolo-con-cavetto-usb.html

It's very small and portable. It doesn't run super long or have an automatic shut-off, but it's nice for changing the humidity in a small space, so I got one for the shelf my mantids are on since my other humidifier doesn't really get the whole place well. Thought I would share in case it's helpful for anyone else.


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## Rick (Dec 4, 2011)

I'd just mist them a couple times a day and have a good substrate such as spaghnum moss.


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## patrickfraser (Dec 4, 2011)

I found my humidifier cheap at Goodwill. Unfortunately, it uses a filter and the filters cost more than the humidifier, itself. Now I am in the market for another. I am thinking about another and this time without the filter system. I'll hit the thrift stores again, but does anybody recommend anything?


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## meaganelise9 (Dec 4, 2011)

Rick, I do, but when it gets under 20the RH in here it'sI nice to have something else in here to help.


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## angelofdeathzz (Dec 4, 2011)

You might want to try Ebay I've seen ones much larger go for less $$$, 4 hours per fill is kind of a pain isn't it?


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## Precarious (Dec 4, 2011)

If you have a boiler system it should be moist heat, right? Maybe I'm wrong.

If you keep a window cracked it will bring down the heat and let in some humidity. We have forced air and I do that until it gets too cold.

As far as humidifiers, I've done way too much research and experimentation. What I've found it that ultrasonic humidifier, which is the first kind I bought (2 different units), deposit a fine white powder of minerals throughout your house. This will be worse if your water has a high mineral content. You won't even notice it at first but over time you will see what a mess it makes. There are filters in the humidifiers that are supposed to reduce mineral deposits but they don't do much of anything. The only real solution is to use distilled water.

After much trial and error (and wasted money) I ended up with a warm mist humidifier. You will spend more but they work better than any other kind of humidifier. I went all out and got a big dependable unit, the Enviracaire Warm Mist Humidifier With UV Protection EWM-220, which I use for my whole room and only have to fill once every day or two. It also uses UV to kill germs, bacteria and mold spores. Wick-type humidifiers are a breeding ground for germs and bacteria, spreading them through your home.

http://www.iallergy.com/product169/product_info.html

In warm mist humidifiers the minerals deposit inside the unit so you must clean it out once a week or performance suffers. Small price to pay for clean consistent humidity.

Whatever you decide to get, be sure to hit Amazon.com and read through the comments. There are others out there who've done even more research than I have. This is also a good way to see how the unit will hold up over time, as many designs are complete [email protected]


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## Precarious (Dec 4, 2011)

patrickfraser said:


> I found my humidifier cheap at Goodwill. Unfortunately, it uses a filter and the filters cost more than the humidifier, itself. Now I am in the market for another. I am thinking about another and this time without the filter system. I'll hit the thrift stores again, but does anybody recommend anything?


See my comment above...

More info:

There are 3 types of humidifiers; wick, ultrasonic and warm mist. The only worth getting is warm mist. You may pay more upfront but there are no filters to buy, like with wick humidifiers, and they don't cover your home in white dust, like ultrasonic. So you either pay upfront for a good unit or you pay over time for filters or labor, cleaning up the dust.

I say throw down the cash and forget about the rest.


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## meaganelise9 (Dec 4, 2011)

Precarious said:


> If you have a boiler system it should be moist heat, right? Maybe I'm wrong.
> 
> If you keep a window cracked it will bring down the heat and let in some humidity. We have forced air and I do that until it gets too cold.


Nope, without a humidifier in here (with all windows open) it's usually below RH of 20 in here and usually over 75 degrees. It may be heated by water, but the water is in pipes. It's really frustrating and gives me terrible headaches. We get no air flow with the windows open because of the way the building faces. I have a warm mist humidifier also.

Anyway, I like this little one for the mantid shelf. It's nice and portable and doesn't take up a lot of space. My idolo doesn't get crabby about the mist like she does when I use a spray bottle. She's so feisty.


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## meaganelise9 (Dec 4, 2011)

Precarious said:


> See my comment above...
> 
> More info:
> 
> ...


Yeah, I've dealt with all that as well- really annoying. I have hard water which means I should really be filling humidifiers with bottled/distilled water, because if I don't and I spend a buttload of money on an expensive humidifier, I can't keep it clean enough to function more than a year. I hate cleaning up that white dust..


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## patrickfraser (Dec 4, 2011)

Isn't there some way to utilize the radiator heat to produce humidity? Maybe hang a wet towel over it or place a container with water on it? I'm not sure how they work. Might pose a fire hazard. Just a thought. Maybe not the best thought, but a thought just the same. :lol:


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## PhilinYuma (Dec 5, 2011)

Perhaps i should say a word in favor of ultrasonic humidifiers so that members who have them don't feel compelled to run out and buy a warm mist model.  

If you use tap water, the calcium salts in it will become precipitated wherever the mist dries, just as it does if you spray yr deli cups with tap water. All of the calcium is deposited in the room,with ultrasonics, and the harder the water, the more "white dust". The reason that there is less from a warm steam humidifier that has a heating element is that a lot of the calcium salts are deposited as "lime" on the heating element and inside of the tank. You can clean it occasionally with vinegar, but it sure smells bad! If you don't your humidifier will eventually become unusable.

The obvious way to avoid this problem with either kind of humidifier is to use distilled water. That will cost you over $1/gal, though, and you are always buying and throwing out bottles unless you are a Culligan Man.

I use the Crane peardrop ultrasonic humidifiers, which cost about $44 from: http://www.amazon.co.../ref=pd_cp_hi_4 If I remove the spout. it will humidify a net cage on either side of it and, to a lesser extent, three cubes on the shelf below. Because of their limited reah, I don'rt have the dreaded white dust everywhere, and to be frank, although Yuma water is thick enough to eat, I don't have problems with iton my shelves, either. Very important for me, since I am allowed to sleep in the bugroom, is that several of these running at night make very little noise while, I understand, a large moist air machine can sound like a kettle boiling.

Finally, if you know a friendly doctor (GP) or RN (med/surge), ask them how many infections they have seen in the past year that were caused by pathogenic bacteria from a humidifier. I can already guess their anmswer. The place to become infected by stray pathogens, as has been demonstrated many times, is in a hospital.


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## Precarious (Dec 5, 2011)

PhilinYuma said:


> Perhaps i should say a word in favor of ultrasonic humidifiers...


Long story short:

You would rather lug gallon jugs at over $1 each, or deal with dust than spend another $7 (you're using 2 humidifiers at $44 each, top notch warm mist is $95) on a humidifier you could use tap with and clean once a week. :stuart: 

To each his own...

Or are you making extra money selling that white powder?


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## PhilinYuma (Dec 5, 2011)

Different strokes, Henry.

I have three of the $44 Cranes which cost a lttle less than the Enviracare 220, at least on Amazon.

I do not want a humidifier that will raise the RH significanrly in a whole room. The only thing that makes 85F temps bearable for me in the summer is rthe low huimidity.

I do not want a humidifier that is noisy while I am trying to sleep. I found even a small Vicks warm steam humidifier irrityating.

As I mentioned, the limited range of my humidifiers means that I don't have a significant problem with mineral deposits. I can clean my shelves very quickly with a vinegar soaked rag. I use tap water --perhaps I didn't make that clear? -- so I avoid the expense and trouble of buying distilled. I don't know about your machine, but Vicks recommend distiled water for their warm mist machines.

Like you, though, I give my machines a bath of cold vinegar solution weekly and use an electric toothbrush (dedicated!) to clean the nooks and crannies.

And I am a happy camper!


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## Psychobunny (Dec 5, 2011)

I have 2 humidifiers going all the time. Different models, but both over 1gal and cool mist.

I put Holmes antibacterial concentrate in the water (tap) and it makes a big difference.

I dont get slimy green "jellyfish" after a few months of use!!

Still get the mineral deposits though. I just wash it off with a brush, no problems.


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## Precarious (Dec 5, 2011)

PhilinYuma said:


> Different strokes, Henry.


Yeah, I'm in a different boat. I need to effect the whole room. I, like Meagan, suffer horrible sinus pain from prolonged exposure to low humidity environments. The humidifier is as much for me as my pets. So for me $100 for a top of the line warm mist unit was a great investment. I even went through 2 of those before I settled on the Enviracare model. Best I've found so far.

Meagan, you may also want to get yourself one of these:

http://www.neilmed.com/usa/sinusrinse.php

Instant relief!


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## meaganelise9 (Dec 5, 2011)

haha Indeed.. My sinuses are not pleased.


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## Mantiskid (Jan 1, 2012)

lol I don't use humidifiers I just turn the heat up, mist the containers a few times a day and keep a desk lamp over the containers( I can't afford a heatlamp or a humidifier  ).


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## sporeworld (Jan 2, 2012)

I had a few net cages at home (all my bugs are usually at work). I soaked a big square sponge each morning, and just chucked it in the cage. Almost dry by the time I got home. Heat lamp on a timer kept it evaporating.

I had considered just putting them in the drop sink with the water dripping slightly, but this was simpler. Same system seemed to work well for ooths of various species. At first, I put a clear plastic bag around 2/3 of the enclosure, to keep the humidity in, but eventually, I tuned in to how wet to get the sponge and where to put the lamps (and what bulbs) and it wasn't needed.


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## Orin (Jan 2, 2012)

Mantiskid said:


> lol I don't use humidifiers I just turn the heat up, mist the containers a few times a day and keep a desk lamp over the containers( I can't afford a heatlamp or a humidifier  ).


I agree except for the need for a lamp (assuming 70F or better). Mantids are like plants and caterpillars. Anyone ever keep plants or caterpillars in a glass-topped terrarium and then leave the lid off for an hour? They dry up with uncanny speed and unnatural appearance. Within a few hours caterpillars can look like they're painted on a leaf if you move them from a humid terrarium to an exposed houseplant. Huge plants in glass terrariums can shrivel into nothing in hours with a massive humidity dorp. These creatures can adapt to humidity extremes but cannot adapt quickly. Many insects and plants adjust to humidity levels over weeks of time and If a high humidity is kept and the keeper forgets to fill the humidifier or leaves the lid ajar one day the animals suffer severe damage and death. You set yourself up for a fall by not using their natural ability to adapt slowly.

They still need to be misted as they can't produce metabolic water. My furnace is designed to remove water from the air as it heats so later in the winter the humidity goes below 5%. I installed a whole-house humidifier (connected to water lines so I could pump 20 gallons a day into the air if I wanted) years ago but learned it was a foolish idea. The dewpoint at low temperatures means all the water comes out as rain down the inside of the windows.


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## lunarstorm (Jan 2, 2012)

Here are a few things I do that help humidity in my netcages:

1) The clear plastic pane rests against the ground all the time. Though this restricts visibility, I can still see them interacting, eating, etc.

2) The bottom layer is a paper towel covered by Carefresh pet bedding. Cheap, super absorbent, easy to clean, and provides a decent cushion.

3) I place 2-3 sponges on top of each cube.

Next, I'll see what happens when I setup a layered gravel tub with water underneath the cubes.


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## Mantiskid (Jan 12, 2012)

Orin said:


> I agree except for the need for a lamp (assuming 70F or better). Mantids are like plants and caterpillars. Anyone ever keep plants or caterpillars in a glass-topped terrarium and then leave the lid off for an hour? They dry up with uncanny speed and unnatural appearance. Within a few hours caterpillars can look like they're painted on a leaf if you move them from a humid terrarium to an exposed houseplant. Huge plants in glass terrariums can shrivel into nothing in hours with a massive humidity dorp. These creatures can adapt to humidity extremes but cannot adapt quickly. Many insects and plants adjust to humidity levels over weeks of time and If a high humidity is kept and the keeper forgets to fill the humidifier or leaves the lid ajar one day the animals suffer severe damage and death. You set yourself up for a fall by not using their natural ability to adapt slowly.
> 
> They still need to be misted as they can't produce metabolic water. My furnace is designed to remove water from the air as it heats so later in the winter the humidity goes below 5%. I installed a whole-house humidifier (connected to water lines so I could pump 20 gallons a day into the air if I wanted) years ago but learned it was a foolish idea. The dewpoint at low temperatures means all the water comes out as rain down the inside of the windows.


Well I only put the heat at 60 because my dad said he couldn't afforrd the bill.


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