Why Is My Levoit Humidifier Not Working? The Simplest, Most Painless Checks To Make

Why is your Levoit humidifier not working? Don’t sweat it. They do that from time to time.

Sometimes, your humidifier fails to work after cleaning if water gets into the circuitry. You see, you cannot just write off the unit because it has failed to work.

The most common problems of your Levoit humidifier not working are as follows:

• The tank is empty or water level is too low
• Power problems
• Needs cleaning – there is scale on the tank
• Tank is not installed correctly
• The humidifier is not on a level surface
• Water has leaked into the circuitry
• Float valve is not working
• You didn’t remove plastic packaging on the pump

Levoit Humidifier Problems: 7 vital checks

From time to time, humidifiers face many issues. If you have one at home, you should learn how to troubleshoot it.

Also read: Does a humidifier increase oxygen? 

Luckily, the operation of a humidifier is not rocket science. If we are dealing with the first instance of humidifier just not working right out of the box, do the following:

i) Is it set up properly?

Read the Levoit humidifier user manual.

The Levoit brand name has many air purifiers, humidifiers and dehumidifiers in its stable. They have a knob control humidifier and a smart Levoit humidifier that you can buy on Amazon.com.

When the unit is delivered, check that it has a user manual. If it does not come with a hard copy one, you can get it from their website or other online sources.

On their official website, you can find a user manual for any of their air purifiers, diffusers or humidifiers.

You will also find cautions and warnings that you should not overlook. There are clear instructions for setting the unit up, for cleaning and for storage.

This user manual also comes with troubleshooting tips. For instance, if the humidifier is running, is not increasing humidity and is not making mist, you should check whether the tank is attached properly.

Sometimes, you might notice that the unit is not producing mist. Check the water level, and pour the excess out.

They even have tips for transporting the humidifier, making sure it does not spill water in transit.

What we are trying to emphasize here is the need to read the humidifier user manual. Some things such as opening it up and trying to fix things can nullify the warranty.

When you read the user manual, you can retrace your steps to find out whether you missed a step. If everything seems right with the setup, continue reading to the next step.

ii) Is it plugged in correctly?

Find out whether the humidifier fully plugged into the socket. This is a common occurrence by the way. If not fully pushed in, the plug will not work.

You can also check whether a switch in the circuit breaker has tripped. If yes, just raise it back up and find out whether the humidifier works okay.

Sometimes, when you run appliances, some switches may flip off automatically. So check that out.

iii) Does it sit on a flat surface?

Modern humidifiers have many safety features. One of them is that anti-tip function which ensures that the humidifier stays upright all the time.

However, a humidifier with this feature might not work if it is not flat on the table.

If you have done everything and the humidifier still will not turn on, check whether it sits level on the table or floor.

Another thing that you might want to check is whether the humidifier has child protection functions.

If such a function is turned on, it will refuse to turn on until you switch the function off.

iv) Is there white dust after running the unit?

Ultrasonic humidifiers are notorious for leaving white dust on surfaces, if you use hard water.

If this happens, just clean the unit and then use distilled water only. You can also use a demineralization cartridge in the unit. This is going to prevent the formation of white dust.

While other humidifier types don’t cause white dust, it’s better to use the recommended water type since they can still disperse mineral traces in the mist.

Besides, the humidifier filter will be doing too much work and will need replacement sooner.

v) Does the base leak water?

Many things can cause water to spill in the area immediately surrounding the humidifier. However, the most common ones are:

• Placing the unit on a slanted surface – unplug it and place it on a level surface
• The humidity level is set very high – set it lower
• The mist is falling on a surface, condensing and rolling down – Just keep the unit a good distance from walls and furniture

vi) Does the mist have a foul odor?

If the mist has a bad smell, it means the unit is dirty. Bacteria, minerals and mold in the humidifier cause foul odors.

Do not add anything apart from water into the unit. Could also alter the smell of the mist. Watch the video below to see how to clean a Levoit humidifier:

Vii) Is it producing minimal mist?

If the water in the humidifier is too cold, the Levoit ultrasonic cool mist might produce a low amount of mist. It is a cool mist, rather than a cold water humidifier.

If the ultrasonic disc is dirty, the humidifier will also produce low mist. It can also fail to produce any altogether.

Levoit Humidifier Does Not Produce Mist

Sometimes, the humidifier will turn on okay. But it might not produce mist. When people complain of ultrasonic humidifiers not working, mostly, this is what they mean.

How to fix Levoit humidifier no mist

If there is no mist coming from the humidifier spout, there are a few things to consider, which are as follows:

i) Does the unit have enough water?

When a humidifier is not working, always start with the basic checks. For instance, start by checking whether the appliance has water.

If it has a little amount of water, top it up and check whether it will start producing mist.

ii) The humidifier is not on level surface

If a humidifier is not on a level surface, some models might refuse to create mist. This safety feature protects the appliance from tipping over.

Therefore, once again, check whether it is level on a flat position. Check whether the humidifier is connected to electricity.

iii) Tank is improperly installed

If the humidifier tank is not installed properly, the humidifier might not produce mist.

Remember, you have to detach the tank from the humidifier to fill it with water and then reattach it.

If the tank sits sideways even by a small margin, it is not going to produce mist. You might feel air coming out, but it will not be misty.

iv) Less power

A Crane humidifier might fail to produce mist when there is not enough power. Check the amp rating of the appliance given by the manufacturer and plug it into the appropriate socket. .

You can test the socket where you have plugged in the appliance with another appliance. If it works, the humidifier could be the problem.

v) Its has outlived its usefulness

Sometimes, an old humidifier might just start failing of its own volition. If it has lasted several years, it might be time to buy a new one.

You can take the humidifier to a repair shop. Most likely, if it is too old, it will not be under warranty.

If it is not too old, you can check whether it is under warranty. Call the seller to direct you to their approved repair shop.

Portable humidifiers last 5 to 7 years. If you are fortunate, yours will last 10 years. If you would like a high quality humidifier, order the Levoit 4-liter humidifier for bedroom from Amazon.com.

vi) Check the heating elements of warm mist humidifier

A warm mist humidifier has heating elements. They heat the water so that it can start producing mist.

If you have hard water at home, the minerals might cake the heating elements so that they do not work correctly.

Because a warm mist humidifier produces mist by heating the water, the heating element fails if it is caked with minerals.

It will not produce mist. To get it to work again, clean the heating elements and remove the layer of minerals.

Check the user manual for information about how to remove and clean the heating elements.

If there is no information for such, email the manufacturer and ask how to remove them.

vii) The nozzle could be clogged

When a humidifier turns water into mist by boiling it or using ultrasonic vibrations, the mist gets out through a small spray outlet.

If you use tap water in the humidifier, it will have high mineral content. A mineral layer could block the outlet and no mist will get out.

The same thing would happen if the unit is dirty. If you have hard water in your taps, clean your humidifier as often as possible.

You can read our article here on how to clean a humidifier. There will be no debris blocking the spray hole.

If you do not clean a humidifier, it will pass whatever contaminants might be in the humidifier tank to the mist. If it has mist, you will start to experience signs of mold toxicity.

To unclog the humidifier nozzle easily, fill the tank fully with half water and half white vinegar. Plug it in and run it for 30 to 45 minutes and stop it.

After it has cooled down, pour the solution, scrub the tank with a soft old toothbrush and rinse it thoroughly. The nozzle should be totally clean after this.

viii) The ultrasonic disc is dirty

The ultrasonic disc can get dirty from time to time. That’s why your humidifier should come with the right brush for cleaning it.

If the disk is dirty, your Levoit humidifier will not produce mist. The disc is located in the center of the base. To clean it, you will need to detach the tank.

Clean it lightly with the provided brush and be careful not to scrape it. Usually, this gets the humidifier working again.

The humidifier ultrasonic disc wears out with time. You would need to replace it with a new one.

Levoit humidifier red light & not working

Red light shows something is definitely wrong with your unit. If this happens, you need to check a few things in your Levoit humidifier.

Try the following things:

1. The humidifier float valve fails to float

Check whether the float valve is floating just fine. If it is not, your humidifier will not work.

If the valve is not floating, try pushing it with your hand or something and once it floats, the humidifier will work.

2. Water leakage into the circuitry

If the humidifier tank is full of water, some of the water could have gotten into the circuitry.

This is easy to fix, but it will take some time. You should try the following things:

• Pour the water out of the tank
• Place the humidifier upside-down to drain all water out of the base
• Leave it that way for several hours
• Disassemble the unit  – use a screwdriver
• Wipe the circuitry with a paper towels, dabbing it so the paper towels absorb the water
• Air-dry it for several hours or overnight and then put it back together

3. Plastic packaging on the pump not removed

Check whether you removed the Styrofoam or plastic packaging around the pump. If it is not removed, the unit is not going to work correctly.

It will start blinking red. To correct this, just drain the tank and remove the Styrofoam packaging on the pump. Fill the tank with water and run it again.

Levoit humidifier not working FAQ

Levoit is among the best humidifier brands in the market. This is why many people seek solutions to various issues associated with it. These frequently asked questions and their answers might help you:

How do I get my Levoit humidifier to work?

• Check the water level in the tank. If low, add more. If empty, refill it
• Check whether there’s water in the circuitry. If you have cleaned it recently, place it upside down on a rack for a few days to air-dry the circuitry.
• Unclog the Levoit humidifier. To do this, fill the tank halfway with water and fill the other half with white vinegar.
• Run the unit for about 30 minutes, then switch it off, let it cool down and remove any visible scale with an old toothbrush. This should unclog the nozzle.

How long does a Levoit humidifier last?

Bigger Levoit humidifiers can work for long hours, up to 40 hours without requiring a refill. But this depends on many things, including the mist output speed that you set.

The 6 liter Levoit humidifier that you can order on Amazon.com can run for up to 50 hours non-stop.

There is also the 4-liter Levoit humidifier that can run for 40 hours without needing a refill. Such a unit would be perfect to maintain a good humidity level for bedroom.

You can choose the Levoit unit that comes with a thermostat so that it starts automatically when humidity level goes lower than the set level.

It will also stop automatically when the set humidity level is attained. Of course, you will control the operation of the humidifier using the VeSync app.

Please note, not all humidifiers from this brand name can work with this app.

Can I use tap water for Levoit humidifier?

Only use distilled water in your Levoit ultrasonic cool mist humidifier to prevent white dust on your surfaces.

Do not use tap water because it contains minerals. If you must, you should use a demineralization cartridge to remove the minerals.

If you have ascertained that there is very minimal mineral content in your tap water, you could use it in the unit.

But if you are not sure, use bottled or distilled water only. If you have a dehumidifier, you could safe the water that it collects and use it in your humidifier later.

Is Levoit humidifier a good brand?

It is a better brand name than many in the market. Their higher priced units come with smart features and you can order one with a smart thermostat.

By using the VeSync app, you can control the humidifiers remotely using your smartphone.

But in case you are on a low budget, you will find a good unit, which you cannot control from the app. If you are looking for a high quality humidifier that costs less than $100, get one from this brand name.

How often do I need to clean Levoit humidifier?

This depends on the frequency of usage. If you use the humidifier daily, you should clean it at least three times a week. If you can clean it more often than that, go for it.

If you do not use it daily, clean it once a week. This means even if you will use it just once a week, you should clean it before using it that one day.

The best thing about cleaning the humidifier more often is that you do less work, because scale from the minerals will not have time to accumulate on the tank walls.

To clean the unit, unplug it, let it cool down, remove the tank and clean it in the sink. If there is scale, use white vinegar to clean it.

Final thoughts: Levoit humidifier not working

You have seen a few probable causes of the Levoit humidifier not working.

Sometimes, it could be a manufacturing defect. In that case, you should just return it for a refund or replacement.

That is why it is important to buy your warm or cool mist humidifier from Amazon.com because they have a 30-day return policy.