PureGuardian Humidifier Not Misting and Other Problems: Checks & Fixes
The problem of your PureGuardian humidifier not working properly can be worrying, especially if you live in a place with dry air.
But it should not worry you too much. This is one of the best humidifier brands on the market, but like any other brand, it too has its fair share of downsides.
One of their most popular models is PureGuardian H4810AR Ultrasonic Warm and Cool Mist Humidifier that you can buy on Amazon.com.
And even the name PureGuardian is not in vain. This humidifier has germ-resistance functions. For instance, the tank is treated so it cannot grow mold.
If you are exposed to this fungus, you could face mold toxicity symptoms, which can cost a lot to treat.
Why is my PureGuardian humidifier not working?
Despite being a high-quality brand, there are still many negative reviews of the PureGuardian humidifier on Amazon.com. Most people complain that theirs stopped working after a few months.
There are warm-mist and ultrasonic cool-mist humidifiers from this manufacturer. This article is specifically targeted at their 2-gallon ultrasonic model.
The most common causes of your PureGuardian humidifier not working include the following:
- The humidifier is not placed on a level surface
- The power cord is broken or has power issues
- Mold builds up on the chrome air holes
- The tank is not attached correctly
- The ultrasonic disk is dirty
- Low water level or no water at all in the tank
- Water in the circuitry during cleaning
PureGuardian 2.0 humidifier troubleshooting
The PureGuardian 2.0-gallon humidifier is one of the most popular models on the market because it is neither too big nor too small.
You could use it to maintain a good humidity level for the bedroom, and living room, or to control humidity in the grow tent.
When you buy this unit, read the user manual included in the package. Follow the humidifier instructions for setup, operation, cleaning, and troubleshooting.
You can get the user manual from the official website, on a page called Product Instruction Manual. There, you will find and download the instruction manual for your product.
If not, you can go to ManualsLib.com, which has become the one-stop center for instructions for different types of home appliances.
There, you can also find Pure Enrichment humidifier instructions, Crane humidifier instructions, and many more.
If your PureGuardian humidifier is not working, try the following tips:
1. PureGuardian humidifier not turning on
This happens many times, not always because the unit you bought is faulty, but due to other factors.
If it is a warm mist humidifier, check whether scale has formed on the heating elements, of course after checking the simpler things first.
The heating element boils the water so that it can be released as vapor. If caked in scale, the heating elements will not do their job. Therefore, the unit will not turn on.
The humidifier shuts off after a few minutes. If it just won’t turn on even for a moment, check the power cords, the socket, the water, and so on.
If the tank is empty, the unit will not turn on.
2. Humidifier not increasing humidity: simple checks
The unit is not making any mist, so it is not increasing the humidity. Check the water level in the tank. If there is no water or it is too low, the unit will not make mist.
If the tank has enough water, check whether there is power. Unplug it and plug it back in again. Also, smell the power cord to find out whether the cable is blown. This will prevent it from working.
Check whether the unit is placed on a level surface. We said that the dehumidifier should be placed up high for the best performance. The same applies to the placement of a humidifier.
3. The temperature in the room is too low
If the temperature in the room is too low, the humidifier is not going to work properly. You need to set the best humidity level for the current temperature.
There is a relationship between temperature and humidity. For instance, if the outdoor temperature is between 0 and 10 degrees Celsius, set the humidity level lower, at 20%.
If the outdoor temperature rises to 20 degrees Fahrenheit, increase the humidity level to 25%. The rule of thumb is to set the humidity level below 40% when the outdoor temperature is 20 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit and the indoor temperature is 70 degrees Fahrenheit.
4. It is blowing dry air
If the humidifier has been running but has not increased the humidity inside, something is wrong.
If you put your hand against the nozzle, there is air coming out, but it is dry. Only mist should come out of the nozzle to raise the level of moisture in the air.
The mist output speed of the best small humidifiers is slow, medium, or high. If the humidifier is not producing mist, increase the mist output speed to medium or high.
Later, you can check the humidity level on the hygrometer to see whether there is a change in the humidity level of the room.
If the air is too dry, you will experience the symptoms of sleeping in dry air. You will also have serious sleep disruptions, which affect your productivity during the day.
5. Scale has formed on the tank walls
Scale in the tank walls comes from the hard water used in the humidifier. As the scale builds up, the unit fails to work properly. It also starts producing humidifier white dust, which layers on your table, floor, walls, and other surfaces.
To remove the scale, you need to remove the tank and clean it thoroughly with white vinegar. Once clean, only use distilled water in the unit.
If you do not want to use distilled water, use humidifier tablets or demineralization cartridges for humidifiers in the tank. They will remove the minerals from the water and enhance the purity of the released mist.
Please note that only ultrasonic humidifiers cause white dust. Warm misters do not.
6. The ultrasonic disk is dirty
The ultrasonic disc gets dirty with time, and the 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 soft brush, and be careful not to scrape it. Usually, this gets the humidifier working again.
The humidifier ultrasonic disc wears out with time. Luckily, you can order a new one from Amazon.com or the official product website.
7. The humidifier runs, but the humidity level remains too low
If everything else is okay with the humidifier, but it still makes no mist, check the temperature of the water. If it is too cold, it will not create mist.
You should replace the water with warmer water. This does not mean you should boil water for the humidifier. Just replace it with cool water, but at a warmer temperature.
8. Clogged nozzle
If the nozzle of the humidifier is blocked with mold, grime, or dirt of any sort, it will not produce mist. Minerals in the water can also block the nozzle.
To unblock it, use white vinegar and water to clean the humidifier tank. You can also shake the tank so that the vinegar gets to all corners. Let the water-vinegar solution stay in the tank for some time before you pour it out and rinse it.
Check out our post on how to clean a cool mist humidifier so that you can clean the unit as often as recommended.
9. There is water in the circuitry
If the PureGuardian humidifier fails to work after cleaning, water could have leaked into the circuitry.
In that case, unplug the unit, remove the tank, and then air-dry the base on a rack upside-down. Leave it like that for several hours to a few days.
If that does not solve the problem, you might need to open the base and dab at the circuitry with paper towels.
Wrapping it up
All the factors that we have mentioned here can cause your unit to fail. Even if you check our posts on Homedics humidifiers not working and AIRCARE humidifiers not working, you will see they are the same culprits.
Once you buy your PureGuardian humidifier from Amazon.com, please register it with Guardian Technologies for the warranty. If it fails to work completely while the warranty is valid, you should contact the manufacturer.
Cleaning your unit regularly helps a great deal. It keeps things such as the ultrasonic disk, tank, filters, heating elements, and other things in shape.
