What happens if you run a humidifier without water?
Stranger things have happened. But then, you can forget to add water to the appliance. Or perhaps you just want to run an experiment.
Modern humidifiers like Crane Drop Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier are designed to shut down when they run out of water.
But the auto-shut off feature could fail. You could also be running an old model that doesn’t have one.
But really, what happens if you run a humidifier without water? Dry air will come out of the humidifier. People who forgot to add water to their humidifying appliances reported that dry air came out. There was no burning smell, no extra loud noises or anything untoward, except the dry air.
Keep reading to see how running a humidifier without water can affect it, and what you can expect.
1. Humidifier can shut down if you run it without water
In the first place, don’t even think about it. Really! Don’t. A humidifier uses water to add moisture into your indoor air. Therefore, it is designed to run with water.
A dehumidifier on the other hand is designed to suck moist air in, remove the water and then blow the dry air out.
If the humidifier runs out of water, it is going to stop working. However, even if it continues to run, it is not going to do anything weird at all. It will not overheat, and it will not produce a burning smell.
For the humidifier’s safety, and to remove anxiety from your mind, just get a humidifier with an auto shut off feature. There are many such humidifiers on different online marketplaces. Check these humidifiers that you can buy on amazon.com and other online marketplaces.
2. Humidifier blows hot air if you run it without water
Let us for a moment consider how a humidifier works.
First, it sucks dry air in. It then moisturizes the air and uses a fan to blow the humid air out. How the humidifier moisturizes the air depends on its mechanism.
For example, an ultrasonic humidifier breaks water into very small particles with ultrasonic vibrations. It has a diaphragm for that.
It then releases these tiny water particles out into the air, whether they mix with the dry indoor air and make it humid enough.
You can see that when the humidifier tank is empty, it will not be releasing any droplets of moisture into the air.
Your indoor air will continue to be dry. You will not enjoy the associated benefits of humidified air, as you can see on Medical News.
Can you run a humidifier without water?
Water is the life and juice of a humidifier. Therefore, you should not even attempt to run it without water.
However, there are unusual cases of a humidifier running out of water and running for sometime before switching off.
Also, in most cases, running a humidifier without water means running it until it spends all of the water, leaving it completely dry.
This has its benefits. First, there will be no stagnant water left standing in the unit. Secondly, mold, bacteria, viruses and gunk are not going to form.
Humidifiers can be super spreaders of mold in the house. It is best to clean it as often as possible with white vinegar. This kills the mold.
Even when you want the humidifier to be completely dry, you should not make a habit of running it too long without enough water. This can damage it.
What happens when Vicks humidifier runs out of water?
Once a Vicks humidifier runs out of water, it is going to shut down automatically. It does this as a safety measure, to prevent overheating.
And this does not apply to a Vicks humidifier alone. Rather, it happens with all other humidifiers in the market. Once they run out of water, they just shut down.
If you would like the humidifier to keep running for several hours, and you will not be around, set a low mist output.
That way, one gallon of water can help the humidifier to make mist for up to 24 hours. Besides, low mist setting ensures there is less water expenditure.
While you can run a Vicks humidifier without VapoPads, it is pretty hard to run it without water. The reason for this is that Vicks humidifiers are designed to go off when the water level runs too low. Therefore, it can be hard to run the humidifier to bone dryness.
Unfortunately, the remaining amount of water will cause the formation of gunk, and bacteria and mold will thrive in the humidifier.
If you do not clean the humidifier thoroughly before running it, these allergens will be spread to your indoor air with the mist.
How long does it take for a humidifier to run out of water?
A humidifier will run out of water when it runs out of water! It can take a few to more than 24 hours for a humidifier to run out of water.
But that is not very helpful, right? Well, to put it another way, humidifiers are not the same. Some are big and some are small.
Some run on one speed setting (mist output speed) and other run on two or three speed settings. Here are some of the things that determine how fast a humidifier runs out of water:
The humidifier tank size
A 6-liter Levoit humidifier that you can buy on Amazon.com can last up to 24 hours running on low mist setting. It can also run out of water in, say about 12 hours of running on medium to high mist setting.
A 2.2-liter AquaOasis™ Cool Mist Humidifier that you can buy on amazon.com can run for 24 hours on low speed settings. Okay, it will run for a shorter time, but you get the general idea of how soon humidifiers run out of water.
If you live in a place that has really dry air day and night such as Las Vegas, you need a high capacity humidifier, one that can run for days without the tank running empty. Also, in such cases, a full house humidifier is not a bad idea for people who live in very dry places.
The space rating of a humidifier
Before you order your humidifier from amazon.com or other online marketplace, you need to find out the space rating.
If you run a small humidifier in a large space, well, it is going to run out of water faster. At the same time, the humidifier is going to overwork or strain to increase the humidity. In any case, it has to run for hours to do the job.
A humidifier that’s rated for large spaces will have a large tank. One that is rated for a small space will have a small tank.
To buy the right humidifier, know the size of your rooms and buy one with a bigger space rating. It is better to go bigger than small.
However, remember if a humidifier is too big for the space, it will humidify the air very fast and then shut down and this might lead you to thinking something is wrong.
Mist output speed
Most modern humidifiers from Honeywell, Vicks and other brand names come with up to three speed settings.
On a low speed setting, the humidifier water will run longer. Some can even run for several days before running out of water. You can almost enjoy the same benefits of a whole house humidifier.
The mist output that you choose for the humidifier will depend on a few things. For instance, if you want to increase the humidity in a room fast, set the highest mist output. This is very important when you have very high dry air in the house.
If the humidity level is just moderately low, say, at 30 percent and you want to raise it to 45 percent, medium to low mist output speed is going to work very well.
How to ensure your humidifier never runs out of water
You have seen what happens if humidifier runs out of water. Nothing too weird and nothing good at all. Therefore, take the initiative of ensuring that your appliance always has water.
There are many ways to do that.
First, set a reminder on your phone. If you live in one of the driest cities in America, Italy, Australia or anywhere else, set a reminder on the phone.
The alarm beeps and it brings you the message why you set it. You can then check the water level.
Clean the humidifier daily. If you make this a habit, you will also have to add water to the appliance daily.
Check the humidifier every day. This works, and eventually, it becomes second nature. Can you use a humidifier every day? Definitely, you can. If it runs daily, you should check it daily.
Run Humidifier Without Water FAQ
If it is not yet clear just why this appliance really needs water, the following frequently asked questions regarding how to use your unit might help you:
Can humidifier be used without water?
Never. Water is the life and blood of a humidifying unit. Since this unit produces mist, it can only do so when there is water in the tank. Most units won’t even start to run if you switch them on when the tank is empty or absent.
Will an empty humidifier catch fire if it runs without water?
Your unit is made of plastic and electrical parts. Thus, if it does not have modern features such as automatic shut off when it runs out of water, it is possible it can overheat, melt its plastic parts and even catch fire.
Is it OK to use tap water in humidifier?
It is perfectly okay, but it is recommended that you only use distilled water. Tap water has minerals so it can lead to the formation of humidifier white dust. Minerals in the water can also shorten the lifespan of your unit’s filters. Check the user manual of your unit to see what the manufacturer recommends.
How long does water last in a humidifier?
It depends on the size of your unit. For instance, a 3 gallon tank can run for up to 16 hours without requiring a refill. If you set high mist production, the running time will be shorter and vice versa.
Conclusion
What happens if you run a humidifier without water? Nothing bad will happen to the humidifier.
Don’t sweat it too much if you forgot to check the water level in the morning. However, you will have dry indoor air until you add water in the tank.
