Is the humidifier necessary?

[rubymom]

I've been running my humidifier on zero for months now. I was just reading someone's post that they gave up on the humidifier a long time ago. That makes me wonder if I need it at all? Do I get any value from it if it's always on zero? I'd love to be able to stop worrying about filling with water...one less thing to deal with.

Thanks and Happy New Year!

[KatieW]

It depends on the temperature and humidity in your bedroom, and your personal comfort needs. For some of us, too little humidity causes dry and sore nasal passages. Or too much humidity results in congestion. Others can't live without a heated humidifier (I'm one of those), and other people never use it.

Here is an article with more information. Or you can do a search.

wiki/index.php/Humidifier

[sleepycarol]

I suggest that you try it a night or two and see if it makes any difference. I typically use mine in passover mode (what you are doing now) as I find that too much humidity makes me more congested and more prone to asthma attacks.

In the summer I don't use it at all since we typically have high humidity here in the midwest.

[LSAT]

If you have it on zero and it is still running out of water.....it means it is dry in your room. YES, you need a humidifier.
I think you are actually using it, but, you don't realize it. Philidelphia is cold in winter which means you are using heat which will dry out your house.

[sleepycarol]

I live in Missouri, known for high humidity in the summer. When using the humidifier in the summer (passover mode with no heat), even with high humidity it will eventually need more water since air is passing over and picking some of it up, even with high humidity levels already. So in my opinion that isn't a good judge of whether she needs to use the humidifier or not.

[Hawthorne]

When using the humidifier in pass over mode, as you are doing, you just need to top it off once in a while. In pass over mode, you do use water but much more slowly.

You don't need to dump it out every day and refill, just top off each day. That's what I do in pass over mode. I wash the water chamber every so often - maybe monthly, when I have it in pass over mode.

As long as you use distilled water there should be no build up in your water chamber.

It's whatever works for you!

[tomjax2]

i LIVE IN jACKSONVILLE, FL AND HAVE BEEN ON CPAP FOR 11+ YEARS.
i USED A PASSOVER FOR A FEW MONTHS, BUT STOPPED AND SEE NO NEED FOR ONE.

excuse caps, but I am not going to do it over.

[Jaylee]

Mine has been on the zero setting, which must be passover mode. I cleaned my tank today and there was only a little water in it, so over a week in passover mode it ran almost all of the water out. I did not realize that it would use water because I thought I was turning the whole thing off, but I guess not I will start topping it off now

Anyhow, when I use the humidifier I was way too congested. In passover mode I don't cough all day long.

My Dad, however, sleeps on a different floor in the house, and his is up to 3. If it isn't, his nose is sore. So it will vary by person, I think, as it is not really that different temp wise upstairs than downstairs- and no, the heat does not really rise to my room, so it is not hotter up there.