How To Clean Calcium Build Up In Humidifier

Hard water contains minerals, such as calcium, iron, and magnesium. Using hard water in your humidifier takes in all these elements.

These minerals do not go to the air instead, they clog up tanks, pipes, and even our humidifiers. Later on, they grow in size and tend to buildup and breed bacteria and molds.

Calcium buildup and mineral deposits can limit your humidifier from working efficiently. To prevent this, use some powerful household cleaning products to eliminate the buildup and ensure proper maintenance for a longer humidifier lifespan.

I strongly believe that a clean humidifier is also free from other forms of contaminants, visually, and invisibly.

We have talked about several ways to keep your humidifier long-lasting. Today, I will discuss several ways on how to prevent calcium buildups in humidifier by means of maintenance.

How to Block Unwanted Deposits

Over the years of my expertise, I have covered almost all the essential parts there are in a humidifier. One of the important considerations is the water type feasible for this device.

Using distilled water or filtered water considerably reduces the growth of mineral sediments. Still, it might not be free from mildew and molds.

Hard water is the main cause of calcium buildups in home humidifiers. Although this water type is a cheaper alternative, you need to acknowledge its effects.

One of the common hard water effects is calcium and mineral deposits. We cannot see these minerals. They only solidify during the evaporation process inside the humidifier.

In fact, I have discussed in-depth details about hard water and how to use water softener tablets for humidifiers. These tablets help soften hard water and eliminate mineral build-ups.

Checking Water Hardness

Many people use tap water to the humidifier and little do they know about water hardness level. Basic household signs include soap scums, cloudy utensils, and stiff articles of clothing.

Imagine these white dust go inside your humidifier and accumulate over time. The harder the water you use, the more minerals present may cause build-ups in your pipes, tanks, and fixtures.

There are two important things to master when using a humidifier:

• Water Hardness
• Maintenance

For me, regardless of water hardness you use, when you perform regular maintenance, calcium and mineral deposits are not a problem at all.

What are Calcium Buildups? ​

Even though humidifiers are famous for their excellent benefits especially to areas with cold weather, a nasty device defy its complete essence.

The main reason why we use humidifiers is that they help prevent respiratory issues, dry skin and balance the air moisture levels. Regular cleanup and water change are necessary to avoid calcium buildups.

Calcium buildups or hard water sediments are common in mineral-filled water stuck for a long time, including your portable humidifiers.

But, how sure are you that your family is breathing fresh air? Know the signs of mineral deposits before it's too late!

Where does Calcium Come from?

Calcium minerals come in contact with water as it travels down from the source to its destination. A perfect example is when our water source comes from a spring.

Together with iron and other minerals, calcium combines with water while on its way to the central water facilities and distributed to our pipes.

Don't get me wrong, calcium is important in its rightful element but when it comes to humidifiers, it might not be helpful at all.

Signs of Calcium Buildups

Have you ever complained about those nasty and stinky humidifiers? During the evaporation, calcium and other hard minerals stay behind get stuck. This is where the foul odor comes from.

Calcium deposits are usually seen in the water tank or base of your humidifier. If you don't clean your humidifier often, they tend to grow over time.

You can see visible mineral sediments that are yellowish-white to gray in color. Sometimes they look like stains on metal parts.

Later on, molds and bacteria will inhibit these scales and cause more respiratory and health issues. You might get into more issues when you have a dirty humidifier.

Beware of the signs of calcium buildups in your humidifiers. If you notice the following:

• Presence of white dust emitted and surrounding your humidifier
• Cloudy water tanks
• Foul odor coming off the humidifier
• When your device suddenly stopped working

I dislike nasty mineral deposits in my humidifier, this is why I am sharing you these things. And so to make sure that I am breathing clean air, I gathered all the necessary information I need to ensure sanitation.

How Calcium Buildups Form

We already discussed how humidifiers work- by means of water evaporation through ultrasonic and evaporative humidifiers.

As the water evaporates and turns into a fine mist, the hard minerals are left behind. They will set in the tank and other components inside the humidifier, depending on the model.

Over time these minerals accumulate and build up.

Cleaning Solutions to Remove Calcium Buildups

Humidifiers are not just efficient in cleaning the air and balancing moisture. They are also effective in distributing bacteria if not cleaned properly.

Now that we perfectly understood how calcium gets into water, and how it forms, we'll discuss how to prevent build-ups.

Maintenance not only means cleaning like draining the water. Thorough cleaning involves some serious process to remove not just the dirt and buildups but also kills bacteria.

I already made a research about how to decalcify a humidifier using some of the most effective ingredients. I learned that household cleaning solutions could help in removing calcium buildups plus they are cheaper too.

Household Cleaning Solutions

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These are the top 3 cleaning solutions that could remove calcium buildups:

Distilled White Vinegar

​Vinegar is the most popular household solution used in cleaning humidifiers. Among the different kinds of vinegar, distilled white vinegar is a better choice.

One of the active ingredients in distilled white vinegar is acetic acid. It goes as the "virgin vinegar" made from about any vinegar including rice, malt, balsamic, apple cider, wine, fruit, and honey.

This kind of vinegar is refined from ethanol. During the process, the liquids are separated from the base- producing 5-8% of acetic acid in the water.

Distilled white vinegar has lesser pungent odor compared to the regular household vinegar we use.

Citric Acid

Citric acid destroys bacteria and mold. In fact, it is excellent for extensive disinfecting and sanitation.

One of its notable benefits is the effective removal of hard water stains and calcium buildups. You can also use it to get rid of soap scums, and white dust in home fixtures.

Decalcifier

Decalcifiers are usually made from sulphamidic acid, citric acid, and aluminum sulphate.

The percentage of each active ingredients may vary depending on the brand of decalcifier you might use. There are decalcifiers that come in ready-to-mix solution.

My Verdict

You can try and test any of the solutions I already experimented above. For me, distilled white vinegar will be my last choice when it comes to efficiency and after-effects.

I might use this when I ran out of an effective cleaning solution but will not be my go-to disinfectant.

My choice will be between the citric acid and the decalcifier, they removed almost all the buildups.

But of course, the efficiency varies on the severity of the calcium masses. You can try any of these solutions and see what works for you.

Watch this video for a quick review of the cleaning solutions I have tried:

Remember that these solutions do not just give us the benefits of destroying bacteria and eliminating calcium buildups. Rather it helps prolong the life of our beloved humidifiers.

How to Prevent Calcium Buildup in Humidifier

You might not know what bacteria you're getting while cleaning the humidifier. Washing alone is not enough, you need to disinfect it using the above solutions I have listed.

However, no matter how you clean your device to remove calcium buildups, maintenance is still the key.

Regardless of what type of water you use - tap, soft, and hard, as long as you keep your device clean, you won't have to worry about any buildups.

Clean your Humidifier Regularly

How often do you clean your humidifier? This question has so many underlying factors to consider.

The frequency of how you perform cleaning also affects the accumulation of mineral buildups in the water tank.

Your humidifier is an excellent breeding ground for bacteria and calcium buildups when left filthy. Like what I do at home, every time I use my humidifier, I make sure that I get to clean it often.

Here is a rundown of how you can clean your humidifiers:

• Turn off the humidifier and unplug from the power source
• Take out all the removable parts, especially the water tank
• Use any of the cleaning ingredients I mentioned above
• Rinse thoroughly

Change the Humidifier Water as Often

Now, apart from thoroughly cleaning your humidifier, changing the water also a significant method to prevent calcium buildups.

Depending on your humidifier tank capacity, I strongly advise that you change the water at least every 2-3 days.

If you have hard water at home, change the water on a daily basis and clean the water reservoir to avoid calcium buildups.

When I have more time, I like to change the water on a daily basis. I dislike the foul odor that goes into the mist due to unchanged water.

Do Not Exceed Maximum Water Level

When filling in water to your humidifier, keep it at the recommended water level. If you opt to use it on a maximum scale, do not exceed on the water line.

There will be two things you are avoiding here; damaging your humidifier due to excessive water capacity and accumulating more mineral sediments.

What I usually do, I refill my humidifier tank at a medium water range only then I change waters on a daily basis. I suggest that you don't overwork your device to prolong its life.

Disinfect Before and After Using a Humidifier

When you have decided to store your humidifier, I advise that you also perform a deep-cleaning before storage. This is to ensure that no dirt, calcium buildup, or bacteria will linger while keeping it.

I honestly don't like having a dirty humidifier, and so I always ensure that I have all the cleaning and disinfecting solutions ready at home.

normally clean my humidifier then wipe off all excess water and calcium sediments using a soft cloth. Then I let it air dry and put everything on a safe box so no dust and dirt could also come in between.

Clean or Replace the Filter or Wick As Recommended

If your humidifier uses filter or wick, clean, and change it on a weekly basis or as recommended by the manufacturer.

Dirty filters also shorten the life of your humidifier plus it helps molds and bacteria grow further.

Here's is my go-to cleaning guide:

• 1

  I take ev​ery removable part out

• 2

  Use a small bucket and fill it with warm water

• 3

  Add a tablespoon of distilled white vinegar, citric acid, or decalcifier

• 4

  Remove the filter and soak in the bucket. Soak it for about 30-45 minutes

• 5

  Wash t​he filter in clean cool, running water

Use Water Softener Tablets

Another option to reduce calcium buildups, you can add water softener tablets in your humidifier tank. Most of these tablets also provide antibacterial elements.

By adding these tablets, you can lessen the cleaning frequency with added benefits.

Conclusion

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I know how frustrating it is to see and smell these nasty calcium buildups. Good thing, there are many ways we can do to get rid of these accumulations.

Calcium buildups can be treated effectively by softening your water source. If left untreated, you might suffer the consequences of bacteria growth, foul odor, and worst, a damaged humidifier.

You see, as calcium and other minerals stay inside the humidifier water tank for a long time, they will be breeding grounds for a plethora of diseases.

Proper humidifier maintenance is easy. As long as you make it a habit, you will certainly get the result you wanted.

My point is, there is always accountability when it comes to using devices such as a humidifier. It won't just work as it is without our involvement.

The humidifier is an important device in keeping moisture-balanced and kills unwanted bacteria from spreading into the air.

Let's do our part to prevent calcium buildup and prolong the machine life.

How To Clean Calcium Build Up In Humidifier

Source: https://www.humidifiergeek.com/how-to-prevent-calcium-buildup-in-humidifier-no-more-digusting-residue/

Posted by: boydtheirthe1964.blogspot.com

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