The Humidifier is a common sight in many households during the winter. The basic purpose of a humidifier is to increase the moisture in the air. Most homes become drier in the winter because of a few factors, but running heaters is the most common, especially the forced air type.

Dry air is bad for a few reasons. One is that your mucous membranes dry out more easily, leaving you susceptible to bacteria and virii. Another is that dry air allows the buildup of static electricity, putting you at risk for ESD. Not a big deal to some, hilarious to those who like to shock others, a tremendous pain to computer enthusiasts.

There are three main types of commercial humidifiers: hot mist, cool mist, and ultrasonic.

Hot mist humidifiers basically boil the water into steam, and vent the steam. This is a boon to people with the common cold. It loosens phlegm beautifully, and certain medicines can be delivered via a hot mist humidifier vector.

Cool Mist humidifiers work off the principle of evaporation. To work effectively, they must expose more surface area of water to the air. They accomplish this in a variety of ways, depending on the brand. Most also have a small fan, in order to increase airflow.

My favorite type of humidifier is the Ultrasonic. These things use sound waves to atomize the water in the chamber and then blow it out of a vent. They run very quietly because the sound waves are not a frequency audible to the human ear. These things are awesome because they can be used as fake smoke machines for a party if one runs them at max mist volume. The mist dissipates quickly, but it is a cool effect.

This humidifier could be used mainly for a reptile tank that has "humidity problems". It is inexpensive and easy to build.

To build this "humidifer" you need:

List of supplies:

  • Drill
  • Silicone
  • Hose
  • Pump (one used for a fish tank would be good)
  • 2 Liter Soda Bottle
  • Air stone (which is the stone that you attach to the air hose and produces air bubbles)and blade

Cut two lengths of hose. One for cap to tank, one for pump to bottle. Drill hose sized holes into one cap and one into the side of the bottle, about 5 inches from the top.

Insert tank hose into cap, then silicone for airtight seal. Insert pump hose into side, feed through top, install air stone, feed back down to bottom. Silicone around side hole.

When silicone is dry, fill about half way with water.

Finished product. Put the reservoir someplace hidden, feed the hose from cap down into tank and place where desired, turn on pump.

For increased "humidity", use smaller bottle or raise water level. A larger hose to the tank, or more than one hose works as well.

A three quarter bottle keeps the tank I have at 50-60 percent.

For more humidity, put a sponge inside the "reservoir". It will cause more humidity to build up inside, instead of the air escaping out of the hose without being properly saturated.
