Whats a good humidifier for my stove for not a lot of $

[Josh Hufford]

So I bought one of these at Menards the other day,

http://menards.com/main/heating-coo...t-iron-kettle-humidifier/p-1761008-c-9504.htm

I wanted something that looked a little nicer than just having an old cooking pot on the stove. After using it for about a week I noticed a lot hissing noises from water on top of the stove. I first thought I just filled it too full and the water was boiling and spilling out the spout from time to time. I picked it up to pour some out and then noticed water running our from the bottom, the thing had a hole in it! So I'll be taking it back and hopefully getting a refund. And now I have a nice big calcium deposit stain on the top of my stove that I'll have to clean off next time the fire goes out. I'd like to fine something better quality than this next time that looks nice but doesn't cost a ton.

Suggestions?

Thanks!

 

[begreen]

Maybe just put a castiron trivet under the kettle to temper the heat and slow it down?

 

[Josh Hufford]

Maybe just put a castiron trivet under the kettle to temper the heat and slow it down?

I was planning on getting a cast iron skillet to put under it to catch any spills until I saw that it was actually leaking water because of a hole in it. Kind of lost faith in the quality of the product at that point. I didn't pour cold water on it when it was hot or anything.

 

[Pallet Pete]

To be honest we went to a cold air humidifier because the stove top just does not do the trick. There was a noticeable moisture difference once we switched to cold air humidifier as well and you could really feel the warmth afterwords. For some reason when you use proper humidification the house feels warmer. I am no expert but I think it has to do with warming the moister in the house. we have two similar to the one listed below and they work fantastic !

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=21670200&findingMethod=rr

Merry Christmas and welcome to the forums Josh !

Pete

 

[Josh Hufford]

Hi Pete, thanks for the reply and welcome. The kettle was doing great until it started leaking, it was keeping the humidity in the house in the high 30s downstairs (where the stove is) and in the low 40s (% relative humidity) upstairs. I'll keep the other option in mind though.

 

[Pallet Pete]

Hi Pete, thanks for the reply and welcome. The kettle was doing great until it started leaking, it was keeping the humidity in the house in the high 30s downstairs (where the stove is) and in the low 40s (% relative humidity) upstairs. I'll keep the other option in mind though.

That is good to hear Josh ! Do you have an old stock pan they work well and you don't have to fill them anywhere near as much because the are so large.

Pete

 

[Augie]

I agree with Pete, I have a $15.00 vicks cheap humidifier from a local drugstore, I do have a ceramic coated cast iron pot for the top of the stove, but that is more for smells than and real contribution to increasing humidity in the house.

 

[WhitePine]

To be honest we went to a cold air humidifier because the stove top just does not do the trick. There was a noticeable moisture difference once we switched to cold air humidifier as well and you could really feel the warmth afterwords. For some reason when you use proper humidification the house feels warmer. I am no expert but I think it has to do with warming the moister in the house. we have two similar to the one listed below and they work fantastic !

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=21670200&findingMethod=rr

Merry Christmas and welcome to the forums Josh !

Pete

The human body likes humidity in a fairly narrow range. Get outside the range and it either feels colder or warmer than the actual temp.

The mist type of humidifiers have one big disadvantage over the evaporative types, especially if you have hard water. The minerals in the water are also dispersed into the air and can result in a fine white dust being deposited on the furniture and pretty much everything else.

As far as stove top humidifiers, we gave up looking for a purpose built model when all we could find was high priced Chinese junk in the form of fake tea kettles with stupid slide lids that would burn your fingers if you touched them without gloves. Instead, we found a large Lodge cast iron dutch oven at a factory seconds store. We just fill it up using a three quart pitcher and leave the lid off. It puts out quite a bit of moisture. I'm thinking of picking up a second one. We have room on the stove top.

 

[Josh Hufford]

That is good to hear Josh ! Do you have an old stock pan they work well and you don't have to fill them anywhere near as much because the are so large.

Pete

Yea I might go that route, I was just hoping for something that looked a little more "classy" but maybe I'm just being too particular.

 

[Josh Hufford]

I also liked the kettle because I mostly load the stove from the top, so it has to be removed each time I load. The kettle seemed a little less likely to spill water than just a plain pot.

 

[rideau]

From memory, i think LLBean has some attractive cast iron steamers (maybe in red and green?).

Depending on how hot you run your stovetop, if you have a nice large porcelain casserole dish that would also look nice on top of the stove.

You can also get soapstone pots, though probably not as large as you'd like.

Could watch TJ Maxx for a nice enameled iron pot....I find them as seconds on sale there frequently. Or you might get lucky and find one at a good price at Target, or on Craig's list etc. Nice thing about a good enameled pot is that they are also great for cooking stews and soups on the stove. And they retain and throw a bit of heat...not much, but some.

 

[raybonz]

To be honest we went to a cold air humidifier because the stove top just does not do the trick. There was a noticeable moisture difference once we switched to cold air humidifier as well and you could really feel the warmth afterwords. For some reason when you use proper humidification the house feels warmer. I am no expert but I think it has to do with warming the moister in the house. we have two similar to the one listed below and they work fantastic !

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=21670200&findingMethod=rr

Merry Christmas and welcome to the forums Josh !

Pete

Bought one that is exactly the same as that one branded by Holmes at a yard sale for $3.00 that was hardly ever used plus I got a spare new filter with it with the price tag still on.. The filter alone sold for $10.00 at Bed, Bath & Beyond! Works great!

Ray

 

[raybonz]

I was planning on getting a cast iron skillet to put under it to catch any spills until I saw that it was actually leaking water because of a hole in it. Kind of lost faith in the quality of the product at that point. I didn't pour cold water on it when it was hot or anything.

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=21667771&findingMethod=rr ..

I use a similar one to this made of porcelain coated cast iron.. Great for stovetop cooking as well.. Durable and attractive just don't use the cover unless cooking!

Ray

 

[BrotherBart]

Yep. After 30 years of messing with kettles on the stove I bought a humidistat and was shocked to find the humidity in this joint was at 20 percent when burning. I bought two of the big brothers of the one raybonz has and this place feels warmer and my wife's lifelong sinus problem has been lessened. Not cured but a lot better. Together they pump three gallons of water into the air in this place in around 12 hours when the stove is running and are doing good to keep the humidity at 40-45 percent. Wicks are expensive but I figured out how to extend the life considerably. They use squat for electric usage.

 

[raybonz]

Yep. After 30 years of messing with kettles on the stove I bought a humidistat and was shocked to find the humidity in this joint was at 20 percent when burning. I bought two of the big brothers of the one raybonz has and this place feels warmer and my wife's lifelong sinus problem has been lessened. Not cured but a lot better. Together they pump three gallons of water into the air in this place in around 12 hours when the stove is running and are doing good to keep the humidity at 40-45 percent. Wicks are expensive but I figured out how to extend the life considerably. They use squat for electric usage.

How do you extend the life of the wicks? I do have a new spare but want to hold off using it as long as possible..

Ray

 

[remkel]

Bought a humidifier at Sears, put it at the base of the basement stairs and let the humidity come up with the heat. Been working so far.

 

[BrotherBart]

How do you extend the life of the wicks? I do have a new spare but want to hold off using it as long as possible..

Ray

Run some water in the sink, pour a little bleach in it and flatten the filter in it and let is soak for fifteen minutes or so. Rinse it under the tap and gently press water out. Put if back in and it is off to the races like a new one. Lime in water causes them to stop wicking the moisture up high on the wick. And it happens here and I have two industrial water filters inline to the tap I fill the tanks with. Be gentle with the things. They are paper.

Also at the end of the season Walmart marks them down to five bucks to get rid of them. I bought all of the ones on the shelf last spring and sent the guy to the back to get any more they had left.

 

[raybonz]

Run some water in the sink, pour a little bleach in it and flatten the filter in it and let is soak for fifteen minutes or so. Rinse it under the tap and gently press water out. Put if back in and it is off to the races like a new one. Lime in water causes them to stop wicking the moisture up high on the wick. And it happens here and I have two industrial water filters inline to the tap I fill the tanks with. Be gentle with the things. They are paper.

Also at the end of the season Walmart marks them down to five bucks to get rid of them. I bought all of the ones on the shelf last spring and sent the guy to the back to get any more they had left.

Thanx for the advice Bart!

 

[BrotherBart]

Bought a humidifier at Sears, put it at the base of the basement stairs and let the humidity come up with the heat. Been working so far.

Same way I do it. One in the kitchen/family room where the stove is and one at the base of the stairs that goes up to the bedrooms. The warm air carries the moisture right up there with it.

 

[Malatu]

So I bought one of these at Menards the other day,

http://menards.com/main/heating-coo...t-iron-kettle-humidifier/p-1761008-c-9504.htm

I wanted something that looked a little nicer than just having an old cooking pot on the stove. After using it for about a week I noticed a lot hissing noises from water on top of the stove. I first thought I just filled it too full and the water was boiling and spilling out the spout from time to time. I picked it up to pour some out and then noticed water running our from the bottom, the thing had a hole in it! So I'll be taking it back and hopefully getting a refund. And now I have a nice big calcium deposit stain on the top of my stove that I'll have to clean off next time the fire goes out. I'd like to fine something better quality than this next time that looks nice but doesn't cost a ton.

Suggestions?

Thanks!

I use the Essick humidifier. Best $100 spent. I tried all the small cheap, cool mist units. They are good for a room only if the door stays shut. This unit is whisper quiet and puts out 4-5 gallons of water a day. There is nothing worse than dry air in the winter.

(broken link removed to http://www.iallergy.com/product357/product_info.html?gclid=CLDjs6qjt7QCFYuZ4AodGSkAiA)