Why is my humidifier leaking/not working?
Water leaking is a common issue on portable & whole-house humidifiers. In portable humidifiers water leaking can happen due to wrong alignment of the water tank & base, if the valve gets loose or the gasket gets damaged issue, Float ceiling, over water on the tank, incorrect placement, not cleaning it properly and condensation issues. On the other hand in the whole house humidifier water leakage happens due to Faulty solenoid valves, Dust on the distribution tray, Not changing the water pad timely & drain pipe issues. Here we will discuss all problems and possible solutions regarding this issue.
Portable humidifier:
- Water tank and base alignment.
- Water tank damage issue.
- Faulty valve issue.
- Float ceiling issue.
- Water overfill issue.
- Condensation issue.
- Not cleaning it properly.
- Not using it for a long time.
- Damage through washing.
- Other issues.
Whole house humidifier:
- Faulty solenoid valve.
- Dirty distribution tray.
- Timely not removing the water pad or evaporated pad.
- Drain line issues.
Portable Humidifier:
Water tank and base alignment:
If the alignment between the water tank and base is imperfect, then there will be small gaps. Which will be a cause of the water leakage issue. So after water refilling and after cleaning the humidifier, the alignment between all parts needs to be perfect.
Water tank damage issue:
If you have babies and pets then you may have to face this problem. Because they are so fierce and play all over the rooms, if they drop the humidifier by accident then it will get damaged. Even a small crack will cause water leakage. In this condition, the water tank needs to be changed or you need to change the humidifier.
Faulty valve issue:
There is a valve in the bottom of the water tank. Water flow tank to base through this valve. It makes sure that the water is going to be at a certain amount. Check whether the water overflowing from there or not. If yes then, you can open it like a bottle cape. By spinning it fixes the loss issue. Another thing can happen here, in this valve there is a small rubber gasket that makes sure the valve is properly sealed to prevent water leakage. If the rubber is damaged then change it to avoid water leakage.
There is another type of valve that is not like the bottle cape. It is like a button, you can push it and it will push back your finger because there is a spring on it. If the spring is damaged then due to water overflow you will face a water leakage issue.
Float ceiling issue:
A faulty float ceiling in a humidifier can cause water leaks if it doesn’t work properly. It is a small part which can control the water level. It stops the water flow when the water is full in the tank. If it gets damaged, or jammed by dirt due to hard water, then it will no longer prevent overfilling and leaks. By cleaning it we can easily solve those issues and if necessary then replacing would be a good option.
Water overfill issue:
Don’t overfill water on the humidifier. It is harmful to any kind of humidifier. It will cause a water leakage issue. People often do this because they don’t like to refill the water tank several times. So if your requirement is more then go for a 6L one, but don’t overfill small-size humidifiers.
Condensation issue:
Don’t run the humidifier in the winter season on a high setting. How much moisture air can carry, is depends on the temperature. In high-temperature air can carry more moisture than low temperature. For example, In 20°C temperature air can carry 15 grams of water and in 0°C temperature air can carry only 5 grams of water.
If the outdoor temperature is 0°C, the indoor temperature can be 30°C. Because we use heater to make the indoor temperature comfortable. When we use a humidifier, it increases the moisture in the air. When this moisture air gets close to the cold window glass, indoor air around the glass loses heat. Because of that, it can’t carry that much moisture anymore. So the moisture gets attached to the glass. This is how condensation issues can happen to your humidifier.
- If the insulation factor of the house is not perfect, then your floor and walls will get wet by water due to condensation. This will happen only at low temperatures.
Not cleaning it properly:
Not cleaning the humidifier properly can cause water leakage issues. If you use taped water on the humidifier, then because of the water minerals dirt will grow inside the humidifier. Long time not washing will allow mold to grow on the humidifier. Due to those reasons, small components like valves & rubber gaskets will get damaged. This is how leakage issues can happen if you don’t clean the humidifier properly.
Not using it for a long time:
A lot of people face water leakage issues after they don’t use it for a long time. This happens because in the summertime when we don’t run it. We don’t clean it properly. We need to make sure that there is no water on it anymore, if we don’t remove the water from the water tank, then because of water minerals dirt and mold can grow on the humidifier. So once the winter is over, before you keep it off make sure the humidifier is clean.
Damage through washing:
clean the humidifier carefully and make sure you don’t damage any small particles of the humidifier.
Whole house humidifier:
If any water leakage issue happens to the whole house humidifier, then I suggest you to take help from a professional. But if you are curious about it then there are some common issues that you can solve. Most of the time water leakage issues happen because of dirty distribution trays, not changing the water pad and drain line issues.
Faulty solenoid valve:
In the whole house humidifier there is a solenoid valve. It is used to control the water flow. You can turn on and off the water supply through the solenoid valve. Sometimes this valve gets damaged. So if you see water leaking around the solenoid valve, then change it.
Dirty distribution tray:
timely maintenance is mandatory for whole-house humidifiers. The black frame of the water pad or evaporated pad gets dirty after a long time of usage. When dirt gets stuck because of water minerals then water leakage issues happen. You can get a solution by cleaning it. Some people also change this part.
Timely not removing the water pad or evaporated pad:
The water pad is designed this way so that water will drop inside it. When air passes through this pad, evaporation happens and it increases the humidity level. Every year before the winter starts this water pad needs to be changed. Otherwise, mold will grow inside this pad which will cause water leakage issues.
Drain line issues:
Check the drain line, if the water can’t pass properly then it’s obvious that the leakage will happen. See if there is any blockage on the pipe. Use a high-pressure air gun to clean it.
After doing all those things, if you still feel issues then get help from professionals.