We don't know about you, but winter has barely begun and we're already feeling a little dried out. So we were intrigued to stumble on this radiator humidifier from Blue Ribbon General Store. And we did a little digging into the subject of Radiator Humidifiers...
We found this article from the New York Times that goes into some detail about about radiator humidifiers. According to the Times these low tech versions do a good job of adding some moisture to a room by heating the water, which then evaporates. The only issue seems to be that do require frequent refills. We like the idea of the version above from Blue Ribbon General Store since it is made from ceramic. It sells for $45. Sears sells a cheaper version from Snow Joe that's made from plastic.
We really like the simplicity of this, and we're seriously considering trying it out. What do you think?
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Comments (23)
I keep a kettle full of water on mine... Haven't noticed a difference, then again, I have a huge space and only one heater with a kettle on it.
I keep an old pie tin of water on the radiator. It's free and it's under a table so it's invisible.
Old cast-iron pot, big and shallow. Makes a huge difference in a room about 15 x 20.
Yes you can just put any pot over the radiator. They don't require very frequent refills...
However, the Blue Ribbon humidifiers are quite beautiful. Imported from Germany... who's the manufacturer?!
I should always google before talking...
http://www.pensionfuerprodukte.de/pages/verdunster.php
"Yes you can just put any pot over the radiator. They don't require very frequent refills..."
Indeed - Right now none of us need more ways to spend money, but instead we could use more creative ways to use what we already have.
I'm relatively new to radiators, and I've been thinking about just plopping a bowl of water on top of one, but I wasn't sure if it's safe. How hot does the water get? If it spilled, would it burn you (or your floor)?
It doesn't get hot enough to burn, but just to be safe I wouldn't use a glass or ceramic bowl, and don't expect to be able to use the water container for anything else. A tin enamel bowl from Chinatown could be very pretty and economical...
beautiful! love it...
Any body have ideas about a similar solution for forced-air heating? The air from the vents wouldn't get hot enough to make water steam, I don't think.
My mom always put big old coffee cans filled with water on the vents in our house, saying they put them on the radiators when she was a kid. They would rust out near the end of the season, so we'd just throw them out and be ready for spring. Now that I live in an apartment with radiators, I keep a cheapo ikea pot with water on them -- works like a charm.
I like to dry my clothes on my radiatior (as well as an indoor clothes line). It's heat that's already being produced so living in an apartment I don't have to spend a dollar to dry my clothes, it's better for the environment, and it humidifies the air! But, maybe that's just me....
I'm with sarahc123 on this one.
I have one large gas space heater for my whole apt and used to put a kettle of water on it when i felt it getting really dry but after developing a nasty respiratory infec. i invested in a good humidity guage and it turns out that the kettle was sky rocketing the humidity in my apt to 80%! And without the kettle, the humidity is actually in the ideal range. Im just saying be careful when meddling with the humidity if you start having trouble breathing at night. it may not be as dry as you think.
Forgot the most important point, these are BEAUTIFUL!
think i've seen very similar in europe, and i don't think they were anywhere near $45
i just want to say: go, luling (louisiana)!
marlo, the water on the radiators is not getting very warm. Mostly, since the air is so dry, the water evaporates quickly. The same would happen in any dry house.
I love the Blue Ribbin General Store! They have great products
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There is a woman who makes these and sells them on the internet for about $25 a piece. You are able to choose two styles of humidifier as well as what design you would like on them and what colors you would like the design to be. This is her website: http://www.tullulastreasures.citymax.com/page/page/752173.htm
I have ordered from her and been very happy with what i have received.
With reegard to radiators' humidifiers, as shown in your products, I am really sureprised of this because I worked 40 years ago in a spanish company manufacturer of cast iron radiators and heatings (boilers), in that epoque they worked with coil, and this system of placing a porcelain, etc.. device filled with water and hanged in the radiators was already used, but instead of putting it hanged and face the radiator, we used to put hanged but among the elements of the radiator.
(Clarification to my previous note) :
when I say among the radiator's elements, I mean the device hanged and put between one element and the other (the elements are all the different kind of plate or tubular pieces in the radiators.