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Like all appliances, sometimes humidifiers do not function properly and require simple troubleshooting and repairs. Always check your manufacturer’s instructions first, and understand that some repairs you perform yourself may void your warranty.
Tabletop and console humidifiers are controlled by a humidistat that turns the unit off and on when the humidity levels stray from a set range. If you don’t believe your humidifier is maintaining the proper humidity for your room or house, check its humidistat.
Though a humidistat allows for more or less “automatic” operation, you will need to dial it up and down as the temperature changes in order to maintain fairly constant indoor relative humidity levels.
Keep in mind that higher humidity levels in cold air will make the air feel colder. If you have a humidifier and your house feels cold in the winter, even when your heating system is working correctly, then your humidistat may be set improperly or may be working incorrectly.
To establish whether power is reaching the humidistat when you know there are no problems with the plug or switches, unplug the humidifier, remove the control panel, and lift the lid. Test the humidistat with a volt-ohm meter set to the RX1 scale (or to K-Ω or Ω resistance on a digital meter). Clip the meter to the humidistat terminals. The meter should jump if you turn the humidistat from high to low. If it doesn’t, you’ll need to replace the humidistat or return the humidifier to the manufacturer.
