How to repair a humidifier with their own hands

The humidifier is a health-friendly, fairly safe (in terms of electric shock or fire) household appliances. This is a very simple device. Repairing a humidifier with your own hands is not difficult, since neither disassembly nor some types of diagnostics are a problem.

What is a humidifier

In order to carry out repairs, it is necessary to understand the operation of the humidifier. Devices are divided into 3 groups:

1. Streaming (traditional). Here, hydration occurs in the slowest way. A jet of air either blows the surface of the water in the evaporator tank, or in addition with a fan, small pumps are used that pump air through the water column. The rate at which the humidity in the room grows is very small.
   
2. Heated (steam). The principle of operation of these devices is almost the same as streaming. The difference is that the device of this class warms up the water and provides moistening with the help of the resulting steam. The temperature is not as high as in a kettle, but perceptible, working humidifiers can cause discomfort when you touch the capacity of the evaporator.
   

3. Ultrasound. It uses the principle of the formation of a very fine suspension of water, which is called steam for simplicity. This is done using a ceramic plate. When a control signal is applied to it, the vibration begins, and the water is literally whipped into the fog. The latter with a fan is fed into the space of the room.
   

Ultrasonic humidifiers are considered the safest and most effective. Therefore, in the modern market they literally dominate. Ultrasonic humidifiers Boneco, Electrolux, Bork, Venta are among the best-selling brands in the household appliances sector in question. Consider the features of their repair.

Problems with the electrical part

Short circuits and other problems with electrics are very common.It often occurs due to the user's fault or due to damage to the device due to a fall. If everything is clear with the last reason - the device has fallen, the gasket could have shifted, a part of the body cracked, then the first should be clarified.

In the humidifier circuit, there are two technological openings with which the user interacts. Water is poured into one, steam comes out of the other. Most device owners have no idea how the devices are arranged inside. Therefore, attempts to pour liquid through the vapor outlet holes are repeated quite often.

Red arrow points to a water hole.

To repair a humidifier from Electrolux, Boneko or any other brand that does not show signs of life, you must first (by disconnecting the device from the network) check:

• the presence of power in the outlet;
• the state of the fuse in the plug, which are supplied with models from Venta;
• power cable integrity;
• the absence of wire breaks at the points of exit from the plug and the entrance to the housing;

If possible, try switching on the humidifier, replacing the power supply if the model is powered by a voltage converter.

If everything is in order, and the humidifier does not work, you need to open the case (more on that below). Having access to the insides of the device, it is worth inspecting it for moisture. If it is, you will have to deal with the electrical part. The elimination of this problem requires the intervention of specialists.

However, the humidifier may not start. due to automatic protection lock. To make sure that there is no such reason, you must inspect all parts of the device that use electricity. On the control board there should be no blackening or details with uneven color, the fan coils, if visible, should also have a uniform color.

If visually everything is in order, you should remove all moisture from the inside of the device and dry it thoroughly for 24 hours. This repair helps to restore the working capacity of humidifiers in most cases.

Opening the case

Understand humidifiers without difficulty. For this:

1. The device turns off and disconnects from the network.
2. Removed the water tank.
3. The case turns over.
4. To gain access to the insides of the device, several self-tapping screws are unscrewed. They can be hidden under the rubber feet.In rare cases, the case is provided with snaps that hold its parts. To search for them, you need to use a thin blade: leading them along the contact line, you can find the place of fasteners, which you should press.

After disassembling the housing of the humidifier, all its components will be visible. These are sealing gaskets, a fan unit, a membrane sector, a branch pipe for a liquid intake, a control board, various parts for converting air flow and steam discharge.

If there are no skills to assemble constructors, it is recommended to pre-photograph the location of all elements.

Typical faults and their removal

Repair of a humidifier, if we are not talking about the electrical part, you can do it yourself. Faults are as follows:

1. Unpleasant smell when working. To fix the humidifier in this case is very simple. This is due to the banal contamination and multiplication of bacteria or mold. It is necessary to remove, clean and rinse each of the parts, and according to the results of a visual inspection, it is possible to decide on the replacement of individual elements or the unit as a whole. Do not use aggressive chemicals for cleaning.The best choice, if you do not want to mess with warm water - a weak solution of hydrogen peroxide or ammonia.
2. The humidifier makes a sound, but the water level does not decrease. It is necessary to check the condition of the feed motor and the pressure conversion membrane (ultrasonic type). The cause of failure may be contamination, the failure of the pump or the displacement of structural elements as a result of the fall of the device. Parts of the device are inspected, if necessary, recovered or cleaned, the device is being tested.
3. If steam streams are not visible, the reason most often lies in the clogged outlet openings. You should check the outlet grille, the operation of the blowing fan, clean the filter. If there is a suspicion of engine failure, a specialist should be called.

Most of the damage to the humidifier, if we take into account the simplicity of its design, associated with pollution. Therefore, if cleaning and checking the position of all structural elements do not bring results, and there are no visual manifestations of problems with the electrical part, it is best to seek qualified assistance.