this post was submitted on 01 Feb 2025
509 points (99.4% liked)

xkcd

9330 readers
124 users here now

A community for a webcomic of romance, sarcasm, math, and language.

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
 

They should add a little sticker that certifies that the humidifier supports water conservation, but in the sense of energy conservation or momentum conservation.

https://explainxkcd.com/3044/

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 week ago

It depends a bit on what you want to optimize for, as there's drawbacks to all the major methods:

  • Ultrasonic sprayers are decently efficient but spread any contaminants around your home, potentially still biologically active. Dissolved trace minerals will turn into fine dust, affecting cleaning needs.
  • Boiling for humidification is energy intensive because of water's heat capacity.
  • Air forced wicks are by default great habitat for mold and similar, so they need regular care and replacement.