Brita water filtering pitchers are a great option to produce clean drinking water that is free from most common contaminants like lead and chlorine. These pitchers with carbon filters were designed to be simple, effective and functional. What’s more, they’re really accessible and easy solutions to get great drinking water.
Humidifiers were designed to work with clean water sources. In order for them to work properly, the water has to have the least possible amount of minerals in it. That’s why distilled water is the most recommended water type for these devices. But does filtered water pass this mark?
Brita filtered water can be used in a humidifier. Brita water filters remove chlorine, magnesium, lead and other impurities so it’s way better than the tap water. You can safely drink it, cook with it and use it in a humidifier.
However, ideally you should use distilled water which has zero unnecessary elements and is recommended by most humidifiers manufacturers. But it’s not a simple matter of some water being safe for humidifiers and others not. It’s more of a scale.
Let’s say you don’t have any distilled water handy or you just can’t be bothered to buy yet another type of water for different applications. Who can blame you? Brita water can be a decent substitute for distilled water and let’s take a look why.
Related Article: Can Reverse Osmosis Water Be Used In A Humidifier?
What exactly is Brita filtered water?
Brita is a German company founded in 1966 for production of domestic water filters. Today, it manufactures water filters and equipment in private facilities located in Asia, Europe and the United Kingdom. Brita products are distributed in 69 countries and the company has many patents in the field.
Brita produces water jugs (BPA-free) kettles and tap attachments with integrated disposable filters. What’s good is that the filters can be recycled. Brita pitcher filter consists of activated carbon made from coconut shells and ion-exchange resin. So the filters have two main effects:
• The activated carbon removes chemicals that produce bad taste, such as chlorine and chlorine compounds.
• The ion-exchange resin reduces water hardness (limescale) as well as copper and lead.
So, basically you can turn your simple tap water into healthier and tasty Brita filtered water with this BPA free pitcher.
With this advanced filter technology, Brita removes the taste and odor of chlorine from water. These two are the main suspects for bad quality water that makes limescale (a reason why a humidifier might stop working). Brita also is certified to reduce copper, cadmium and mercury impurities.
Usually Britas are designed to be some sort of water container with two chambers. One is to be filed with tap water which passes through the filter and comes to the bottom tank where it can be accessed for consumption.
The top lid has an indicator – a mechanical one that you set or an electronic one – which informs when the filter was changed. A regular filter should be changed every 40 gallons or about 2 months of regular usage.
Brita has prepared many options for you to pick from. Just the two of them are below.
Brita 18 Cup UltraMax Water Dispenser
This model is great for saving space and looking neat. Meaning you can put in an open cupboard or under a shelf. It has 18-cup capacity and flow-controlled spigot. This unit would work for everyday use at a small office or home.
That’s the same places where you might want to have a humidifier. What’s useful is that most humidifiers require you to remove the water tank and fill it with someplace where you have your water. So Brita UltraMax Water Dispenser is handy when you need to do so.
Brita Water Pitcher W1 Std
This in essence is a standard water pitcher with an integrated filter. It’s easy to use and fill, just place it in the sink, open the top lid and let water through the faucet to fill the top chamber. It would be handy to use with a more stationary humidifier that can be filled with water without removing the tank.
Contaminants that should be avoided in humidifier water
The main reason for using a humidifier is to increase the humidity of the air to prevent the unpleasant effects of dry air. It might sound strange if you live in a naturally humid area, but this is an issue for places where air gets really dry. For example in colder climates during artificial heating season or in warmer and drier climates.
The right amount of humidity allows us to feel and breathe comfortably, preventing dry skin, and some breathing discomforts.
Just as you want to have clean and unpolluted air, so you should be aware of what water you pour into a humidifier. Allergens and impurities can be spread in the humidifier’s mist.
Apart from some specific, local bacteria, common contaminants can be transferred from water to mist. What’s more, minerals that are actually good for you to drink with water, such as calcium and magnesium are not necessarily good for your humidifier. These minerals and especially hard tap water can and will eventually damage your humidifier. There will be large deposits of limescale that will need to be washed and removed for the humidifier to work. So it’s best to prevent these issues beforehand by using the right water.
We know that Brita filters reduce up to 99% of these contaminants in tap water:
• Zinc – Prolonged exposure to zinc can cause nausea and long-term effects of anemia and pancreatic damage.
• Cadmium – Exposure to cadmium can cause liver damage.
• Chlorine – Chlorine leaves a bad taste & odor in your tap water, plus is damaging to the whole body.
• Copper – Exposure to copper can cause gastrointestinal distress and liver and kidney damage.
• Mercury – Mercury from landfills can lead to kidney damage over time.
• Lead – Exposure to high levels of lead may cause anemia, weakness, kidney damage and more.
If you don’t want to drink these contaminants, you definitely don’t want to breathe them.
Water in humidifier: Brita vs other types of water
Tap water
By all means avoid tap water in your humidifier. It’s impossible to estimate what kind of substances are dissolved in tap water. It’s possible to test it and get a detailed panel. But that’s besides the point. Humidifier is a precious device that will get damaged with regular tap water.
Reverse osmosis water
This kind of water is close to distilled water, but not quite there. The amount of Total dissolved solids is greater in RO water. It’s an excellent choice for drinking, the same as filtered water. So it can be used in a humidifier.
Boiled Water
While boiling water most bacteria and viruses are exterminated. However it’s not close to distilled water. To really purify water you need to physically remove impurities so simple boiling does not accomplish that.
Demineralized Water
This type of water is treated with a deionization process that removes most contaminants through a filter. The result is similar to both Reverse osmosis and distillation and falls somewhere in between. If you have easy access to demineralized water it could be used for your humidifier.
Bottled water
Bottled water is a tricky subject, but a good rule of thumb is to avoid it also, because it usually carries a certain mineral composition. It could be good for drinking but it won’t be suitable for a humidifier.
Distilled water
Distilled water is the best option because it’s the cleanest and purest form of water. It’s basically liquid captured steam. Because of these pure properties, distilled water is used in laboratories and medical fields.
To Sum Up
Distilled water will be your best pick for a humidifier. Alternatively demineralized water is also good. However, very few people have means to produce these types of water so there’s a need to constantly stock up.
Read more about the top rated water distillers.
If you decide on a more permanent solution such as Brita filter you will save yourself some hassle. Just don’t forget to regularly change the filter for the best results.