Is there a non-gurgling humidifier? (That we can buy in Canada?)

November 19, 2019 6:13 AM

We have a small humidifier in our bedroom. It runs very quietly, but every minute or two, it makes a gurgling noise as it intakes water from the tank. It's not a loud noise by any stretch, but when I'm trying to sleep it sometimes keeps me up (like a dripping water faucet). Are there humidifiers out there that don't do this? Any other solutions?

The humidifier we have is this one from TaoTronics.

Since we're looking for something that won't interfere with sleeping we are also, ideally, looking for something that does not have a light on it, or has a light that can be turned off...

We are in Canada. My hope is to find something I can order from Amazon here.

But really - any recommendations, tips, etc, are welcome. (I am assuming the best strategy here is to get a new humididifier but if people have other paths: ways to quiet the gurgling noise of this one, or to be less bothered by it, I welcome those, too)

posted by ManInSuit to Home & Garden (12 answers total)

I have been very pleased with my Honeywell model - easy to clean, very quiet, and I'll have to check but if it has a light, it is not a beacon like you see on those teardrop models.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 6:18 AM on November 19, 2019 [6 favorites]

I have the same Honeywell as The Pink Superhero and also recommend it. It's easy to clean and quiet. Note that it's not ultrasonic - it uses a fan instead - which I like, though ymmv.
posted by insectosaurus at 6:24 AM on November 19, 2019 [1 favorite]

Maybe a Venta Airwasher? It uses rotating plates through a water reservoir so there is no gurgling. It does have a light on the top but it isn't too bright. A bit pricey though.
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 6:25 AM on November 19, 2019 [2 favorites]

I also have a bunch of those Honeywells and am happy with them.
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 6:26 AM on November 19, 2019 [1 favorite]

I just got that Honeywell model two weeks ago. It still gurgles although much quieter than other humidifiers I have had. I'm a very light sleeper so it still wakes me up. I downloaded a whitenoise app on my phone and it on a low volume is enough that the gurgle doesn't wake me up.
posted by ilovewinter at 7:20 AM on November 19, 2019 [1 favorite]

I just bought this humidifier from Levoit, which Wirecutter gave an "also great" and I have not noticed any gurgling. You can turn off the display.
posted by misskaz at 7:30 AM on November 19, 2019 [1 favorite]

We've had Crane humidifiers for years. If you clean them weekly, they last. If you don't, you'll have to replace it every two years, perhaps more often. Most are in animal shapes, but there is one more grown-up version: Drop Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier. There is a little bit of "rush of mist" sound, but no gurgling.
posted by alittleknowledge at 7:48 AM on November 19, 2019 [3 favorites]

I just bought the Crane Warm and Cool Mist Humidifier, and it is almost completely silent. I got mine at Canadian Tire.
posted by rpfields at 9:53 AM on November 19, 2019 [1 favorite]

This refurb Dyson is what we got several years ago and it's very nearly silent and beautifully effective. Pricy, even refurbished, but worth it imo.
posted by restless_nomad at 9:54 AM on November 19, 2019 [1 favorite]

Best answer: I, too, have the Honeywell HCM-350, the Wirecutter's pick and I like it a lot. The fan is pretty quiet (though I'm a heavy sleeper so ymmv) and I've only noticed it gurgling at the very beginning when you put in a fresh tank. There is a light but it's small and I think a piece of electrical tape over it should do the trick.

I wasn't able to find this exact model on amazon.ca, but this one appears to be pretty close.
posted by mhum at 10:37 AM on November 19, 2019

Not something you can buy off the shelf, but I adapted a 'gurgling' humidifier to use a much bigger water reservoir because with the low humidity in what was a rather large bedroom we were refilling the reservoirs every day. This modification happened to do away with the gurgling as well, although that didn't bother us.

This modification consisted of a kind of lid that sat on the part of the humidifier where one of the reservoirs would be put, with a water level sensor fitted. This would switch power to a solenoid valve, allowing water (from 2 35 liter jerrycans, enough for a week or two) to flow into the humidifier until its water level was about what it would be with a reservoir in place. Such a valve will click, but it can be put in a small enclosure with some soundproofing if necessary.
posted by Stoneshop at 1:56 PM on November 19, 2019

Response by poster: Thanks!! We bought the Honeywell HEV355C (which was mhum's recommendation, and amazon's, for something similar to the HCM-350, available in Canada). So far it seems great!!! It is not 100% gurgle-free, but it's close enough for me. (our old one made a noise every 2 or 3 minutes. This one makes a noise I think every hour os so, and that noise is much quieter). Note that the hummidifier itself is louder than the one we had before (though still very quiet), but I'm not bothered by the steady fan noise...
posted by ManInSuit at 5:58 AM on November 20, 2019