Is a Diffuser a Humidifier? Can a Diffuser be used as a Humidifier?
It is essential to know the difference between a humidifier and a diffuser.
Is a diffuser a humidifier? Can a diffuser be used as a humidifier?
This is something that many people are asking, and it turns out the answer is not so simple.
Some people think that if you use essential oils with your diffuser, then it’s technically acting as a humidifier.
However, that is not the case.
An essential oil diffuser is not a humidifier. It cannot be used as a humidifier to help humidify your home.
In this blog post, we’ll talk about how to tell the difference between a diffuser and a humidifier.
We will help you understand how a diffuser works, what exactly it does, and why you should only use an essential oil diffuser for your aromatherapy needs.
If you’re looking to find out the difference between the two devices, then keep on reading.
Can a Diffuser be Used as A Humidifier?
No, a diffuser cannot be used as a humidifier.
To better understand the answer to this question, you need to know what a humidifier is in the first place.
Humidifiers are devices that help increase humidity in your home if it’s too dry.
They do this by adding water vapor to the air in your house.
A diffuser works very differently from a humidifier, despite some people believing that they essentially do the same thing.
A diffuser does not add water vapor to the air and simply puts out oil particles into the air.
It also does not help humidify your home.
There is a fundamental difference between the two since they are designed to do different things.
The main difference lies in the water tank size.
A humidifier is often equipped with a water tank containing between 10 and 20 ounces of water.
This allows a humidifier to raise the humidity level in your home by introducing moisture to the air over an extended period of time.
On the flip side, an essential oil diffuser has a much smaller water tank and thus needs to be refilled more frequently as the essential oils run out.
A diffuser does not have enough water in its water tank to affect your home’s humidity level.
That is why you cannot use a diffuser as a humidifier.
Diffusers and humidifiers are different because diffusers do not produce as much water vapor as a humidifier.
They simply disperse essential oil particles into the air using ultrasonic technology to spread them into the atmosphere.
Is Humidifier the same as A Diffuser?
No, a humidifier is not the same as a diffuser. They are, in essence, a different type of device.
The key distinction between a humidifier and a diffuser is that the humidifier is intended to raise the humidity level in your home by bringing moisture to the air.
This, in turn, makes you feel more comfortable, especially during the cold months.
It is not possible to add essential oils to a standard humidifier in order to use it for essential oil diffusing in your home environment.
Oils can break regular humidifiers, as they are not designed to handle essential oils.
However, there are devices out there that combined a humidifier with a diffuser.
These are called 2-in-1 humidifier diffuser combo.
The 2-in-1 humidifier diffuser combo will often come with a separate essential oils tray and a tray for water.
This combination also gives you the option to use essential oils in your home without worrying about breaking your humidifier.
So if you are looking to buy a humidifier or an essential oil diffuser, we suggest that you look for a 2-in-1 device that is made specifically to add both functions together.
If you want to learn more about essential oils and humidifier, read our discussion about Can You Put Essential Oils In A Humidifier?
Diffuser vs. Humidifier: What is the Main Difference Between the Two Appliances?
We have already discussed the main differences between a diffuser and a humidifier are.
Still, in case you need an even more concise explanation, here it is.
Diffusers and humidifiers both work in similar ways, but their purpose for use is entirely different from each other.
The main difference between the two appliances is that a humidifier adds water vapor to the air while a diffuser does not.
There are many benefits of humidifiers, as they are very helpful in keeping your home feeling fresh and comfortable.
However, you should not use a diffuser to humidify your home.
Essential oil diffusers also help you feel more comfortable in your house.
However, they do it in a completely different way.
Essential oil diffusers do not add moisture to the air in your home.
Instead, they disperse essential oils into the air utilizing an ultrasonic technology that breaks down essential oil molecules into tiny particles and then distributes them into the room through its venting system.
Essential oils must be used with a diffuser, but a humidifier cannot be used to put essential oils into the air.
Diffusers are often smaller than humidifiers and thus take up less space on your desk or countertop.
Also, you do not need to worry about cleaning diffusers as much as you do with humidifiers.
Many people simply run tap water through it once a week to clean the inside of it.
Can You Use a Diffuser with Just Water??
Yes, you can, but what’s the point of using a diffuser if you are not using it with essential oils?
Why would anyone use a diffuser if they were not going to put any essential oil into it, anyway?
Essential oil diffusers use ultrasonic technology to disburse tiny particles of water-soluble essential oil molecules into the air that you breathe.
The ultrasonic technology is designed to break up these molecules into tiny particles so that they can quickly spread out into the air and not impact you negatively.
However, since oil diffusers are designed for use with essential oils, it does not make sense to put water in an oil diffuser instead of oils.
While it is technically possible to use an oil diffuser with water, the purpose of using a diffuser has been defeated as you have not used any essential oils at all – just water.
If you put water into an oil diffuser, then you are defeating the entire purpose of having this device in your home in the first place.
Also read: Does Humidifier Increase Oxygen?
Can You Use a Diffuser as a Humidifier for Plants?
If you are considering using an oil diffuser as a humidifier for your plants, then we suggest that you do not do it.
Oil diffusers were designed for use with essential oils.
Their purpose is to disperse the oil molecules into the air through ultrasonic technology.
If you fill up an oil diffuser with water or other liquids, then you will be defeating its purpose.
Many people use oil diffusers as humidifiers for their plants, but this is not a good idea in most cases.
Plus, a diffuser does not have enough moisture tank capacity to humidify an entire room.
The ideal humidity for houseplants is between 40 and 60 percent.
A diffuser will not be able to impart enough moisture into the air to keep your plants healthy.
You would be better off using a larger humidifier or getting a specialized device like a misting fan to disperse moisture into the air.
Using a diffuser for your plants is just not a good idea in most cases, even though it may be tempting to think about doing so.
Final Words
In conclusion, a diffuser cannot be used as a humidifier to humidify your home, and neither can it be used as a humidifier for your house.
Essential oil diffusers may look like other types of humidifiers. Still, they are completely different – one is designed to humidify the air.
In contrast, the other was designed specifically to disperse essential oils into the room, which may or may not help you feel more comfortable in your home.
Be sure to use essential oils with a diffuser, but do not try using water or other liquids with it – you are just wasting your time and money if you do so because an oil diffuser was not designed for this purpose.
I hope you know the difference between a diffuser and a humidifier and when each one can be used.
If you have any questions, feel free to ask them below in the comment section, and I will do my best to answer your question as soon as possible.
