How a Vaporizer Works
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Vaporizer
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There are technically two different varieties of vaporizer; one method works off of heat and the other doesn't. A vaporizer that works off heat humidifies the air in a room by heating water and expelling out steam. A "cool" vaporizer uses a spinning disc inside a water tank to expel water vapor into the room without heating it to steam.The main use for these items is to help relieve some of the suffering of people who are sick, particularly those with bad nasal or chest congestion. However, there are a variety of reasons people may choose one over the other, and they deal with the different methods of operation.
Heat
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A vaporizer that functions off of heat has a fairly simple operation. There is a water tank that must be filled and a heating device inside the water tank. When the vaporizer is plugged in, the heat source warms the water until it becomes steam. The steam is then expelled out into the room and humidifies the air. This method does have some dangers, however. If the water is spilled, or if someone gets too close to the steam release, they could be burned by the heat. On the upside though, the heat kills any bacteria or mold which may try to take root in the water tank, which would otherwise be dispersed into the air.
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Cool
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The other variety of vaporizer, which is usually referred to as a cool mist humidifier, runs off of a different mechanism. Inside the water tank there is a disc that spins and creates movement in the water. As the water moves, it creates water vapor, which is released into the room to humidify the air. Since there's no heat, there is no risk of anyone getting burned when using a cool vaporizer. Additionally, the water vapor may contain trace minerals that were in the water before the disc spun it into vapor. The downside is that the water tank has to be rigorously scoured to keep mold or mildew from growing in it because spores will be carried into the room through the vapor if not taken care of properly.
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