Most instructions for these vaporizers say “don’t worry about the black particles”, but why are they there? Hard to believe they aren’t some kind of contamination. Thanks.
2 Answers
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Vaporizers produce moisture by heating small amounts of the minerals in the water using tiny electrodes in the shaft of the unit. The minerals then heat the water to a boil and release steam into the air. This causes the minerals to collate (clump together). The minerals will then settle to the bottom of the tank, becoming small (relatively speaking) black flakes or particles. In some areas this could be seen as a white crust on or around the black shaft of the vaporizer that resides in the water. The harder the water, the more flakes/crust you will see. You could use bottled or filtered water however the less minerals, the less steam. In some locals the water is too soft or a water softener is in use and salt (1/4 Tsp per tank is the recommended amount.) needs to be added to the tank. Too much causes the water to boil out in spurts until the water volume in the tank lowers enough not to boil out the steam holes. It also increases energy usage by 250% from an average .440 KWH to over 1 KWH.
Bottom Line: These flakes are normal and should be rinsed out when you refill the tank. Any bacteria or mold in the water will be killed by the temperature of the water.
It helps to clean your tank periodically. Here is a link on how to do that:
http://www.ehow.com/how_4759733_clean-vicks-vapori…
Free online copies of vaporizers user manuals can be located at www.kaz.com.
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