Humidifiers are the perfect solution to dry air. If you happen to own a Vicks humidifier, then you are no stranger to its wonderful benefits.
Humidifiers (see also ‘Humidifier Leaving White Dust‘) have a lot of health benefits, but in order to get these benefits, the humidifier needs to be working properly.
Humidifiers (see also ‘How Long To Keep A Humidifier On‘) are ideal for when you are feeling under the weather, so it is extremely important that they are working when you need them the most.
If you own a Vicks humidifier that has stopped working, we understand the frustration you might be feeling.
Well, in this guide, we have looked into a number of reasons why your Vicks humidifier might not be working.
We are going to walk you through each possible reason for your Vick humidifier to not be working and what you can do about it.
Table of Contents
Possible Reasons Your Vicks Humidifier Isn’t Working
There are a number of reasons as to why your Vicks humidifier is not working. So when your Vicks humidifier breaks down, there are a few things you should check.
Here are some of the possible causes, you should look into when your humidifier stops working.
Water Tank
There are different types of Vicks humidifiers currently available on the market.
However, whatever type you own, they all have one thing in common. This is water. In order for Vicks humidifiers to work, they need water.
Ultrasonic Vicks humidifiers work by vibrating the water which causes the water droplets to break down and turn into mist. This mist is then released into the air.
A warm mist humidifier uses heat to boil the water. The water will then become a warm mist, which goes into the air in the room.
Evaporative humidifiers use a wicking filter which brings the water from the tank to the fan. This fan then blows the moisture from the wicking filter into the air.
As you can see, all of these types of Vicks humidifiers need water and they have a water tank to store this water. So, one reason your Vicks humidifier might not be working is that it has run out of water.
To check if this is the cause of your problem, all you have to do is check the level of the water in the water tank. If there is no water in the tank or not enough water, you need to top the tank up with water.
Another problem with the water tank is that it might not be in the correct position on the humidifier.
This could also be a reason why your Vicks humidifier is not working. Make sure the humidifier is seated on the humidifier correctly and that it is flush against the base.
Mold Growth
Like any other product that has a water tank, it needs to be cleaned regularly so that mold and bacteria do not build up.
Leaving water standing in a tank for a long period of time leads to bacteria building up in the tank.
Dirty tank water can lead to mold growing in the humidifier which is a possible reason it is not working when you turn it on. One way to solve this problem is to change the wick filter.
However, if the build-up of mold and bacteria is quite bad then this might not solve the problem as there might be bacteria and mold in other parts of the humidifier.
To overcome this problem, it is important to deep clean your humidifier. One way to ensure that the bacteria and mold have been removed from your humidifier tank is to clean the humidifier with vinegar.
If your Vicks humidifier is still not working after deep cleaning, then you may need to purchase a replacement tank.
To prevent this from happening, make sure you change the water in the tank regularly to avoid bacteria and mold growth.
Mineral Deposit Build-Up
As mentioned before, not using your humidifier for a while with water in the tank can lead to issues with the humidifier working.
Even if you have emptied the tank, not using your humidifier for a long period of time can result in it not working properly.
One common problem with humidifiers is that they are prone to having mineral deposits build up in them over time.
Minerals such as calcium and limescale (see also ‘What Is Limescale & How Can You Get Rid Of It?’) are often found to form crusts in humidifiers.
This is especially true for Vicks humidifiers that are filled with tap water as tap water has a lot of minerals in it.
If you can visibly see the build-up of mineral deposits in your Vicks humidifier there is an easy solution.
First, you need to dismantle the humidifier so you are able to clean all of the parts. Then take undiluted white vinegar and soak all of the parts in the vinegar for a few hours.
After you have allowed the humidifier to soak you can start scrubbing with a brush.
This should remove all of the mineral deposits that are on your humidifier. Wipe the humidifier and rinse it off with clean water.
To prevent mineral deposit build-up from causing your humidifier to not work, you should clean the Vicks humidifier regularly.
It is also recommended that you empty the water tank after each use.
The Power Source
Technology is amazing but there are times when it breaks down. When things stop working, one of the first things you check with other pieces of technology is the power source. Humidifiers are no exception.
Humidifiers need to have access to constant power when they are turned on, in order for them to work.
If they do not have access to this power, then they might stop working or might not be able to work at all.
The first thing you need to do is isolate what is causing the power source to not work.
For example, try moving your Vicks humidifier into another outlet to see if the original power outlet is not working.
If your Vicks humidifier is working in a different outlet, then you know that socket does not work.
Alternatively, you might want to check if it is the Vicks humidifier that has the problem with power.
To check this, you can try to plug something else into the socket the Vicks humidifier was in. If that item starts to work, then you know the problem is with the Vicks humidifier.
If your humidifier is plugged into an extension cord, you need to make sure that the cord is plugged into the socket properly and that the cord works.
Although, it is not recommended to have a Vicks humidifier in an extension cord.
This is because plugging a humidifier into an extension cord increases the risk of a fire happening due to the extension cord overheating.
The Filter
There are a number of reasons why the filter in your Vicks humidifier might not be working. Some of these reasons we have already covered such as mineral deposits building up or bacteria and mold growth.
If your filter is blocked, this can cause the Vicks humidifier to not work properly.
A solution for this is trying to soak the filter in white vinegar. If this does not work, then it is likely you need to replace the filter.
Keeping on top of cleaning your Vicks humidifier helps to prevent a lot of the problems that cause the humidifier to not work.
Filters for humidifiers do not last forever and most will need to be replaced after 3 months of use.
It is important that your humidifier has a filter as the purpose of the filter is to trap as many minerals as it can. This makes the water that goes into the air as clean as it can be.
Without the filter, the minerals that are in the water end up in the air. This can cause problems for people who have allergies. There are filters that are specifically designed to help people prone to allergies.
Can Essential Oils Be Put In A Humidifier?
Many people often try to put essential oils into their humidifiers, but this should only be done if your humidifier has a diffuser.
Humidifiers are not designed to break down oils and release them into the air. Therefore, when you put oils into a humidifier it can actually lead to your humidifier being damaged.
If you have put essential oils in your humidifier and it is no longer working, there is a chance the oil has damaged it.
If the damage is not too bad, then you might be able to fix the humidifier by giving it a deep clean.
How Often Should You Clean A Vicks Humidifier?
We have discussed the importance of cleaning your humidifier, especially as most of the possible reasons your Vicks humidifier is not working properly is due to lack of cleaning.
So it is important to clean the humidifier regularly, but how often is regular cleaning?
Well, we recommend cleaning your humidifier at least once a week. This should be a deep clean to ensure that nothing builds up in your humidifier over time.
However, we recommend cleaning the tank out after every use and changing the water after every use.
You should also empty the tank after every use, and only refill it when you are going to use the humidifier again.
This is a guaranteed way to prevent mineral deposits, mold, and bacteria from building up in your humidifier.
It also guarantees that you are using clean water each time you put on the humidifier, so you get all of the health benefits that come from using one.
What Are The Health Benefits Of Using A Humidifier?
Using a humidifier has many benefits for your health. One of the most noticeable health benefits is that it can help with dry skin and dry hair.
If you are prone to having a cough, then humidifiers can ease the irritation which causes your cough to worsen.
Another fantastic benefit is that it can help you sleep better. For those of you who snore at night, then a humidifier can help to reduce your snoring.
Adding moisture into the air helps people who suffer from allergies, and those with dry eyes, and it can help to unblock your sinuses.
Final Thoughts
There are many reasons why your Vicks humidifier might not be working. If your Vicks humidifier does break down, then it is important to check for these causes.
Most of the issues that arise with Vicks humidifiers are caused by not maintaining them by cleaning them.
So one solution to always try is deep cleaning your Vick humidifier.
Hopefully, this guide has helped you identify the reason your Vicks humidifier is not working and helped you to fix the problem.
Please share this guide with others who might benefit from reading it. Thank you for reading!
