Gunk and grit in humidifier.

[Sleepster]

I bought a used machine that had mineral deposits in the water tank. I had to soak it in vinegar over night, then repeat the next night, to remove it all.

I think it's a problem that occurs when the tank is not emptied daily.

I empty the tank daily and let air dry just to avoid bacteria growth. I have a water softener so I just use my tap water. When I travel I usually use bottled drinking water, but I have used the local tap water when there's no bottled water handy.

[cands]

If the water is highly mineralised, deposits will build up quickly, even when dumping and rinsing every day.

I thought the water in Switzerland would be safe to use in my humidifier. After 8 nights I had quite a deposit built up on the metal plate at the bottom of the chamber. I assume that it was glacial melt water with high dissolved calcium causing the problem.

The vinegar treatment has worked in removing the deposit, although it has taken 3 soaks to do it.