Climate & waterCommon
Ultrasonic humidifier
Also called cool mist, humidifier.
A piezo disc driven at about 1.7 MHz, a small fan, a float, and a low-voltage supply. The disc pits away and is the usual failure.
A donor is the dead machine. The parts below are what is still worth removing from it. “Leave it” is a part that is physically in there and should stay in there: too dangerous, too worn, or only useful as part of a repair you are not doing.
A scrapped machine is a box of parts that failed at different times. The reason it was thrown out is often one bad piece. The motor, the cord, the supply, and the screws are frequently still good. This index says which is which.
Why it is in the trash while the parts are not
No mist, which is the disc or the float stuck down. The supply is usually fine.
Before you open it
Do this while it is still unplugged, cool, and not leaking. Unplug and empty it. The driver is not mains on most small units; the brick is.
Where the dead machine usually is
- Living room and entertainment stack — In the house
- Bulk trash day — Curb
Emptied, because the reservoir grows impressive biology.
How it comes apart
The disc is under a rubber cap in the reservoir. The driver is a small board.
Tools: Phillips, Meter.
Words on this page
- mains
- Ordinary household wall power. It can kill. Unplug before you open anything that used it, and do not experiment on live wiring.
What to take
The table is the short version. The notes under it describe that part inside this machine, not only the general description.
| Part | Call | How many | How often | Where to look |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Piezo disc | Worth pulling | 1 | always | Reservoir floor. |
| Axial fan | Worth pulling | 1 | usually | The top. |
| Float switch | Worth pulling | 1 | usually | Reservoir. |
| Switch-mode wall supply | Worth pulling | 1 | usually | External brick or a board. |
| Enclosure | Bonus | 1 | always | The tank. |
Worth pulling
Ultrasonic atomizer, not a beeper. Pitted discs are the failure.
Reservoir floor.
Keep the driver board with a good disc. A pitted one is a pattern, not a part.
Often worn.
Small DC fan.
The top.
Unplug.
Good.
A float that tells the board it is dry.
Reservoir.
Clean it.
Sticks.
Low voltage, printed.
External brick or a board.
Label it.
Good.
Bonus
A water tank with a fitting.
The tank.
Clean it before you store it.
Scratched.