The functioning of Ultrasonic diffusers versus Nebulizer diffusers The most commonly used ‘mechanical’ essential oil diffusers are utilizing the ultrasonic diffusion principle where a small membrane in the bottom of the diffuser reservoir vibrates and agitates the water with a high frequency (> 1MHz) causing small droplets to be released from the water that contains an essential oil mix. Often a small fan will than blow the mixture off essential oil and water vapour through the vent of the diffuser, causing a plume being formed above it. The concentration of the essential oil that is dispersed into the room will depend on the quantity of oil added to the water, the temperature and humidity of the surroundings and the ease of the essential oil to evaporate. A very thin oil will evaporate faster while a more viscous oil with be released slower. As most essential oils are lighter than water the concentration of the scent in the air will be higher at the start of diffusing and slowly reduced as the oil concentration in the mix is reduced as more oil leaves the surface of the water. If the water that is used in the diffuser is of bad quality, the ‘unwanted’ components like chlorides, fluoride, and possible bacteria growth (due to insufficient cleaning) will be ‘blown’ into the air as well. This is why it is recommended to use at least boiled or filtered water or even distilled water and clean the diffuser before use.
Many bacteria thrive in warm water; although the diffuser is filled with cold water, the energy from the ultrasonic membrane and the electronics below the water reservoir will still cause the temperature of the water to rise. As the concentration of the oil (and the ability of the oil to kill bacteria) reduces during diffusing, the remaining water becomes a more suitable environment for bacteria. A diffuser that is not cleaned properly before use can contain bacteria that will be ‘airborne’ when the diffuser is in operation. Leave a wet diffuser unattended for a period of time and fungus will start to form.
Essential oils are very highly concentrated substances and are normally packed in glass bottles for the simple reason that oils can interact with plastic and leach chemicals from the packaging (dark glass is used to prevent light from interacting with the oil). A plastic diffuser is susceptible to the leaching capabilities despite of the dilution of the oil in the water inside the diffuser. As an essential oil is ‘floating’ on top of the water the concentration of the small layer of oil is still capable of contacting the wall of the diffuser and interact with the material. Increase in the humidity of a room where a diffuser that uses water as a medium to spread the scent is not always a desirable side effect of the ultrasonic diffuser particularly in a humid or cold climate. Ultrasonic diffusers are quite new as the invention of ‘ultrasound’ is originated after the second world war; the ability to generate small droplets is something from much later. There is an alternative method for diffusing essential oil; it is called nebulising and works the same way liquids have been atomized since the 17thcentury after the Dutch ‘mathematician and inventor’ Daniel Bernoulli found a way to use a restriction in an airflow to ‘lift’ a liquid from a reservoir. In 1862 this principle was put into a practical application by a German physician and used it to administer liquid medication to patients with lung disease. Using the ‘Bernoulli principle’, creation of very small droplets (aerosol) of liquid was further improved in the 19th century mainly for the medical profession; the first asthma medication was administered to the lungs using glass nebulizers in the same way. During the same period in history, the nebulizing method started to find its way to perfume atomizer applications; and now it is applied to the dispersion of essential oil as well. The working principle of nebulizing is that the oil is atomized into a very fine mist by means of a small air pump that blows air over a suction tube that is situated in the essential oil reservoir in the same way a perfume spray bottle atomizes the perfume and releases it into the air. The air-pump that is situated in the body of the nebulizer is represented by the bulb of a perfume atomizer in the drawing on the left. The mist of 100% pure oil makes the nebulizer the most efficient transporter of essential oil (4 times higher than ultrasonic diffusers) as there is no other carrier than the air. This will allow the highest possible concentration of pure essential oil in a room without addition of water. Because of the utilization of glass; the essential oil will remain in its purest form for longer. When using an essential oil blend the lightest fractions will be released easier than the heavier fractions; also, if an oil is used that contains a carrier of for instance coconut oil,a residue of the carrier will stay behind over time and slowly reduce the effectiveness of the process; the lightest oils will be distributed easier. This is why the nebulizer glass will need to be flushed when a thick residue is visible on the bottom of the glass reservoir to avoid that the small glass suction tube gets blocked. It will also require cleaning prior to the usage of a different essential oil or blend.
To test if an essential oil will leave a residue is easy, just put one drop on a piece of paper and check after a couple of hours if it is all evaporated; if there is a residue it will stay on the paper as a ‘grease spot’. In general, oils that are extracted using the steam extraction of steam distillation process will leave no residue. This does not mean that other oils are not suitable; due to the construction of and application of the small glass tubes inside the nebulizer a thick oil will not work as efficiently as thin oil; we suggest to use only pure essential oils and avoid chemically created fragrances and get advice from your aromatherapy specialist. If a residue is left in the diffuser there are a number of easy ways to clean the glass on the inside without the usage of mechanical tools. It is important to remove the glass from the diffuser body during the cleaning process to avoid that the cleaning liquid used will enter the air-pomp. For a greasy residue use some (apple) vinegar and swirl the glass thoroughly; repeat until the glass nozzles are clean. In order to neutralize the vinegar, use some warm water (250ml) that contains a spoonful of baking soda; flush the glass and empty it. Submersion of the glass in some hot water with dishwashing detergent will also clean the glass but be aware to avoid sudden temperature changes and handle the glass as if you handle an expensive wine glass. If this method is not sufficient than medical alcohol (95%) or methylated spirits would be the ‘last resort’. If you have the intension not to use the diffuser for a long time, it is recommended to clean and allow it to dry before storage to avoid solidification of the remaining essential oil residue. In general nebulizers are more expensive as they are often made of hand-crafted glass components. They can be ‘noisier’ than ultrasonic diffusers because of the air pump. Bushberry Mist nebulizers work intermitted in cycles of 2 minutes on and 3 minutes off to get optimum spread of scent in a room. The nebulizer as shown has 3 mist settings all in a sequence of 2 minutes on and 3 minutes off.
Indicated
by
a
led
just
below
the
glass
there
is Blue for medium flow
for
2
hours; Red for high flow for 2 hours and Green for low flow for 4 hours. This makes this nebulizer very suitable for professional use as you can leave it running without the need to re-start it after 2 hours. The pump will not ‘suffer’ from long continuous usage as the airflow through the pump will guarantee sufficient cooling. Running the diffuser ‘dry’ after all oil is atomized is not a problem either for the same reason. Operating the touch switches is easy, just swipe over the indicated ‘aroma’ or ‘light’ area. The quantity of pure essential oil that needs to administered will depend on the type of oil used. A minimum of 5-drops of a 2-hour medium cycle appears to be a good benchmark. The diffuser is also very suitable to nebulize your own blended mix of various oils. The actual usage will strongly depend on the viscosity of the oil so there is no ‘one size fits all’ solution and some experimenting will be required for the best personal settings. For all nebulizers the two glass nozzles can’t be submerged in the oil as they would stop working and oil would leak into the pump. The diffuser in our example can hold 30 ml of oil.
The Bushberry-Mist nebulizer uses a 5 Volt DC power supply,it is recommended to use the one provided, however, the product has been tested for USB connections of computers or telephone chargers that are rated to 1000mA output or higher. It is available for d’Oterra customers on www.amazon.com.au/dp/B07JNJ3NN6 or www.amazon.com.au/dp/B07JNHRPRB with discount using promo code 7HUJBX8F.
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