# DIY: Humidifier for less than $15



## RehabRalphy (Mar 12, 2009)

Well its not really a "humidifier", but it acts like one. 

Purpose: Raises the humidity levels in the enclosure without using a pesky spray bottle. I work long hours mostly days/nights and I dont have to much time to be misty the cages to get the humidity up. In the past, I used this same idea, but I decided to modify that idea to create something slightly unusual. 

I call it... The Lazy Man's Humidifer

Complexity: 3 out of 10 stars

Materials:
1 - $5 Generic Aquarium Air Pump
1 - $1 8' Clear Aquarium Hose
1 - $5 Digital Outlet Timer
1 - $2 4 way Aquarium Gang Valve
1 - $1 Epoxy Glue
1 - Free Coke bottle (Drink the coke obviously haha, 24 oz., 1 liter, or 2 liter works great. If you have a big cage, go for a milk jug or bigger)

So basically heres how it works...







Heres the coke bottle hooked up to the aquarium pump. The air thats being pushed through the tubing from the aquarium pump goes into the coke bottle. Theres an outlet hole in the top of the bottle. Since the air has no where to go, it forces the water up through the top hose into the cage.

Directions: Take an ordinary coke bottle. Drill 1 hole in the top lid of the bottle, then 1 more hole in the side of the bottle preferably towards the top. (As shown). Feed a piece of tubing into the top of the cap so that the tubing goes into the bottle all the way to the base of the bottle. The tubing coming from the cap has to touch the bottom of the bottle because thats where the water will be pushed up through the tubing. 

Next, take another piece of tubing in feed it into the side of the bottle. The tubing going into the side of the bottle doesn't matter if its touching the bottom of the bottle like the top, or if its just a few inches inside of the bottle. This is the piece where the air will be constantly fed into the bottle. 

Mix up your epoxy glue and glue the tubing around the 2 holes so that theres no air holes. Let dry for a good 15-30 mins.

Next comes the easy part. Maping out your areas where you want your water drops to be landing. I chose a simple design using a 4 way gang valve. The purpose of the valve is to allow multiple hookups to 1 air pump. Instead of air being pumped through this device, it'll be substituted with water.






Cut varies lengths of tubing according to how you want your layout to be. Fasten to the top of the screen using twist-ties. Attach tubing to your gang valve.

Now you can take the tubing coming out of the top of your bottle and feed it into the cage and hook it up to the side of the gang valve.






Fill your bottle with water and plug her in. 

You can control the amount of drops using little individual knobs located on the gang valve. I chose a nice steady drop of water every 2-3 seconds. 

You may also hook your aquarium pump up to a digital timer so that the pump isnt on all the time feeding water in. Have it only do it during the day time while your heat source is on. 

Yes I understand that its water drops, not mist, but if the drops fall onto a flat surface such as a slat rock or something, then the heat from your heat source will evaporate the water making some great humidity. My directions a little vague but hopefully its a simple project. If you have any questions, just ask.


----------



## Red Earth Exotics (Mar 12, 2009)

great idea. thanks for the info!


----------



## ZEKE (Mar 12, 2009)

that is awesome! im going to do that to both my crested gecko cages and my firebellied toad cage! thanks for the directions!


----------



## Tux (Mar 12, 2009)

I've been doing this for years, works really well, good writeup. I need to design a sensor to control something like this, maybe based on AVR chips but i have no time


----------



## Tegu Tank (Mar 12, 2009)

Thats really kool but couldnt u just by a coulple of those little big drippers?


----------



## RehabRalphy (Mar 12, 2009)

Tegu Tank said:


> Thats really kool but couldnt u just by a coulple of those little big drippers?



Technically you could, but i had the supplies layin around and lots of freetime on my hands lol


----------



## PinkPunisher (Mar 12, 2009)

Now just to making a series of milk jugs for my 8'x4'x4' ! LOL Maybe I should just put the jug in by itself with a long air tube leading to it?

Spencer


----------



## RehabRalphy (Mar 12, 2009)

In that case, just by a humidifer  

Wal-Mart $29.99 :-D


----------



## PinkPunisher (Mar 12, 2009)

My dads a Teamster, you think that would run well? Teamster (Union) + Walmart (Anti-Union) = Baaaaad lol 

I'll have to ask mom to get one at her Bargain Shop  

Spencer

EDIT: I wonder what my girlfriend would think if she walked in to see like 10 milk jugs all half full of water with a little air pump attached to it scattered around my bed LOL


----------



## ZEKE (Mar 12, 2009)

hey you all think there would be a way to set it up with a humidity gauge instead of a timer? so like let it come on at 60% humidity and turn off at 80% humidity? (thats what i would set it at for my geckos)


----------



## RehabRalphy (Mar 12, 2009)

Well not quite sure on that, Zeke. But I do know that you can have this pump running constantly and just control your drips using that gang valve.


----------



## RehabRalphy (Mar 12, 2009)

Looks like my boa had other ideas for this...


----------



## ZEKE (Mar 13, 2009)

lol. creative boa!


----------



## Filphfio (Mar 23, 2009)

ZEKE said:


> hey you all think there would be a way to set it up with a humidity gauge instead of a timer? so like let it come on at 60% humidity and turn off at 80% humidity? (thats what i would set it at for my geckos)




try a Humidistat, that will deffinitaly regulate the humidity. as for a DIY humidistat, its deffinitaly possible, but not as simple as just getting a controler.


----------

