If a red exclamation point has appeared on your Vicks humidifier, your device will not resume its operation until you have refilled and reset the tank.
Using a humidifier can alleviate the symptoms of congestion and dry skin irritations and it can also be beneficial for your plants and furnishings.
If your Vicks humidifier is displaying a red exclamation point, it will not work, and you will not be able to enjoy these benefits that it provides. This is why you need to refill and reset the tank.
The benefits of using a humidifier
Humidifiers are beneficial because they add moisture into your air. This can help to reduce the symptoms of respiratory problems like dry coughs, sinus congestion, headaches, and it can also help people who suffer with dry skin and lips.
However, humidifiers are not just beneficial for the general comfort and well-being for the people living, working, and entertaining in a space, but the increased humidity levels will allow your plants to thrive and your soft furnishings to last longer over time.
Red exclamation point on Vicks humidifier
Since humidifiers can be so effective in improving the comfort-levels in your space, it can be quite inconvenient when your humidifier does not work the way it is designed to.
The Vicks humidifiers are some of the most popular devices on the market because they offer all of these benefits and the additional benefits that come with using the Vicks VapoPads or VapoSteam liquid.
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It can be alarming when a red exclamation point appears on your Vicks humidifier and when the device refuses to work.
Fortunately, you can still enjoy all of the benefits of the humidifier when the red exclamation point has been cleared. This red exclamation point on the Vicks humidifiers indicates that the water tank needs to be refilled.
This symbol is often referred to as a “Reset light” and you need to refill the water tank and reset the device in order for this light to turn off so that your humidifier can work normally again.
When the water tank is empty, the heating element could overheat and damage some of the other components in the device and this is why your humidifier will not operate when this red exclamation point is turned on and indicates that the tank is empty.
If you have refilled the tank and reset the unit, but the light will still not switch off, this indicates that there is a problem with the way you have reset the tank, or the components are dirty.
Fortunately, as soon as these problems have been resolved, you can get rid of the red exclamation point light on your Vicks humidifier.
Can a Vicks humidifier work with an empty water tank?
Your Vicks humidifier will automatically switch off when the red exclamation point appears on the display. The reason for this is because this light indicates that the water tank for the humidifier is empty.
When the humidifier is operating normally, the water from this tank will be heated to form mist that humidifies the air in the space, but when this tank is empty, the heating elements that are responsible for turning the water to mist overheat and can even damage the unit.
This is why your Vicks humidifier will not work while the red exclamation point is turned on.
How to reset the Vicks humidifier water tank to get rid of the red exclamation point
In order to turn off the red exclamation point displayed on your humidifier, you need to remove the empty water tank, refill it, and reset the device so that you can use it again, by following these steps:
- Step 1: Turn the power switch of the Vicks humidifier to the “Off” position and unplug the device from the outlet
- Step 2: Wait at least 15 minutes for the device to cool down completely
- Step 3: Remove and refill the water tank
- Step 4: Place the now-filled water tank back into the humidifier and plug the device back into the outlet
- Step 5: If the red exclamation mark does not automatically turn off, find and press the “Reset” button on your humidifier
- Step 6: Turn the switch to the “Hi” or “Low” position and the mist should start again within a few minutes
Reasons why the red exclamation will not turn off even after you have reset the water tank
If you have followed the steps listed above, but the red exclamation point is still present on your Vicks humidifier and the machine is refusing to work, this could be because:
- The heating element is dirty
- The water tank was not replaced correctly
- The water tank is too full