Do you run a humidifier?

gambler13 said:

Do any of you run a humidifier in the house when using your pellet stove or do anything to add moisture?

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I have two pellet stoves and I have two humidifiers. I go through about 5 gallons of water a day but it doesn't help a whole lot. Might just do the one in the bedroom this year (1 gallon a day) and forget about the one on the first floor.

Yep...a bigger one on the main floor near the stove and a smaller one upstairs for the kid's rooms. It seems like the fan from my humidifier actually helps circulate the heat from the stove.

I run a kenmore unit. puts up about 1.5 gallons a day in the air to maintain a 50% hmidity level.

Nope.

briansol said:

I to maintain a 50% hmidity level.

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why the face? is that way off for you? i find the mid band to be comfortable

Yes, I have a big one on my main floor and am ready to fire up the smaller one for upstairs. The house dries up way too much 28% humidity without it. I try to keep it between 45-50%

I have a Lasko Unit.

briansol said:

why the face? is that way off for you? i find the mid band to be comfortable

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You don't have issues with walls or windows sweating with that much moisture? I keep my house at 25-30% in the winter.

I run a Lasko humifier and keep it at 50%.

nate379 said:

You don't have issues with walls or windows sweating with that much moisture? I keep my house at 25-30% in the winter.

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not at all.

at 25%, everyone gets bloody noses and wakes up sore throats.

50% is barable. I'd like it to be 70%, but there's no way my unit can keep up with that.

Yep, big Sears console humidifier. Ugly and a bit noisy but it does the whole house. It's the model with the big 5 gal bin that I use 5 gallon buckets to fill. Just flip the lid on the top and pour it in.

briansol said:

not at all.

at 25%, everyone gets bloody noses and wakes up sore throats.

50% is barable. I'd like it to be 70%, but there's no way my unit can keep up with that.

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you dont want 70. sweating and mold. My humidity is naturally 60-80 in winter If i let it stay that high I get mold

Careful to much humidity causes mold growth and promotes growth of dust mites. 40-50% humidity is ideal to control both
without being to uncomfortable.

i use a vornado evaporative unit.
it has an upward pointing fan so also circulates the heat from up on the ceiling.

without it we have the same symptoms briansol mentioned.

i will occasionally put a few drops of iodine in the tank to keep any bio growth in the wicks suppressed.

I have the big humidaire unit, it's sold as the kenmore, etc units. Two plastic jugs I think it's a ~5 gallon unit. I buy 4 filter sets a year and use the pink filter stuff in the water. I haven't turned mine on yet but will in another week or so. I think we usually keep it running til abt April or so.

nate379 said:

You don't have issues with walls or windows sweating with that much moisture? I keep my house at 25-30% in the winter.

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You have brought this up last year (calling me out). I do like to keep my place about 45% (+/-). But I DON'T have mine running now (Large Lasko unit). And my home is still between 47% (high/far room) and 37% (this is stove room/DRY).

These are normal levels. Why is this alarming ? Everyone that has posted tries to keep levels around here.

Maybe Alaska is Much drier than the lower 48? My basement is about 40% with the woodstove and a Kettle on it.

I run at 50%... But that means I have to DEhumidify... Remember, it takes more energy to heat moist air than dry air.

DexterDay said:

You have brought this up last year (calling me out). I do like to keep my place about 45% (+/-). But I DON'T have mine running now (Large Lasko unit). And my home is still between 47% (high/far room) and 37% (this is stove room/DRY).

These are normal levels. Why is this alarming ? Everyone that has posted tries to keep levels around here.

Maybe Alaska is Much drier than the lower 48? My basement is about 40% with the woodstove and a Kettle on it.

View attachment 80391

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maybe so, I barely remember what I ate for supper, never mind something I posted on here a year ago!

Not sure what your picture is, I can just make out some gray and a couple lighter colored bars.

nate379 said:

maybe so, I barely remember what I ate for supper, never mind something I posted on here a year ago!

Not sure what your picture is, I can just make out some gray and a couple lighter colored bars.

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Click to enlarge. Its a temp/humidity monitoring system. Showing the temp of the kids rooms, our room (well, normally, but it is currently in the stove room/measures the room its in), and then the humidity of the rooms.

20%-30% we also get bloody noses and irritated throats, as briansol mentions above.

I run a small one just to the side of the stove so it expels moisture into the convection blower air stream.
No bloody noses yet!
Bill

I have one in my dining room. It's has a five gallon capacity. With my old Lopi pellet stove I also put one of the ceramic/cast iron type containers on top of the stove and let it do it's thing. Since I have a new Harman P61A, I'm a bit reluctant to use it as it can leave a bit of rust on the stove as well as scratches if I'm not careful. Once I break the new stove in a bit more, I'll probably start using that too.

All of you are welcome to move to the South and enjoy fine amounts of humidity year round and save on humidifer costs.

it's PLENTY (100%) humid here in the summer too, but dry in the winters.