running pellet stove what should humidity be?

brian102 said:

Been doing some research on humidity levels and i have eczema so very bad dry skin. Im playing with humidity levels trying to figure out where they should be. Its very warm in the house right now as its 40 degrees outside right now. Normally house is between 70-75. Does anyone else pay attention to this? thanks

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We run a holmes? humidifier in the main room. 50% is best

Usually lower in winter.70% outside,40% inside right now.I pefer 35.

I bought a humidifier as it was down to 34% and I was getting headaches. I have parathyroid issues which tend to keep you dehydrated...

Ideal humidity is 40-50%; usually less in winter. Close to the 50% would likely have ice forming on the windows.

Lake Girl said:

I bought a humidifier as it was down to 34% and I was getting headaches. I have parathyroid issues which tend to keep you dehydrated...

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Yep the old pot on top like a smoke belcher does not work.You know,a person used to make a small canister that sat on top of pellet stove,and had a felt wick that hung down into the convection air outlet,have not seen one in quite some time.

Humans prefer 40 - 60% relative humidity. The warmer air is, the more moisture it can hold (the relative part of that phrase). But as noted, many homes have too much moisture in winter and water condenses on surface of cold windows when much above 40%. I would aim for 40-45% and see how that works for you. Btw, having an OAK will be your best defense here, because you will not be sucking in cold, dry air just to fuel your stove.

Buy an inexpensive hygrometer and monitor how you feel and whether moisture on windows occurs. Note that it may be a bit outside the 40-45% range, largely due to hygrometer inaccuracy. But it will give you an idea of what to shoot for in your house. A pot of water on a pellet stove is nearly worthless as it won't get warm enough to evaporate well. If needed after an OAK is installed (again, the first thing to do), a humidifier is your best bet to add moisture. If dryness occurs for just a week or two of coldest weather, a portable unit may be enough. If a problem for months at a time, a whole house unit hooked to permanent water supply may be better.

bob bare said:

Yep the old pot on top like a smoke belcher does not work.You know,a person used to make a small canister that sat on top of pellet stove,and had a felt wick that hung down into the convection air outlet,have not seen one in quite some time.

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Be careful, wicks that hang down can easily turn into siphons. I use that technique to water plants when I am going to be away from home for a while and the wick can sometimes get too effective. The result can be that the water supply empties onto the floor. Wick systems sold for the purpose usually have a restrictor that pinches the wick in order to control flow.

Hey brian102, forgot to say welcome to the forum We like pics of stoves (hint, hint!).

I run around 55 on the main unit next to the stove. i imagine the indicated 55 is only in/around the actual humidifier.
I also run a 2nd small bedroom unit in my room overnight, otherwise i wake up very dry/bloody nose stuff.

Your stove does not appear to be sitting on any floor/fire protection?I am now running 2 stoves.

get a hearth pad!

briansol said:

get a hearth pad!

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Amen! Dangerous without, and won't pass any code, anywhere.

brian102 said:

Is it worth putting another one down there to work down there (2-4 days of the week for 6 hours) or should i look for alternative on this.

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I had the same situation. My basement was colder than a root cellar. My basement is used as a workshop and needs to be heated intermittently. A pellet stove is an ideal solution to the problem of heating it.
I bought a second hand (badly abused) ESW 25 PDVC for $300 and restored it to working condition. It was surprising how few replacement parts were actually needed. Most parts just needed to be cleaned and aligned, screws tightened etc. When all was done my total cost for stove, repair parts and installation materials was about $550.
That little stove can bring a 1200 sq ft, cement basement from 40F to 70F in about 45 minutes. Mid winter, it typically consumes a bag of pellets in 12 hours. Without it the basement is too cold to work in all winter.
One thing I learned the hard way. When you heat a cement basement, the warm air will suck moisture out of the concrete walls. The moisture then condenses on the cast iron beds of all the power tools. I have to run a dehumidifier year round to keep the relative humidity down around 40%.

We run at 45% with no dryness issues, defiantly want a humidifier in your house. I use to use smaller ones (2) but they couldn't seem to keep up. I got a whole house one (console sits on the floor) and drop two water tanks in, works much better.