Am I a frog?

[whlago]

As part of my installation of the pellet stove I obviously noted a real need to add some humidity to the house. I never did this in the winter before, never thought about it actually, but realize now how dry my hands always got in the winter and love the comfort level of the house after using my fancy new Sears whole house humidifier

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_03215412000P?mv=rr&i_cntr=1325693967598

Well, I've been keeping the humidistat on 45% humidity level and feel that that is a comfort level for me, the family and the house. So far no condensate on the windows or any other signs of too much humidity and everyone seems as healthy as can be lately.

Then I look at the recommended humidity levels and wonder if I should be setting the humidistat lower. I don't have the recommended levels from the Users Manual but I found the following on line and if I remember correctly it pretty much mirrors what the Users Manual stated:

Outside Temperature Inside Humidity

20º to 40ºF Not over 40%

10º to 20ºF Not over 35%

0º to 10ºF Not over 30%

-10º to 0ºF Not over 25%

-20º to –10ºF Not over 20%

-20ºF or below Not over 15%

My question to all of you out there is what level do you set your humidifier at and from your responses I hope to answer my own question as to whether or not I'm a frog.
Thanks

 

[kinsmanstoves]

I have never been concerned with humidity in the house during winter. Our house is not wrapped as well as it should be. It does bring a few things to mind.

Eric

 

[Adios Pantalones]

I think those numbers are designed to prevent condensation, so if no condensation then pump it up until you're comfortable.

On this note- 45% is right in the sweet spot to limit most pathogens/allergens.

Source: http://www.ajwarrenservice.com

 

[ironpony]

looks about right, generally up to 50% is considered O.K.
above that, condensation, mold etc.

 

[ironpony]

and yes, you might be a frog
ask the wife for verification

 

[whlago]

and yes, you might be a frog
ask the wife for verification

It's true I might be....I've been watching the Twilight Zone marathon over the holiday and am realizing that anythings possible!

 

[GrahamInVa]

I have a whole house humidifier in my duct work. I leave it set a 40%. It makes a big difference with dry skin, coughing, ect... It also makes it feel warmer in the house.

If I were to set it any higher I don't believe the system could keep up when we get these DRY arctic blasts.

After looking at the chart above it appears we are right where it needs to be.

 

[Murphy118]

I just bought a humidifier for the downstairs, the 2 others we own are in use in each of the kids rooms. it's just a 1 galloner from wally world, but I got it after reading of the potential of static arcs afecting the control boards of the pellet stove. I have noticed over the past few winters that i needed to touch the frame of the stove before reaching for the control board,,,, never gave it a ot of thought regarding humidity and didn't realize how much the stove dries the air.
I have a thermometer in the living room with a remote sensor outside that shows me inside temp, outside temp, inside relative humidity and outside relative humidity. I have had it running about 3 days and have filled it twice, (2 gallons of water), but the inside humidity has not moved from the starting reading of 20%,,,,,,, i've reset it and did get a reading of 21% for a short time, then it reverted back to the 20%.
Is it possible that the stove is drying the air just as fast as I'm adding moisture to it?????

John

 

[GrahamInVa]

I just bought a humidifier for the downstairs, the 2 others we own are in use in each of the kids rooms. it's just a 1 galloner from wally world, but I got it after reading of the potential of static arcs afecting the control boards of the pellet stove. I have noticed over the past few winters that i needed to touch the frame of the stove before reaching for the control board,,,, never gave it a ot of thought regarding humidity and didn't realize how much the stove dries the air.
I have a thermometer in the living room with a remote sensor outside that shows me inside temp, outside temp, inside relative humidity and outside relative humidity. I have had it running about 3 days and have filled it twice, (2 gallons of water), but the inside humidity has not moved from the starting reading of 20%,,,,,,, i've reset it and did get a reading of 21% for a short time, then it reverted back to the 20%.
Is it possible that the stove is drying the air just as fast as I'm adding moisture to it?????

John

I would say yes but it's not totally your stoves fault. Cold air holds way less moisture. Last night my indoor humidity was 38%. My stat was set for 40%. This morning the humidity was 32%. And I know my whole house humidifier ran the entire night. Probably used at least 10 gallons of water. It will recover today when the temps get warmer.

 

[DexterDay]

I just bought a humidifier for the downstairs, the 2 others we own are in use in each of the kids rooms. it's just a 1 galloner from wally world, but I got it after reading of the potential of static arcs afecting the control boards of the pellet stove. I have noticed over the past few winters that i needed to touch the frame of the stove before reaching for the control board,,,, never gave it a ot of thought regarding humidity and didn't realize how much the stove dries the air.
I have a thermometer in the living room with a remote sensor outside that shows me inside temp, outside temp, inside relative humidity and outside relative humidity. I have had it running about 3 days and have filled it twice, (2 gallons of water), but the inside humidity has not moved from the starting reading of 20%,,,,,,, i've reset it and did get a reading of 21% for a short time, then it reverted back to the 20%.
Is it possible that the stove is drying the air just as fast as I'm adding moisture to it?????

John

I would say yes but it's not totally your stoves fault. Cold air holds way less moisture. Last night my indoor humidity was 38%. My stat was set for 40%. This morning the humidity was 32%. And I know my whole house humidifier ran the entire night. Probably used at least 10 gallons of water. It will recover today when the temps get warmer.

Run my Lasko 24/7 and it was around 40% at bedtime and 31%-32% at 5:30 this morning. Only use about 4 gallons a day on Low. Put it on Med when I get home and back to Low when we sleep..

 

[Adios Pantalones]

I just bought a humidifier for the downstairs, the 2 others we own are in use in each of the kids rooms. it's just a 1 galloner from wally world, but I got it after reading of the potential of static arcs afecting the control boards of the pellet stove. I have noticed over the past few winters that i needed to touch the frame of the stove before reaching for the control board,,,, never gave it a ot of thought regarding humidity and didn't realize how much the stove dries the air.
I have a thermometer in the living room with a remote sensor outside that shows me inside temp, outside temp, inside relative humidity and outside relative humidity. I have had it running about 3 days and have filled it twice, (2 gallons of water), but the inside humidity has not moved from the starting reading of 20%,,,,,,, i've reset it and did get a reading of 21% for a short time, then it reverted back to the 20%.
Is it possible that the stove is drying the air just as fast as I'm adding moisture to it?????

John

I would say yes but it's not totally your stoves fault. Cold air holds way less moisture. Last night my indoor humidity was 38%. My stat was set for 40%. This morning the humidity was 32%. And I know my whole house humidifier ran the entire night. Probably used at least 10 gallons of water. It will recover today when the temps get warmer.

If the air is colder and holds less water, then the RELATIVE humidity is higher. Take a static quantity of air at 25% humidity and cool it off- the same amount of water will be a higher %RH.

The problem is that air coming in from outside (exchange/ventilation) at a certain %RH will have a much lower %RH when heated in your house. The stove does not remove water, it heats the air-thereby driving down RH.

 

[Adios Pantalones]

This was a double post. I will therefore replace it with this:

 

[xraycer]

This was a double post. I will therefore replace it with this:

Ok, so what's under the bag? :grrr:

 

[Adios Pantalones]

Tanuki.

 

[Murphy118]

The stove does not remove water, it heats the air-thereby driving down RH

AHA it makes more sense now,,,, be that as it may, I am bringing home from work tonight a brand spanking new electronic Hygro/Thermometer, and our Sling Psychrometer that I use to verify the electronic hrgrometers in our dry-cure room.


my wife is gonna love this new venture into the pellet madness-----"It's all about Humidity"!


John