Humidifier question

[Scott2373]

I'm on the hunt for a whole-house humidifier that is automatically controlled - set it and forget it, if you will. What are all of you using? My house is semi-open floor plan downstairs, 2-story and 1850 total sq. ft. Are there any benefits/drawbacks to evaporative vs. ultrasonic? I'd like to spend under $200. Thanks!

 

[LLigetfa]

Evap units use more energy but are cleaner. Ultrasonic units may put "dust" into the air. The dust is actually minerals that are dissolved in the water. There is some talk that inhaling the dust is not good for you.

I run my F/A gas furnace for a few minutes every morning and the attached evap humidifier manages fairly well. The wife still complains about the dryness though. I suggested a combination HEPA filter/humidifier for the bedroom but she doesn't want the noise.

 

[madison]

Home Depot , Moist Aire by I think Essick I believe they make multiple different sizes, but here as well I would go large, it allows you to fill it less frequently. It works relatively quietly on low, on high you would think a jet is landing overhead. does not spit water is a major plus

Here's the specs on the one we have had for a few yrs:
~ $149
2900 sq. ft. coverage
14 gallon output per day
Total water capacity of 5.25 gallons
Digital controls with auto humidistat
3-speed fan with auto-setting
Automatic shutoff
Automatic dry-out mode
Water refill indicator
Check filter indicator
Easy-fill water bottles
Easy-roll casters
Uses high-performance HDC12 wicks (included)
ETL listed for safety
MFG Brand Name : Essick Air Products
MFG Model # : HD1407
MFG Part # : HD1407

 

[Bubbavh]

Home Depot , Moist Aire by I think Essick I believe they make multiple different sizes, but here as well I would go large, it allows you to fill it less frequently. It works relatively quietly on low, on high you would think a jet is landing overhead. does not spit water is a major plus

Here's the specs on the one we have had for a few yrs:
~ $149
2900 sq. ft. coverage
14 gallon output per day
Total water capacity of 5.25 gallons
Digital controls with auto humidistat
3-speed fan with auto-setting
Automatic shutoff
Automatic dry-out mode
Water refill indicator
Check filter indicator
Easy-fill water bottles
Easy-roll casters
Uses high-performance HDC12 wicks (included)
ETL listed for safety
MFG Brand Name : Essick Air Products
MFG Model # : HD1407
MFG Part # : HD1407

+1
I have the unit going on 3 years. It's easy to clean also!
I like to use the liquid bacteria-stat water treatment(Sunbeam makes it. I get it at walmart. It helps keep it clean, and makes it easier to remove scale build-up.)

 

[DickRussell]

Before getting too aggressive in running a whole house humidifier [edited; I first said DEhumidifier], consider why the inside air is very dry in the first place. That is an indication that the house is (as is typical) quite leaky. Heavy, cold, very dry outside air leaks in down low, below the neutral pressure plane, and lighter, warm, somewhat more humid inside air is pushed out through various other places above the neutral pressure plane. Those exit places usually run through the exterior walls and the attic. If you add more moisture to that normally produced inside by human activity, you add to the potential for excessive moisture accumulation in the wall cavities and the roof deck.

Most houses could use a thorough tightening operation, using sealant and can foam everywhere accessible to seal off the leaks. A few hours can make a huge difference in some cases. Making the house less leaky cuts down the heating bill or (for this forum) makes it easier for the stove to heat the house and improves comfort by eliminating many cold spots. It also reduces the need for supplemental moisture for human comfort and health, and it also reduces the risk of harm in the wall cavities from excess moisture passing through them. It's no secret that in new, exceedingly tight houses, mechanical ventilation is needed not only for providing fresh air but also to keep the interior humidity DOWN, yes, even in the dead of winter. Tightening up most existing houses won't make them so tight as to need mechanical ventilation, but the fact that the very tight houses need ventilation to lower the interior humidity is the evidence that making a leaky house tighter is a move in the right direction regarding humidity.

 

[Scott2373]

Thank you DickRussell, but our house was built in 2005/6 and actually is quite airtight, but still seems dry even though we use a kettle on the stove, and the 2-gallon water jug for the dog bowl seems to empty much quicker than in the old leaky house. I don't have a hygrometer in the house other than on my humidor, so maybe I"ll invest in one of those before I get a humidifier. Thanks for the info!

 

[The Dude]

Dick, I really appreciate that advice, as I'm sure others do also. You seem to know a good amount about this. Could you share any information on common places within the attic and basement find these leaks? Am I feeling for drafts in my basement and attic with my hand or is there some more definitive way to find leaks? Thanks! Tom

 

[jdinspector]

Dude, hard to find without some special tools. Typical places are at the top of the foundation (where the sill plate rests on the foundation), any wall penetration, or ceiling penetrations (think lit fixtures, vents,etc.). You can use smoke guns (or a match or lit cigarette), but a real energy audit uses blower doors and thermal imaging equipment. You may be able to get a local home inspector or energy pro to do a quick thermal image of areas for you. Expensive equipment, so not a cheap endeavor. Worth it in comfort alone (not to mention energy bill reduction).

I use my thermal camera all the time. People are amazed at what we see.

 

[jdinspector]

Before getting too aggressive in running a whole house dehumidifier, consider why the inside air is very dry in the first

Dick, great points. One correction... I think you mean humidifier, not DEhumidifier. Don't want any confusion.

 

[DickRussell]

Before getting too aggressive in running a whole house dehumidifier, consider why the inside air is very dry in the first

Dick, great points. One correction... I think you mean humidifier, not DEhumidifier. Don't want any confusion.

Oops! Thanks. I edited the post to correct it. Your post on the usual places to check for air leaks covered things well, the sill area and penetrations into the attic. While I'm replying I guess I could add some specifics. Starting with what usually are the easiest places to check, besides the sill (unless there is a basement ceiling covering it, there are all those places in the attic where holes were bored in partition wall top plates for wiring. Those can be located easily and the leaks sealed with a squirt of can foam. Trap doors into the attic space, especially those with drop-down folding stairs, often are big leaks; it doesn't take much to line the hole with gasket material of some sort, so that the door seals tightly. If it's just a piece of plywood with nothing on it, a section of 2" foam will insulate that better.

Can lights in the upper living level of a house are bad news, thermally. Older cans typically leak air like crazy. Even newer cans, rated "AT" for "air tight" can leak significantly. One remedy for can lights is to build a box around them in the attic with rigid foam, with the joints sealed with can foam, then insulation piled around them. Besides leaking air to make the house more drafty, can lights upstairs often contribute in a major way to snow melting on the roof and refreezing at the eaves, resulting in massive ice dams. I think it was the Journal of Light Construction that did a nice article last year on ice dam causes and fixes.

Often in older houses, with a masonry chimney going up through the middle of it, there would be of course some clearance between framing and the masonry, and this presents a huge pathway for interior air to flow unchecked to the attic space. This can be sealed off at attic floor level with sheet metal and fire-rated foam.

Another area of a house that can be leaky is the rim joist area between floor levels. A leak there allows cold air to flow unchecked between the floor joists. Unfortunately, getting at that area to seal it off is more difficult.

It occurs to me that this thread perhaps should have been run in the Green Room subforum.

 

[pen]

It occurs to me that this thread perhaps should have been run in the Green Room subforum.

Since the original poster asked nothing to do w/ insulating / sealing a home, this is the right room for his discussion.

pen

 

[Hinterlander]

I use the big Home Depot Moist Aire that Madison described above. Works great, but is a little bit noisy with it's twin fans. I haul the firewood, my wife fills the twin tanks. The only issue we have is that if it is not perfectly level, it won't draw off both tanks, just empties one tank, then quits.

 

[Dieselhead]

I use the big Home Depot Moist Aire that Madison described above. Works great, but is a little bit noisy with it's twin fans. I haul the firewood, my wife fills the twin tanks. The only issue we have is that if it is not perfectly level, it won't draw off both tanks, just empties one tank, then quits.

I have the single tank and am also happy with it, only keep it on low and the humidistat set at 40 with fan on low. going on a year now with it no problemos

 

[Catspaw]

I know this won't work for everyone, but we use an indoor clothes drying rack in the winter (we use an outdoor clothesline in the summer). Saves money not running the dryer or a humidifier and no noise either. Not much control over the amount of moisture nor is it very consistent but it works well enough for us.

- Rich

 

[maple1]

I agree whole heartedly with DickRussell.

Even in new homes, I think the most common place that is lacking in insulation/air sealing, and is thereby a great contributor to dry inside air in winter, is the rim joist area - and not just the sill portion itself.

 

[xman23]

So the decision was about humidifiers

We are into the second season with the Sears 12 gallon evap type (fan). On a good day I think it can put 12 gallon of water in the air. We use it in our loft bedroom. You can feal the cool moist brease comeing from it. Has all the automatic controls, around $100 or so. What a nice change, far better than the pot on the stove.

The only issue is, It holds a lot of water maybe 2-3 gallons, but you have to refill 3-4 times a day. With this much water consumption it should be able to hook up to a water line.

 

[richg]

I found a big old pot and keep it on top of the stove. My water transportation vessel is a 2 gallon cooking oil jug. Grand total invested: $0.00 and it has made a noticeable difference in the house. It's not pretty, but I don't give a rat's backside.