Humidifier
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Mt Bob
Minister of Fire
Jhawknseattle
Member
Where did anyone mention having an oak installed. Not relevant to what the post is asking.
On topic, some stoves have an area to put a pot of water on top and it gets hot enough to steam, great option. We usually will boil water and simmer it when it gets really dry. We have a vicks humidifier but it doesn't do enough by itself.
On topic, some stoves have an area to put a pot of water on top and it gets hot enough to steam, great option. We usually will boil water and simmer it when it gets really dry. We have a vicks humidifier but it doesn't do enough by itself.
I use 2 of these. Refill 2x daily. Clean about every 4 days with bleach water and rinse. Does the job.
They used to be 22 bucks on Amazon. They come an go onsale there. Right now not in stock. Be careful when cleaning not to get water in fan. Hole finger over the hole.
DONGSHEN Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier 1.7L Capacity
My house has Home Humidifier but I don't use it when using Pellet Stove (Hooked to AC/Heat Pump). I think everyone knows why (No heat from HP).
One of them I have had about 18 months the other 6 months. Honeywell unit crapped out in less than 6 months and warranty was royal pain and gave up on it.
They used to be 22 bucks on Amazon. They come an go onsale there. Right now not in stock. Be careful when cleaning not to get water in fan. Hole finger over the hole.
DONGSHEN Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier 1.7L Capacity
My house has Home Humidifier but I don't use it when using Pellet Stove (Hooked to AC/Heat Pump). I think everyone knows why (No heat from HP).
One of them I have had about 18 months the other 6 months. Honeywell unit crapped out in less than 6 months and warranty was royal pain and gave up on it.
Mt Bob
Minister of Fire
Grow up,If you do not have a OAK,you are sucking in outside air from cracks and leaks in your house, which changes the air humidity in your enclosed area.I did not ask a "dumb" question.If your unit is not "sealed" start there.
Not on Pellet Stove. They don't boil water like Wood Stove. I can hold my hand on top of mine. It's never more than very warm.
Sawset
Minister of Fire
I have an essick console at home and an ultrasonic at work. One word of caution, use soft water, or some way to demineralize it. Calcium deposits will grow fast on the console media, and will be put in the air with the ultrasonic. The ultrasonic can create a white film on everything if you let it.
This is what I do in my place and it works, it raises the humidity according to the station I use. You don't need to boil the water to increase the humidity.
maple1
Minister of Fire
I don't think it's really the stove that is making the air dry. More apt to be stack effect & air leaks. Pulling lots of dry outside winter air into the house.
How dry are we talking? Are you measuring it with a humidity gauge? Ours is around 30% most of the winter, no apparent issues.
How dry are we talking? Are you measuring it with a humidity gauge? Ours is around 30% most of the winter, no apparent issues.
Paulinator
Member
We have 3 Honeywell warm mist humidifiers. Two downstairs and 1 upstairs. I use a capful of humidifier treatment every refill. They work great, it really helps on the dry cold days. Every year I take them apart and clean the scale off the heating element.
I do have the OAK installed in my stove. The outside humidity is 74%. The inside of my home is 41% humidity, with the stoves running the humidity drops to 28%.
I am using a small cold air humidifier from my kids room at the moment. It is keeping the humidity at 37%. I am amazed how much less my stove runs with the increased humidity and the house feels so much warmer.
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I am using a small cold air humidifier from my kids room at the moment. It is keeping the humidity at 37%. I am amazed how much less my stove runs with the increased humidity and the house feels so much warmer.
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I bought a Bemis 600 series (evaporative wick) for $30. Seems to work well, 5.2 gallon water capacity and it definitely goes through a gallon or two a day. Can anyone comment on using softened or UNsoftened water? The manual stresses that UNsoftened water should be used. My hardness is 28gpg. My gut feeling is that I should be using softened water. I am using bacteria treatment since the previous owner gave me a full bottle. 
Sawset
Minister of Fire
I'd also like to hear of any drawbacks to using soft water in humidifiers. The essick at home gets caked up and done for as it is after 6mo of use and using soft water. For the next month or two I can't see buying another new one - the existing one is good enough but will be tossed come spring. And I'm tempted to bring water to work for the ultrasonic instead of the hard water there due to the white film developing there.I bought a Bemis 600 series (evaporative wick) for $30. Seems to work well, 5.2 gallon water capacity and it definitely goes through a gallon or two a day. Can anyone comment on using softened or UNsoftened water? The manual stresses that UNsoftened water should be used. My hardness is 28gpg. My gut feeling is that I should be using softened water. I am using bacteria treatment since the previous owner gave me a full bottle.
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Ssyko
Minister of Fire
I bought a small console like this years ago:
https://www.lowes.com/pd/AIRCARE-Mini-Console-2-5-Gallon-Console-Evaporative-Humidifier/1125803
Had it when we burned wood. Always tried the kettle on the wood stove but honestly it could never really keep up. These are evaporative, there are times I fill it twice a day (5-gallons). I like that you can set the humidity level (45% I use) and it is then pretty much automatic.
We dump a little treatment in for bacteria and for calcium. Just buy it at Walmart, I recommend at least using something for bacteria. Replace the wick once maybe twice a year, we have hard water, I use the softened water but the wick will still build up with calcium. It is easy to tell when it does because it can not keep the humidity at the set level, then it is time to replace the wick.
After I bought it, I wished I had bought it years before, really helped with sinuses in the winter.
https://www.lowes.com/pd/AIRCARE-Mini-Console-2-5-Gallon-Console-Evaporative-Humidifier/1125803
Had it when we burned wood. Always tried the kettle on the wood stove but honestly it could never really keep up. These are evaporative, there are times I fill it twice a day (5-gallons). I like that you can set the humidity level (45% I use) and it is then pretty much automatic.
We dump a little treatment in for bacteria and for calcium. Just buy it at Walmart, I recommend at least using something for bacteria. Replace the wick once maybe twice a year, we have hard water, I use the softened water but the wick will still build up with calcium. It is easy to tell when it does because it can not keep the humidity at the set level, then it is time to replace the wick.
After I bought it, I wished I had bought it years before, really helped with sinuses in the winter.
We use the Aircare with the 2 gallon tank and 2 gallon reservoir. Works well in our 1600 sf ranch. I like the way the wick also doubles as a filter. We have a pellet stove with an OAK, and a wood stove without an OAK. When running independently of each other, the pellet stove creates significantly drier air in the house. Go figure.
Connecticut Yankee
Burning Hunk
I got one of those pots, and it does evaporate water slowly; not much, but enough to moisten the air just enough. The space is too open for me to want to be running a humidifier. The water in the pot never boils, but if you put the pot towards the front of the stove, where the top is hottest, the water does get warm and evaporate.
If the scale gets annoying, soaking with some white vinegar ought to dissolve it. Or else you can use distilled water in the pot. It comes in gallon bottles and will be found near the spring water at the supermarket. The label will usually say something about steam irons.
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