Furnace humidifiers

[Mary]

I live in dry Colorado and am considering having a furnace humidifier (Aprilaire 560) installed.
Pros/Cons??? Thanks!

[lawnboy]

I have one don’t know the name, works good…except they put the humidifier gauge in the basement….I would suggest that you make sure that they put in the areas that you are living in. Another con if it’s not used for a while the water can go bad in the tube if it’s like mine…I put a little faberic softener in the water to help keep it clean.

[bc]

Haven’t personally dealt with Aprilaire but you definitely need one that is plumbed in. You will get tired quick of hauling water to a portable one. Good luck.

[DennisD]

AprilAire 560 is a very good unit.

Do Not Listen to the advice about the fabric softner….very poor idea.

Have a knowledgeable Pro install the unit. Make sure you install at least an icemaker filter in the water line before the filter. The minerals in the water can clog the metering orifice.

The humidistat can be installed in the living space or in the return air ducts. I prefer the return air duct, that way you don’t have an additional gadget hanging on the wall.

You will need to change the water panel in the filter once a year. Do not try to clean the water panel it must be changed. It is coated with specific minerals to keep the water bacteria free.

[The Insulator]

Have you checked what your indoor humidity level is? If your house is relatively new & built tight, usually the result is high indoor humidty, no low. That’s because the act of living in the house is constantly putting moisture in the air (cooking, showers, breathing, plants).

From a health standpoint, a relative humidity of between 40% – 60% is the best, but even at the low end (40%) on those cold nights you may have condensation on your windows. If you check recommendations of window manufacturers, the suggested humidity levels are much lowere, some charts I’ve seen 15% (thats lip craking dry).

My first suggestion is to check yor level. Radio Shack has a inexpensive, and fairly accurate meter for about $50. If your house is running real dry, you may consider if there is anything you can do to tighten it up. lessing the air exchange will increase you humidity and give you the bonus of decreasing you heating bill. I live in the cold upper midwest (cold air is VERY DRY), I don’t worry about adding moisture, my concern is getting rid of it!

The insulator

[andyman]

anyone have any experience with newer mist style whole house humidifier?

[Author]

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