Whole house humidifiers

I'm looking to install (or have installed) a whole house humidifier. Looking around, it looks like a lot of local places sell and install 'Apriaire' http://www.aprilaire.com/default.asp models.

Has anyone here had one of these installed (or another brand)? Have any opinions on them and who installed it? I live in a townhouse so it doesn't have to be the most powerful around.

Thanks!

John


---------------
Got Broadband?

 

John,

I didn't have the brand you mentioned installed in my previous house but a similar one that was attached to the main duct leaving my heat pump air handler in the basement. They tapped into the hot water line (had to be hot vs. cold water??) to supply water that dripped constantly over a pad which was part of a replaceable filter in the humidifier. It also had a humidifier control to start/stop the humidifier automatically.

It worked OK but there was no way to keep the water pad clean and if you want to see something disgusting, run that pad/filter for a season and pull it out. I'm sure there were "things" growing on the pad that didn't need to be spread through out the house. The pad was part of the filter and the combo cost about $35-$45 to replace, so I only replaced it at the beginning of each heating season. I stopped using the humidifier after several seasons of seeing the mold and crap that accumulated on the water pad. I'd only consider another one if the pad and filter could be changed separately (at a cheaper cost) and if there were some way to soak and clean the pad and filter during the season.

I had the A/C company that installed my original heating-A/C system install the humidifier but any similar company sells and installs various brands of whole-house humidifiers.

Greg

 

Greg/John-
Don't have the model, Honeywell maybe, but Tom put one on our air handler two years ago. It does make a difference. However, we did NOT install the humidistat - our house seems so dry, we just have it run at 100%.

It tapes into the in and outbound air ducts right at the handler unit. It draws air from the outbound side (to house) runs it over the "filter" thing and then is drawn in to the inbound side (from house).

So the humidified air passes through the handler, is warmed, and piped out to the house (with a small amount bypassed, again, through the humidifier). You get the idea.

Whenever the air handler turns on (after box heats up) the solenoid opens to allow water to run across the filter while the air passes through. When the air handler shuts off, the water shuts off. The excess water runs out the bottom of the filter case and down a tube to the same overflow drain for the HVAC.

While it seems it would use a lot of water, it really doesn't.

As for Greg's concern on the "muck factor" - No problem on ours. Mineral deposits were most noted. I think some of the new "filters" are antibacterial, so those concerns are lessened.

Tom (hubby) put ours in ourselves, but the wiring is tricky and you might want a HVAC person to check your work...

hope that helps



Dawne

 

John

Try Johnson Polar Air in Sterling. They carry Aprilaire and installed mine. Love it.

Snerz

 

We had a humidifier installed by Cropp Metcalf. I've no problems with it and it makes a big difference in the winter.

 

I have an appointment next week to have an Aprilaire installed. Thanks everyone!

John

---------------
Got Broadband?