Indoor Air Quality encompasses many aspects of your home’s HVAC system. Proper ventilation, air filtration and humidification are various ways to improve indoor air quality.
Colorado is mostly in a semi-arid, high-desert climate, though the weather is heavily influenced by the proximity of the Rocky Mountains and Front Range. Though the weather can be unpredictable, it typically averages over 300 sunny days per year.
The dryness, added to the usage of “forced air” heat, can leave homeowners with sinus problems, itchy skin, static electricity “shocks”, and cracks in their wood floors and furniture. A whole-house humidifier integrate into the ductwork is often the most effective way to tackle too-low humidity in your home and it eliminates the need to refill a portable humidifier. All whole-house humidifiers require a water line a power source and ductwork penetration.
There are three types of whole-house humidifiers.
Whole-House Humidifiers
Bypass Humidifiers
Every humidifier turns water into vapor, which is then dissipated throughout a home. A Bypass humidifier takes the most passive approach, relying on the hot air flowing through an HVAC System
to distribute moisture.
Inside a bypass humidifier, water flows over a wicking, evaporative filter, either a drum style or a flow-through flat panel model. The primary advantage of the drum style is that it doesn’t use a drain, which means all the water is distributed into the home. However, the standing water in the tray is a perfect environment for mold growth, so it takes more work to keep these units cleaned. In contrast, a bypass humidifier that uses a flow-through filter wastes more water. Owners must replace the evaporative filter annually and clean the drain line.
Bypass humidifiers are the least expensive to purchase and install and are virtually silent when operating.
Powered Humidifiers
Whereas bypass humidifiers rely on the furnace to distribute vaporized air, powered humidifiers have a built-in fan that pushes moisture into the ducts, helping propel it throughout the home.
Powered humidifiers are larger than bypass units but don’t require additional ductwork and only need one cutout. Typically, a flow-through evaporative filter is positioned in front of the fan, and it must be replaced annually.
They are more expensive to operate than bypass humidifiers since they use more water and electricity. Because powered humidifiers include a fan, it will generate more noise than a bypass unit.
Steam Humidifiers
A steam whole-house humidifier operates more like an independent home appliance than a furnace accessory. Electric probes boil water inside a steam unit’s cannister, and then the steam is injected into the air ducts via a thick rubber hose. Steam units can be mounted on a wall near the furnace, but they only require a small cutout for the hose.
Steam humidifiers have substantially more parts than evaporative-style whole-house humidifiers, which adds to their cost. Installation is more complex because they must be wired into a standalone breaker in the circuit box.
Annual maintenance is necessary to keep stem units in good operating condition, although they can be less susceptible to mold growth. They are more expensive to operate but may be the only viable solution for larger homes. A steam unit will produce some noise while operating, but this may not be a problem, depending on its location.
Since whole-house humidifiers require water connections, electrical connections, and cuts into your ductwork, they should be done by professional installers. Most manufacturers’ warranties require professional installation.
Humidifier Tips
A humidifier can only put moisture into the air when the furnace is running. Most thermostats have a fan switch that can be set to “Auto”, or “Manual” (“On”).
A whole-house humidifier doesn’t just add to your health – increasing the amount of moisture in the air generally helps your home feel warmer at a lower temperature, reducing your heating costs.
A central air conditioner will not cool or dehumidify properly if the humidifier is running. As a result, whole-house humidifiers should be turned off at the end of each heating season.
