Standalone Humidifier or Whole House System?

 
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hotblast1357
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Post by hotblast1357 » Wed. Jan. 07, 2015 8:14 am

Ok guys gotta big problem, the house is just to dry to deal with anymore, it's at 26% humidity, just too uncomfortable, we have a small humidifier that is probably good for a bedroom but we need something for the whole house, should I invest a bigger one and position it near my cold air return? Or go big and get a REASONABLE duct work system? Best bang for my buck? It is almost a complete galvanize system except some runs are continued with the insulated ductwork as you see in the 3rd pic

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My cold air return to the first floor, is in center of house

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My hot air ducts going to my oil furnace ductwork

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Galvanized to insulated

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michaelanthony
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Post by michaelanthony » Wed. Jan. 07, 2015 9:26 am

I think this is a question based on how much you want to spend? and how big is the home? Without investigating the choices I could guess there are very nice automated units you could install in your plenum. Personally I never liked the idea of a humidifier added to a heating system. I like things I can see, touch, and separate if needed if ever a problem with either unit evolves. My stand alone does a great job in my home, it is less than 1100 sq. ft. and 1 floor. Every day or so some times 2 days, I add a few 2 liter bottles of water and forget about it. The fan has 10 settings and is only noticeable when the house is quiet and the television is off, barely a whisper. I has added a significant amount of comfort and also allows me to run the coal stove a little lower because of that. So can I say it will pay for itself? Yes, but this would be a long time table given the fact I must pay for the water so it is probably a wash. More important is the dry sinus and throat has disappeared. If you go with a permanent install look for ease of maintenance and replacement filters or parts. Others may have more insight for these types. Good luck bud!

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hotblast1357
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Post by hotblast1357 » Wed. Jan. 07, 2015 9:47 am

Well MA I am also worried about the whole house system as I have mixed feelings about mold and what not, I'm heating 2100 sq ft, but half that is the basement so I am not worried about that, I guess if I could get a standalone unit to do the upstairs that would be fine with me.

 
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michaelanthony
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Post by michaelanthony » Wed. Jan. 07, 2015 9:58 am

The Mrs. picked ours up at Sears and it was about 160.00...the moister rides on the air current so if you have good air movement in the home it should work well and you can change the location as needed.

 
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hotblast1357
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Post by hotblast1357 » Wed. Jan. 07, 2015 10:00 am

I would guess I have good air movement with the coal furnace plenum fan running all the time

 
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Post by EarthWindandFire » Wed. Jan. 07, 2015 10:51 am

Adding enough moisture to the air not only aids in how comfortable you feel, but moist air has many health benefits as well. For example, moist air alleviates dry skin and other skin issues such as eczema. Humidifiers soothe dryness, irritation or itchiness in the nose, nasal passages, sinuses, mouth, throat and eyes. They help prevent nose bleeds in those prone to them when their nose is dried out. Humidifiers benefit people with a cold, flu or allergies and asthma. They even serve as a preventative measure, limiting or eliminating viruses and bacteria that thrive in dry air.

 
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Post by mlchelp » Thu. Jan. 08, 2015 10:30 am

I have used the model below for years and they work very well, they sell them at Lowes, Home depot and Sears all under different names but there all identical units. Rated at up to 2900 Sq ft. I run it directly in front of my stove and as the hot air blows out of my stove it mixes with the moist air and distributes throughout my house. You have to be very careful and monitor the outside temperature and adjust the humidifier accordingly. if the outside temperature is -5 then you cant have your humidity level any higher than 25% or you will wake up with a couple of inches of ice on your windows. It will also condensate inside your walls and cause mold. There are charts on the net you can download that tells you what the humidity level inside should be compared to the outside temps. Humidifiers are not a set it and forget it setup you have to adjust them everyday for outside temps.

http://www.lowes.com/pd_645534-12934-HD1409_0__?p ... facetInfo=


 
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Post by McGiever » Thu. Jan. 08, 2015 11:28 am

I may have a suggestion based on if you are paying for your water and have a drain anywhere near where you might mount unit into the duct...and it is silent with no fan in it, is auto-filled, takes up zero floor space 365 days of the year plus is low maintenace.

 
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Post by Pauliewog » Thu. Jan. 08, 2015 2:17 pm

I installed a Thermo Mist 2000 Spray Atomizing Humidifier in my plenum.

Basically it's a temperature sensor controlling a solenoid on my water line that is attached to a stainless steel oil burner nozzle.

I connected the control transformer to power it only when the recirculation blower comes on.

Paulie

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Post by mlchelp » Thu. Jan. 08, 2015 4:14 pm

McGiever wrote:I may have a suggestion based on if you are paying for your water and have a drain anywhere near where you might mount unit into the duct...and it is silent with no fan in it, is auto-filled, takes up zero floor space 365 days of the year plus is low maintenace.
another advantage of this method is that you can purchase a model with a remote outside temperature sensor that will automatically set the proper humidity level inside without having to keep adjusting it manually.

 
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Post by hotblast1357 » Thu. Jan. 08, 2015 9:10 pm

Pauliewog wrote:I installed a Thermo Mist 2000 Spray Atomizing Humidifier in my plenum.

Paulie
What did this system run you? Does it go in the cold air return or hot air supply?

 
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Post by Pauliewog » Thu. Jan. 08, 2015 11:40 pm

hotblast1357 wrote:
Pauliewog wrote:I installed a Thermo Mist 2000 Spray Atomizing Humidifier in my plenum.

Paulie
What did this system run you? Does it go in the cold air return or hot air supply?
I think is was around $130 for the kit. It goes in the hot air supply duct and was designed primarily for gas and oil hot air systems.

With a gas or oil furnace the supply side is normally cool until the burner fires. The Thermomist 2000 has a built in thermostat that does not activate the solenoid until the air temp is I think 130* . It also has a built in timer for more or less humidity.

Because our coal appliances are putting out heat constantly, even at idle, I set mine up to power up and cycle only when the supply fan comes on.

Had I realized how simple and efficient this was, I would have built my own and saved $100..... :hammer:

A ice maker shutoff, a solenoid, a .5gph oil burner nozzle , a few feet of 1/4" copper tubing and some fittings. I don't think I ever got a drop of water out of the drain. My guess is if the control solenoid was mounted higher than the nozzle a few drops could leak out after the solenoid closes and the tubing drains.
Below is a pic of the nozzle and drip drain arrangement.

Paulie

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hotblast1357
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Post by hotblast1357 » Fri. Jan. 09, 2015 7:43 am

You've had no problem with mold or your duct work? My plenum fan runs 24/7, so I would have to find a different a way too cycle it.

 
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Post by Pauliewog » Fri. Jan. 09, 2015 12:54 pm

hotblast1357 wrote:You've had no problem with mold or your duct work? My plenum fan runs 24/7, so I would have to find a different a way too cycle it.
No mold issues, I did notice a calcium and mineral coating inside the plenum. I guess that would depend on the water quality in your area.

With your fan running 24/7, do you have at least 140* temp in the plenum directly over the stove?
I think the 140* is important in order to vaporize the water mist in the airstream to prevent mold issues.

Michelp mentioned the outside temperature monitor and I'm going to look into that. I know i'm running my humidity too high in this weather in fact I shut it off yesterday after noticing ite moisture inside my windows. That looks like an ideal way of controlling yours .
Paulie

 
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Post by Pauliewog » Fri. Jan. 09, 2015 1:01 pm

mlchelp wrote:I have used the model below for years and they work very well, they sell them at Lowes, Home depot and Sears all under different names but there all identical units. Rated at up to 2900 Sq ft. I run it directly in front of my stove and as the hot air blows out of my stove it mixes with the moist air and distributes throughout my house. You have to be very careful and monitor the outside temperature and adjust the humidifier accordingly. if the outside temperature is -5 then you cant have your humidity level any higher than 25% or you will wake up with a couple of inches of ice on your windows. It will also condensate inside your walls and cause mold. There are charts on the net you can download that tells you what the humidity level inside should be compared to the outside temps. Humidifiers are not a set it and forget it setup you have to adjust them everyday for outside temps.

http://www.lowes.com/pd_645534-12934-HD1409_0__?p ... facetInfo=
Are you aware of a good humidistat controller on the market that monitors the inside and outside air , taking the calculating and guesswork out of it?

Paulie


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