Humidifier for 1800 sq ft home with high ceiling

[Kris Moon]

Hi,

I am looking for a whole house humidifier for a 1800 sq ft home with high ceiling. I was introduced to Aprilaire 400, 500, 600 and Honeywell steam humidifiers. I read many reviews and realized that they all have many pros and cons. Which is the one will do the job, bring humidity between 42 to 50% and will not produce the white dust? One of my kids has eczema. There are piano and hard wood floor need to be protected too.

Thank you!

[beenthere]

Depends on yoour water condition.

Your local contractor should know your local water conditions.


Moved this to residential, you should get more responses there.

[small change]

Kris

First off it would benefit anyone with an opinion on this subject
to know where you live, as in what city and state

It would be helpful to know

[beenthere]

I deleted your other thread you made on this same topic.

Do not make duplicate threads. Even if you change the title.
Many are away for the holiday weekend. So you may not get many replies until tomorrow.

[adamste81]

where do you live? the aprilaire systems are based on sizing of the house basically. for example the 400 series will do up to a 4,000 sqft but the 500 series is for 3,000 sqft supposedly according to manufacturer. Do you have a pretty open floor plan? Basement? Where is the piano, first floor? Aprilaire, in my humble opinion is a decent residential system.

[yankee fan]

Hi,

I am looking for a whole house humidifier for a 1800 sq ft home with high ceiling. I was introduced to Aprilaire 400, 500, 600 and Honeywell steam humidifiers. I read many reviews and realized that they all have many pros and cons. Which is the one will do the job, bring humidity between 42 to 50% and will not produce the white dust? One of my kids has eczema. There are piano and hard wood floor need to be protected too.

Thank you!

I use Nortec steam humidifiers. They are more expensive but require less maintenance. Unlike Aprilaire, they operate independent of the heating cycle which is very important. If you have hydronic heat you will need a blower. If you contact Nortec they will give you a list of qualified contractors in your area. Also, when using a high grade unit, you need to learn how to set your humidistat (indoor controller) based on outside air temperature. It's very important.

good luck

[beenthere]

I use Nortec steam humidifiers. They are more expensive but require less maintenance. Unlike Aprilaire, they operate independent of the heating cycle which is very important. If you have hydronic heat you will need a blower. If you contact Nortec they will give you a list of qualified contractors in your area. Also, when using a high grade unit, you need to learn how to set your humidistat (indoor controller) based on outside air temperature. It's very important.

good luck
EWC Autoflo steam humidifiers, have an outdoor sensor, so they readjust for outdoor temp automatically.

[Kris Moon]

I live in Ontario, Canada. I have a very open floor plan.

[adamste81]

EWC Autoflo steam humidifiers, have an outdoor sensor, so they readjust for outdoor temp automatically.

true, the automatic adjustment leaves you with a lot less headaches.

[Carnak]

50% RH in the winter is going to ruin your window sills in Ontario, you will need good quality windows to be able to keep 40%

[Kris Moon]

The house is only 10-year old. Good quality windows were installed then (according to the builder). One of the contractors told me that the piano needed 50% humidity. He recommended Honeywell steam humidifier. When I asked him about Aprilaire 600, he said that my money would be flushed down to the drain. Flow through would not do the job. I started to doubt that the information provided by him was not accurate.

[beenthere]

The Aprilaire works fine.
Hooked to the hot water line. The Aprilaire does a better job yet.

[Carnak]

The house is only 10-year old. Good quality windows were installed then (according to the builder). One of the contractors told me that the piano needed 50% humidity. He recommended Honeywell steam humidifier. When I asked him about Aprilaire 600, he said that my money would be flushed down to the drain. Flow through would not do the job. I started to doubt that the information provided by him was not accurate.
Do you have an HRV or an air exchanger in the home? A fresh air intake on the return?

You keep over 40% those windows will start sweating when it gets cold

[Kris Moon]

I have a HRV.

[Carnak]

that is what is keeping you so dry in the winter

what make model is it, how is it controlled

[Kris Moon]

Mine is a LIFEBREATH. I don't know much about HVAC. To be honest, I had never taken closer look at the whole system until few days ago when problems occurred. I only know that I have to change filters for the air purifier and AC and clean up furnace.

[Carnak]

do you have exhaust fans in your washrooms?

does the lifebreathe control look like one of these?

http://207.34.229.34/Manuals/en_manarch/TI-30%5bPVC99-105%5d.pdf

If you have bathroom fans, during the cold weather you could set the Lifebreathe to a low fan speed, even to be off until there is a rise in humidity. It will ventilate on high speed probably pushing 150 CFM until the humidity level drops. A normal CFM for a house your size for 0.3 air changes is going to be under 100 CFM so intermittent high speed ventialtion to keep humidity down is going to provide a lot of fresh air and will respond to when the home is occupied.

You just run off of the dehumidistat in the cold weather.

So if your windows are good, you will probably be able to keep upwards to 40% RH in the winter time. So the house is 10 years old, unless you just got the hardwood floors and the piano this summer, I think they will survive at 40%

If the windows start sweating then you will have to lower the RH setting until they stay clear.

[Kris Moon]

Yes, I have exhaust fans in all bathrooms (the silent types). The base control of HRV is exactly looked like the fig 3 on the manual. The thermostat has been changed to Honeywell a few years ago. I got the hardwood floors and piano this summer.

[Carnak]

well call someone who sells lifebreathe and see if you have the dehumidistat or not

50% RH is going to be problematic even if you are down somewhere around windsor, london or toronto never mind Sudbury or Thunder Bay

[Kris Moon]

I have original dehumidistat sitting above the themostat. What % of RH should I set now? What is the optimal % of RH in winter time?

[Carnak]

You use the dehumidistat in the winter only do not use it in the summer.

Set it as high as your windows will allow in the winter. In NW Ontario I would tell people to try 35% once it got below freezing, if their windows stayed clear to bump it up. If the windows were sweating lower the setting until it stopped.

The better the window, the warmer the surface temperature of the inside glass and the FRAMES. The warmer the surfaces the higher the RH you can maintain without sweating.

The colder it gets outside, the colder the inside of the windows will be.

That dehumidistat should over ride the HRV to high speed even if you have the fan speed set to zero, but it sounds like either the dehumidistat is built into the wall control or someone has to wire an independent dehumidistat to the unit to do this. Call a liebreathe dealer

If the windows are good, then maybe you can keep 40% without a problem

[Kris Moon]

Carnak, I have a very silly question. How do you turn off the dehumidistat in the summer? The dehumidistat mounted on the main floor does not have a on/off switch. Is there another one hidden around HRV?

[adamste81]

The dehumidistat mounted on the main floor does not have a on/off switch. Is there another one hidden around HRV?

The dehumidistat should have an on/off switch, atleast the ones I have seen. Sorry if that is not a help, curious what Carnak says. I know the HRV shuts off the dehumidistat when it is no longer needed but most have a seperate on/off switch. :eek2:

[Carnak]

Carnak, I have a very silly question. How do you turn off the dehumidistat in the summer? The dehumidistat mounted on the main floor does not have a on/off switch. Is there another one hidden around HRV?
set it to 80% RH or disable the function on the controller

[Carnak]

The HRV dries out your house. Now you are putting in something to fight off the HRV and humidify the house.

I am suggesting that you stop overdrying your house. And to sound like a scratched record, when it gets cold out and assuming your new humidifier can over power the drying effect of the HRV, that your windows will start dripping profusely if you maintain 50% RH in cold weather.

40% RH is more realisic, its not going to crack your skin or a piano, and it will not ruin your window sills and cause mold

the horse has been to the watering hole several times now, still seems like it is not thirsty.

[Kris Moon]

I have an Aprilaire 600A. Is the "humidifier on" indicator light supposed to be lighted up all the time (green/yellow/red)? Is the water flow through or drain off only when the furnace kicks in? My "humidifier on" indicator is not light up and there is no water drain off. I wonder why.

[2old2rock]

It's not working - have someone look at it - could solve all your problems.

[Kris Moon]

Is the green light supposed to be on at all time? This unit was installed last week. I just don't know what are considered normal or not.

[beenthere]

If its powered off the blower. It will only be on when the blower is on.

[Kris Moon]

beenthere, that means that there is nothing wrong with the humidifier. Is that meant that no water drain off if the blower/furnace is not on?

[beenthere]

If it only runs when the blower/heat is on. That will be the only time that water drains.

[Kris Moon]

Thank you, guys. There were so many articles saying that the flow-through system wasted lots of water. That's why I always thought that the water would flow through all the time.

[beenthere]

No problem.

[Kris Moon]

I observed the humidifier for at least an hour. I noticed that even the furnace kicked in, the dehumidifier ramped the reading from 30 to 38%, the "humidifier on" indicator was still not light up and I did not see water coming out from the unit. I will call the installer to come back tomorrow for the 2nd time. :(