Sizing humidifiers

[GorillaTight]

Hey guys, I was just wondering how you size a humidifier for a house w/o fan interlock or continuous fan. We generally install the Honeywell HE200, formerly the HE265 which is rated for 4,000 sq. ft. I believe. This may seem like overkill for a small to average size home, until you take into account that the heat will not run long enough on a non-design temp. day. I know you also have to take the home's "tightness" into account. Just wondering if you guys had any rules-of-thumb or formulas for this. Thoughts?

[Cosmicmuffin]

Some are hooking up to hot water. You can also "throttle back" water supply.

[GorillaTight]

Yeah, I try to hook into the hot water if I can. I wonder how much electric/fuel and water it takes to keep a house reasonably humid in the heating season when I see a flow-through drain out :whistle:

[iszell]

Hey guys, I was just wondering how you size a humidifier for a house w/o fan interlock or continuous fan. We generally install the Honeywell HE200, formerly the HE265 which is rated for 4,000 sq. ft. I believe. This may seem like overkill for a small to average size home, until you take into account that the heat will not run long enough on a non-design temp. day. I know you also have to take the home's "tightness" into account. Just wondering if you guys had any rules-of-thumb or formulas for this. Thoughts?
Whether its a by-pass or fan powered humidifier I normally stick to the manufacturers recommendation according to square footage and adjust the humidistat. One manufacture suggest if continuous fan is not used in the application, then the humidifier will not perform as it should.

[beenthere]

Hey guys, I was just wondering how you size a humidifier for a house w/o fan interlock or continuous fan. We generally install the Honeywell HE200, formerly the HE265 which is rated for 4,000 sq. ft. I believe. This may seem like overkill for a small to average size home, until you take into account that the heat will not run long enough on a non-design temp. day. I know you also have to take the home's "tightness" into account. Just wondering if you guys had any rules-of-thumb or formulas for this. Thoughts?

Only on the mildest of outside temp days should there be a real problem with not being able to maintain humidity. And on those days it should be too much lower then set humidity. Unless the furnace is over sized for the homes heating needs.

Generally on mild temp days, its not just a short heat cycle problem. Its also the lack of heat run cycles.


PS: The HC200 is a DIY model that Honeywell sells. And i believe only listed as up to 2500 sq ft.

[GorillaTight]

THIS is what our distributor sends us:

http://yourhome.honeywell.com/home/Products/Humidifiers/Whole-House+Evaporative/TrueEASE.htm

...Wasn't aware they were called "Tru-Ease" now

[beenthere]

The True Ease is a contractors model.

When Honeywell says up to a 4000 sq ft house. They mean a really really tight 4000 sq ft house. One that has less then .2 ACH.

[GorillaTight]

Must have been some wishful thinking on my part! I believe I had seen that on a chart in their installation manual at some point. Thanks for the clarification! :putergreet:

[beenthere]

Its equivalent to an Aprilaire 600.