opinions on furnace mounted humidifiers

[mark25]

Looking to replace a 30+ yr old Carrier furnace. Quotes for Carrier Infinity and Trane XV90 80k btu units. Looking for opinions on adding humidifier to new units. Are they worth it and are there potential issues with the furnace unit down the road-rusting/corrosion, etc? Thanks

[james mo]

Not knowing your climate, I can't say----but I do recommend them here in Missouri where you can power the washing machine with static electricity and spend the savings on moisturizers. If installed properly and set sensibly, they do a good job.

[amd]

Stay away from drum humidifiers if you don't like scraping 1/2 " of crap off the tray once a month.

Those things are nasty.

[dx]

Amd, you need to learn how to use them humidifiers. You don't scrape anything. You get a tray liner. Scale doesn't stick to the liner. And even if it did, you can replace the liner for a couple of bucks.
If you forget the liner, just pour some of the cleaner solution you can buy for $3 or vinegar into the tray and it will dissolve the scale.
Scraping will only aggravate things, because you scratch the surface and scale will stick to it better.
Mark, a good drum humidifier, like a Lobb, works just fine and requires close to no maintenance if you use it properly. I just shake out the tray liner and soak the sponge in vinegar once a season and that's it. And yes I'm in an area with long dry winters.
Drum humidifiers use considerably less water than flow-through types. Huge difference.

[stevem]

Flow-through humidifiers eliminate the large reservoir used with drum humidifiers. With no standing water, there are no mold concerns. Flow-through humidifiers also only require annual maintenance. The water that does not evaporate flushes much of the mineral deposits left by the evaporated water down the drain.

[mayguy]

Stay away from the drum style, go with the flow-though type.

The float on the drum can get stuck in "ON", and may over flow and do damage to the duct and/or equipment.

[dx]

Not true. The drum type has a drain connection just like the flow-through. If you are one of the hacks who 'forgets' to connect the drain line AND someting goes wrong, you end up with water on the floor, not in the duct or 'equipment'. No different than a flow-through. If you knew how a drum-type works, you would also know that it has a little optional paddle that PURPOSELY causes a slight overflow condition once in a while. That dumps some of the scale into the drain line.

[nickm]

I had an Aprilaire flow thru type humidifier installed on my furnace after living thru a winter of electric shocks and sore throats. The best feature about this unit is that the homeowner can adjust the humidity level of the home to his liking. I don't know if the new drum types have this option. The old ones just ran continuously when the heat was on. Replacing the pad once a year costs about $5.00 and only takes a few minutes.

[dx]

Wrong, Nick. The old ones did not run all the time. Where do you people get all these old wives' tales? They had a humidistat, just like the new ones do. I still have a Lobb that is at least 25 years old and always had a humidistat.

[nickm]

I guess I stand corrected. I did see a real cheap drum type that was like a paddle wheel. It ran with the air flow only, no electrical connection at all. I hope my Aprilaire lasts as long as your drum type.

[amd]

Originally posted by dx
Amd, you need to learn how to use them humidifiers. You don't scrape anything. You get a tray liner. Scale doesn't stick to the liner. And even if it did, you can replace the liner for a couple of bucks.
If you forget the liner, just pour some of the cleaner solution you can buy for $3 or vinegar into the tray and it will dissolve the scale.
Scraping will only aggravate things, because you scratch the surface and scale will stick to it better.
Mark, a good drum humidifier, like a Lobb, works just fine and requires close to no maintenance if you use it properly. I just shake out the tray liner and soak the sponge in vinegar once a season and that's it. And yes I'm in an area with long dry winters.
Drum humidifiers use considerably less water than flow-through types. Huge difference.

Regardless of better means of cleaning/use of liners, warm standing water is a great breeding ground. I doubt that blowing air past a pad rotating in stagnant water is great for IAQ.

http://hvac-talk.com/vbb/showthread.php?threadid=79771

[dx]

Amd, so now you're an expert microbiologist! First, your "warm standing water" is neither. It is not standing because it is constantly agitated. It is not warm because you connect it to either cold or hot water. Connecting it to hot water will greatly increase its evaporative output for extra-dry climates. Second, if your house is so dry that it needs a humidifier in the first place, mold is not going to be an issue unless you humidify too much. This has nothing to do with the type of humidifier. Third, have you measured the air velocity inside a properly ducted drum humidifier? Do you think that velocity allows mold growth?

Ancient proverb: It is better to keep silent and let people think you are ignorant than open your mouth and remove all doubt.

[casturbo]

Every drum-type I service is a pit of green/yellow slime, and sometimes has mold over a 1/2" thick growing in it. Sorry, DX, drum-type humidifiers do not work for a typical "total-neglect" homeowner. I can't blame them though, why should they have to remember to routinely clean their drum humidifier when a pass thru model works just as well, but without the fuss?