Dry winter air can zap moisture from your house, leaving your family members with dry skin and clothing plagued by static. A furnace humidifier works directly with your central heating furnace in order to add moisture back into the entire home. This whole-house humidifying choice serves as a convenient way of correcting moisture levels from the house with no maintenance and refilling associated with conventional room-sized units.
Assess Capacity
Various types of furnace humidifiers are intended to produce specific moisture outputs, rated in gallons every day, or even GPD. According to Lowes.com, a unit rated at 1.5 to 2.0 GPD is enough to get a space measuring less than 500 square feet, even though a unit rated at 3.0 to 3.5 GPD could work in a space measuring 700 to 800 square feet. A 1,000 to 2,000 square foot house requires a furnace humidifier rated at 7.0 to 9.0 GPD, while residences bigger than 2,000 square feet require 10.0 GPD or even higher.
Understand Installation Requirements
Whole house humidifiers utilize your furnace, but installation requirements vary by model. Some are intended to attach right into the chimney, while some fit into neighboring ductwork. Study the setup of the furnace and surrounding ductwork, then search for a unit designed to match inside the setup without extreme reworking of the system.
Compare Different Types of Units
Furnace humidifiers come in three standard designs, with each offering its own set of benefits and disadvantages. Drum-style units would be the most affordable, but also require the most maintenance according to Cornerhardware.com. Flow-thru models help to prohibit mold development, but require an integrated floor drain for proper drainage. Spray mist humidifiers are efficient for use with petroleum or gas-powered furnaces, but aren’t intended for use in electrical furnaces.
Consider Controls
Look for furnace humidifiers with easy-to-read humidistats built into the unit for maximum convenience. A humidistat works similar to a thermostat on your furnace, but measures moisture levels rather than temperature. These devices can automatically send a signal to turn the humidifier on and off depending on specific moisture readings. Separate thermo-hygrometers can also be used to measure humidity levels if you discover a unit without an integrated humidistat, but you will have to manually adjust the flux to achieve your desired level of humidity.
Request About Replacement Parts
Furnace humidifiers require routine care to ensure successful operation. Based on the version you choose, you’ll want to replace components which range from evaporative pads to filters and screens as advocated by the manufacturer. Consider the cost of these flashlights as well as how easy it will be to find components for each unit before selecting your furnace humidifier.
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