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9 Common FAQs About Central Humidifiers

In the Denver metro area and around most of our region, it’s a given that the air inside of our homes during the winter can get pretty dry, at times. When it gets real arid indoors, things like dry skin and itchy eyes, nose, and throat become noticeable, along with increased static shocks, lots of airborne dust, and more. Dry air in your home can downright affect your demeanor, and your health, too.

An effective solution to this condition is often the right humidifier. This post from our comfort team at Save Home Heat Company will focus on some of the most common questions we hear from homeowners looking for a home humidifier to install on their ducted furnace system.

General Questions About Central Humidifiers

The two most common types of central humidifiers that our team at Save Home Heat installs for homeowners in the Denver area are standard, flow-thru models and steam-powered units. Flow-thru models use warm air from an operating furnace to create water vapor to be delivered to the home, while steam-powered models have an internal heat source for creating humidity. Steam units are the most effective humidifiers.

The questions in this section apply to both types of central humidifiers, and are a good place to start if you’re just entering the learning curve.

How do I decide what type of central humidifier to buy?

The short answer is that it depends on your needs.

Standard flow-thru models are an excellent way to add humidity to your home if your needs are not critical. In this case, you can expect indoor humidity levels to fluctuate, at times, especially when you factor in our sunny climate, when a furnace may not need to operate for hours at a time on a bluebird day.

There are two basic types of flow-thru humidifiers: bypass models that connect to ducting on both sides of the furnace to draw heated air from the furnace thru the unit; and there are power units, which have a built-in fan to do the job. Power humidifiers can be a good option if space is really tight. Bypass humidifiers are simpler in design and are usually our go-to standard humidifier.

Steam-powered humidifiers are the most effective and the only reliable solution when you need to closely control humidity levels in your home, 24/7. If you’re looking for the most effective central humidifier available, this is the product you should zero in on. Whether it’s lots of wood flooring and fine furniture that could benefit from higher indoor humidity, or a health condition that calls for a specific indoor humidity range around the clock, a steam-powered central humidifier is the solution that makes the most sense.

Can my new central humidifier get moldy?

If your central humidifier is routinely maintained according to manufacturer instructions, you shouldn’t see any mold or mildew growth on either a flow-thru unit or a canister-type (our recommended steam design) steam humidifier. Flow-thru humidifiers don’t produce standing water that can get stagnant and funky, and the design of the steam humidifiers our team installs defeats the growth of mold.

Questions About Standard Flow-Thru Central Humidifiers

The Aprilaire Model 600 (bypass) and Model 700 (fan-powered) are our most popular standard, flow-thru central humidifiers. The nearly identical, Lennox-labeled units that we also install are manufactured by Aprilaire, as well. Due to our typically dry, sunny climate in the Denver area, we rarely install bypass models with performance ratings lower than the model 600, which is our most popular standard humidifier.

Will supplying hot water to my standard humidifier improve its performance?

While our comfort team at Save Home Heat Company strongly recommends running a standard central humidifier only when the furnace is producing heat (that’s how we normally set them up), because it can lead to excessive wasted water, most manufacturers mention that supplying hot water to the unit will help improve its performance a little. In our area, every little bit helps when it comes to standard central humidifiers. So the answer to the above questions is ‘yes.’

Do flow-thru humidifiers waste water?

One of the tradeoffs in exchange for healthy performance and customer-friendly serviceability with standard, flow-thru central humidifiers is that not all the water entering the unit is evaporated – a significant amount is lost down the drain. If you were to take a closer look at the various models available, and their water feed rates and evaporative ratings, you probably wouldn’t feel real good about what you see.

While we can’t recall a customer ever commenting that their water bills have gone up because of their standard central humidifier, full disclosure, we know that these units are not good at conserving water – that’s one of the reasons we’ve been hearing for increased sales of the more expensive steam-powered units. Manufacturers like Aprilaire continue to make advancements to address these concerns in standard humidifier designs. The jury is still out on the newest models.

Questions About Steam-Powered Central Humidifiers

The Aprilaire Model 800 canister-type steam humidifier has recently overtaken standard units as our most popular central humidifier, by a small margin. The explanation is clear: This is a highly effective, high capacity humidifier that, when properly sized and maintained, will always do the humidifying job for you – whereas the performance of standard units, as mentioned above, is closely linked to furnace run-time.

The Model 800 has its own internal heat source to create steam, and uses the furnace fan and ducting system to distribute humidified air around the home, whether the furnace is providing heat or not. It continues to be our recommendation for a central steam home humidifier.

What are the maintenance needs of canister-design steam humidifiers?

Canister-type central steam humidifiers have a few specific maintenance tasks to be aware of. For the Aprilaire Model 800, this includes, among other checklist items:

• Replace the steam canister annually; the Model 800 lets you know when that’s needed, by means of an LED light on the unit
• Inspect electrode wires annually and replace every 3 years, or sooner if deemed necessary by a qualified service tech
• Inspect and replace inline strainer, as needed; the strainer typically does not need replacement every year
• Inspect and clean the unit’s drain line, as needed. This should be done at least once a year, or possibly more often, per technician recommendations

Annual maintenance for these units should be performed by an experienced, qualified service technician with the expertise and tools to do the job right.

Will a central steam humidifier impact my electric bills?

Yes. While there are many variables involved, which makes it difficult for us to tell you just how much it’ll cost you to run an Aprilaire Model 800 team humidifier, it will likely be noticeable on your monthly electric bills during the heating season.

We install only the 220-volt units, as opposed to the 120-volt option. One of the main reasons is that 220-volt units use electricity more efficiently. Just as importantly, the 220-volt models are the also the higher performing models. Of note, the 220-volt unit typically requires the installation of a dedicated electrical circuit from the home’s electrical service panel.

Is a central steam humidifier worth the expense?

There’s no question that a central steam humidifier costs more to install, operate, and maintain than a standard flow-thru unit. We have found that if a customer has a significant need for 24/7 humidity control in their home – a need that we all agree points directly at a steam-powered unit – then many people would probably answer ‘yes,’ it’s worth the expense.

Our job at Save Home Heat is to fully inform our potential customers and answer all their questions as completely and honestly as possible, and let them make the call. Our team provides expert, detailed installation of both steam-powered and standard humidifiers.

Please contact me to schedule a central humidifier install quote!