Dry winter air is often a major issue in the Denver, CO, area that leads to decreased indoor comfort. Winter air tends to be dry because cold air can’t hold much moisture. Running your heating system worsens the problem since the relative humidity decreases when air gets heated. Overly dry air tends to result in your sinuses, throat and eyes drying out and feeling irritated. If the humidity level inside a house is extremely low, it can also lead to any wood in the home drying out to the point where it cracks or warps. The most effective option for preventing your house from being overly dry during the winter is to install a whole-home humidifier. This article will explain all you need to know about choosing the right humidifier for your residence.
An Overview of How Whole-Home Humidifiers Work
All whole-home humidifiers are designed to work alongside a central heating system. This makes them far more effective than even the best portable humidifiers. That’s because a whole-home humidifier pumps moist air into the house’s ductwork. As the central heating system runs, it then circulates the moisture into every room to ensure the air in the entire house is less dry.
While you can set up a humidifier to turn on and off alongside your heating system, a better option is to control it with a humidistat. A humidistat is a device that measures the relative humidity level of the surrounding air and can be programmed to your desired humidity level. That means the humidifier will only run as necessary when the humidity level is lower than what the humidistat is set to. That means you never have to worry about the humidifier making your home too humid. This is important since high humidity can lead to condensation forming in various parts of a house and creating the potential for mold growth. Depending on what type of whole-home humidifier you have, a humidistat can also keep your energy bills down by ensuring the humidifier doesn’t run unnecessarily.
The other important thing to note about any type of whole-home humidifier is that it is directly connected to the house’s water supply. The humidifier has an internal water pump that ensures it can immediately start refilling whenever its water reservoir starts running low. This is another area where a whole-home unit is far superior to a portable humidifier since you never need to add water to it or worry about its reservoir running dry.
Comparing the Three Types of Whole-Home Humidifiers
There are three primary types of whole-home humidifiers. This includes steam humidifiers, fan-powered humidifiers and bypass humidifiers. Each type has a few pros and cons and may be better suited for certain situations and environments. As such, it’s important that you understand how each one works and the differences between them to ensure you choose the best option for your home.
Steam Humidifiers
Steam humidifiers are unique among the three options in that they are the only type of unit that doesn’t rely on the hot air produced by the heating system. Instead, a steam humidifier uses electricity to boil the water within the reservoir, so steam is produced. This allows the unit to release far more moisture into the air than the other two types. It also means you can continue running a steam humidifier when your heating system is currently off. All you need to do is switch your thermostat, so the fan continues running after your furnace shuts off and blows the moist air from the humidifier around the house.
The main drawback is that steam humidifiers use quite a bit of electricity. Depending on the model and size, a steam humidifier typically uses between 1,000 and 2,000 watts of electricity per hour. That means it will usually increase your monthly electricity bill by at least $30 to $50 a month, or potentially even more if it must run a lot each day. You also need to make sure you have a professional service your steam humidifier every year. If not, it will end up getting clogged with mineral deposits and puting out far less moisture than it should. That means it will end up running more hours each day, leading to its energy costs being even higher.
Another downside to steam humidifiers is the upfront cost since they are quite a bit more expensive than the other two types. One final thing to consider is that steam humidifiers use more water than the other options. You usually won’t notice a substantial increase in your water bills, but a larger unit that must run a lot may use 20 to 30 gallons per day.
When determining whether a steam humidifier is the right choice, one of the most important factors is whether your home is well sealed or has quite a bit of air leakage. It’s much more difficult to control the humidity level in a poorly sealed home because of cold, dry air continually flowing in from outside. If your home isn’t well sealed, a steam humidifier will run far more, and your energy costs will be much higher. That means you may be better off going with one of the other options since they can run through every heating cycle without a major increase in your electricity bills.
Bypass Humidifiers
Bypass humidifiers are basic and produce moisture through evaporation. This type of unit is mounted onto the main supply duct near where this duct connects to the furnace and air handler. As the furnace runs, some of the hot air it produces gets blown through the humidifier and flows over a tray filled with water. The air from the furnace is hot enough that some of the water continually evaporates, resulting in water vapor getting added to the hot air.
Bypass humidifiers produce the least amount of moisture and are usually best suited for less dry climates or smaller homes. Nonetheless, they have one major advantage in that they don’t use electricity like the other two types do.
Fan-Powered Humidifiers
Fan-powered humidifiers also work through evaporation. The only real difference is that this type of unit has an internal fan that actively pulls hot air out of the ductwork and blows it over the tray of water. This enables the water to evaporate more quickly and the unit to produce more moisture. That’s because the fan ensures hot air continually flows through the unit compared to how much air flows through a bypass humidifier.
A fan-powered humidifier is essentially the middle-of-the-road option in terms of both cost and effectiveness. It also won’t cost you more than a few dollars a month since it doesn’t use nearly the amount of electricity as a steam humidifier.
If you’re searching for a reliable HVAC, plumbing or electrical contractor in the Denver, CO, area, High 5 Plumbing, Heating & Cooling is here for you. We specialize in home comfort and indoor air quality and can help you choose the best whole-home humidifier for your home. You can also count on us for air filtration and purification to ensure you can breathe easily throughout the year. We carry a selection of humidifiers and other indoor air quality equipment from some of the most reputable brands in the industry and will professionally handle the installation from start to finish. You can also turn to us if your HVAC system or any indoor air quality units need to be serviced or repaired.
Give High 5 Plumbing, Heating & Cooling a call today to schedule an appointment in the Denver area.
