A couple new home questions

[Cos]

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[Env-Consultant]

I've used the vent switch in the past to cool the house off a bit in the summer or to get air circulating after burning something in the oven, etc. I suspect you wouldn't want to leave it on all the time - your furnace should be supplying and venting adequate airflow as needed. There could be something I don't know about them too.

I set my humidifier around 35% - there is a pile of info out there debating what it should be set at. I have refinished hardwood and it squeaks like crazy if the humidity is set any lower than that. I set it and forget it - stays very consistent. On that note, if you don't have a water softener, your humidifier filter will get chalked full of build-up over time. This happened to me ~6 months after putting a new furnace/humidifier combo in. It was so clogged up that it just started leaking out the bottom - they put out a shitpile of water too. Definitely worthwhile keeping an eye on the condition of the filter and buying a few spares (online or from a plumbing store). I take mine out approx. every 2 months and soak it in CLR for a few hours and give it a good rinsing; replace every 6 months or so. Filters aren't cheap.

[benyl]

You vent switch is connected to the upstairs bathroom vents.

When you turn it on by the thermostat, it turns on the fan upstairs and turns on your furnace fan.

You bathroom fan exhausts and your furnace fan draws in fresh air. If you leave it on all the time, all your hot air will go out the bathroom fan and cold air will enter your house through the furnace. At some point, your furnace will kick in and heat the air.

You should probably on use it when you want to vent the house. Such as when you've burnt something in the oven or when you have 30 people over and it is too hot. That being said, your bathroom fan probably doesn't move that many CFMs, so it will take a long time to exchange the air in your house. In the summer, you could leave it on all night if you don't have air conditioning.

Humidifiers are set based on the outside temp. The colder it is, the lower it should be or you will have wet or icy windows.

[pheoxs]

Originally posted by benyl
You vent switch is connected to the upstairs bathroom vents.

When you turn it on by the thermostat, it turns on the fan upstairs and turns on your furnace fan.

You bathroom fan exhausts and your furnace fan draws in fresh air. If you leave it on all the time, all your hot air will go out the bathroom fan and cold air will enter your house through the furnace. At some point, your furnace will kick in and heat the air.

You should probably on use it when you want to vent the house. Such as when you've burnt something in the oven or when you have 30 people over and it is too hot. That being said, your bathroom fan probably doesn't move that many CFMs, so it will take a long time to exchange the air in your house. In the summer, you could leave it on all night if you don't have air conditioning.

Humidifiers are set based on the outside temp. The colder it is, the lower it should be or you will have wet or icy windows.

I have a similar switch and it is not attached to my bathroom fans, it is attached to the furnace fan and strictly circulates air, no heating and cooling. If it's hot in the summer I'll run it at night to bring fresh/cool air in without having to use the AC. Otherwise I'll throw it on once a month or so if things either get stuff or someones sick or something.

Don't really use it much in the winter as the furnace kicks in plenty in the winter. I wouldn't leave it on in the winter as its bringing in cold air = more heating costs

Not sure about the other questions

[Env-Consultant]

Originally posted by benyl
You vent switch is connected to the upstairs bathroom vents.

When you turn it on by the thermostat, it turns on the fan upstairs and turns on your furnace fan.

You bathroom fan exhausts and your furnace fan draws in fresh air. If you leave it on all the time, all your hot air will go out the bathroom fan and cold air will enter your house through the furnace. At some point, your furnace will kick in and heat the air.

You should probably on use it when you want to vent the house. Such as when you've burnt something in the oven or when you have 30 people over and it is too hot. That being said, your bathroom fan probably doesn't move that many CFMs, so it will take a long time to exchange the air in your house. In the summer, you could leave it on all night if you don't have air conditioning.

Humidifiers are set based on the outside temp. The colder it is, the lower it should be or you will have wet or icy windows.


I forgot to say that all of my windows are triple glazed <1 year old, so I rarely have condensation issues regardless of the settings.

[killramos]

Ventilation switch is also fairly useful as a poor Man's AC to cool off your house in the summer, though i mostly use mine to vent smoke when the wife burns something :devil:

No offence to Env-Consultant but in a modern home ( they come much better sealed these days than they used to) you should not "set and forget" your humidifier. As Benyl said you have to go and constantly change it based on what the outside temperature is or you will have massive ice buildup on your windows when it hits -15 below or lower.

For me my humidifier control is in the furnace room so it was enough of a hassle that i turned it off last year ( not to mention its a pretty stupid place to put one)

As for the consequences I will share my story. I have a 2013 Build and it was a first home and had never experienced a humidifier before. In fact i didn't even know i had one but regardless it was left on way to high.

Came home after being away for work for a cold weekend and there was 1/2 to 1 inch thick ice in a 4 inch sheet on all of the bathroom windows in the house ( where humidity is worst due to toilets, tiles etc.). It ruined the paint on all the window sills and i had to heat each window for 10 minutes with a hair dryer soaking up the water. It sucked and was an expensive mistake.

Personally if you really want one i recommend getting an advanced thermostat and hooking the humidifier up to it for automatic control. The only way to go.

I also have a 70 gallon tropical fishtank in my living room that leaches 5-10 gallons of water into the air in a typical winter week hahaha.

edit made a typo that says the opposite of what i was trying to say.

[CapnCrunch]

Originally posted by Cos


We have a hydrotherapy tub (not really jetted more air bubbles) but not see the name anywhere on it. On ours some of the selections make sense, on/off, pressure up/down but there are a couple others I don't know. One almost looks like a pulse setting and the other a heat setting? Now the reason I started looking at this thing is that when you shut it off, the light flashes for about 15 minutes. My wife used it and I was at my desk when I heard it fire up again. There was no water in the tub and she had gone back down stairs. So I imagine that it has some timer. Is this to clear water out of the lines?

It's the air jets blowing out any water left inside. It's normal and something you want so that any week old bath water doesn't start growing fungus and bacteria in the tubes.

[Env-Consultant]

Originally posted by killramos
Ventilation switch is also fairly useful as a poor Man's AC to cool off your house in the summer, though i mostly use mine to vent smoke when the wife burns something :devil:

No offence to Env-Consultant but in a modern home ( they come much better sealed these days than they used to) you should now &quot;set and forget&quot; your humidifier. As Benyl said you have to go and constantly change it based on what the outside temperature is or you will have massive ice buildup on your windows when it hits -15 below or lower.

For me my humidifier control is in the furnace room so it was enough of a hassle that i turned it off last year ( not to mention its a pretty stupid place to put one)

As for the consequences I will share my story. I have a 2013 Build and it was a first home and had never experienced a humidifier before. In fact i didn't even know i had one but regardless it was left on way to high.

Came home after being away for work for a cold weekend and there was 1/2 to 1 inch thick ice in a 4 inch sheet on all of the bathroom windows in the house ( where humidity is worst due to toilets, tiles etc.). It ruined the paint on all the window sills and i had to heat each window for 10 minutes with a hair dryer soaking up the water. It sucked and was an expensive mistake.

Personally if you really want one i recommend getting an advanced thermostat and hooking the humidifier up to it for automatic control. The only way to go.

I also have a 70 gallon tropical fishtank in my living room that leaches 5-10 gallons of water into the air in a typical winter week hahaha.

That's nice, but I have had zero of the issues you speak of - even at -30. Going to leave it as is. Windows are properly sealed and high quality - no ice build up has ever occurred. It is hooked up to my thermostat (commerical grade) and stays between 30-40%. And the house was built in 1956 - fully upgraded, just old bones.

[killramos]

Originally posted by Env-Consultant


That's nice, but I have had zero of the issues you speak of - even at -30. Going to leave it as is. Windows are properly sealed and high quality - no ice build up has ever occurred. It is hooked up to my thermostat (commerical grade) and stays between 30-40%. And the house was built in 1956 - fully upgraded, just old bones.

Its not so much just the windows but the vapour barrier, insulation, attic, vents, etc everything, I'm not saying your house is shit. Just things are different now. This info comes from plenty of people I have spoken to who build these days. Your example of a home from the 50's not having problems imo reinforces what i said.

Also you have an advanced thermostat hooked up to it which is also exactly what i was saying you need to do to not have issues.

I cant tell if you are agreeing with me or not :dunno:

[Env-Consultant]

Your post used to say you should now set it and forget it - I see you updated it to not :thumbsup: . That is what caused the confusion for me - it wasn't making sense with what you were writing.

All good info.

[killramos]

Originally posted by Env-Consultant
Your post used to say you should now set it and forget it - I see you updated it to not :thumbsup: . That is what caused the confusion for me - it wasn't making sense with what you were writing.

All good info.

Yea I really need to stop using my cell phone to post... Should not set and forget definitely not hahaha

I ordered a nest which has humidity control and I might give the humidifier another shot :). The wiring is all there.

I have no idea why my builder left the analogue control in the furnace room :facepalm:

Hopefully this minimizes my fish tank maintenance on water top offs haha.

[Env-Consultant]

Originally posted by killramos


Yea I really need to stop using my cell phone to post... Should not set and forget definitely not hahaha

I ordered a nest which has humidity control and I might give the humidifier another shot :). The wiring is all there.

I have no idea why my builder left the analogue control in the furnace room :facepalm:

Hopefully this minimizes my fish tank maintenance on water top offs haha.


You haven't been running your humidifier at all? Isn't your house bone dry???

I'm runnin' this baby - have it hooked up to my WiFi and access/control through the Honeywell app. No complaints.

http://www.hightechdad.com/2014/04/27/review-giveaway-honeywell-wifi-smart-thermostat-rth9580/

[killramos]

Originally posted by Env-Consultant



You haven't been running your humidifier at all? Isn't your house bone dry???

I'm runnin' this baby - have it hooked up to my WiFi and access/control through the Honeywell app. No complaints.

http://www.hightechdad.com/2014/04/27/review-giveaway-honeywell-wifi-smart-thermostat-rth9580/

This house is the first i have ever lived in that had one hahaha so i don't really know the difference.

Like i said my fish tank probably evaporates enough to humidify the whole house.

:rofl:

I found a nest on Black Friday for 200 shipped, The biggest problem with them is the price so i thought i would treat myself for Christmas :D

Arrives this week!