Whole house humidifier recommendation

[HiSpec]

I am looking to replace my old-school aluminum box humidifier. Did some research and most websites recommend two types of whole house humidifier, by-pass or steam.

All the ones available at Home Depot are made by Honeywell and they received very sub-par review. It seems like that's the only brand Home Depot carry. In fact, even the King Air and Lennox brand from other stores (eg Rona and Lowes) received sub-par reviews.

What are people using in their home (if you have one). What type and what are the pros and cons of your unit?

BTW, this is for a 1500 sq. ft. home.

[The_Penguin]

I switched from the Wait 5000 (those are fine, but the pad gets a lot of build-up, had a valve fail and parts are price) to a Desert Spring.
Can't really tell you if it works any better, but it's easier to maintain.
Hmm Canadian Tire has 'em $50 off, says clearance, wonder if they're dropping the line.

http://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/desert-spring-rotary-disc-furnace-humidifier-0643101p.html#srp

[ExtraSlow]

Have heard good things about desert spring.

Steam is a good way to pump a lot of moisture into the system, but not sure how much energy they use, and how they handle Calgary hard water.

[cycosis]

I have a basic honeywell one but it gets softened water to reduce the buildup. You can hit the diffuser with some clr every few months to extend its life pretty easily.

[HiSpec]

Sounds like from a cost efficiency stand point, the basic rotary disc type is the way to go.

[revelations]

I have a cheapo drum type, works waay better in terms of adding humidity to a large house than a single waffle pad.

Was a life (nasal) saver this past winter ..... however it does need annual maintenance in terms of pan cleaning and the drum pad, either mid season or post winter..... whereas a pad you just toss.

The Desert Spring is the optimal solution but with the autoflush system it does approach north of 350$

[eblend]

I used to have a basic drum one, now have a passthrough, not the most efficient thing, but not like you are going to notice 25c worth of water on your bill.


http://www.generalfilters.com/cm/dpl/images/products/12/1042LH_LR_5144.jpg

[revelations]

^ so thats just a water soaked pad that air has to flow through ?

[ExtraSlow]

^ so thats just a water soaked pad that air has to flow through ?

Metal mesh pad, I have that one.

[revelations]

Metal mesh pad, I have that one.

Yea those dont work really well in bigger homes.....

[ExtraSlow]

Yea those dont work really well in bigger homes.....

No they do not.

[eblend]

Works well enough in mine, too well even, I'm at 1600 square feet.

[ipeefreely]

+3 for the Desert Spring. Works way better then our GerenalAir unit. :thumbsup:


The Desert Spring is the optimal solution but with the autoflush system it does approach north of 350$

You can get it with the autoflush from Amre Supply (https://www.amresupply.com/part/15972100) for $323.



I used to have a basic drum one, now have a passthrough, not the most efficient thing, but not like you are going to notice 25c worth of water on your bill.

Our GerenalAir "mesh" would clog really fast and the solenoid finally clogged on ours (no water softener).

[revelations]

^ yea if we decide to stay here past 2020, I would invest in that for sure.

[ExtraSlow]

Humidifier discusison update! Seriously considering Desert Spring. Have the Generalaire pictured above currently. Have 2/4 people in my household with respiratory issues that would be greatly reduced with higher humidity.

How tough is the install? I'm handy-ish, but want to know if there's tips or pitfalls.

[suntan]

How is the GeneralAire not keeping up? I can jack mine up to insane humidity levels in winter if I want. 2000 sq ft house.

Is it installed on the proper side?

[ExtraSlow]

How is the GeneralAire not keeping up? I can jack mine up to insane humidity levels in winter if I want. 2000 sq ft house.

Is it installed on the proper side?

Interesting question, how is it SUPPOSED to be installed? I always assumed it was, but hey, I'm willing to investigate.

[sabad66]

I have a similar metal pad style and it seems to work ok. I’ve got it linked up to my ecobee and keep it set at 40%. I would really like to go 55% but want to avoid mold and also frost issues when it starts to get super cold. Nice thing is that ecobee has this setting called “frost control” where it will temporarily turn off the humidifier when it hits a certain outdoor temp (I think -18 or something)

[ExtraSlow]

I guess I did discover this summer that the Furncae was drawing WAAAAY too much fresh air into the house when it was running, so I have that damped down to much less and that should help with humidity too.

[suntan]

Interesting question, how is it SUPPOSED to be installed? I always assumed it was, but hey, I'm willing to investigate.

Check out the manual:

https://www.cgfproducts.com/fck_upload/pdfs/1042%20Installation%20Owners%20Manual.pdf%20REV%20B.pdf

The unit is supposed to be installed onto the return air plenum. The illustration is preferred even though it says it doesn't matter, as our air is so dry that the temperature differential matters (source: every furnace guy that looks at my furnace and shakes their head).

[Darell_n]

Check out the manual:

https://www.cgfproducts.com/fck_upload/pdfs/1042%20Installation%20Owners%20Manual.pdf%20REV%20B.pdf

The unit is supposed to be installed onto the return air plenum. The illustration is preferred even though it says it doesn't matter, as our air is so dry that the temperature differential matters (source: every furnace guy that looks at my furnace and shakes their head).

It doesn’t matter and many homes have no space to fit the unit on the return air duct. Place it where it fits the best.

[suntan]

It gets installed on the wrong return because most people don't understand the laws of thermodynamics.

Jesus it took 30 years just to convince installers to put vapour barrier on the warm side only.

[ExtraSlow]

Mines on air return for sure.

[Darell_n]

It gets installed on the wrong return because most people don't understand the laws of thermodynamics.


I’m a professional, please enlighten me.

[suntan]

Cold air... Warm air, it's all the same!

I suppose with heat exchangers being the norm these days it doesn't matter... as long as you have a heat exchanger.

[ExtraSlow]

Humidifier discusison update! Seriously considering Desert Spring. Have the Generalaire pictured above currently. Have 2/4 people in my household with respiratory issues that would be greatly reduced with higher humidity.

How tough is the install? I'm handy-ish, but want to know if there's tips or pitfalls.

Had an appointment near AMRE today, dropped in to pick up a desert spring. 1) they didn't have one in stock, and none on order. 2) the guy didn't reccomend it. Not because it's a bad unit, but because he says the current generalaire pad style filter should be able to pump out more humidity per day than the desert spring.

[revelations]

Had an appointment near AMRE today, dropped in to pick up a desert spring. 1) they didn't have one in stock, and none on order. 2) the guy didn't reccomend it. Not because it's a bad unit, but because he says the current generalaire pad style filter should be able to pump out more humidity per day than the desert spring.

I dont buy that for a second. The drum unit I put into the main floor keeps the house at 35-40% during the coldest days, while the pad filter did 25% at best.

For the bedrooms, yes the secondary furnace is fine with pad filters.

[revelations]

+3 for the Desert Spring. Works way better then our GerenalAir unit. :thumbsup:



You can get it with the autoflush from Amre Supply (https://www.amresupply.com/part/15972100) for $323.


Done - will be arriving soon.

So tired of cleaning the drums and mechanism from buildup - also the stagnant water cannot be a good thing.

[ExtraSlow]

Good reminder, I wanted one of these last year, but this year with everyone being home more, and respiratory illnesses being a larger issue, seems crazy to wait.
is $270 before shipping right now. Seems like a great price, even if you can't do in-store pickup unless your local store has stock. Ordered.

[revelations]

Just installed mine - some notes:

- AMRE told me it did NOT come with the auto flush, so I bought an addon - but they were incorrect
- much better quality, less flimsy, than a regular drum humidifier
- auto cleaning is sweeeeeet, set mine to every 24 hours and 5 minutes.

[The_Penguin]

Yeah, maybe I should add an autoflush

94924

[killramos]

Just activated mine for the first time. Last owners were pretty incredibly negligent. Soaked the filter in vinegar for an hour which made a difference.

Gonna look into this auto flush, sounds interesting.

While playing around I figured out I apparently have a 2 stage furnace, its not wired to my thermostat that way so that will be another project. The noise from my furnaces high stage legit bothers me at night (bedroom above furnace room) so this could really pay some dividends.

[revelations]

Yeah, maybe I should add an autoflush


65$ for it.

Every drum humidifier should come with this - mine was 2x as bad as that end of last season. Dumped everything into a bath tub and an entire bottle of CLR and let it soak for a week.

[The_Rural_Juror]

Now I want one. Is the desert spring with auto flush the lolex? I need it to replace a general aire. Is it pretty much plug and play? Do I need tools? Or is my Ikea Allen wrench sufficient?

[ipeefreely]

Just installed mine - some notes:

- AMRE told me it did NOT come with the auto flush, so I bought an addon - but they were incorrect
- much better quality, less flimsy, than a regular drum humidifier
- auto cleaning is sweeeeeet, set mine to every 24 hours and 5 minutes.

I got the older flush unit with mine. It clogged up so I got the new one with no pump. I can't see it breaking the same way as the old one.

With the new one I have it set to 1 minute since it drains under that. I can't see running it longer will help but I'd like to hear how it works for you.

I have to clean it twice a year (mid/end) since the drum collects that stuff and doesn't get cleaned with the intake water.


Yeah, maybe I should add an autoflush

Should help! Those are some huge chunks! Surprised it still spins with that! :nut:


Now I want one. Is the desert spring with auto flush the lolex? I need it to replace a general aire. Is it pretty much plug and play? Do I need tools? Or is my Ikea Allen wrench sufficient?

I had to make the opening smaller when I switched. The more tools you have the better! :thumbsup:

[revelations]

With the new one I have it set to 1 minute since it drains under that. I can't see running it longer will help but I'd like to hear how it works for you.

I have to clean it twice a year (mid/end) since the drum collects that stuff and doesn't get cleaned with the intake water.




I am starting to get deposits already (enough that you can feel it on the tray when running your finger inside) so I upped the flush to every 8 hours and 1 minute as it takes less than 1 min to drain like you said.

[Rocket1k78]

I didnt know this but i talked to my home inspector and he said in the winter time you're supposed to turn the humidity down as it gets colder.

[The_Rural_Juror]

I didnt know this but i talked to my home inspector and he said in the winter time you're supposed to turn the humidity down as it gets colder.

You are but then the hardwood flooring guys will void your warranty. It's a scam.

[ExtraSlow]

I didnt know this but i talked to my home inspector and he said in the winter time you're supposed to turn the humidity down as it gets colder.
"supposed to" is not quite right. Some people do, because they have issues with condensation. But higher humidity is very good for you, and helps reduce /prevent respiratory illness.

[The_Penguin]

"supposed to" is not quite right. Some people do, because they have issues with condensation. But higher humidity is very good for you, and helps reduce /prevent respiratory illness.
Yes, it's all about condensation. You can get some serious window issues if you don't keep in in check.
Many humidistats have a chart saying recommended humidity settings based on outdoor temps.

[revelations]

Yes, it's all about condensation. You can get some serious window issues if you don't keep in in check.
Many humidistats have a chart saying recommended humidity settings based on outdoor temps.

It varies dramatically from house to house, and from floor to floor.

Our newer low E, not cheap, double panes get almost zero condensation - even with 40% in -30c

Our cheap vinyl, previous owner-installed windows, just freeze up regardless of % inside the house, once temps fall below -10c. Condensation is not an issue - LOL.

[ipeefreely]

I am starting to get deposits already (enough that you can feel it on the tray when running your finger inside) so I upped the flush to every 8 hours and 1 minute as it takes less than 1 min to drain like you said.

Ya, that's what I have it set on too. The drum still gets nasty so in January I give it a bath in vinegar and clean out the tray.


I didnt know this but i talked to my home inspector and he said in the winter time you're supposed to turn the humidity down as it gets colder.

I turn down the dial to what the low is forecasted to be for the night. It slows the drum down so less is humidity is produced.

When it's cold I turn on our ceiling fans and point fans at our other windows that aren't in those rooms so they don't freeze up (my wife gets mad when the humidity gets too low for her...). :dunno:

Better windows than the double panes we have are on the to do list...

[killramos]

I didnt know this but i talked to my home inspector and he said in the winter time you're supposed to turn the humidity down as it gets colder.

They make thermostats that do that for you these days.

[firebane]

So my turn on this subject.

Looking at putting a humidifier into our place as well as right now we just have a "box" with a pad in it and no actual humidity control.

I see that everyone is recommending the Desert Spring and Canadian Tire has it right now for $299.

Just curious if there are other options which are as good but may not as costly?

[Darell_n]

So my turn on this subject.

Looking at putting a humidifier into our place as well as right now we just have a "box" with a pad in it and no actual humidity control.

I see that everyone is recommending the Desert Spring and Canadian Tire has it right now for $299.

Just curious if there are other options which are as good but may not as costly?

First of all, Desert Springs are a rip off and all drum humidifiers are disgusting. Buy a regular flow through type, adjust the water supply to greatly reduce or eliminate any water waste and buy a Honeywell humidistat that uses an outdoor temperature sensor. It will adjust the humidity target in your house according to how cold it is outside your actual house. Live the good life!

[firebane]

First of all, Desert Springs are a rip off and all drum humidifiers are disgusting. Buy a regular flow through type, adjust the water supply to greatly reduce or eliminate any water waste and buy a Honeywell humidistat that uses an outdoor temperature sensor. It will adjust the humidity target in your house according to how cold it is outside your actual house. Live the good life!

What setup do you use? You seem pretty opinionated on the DS stuff lol.

[Darell_n]

What setup do you use? You seem pretty opinionated on the DS stuff lol.

I don’t even know what brand I have at home. Sorry to sound like I’m sounding off, just that Desert Springs has good advertising koolaid and floor installers make a lot of profit pushing them as the best humidifiers invented. Any type of pad humidifier will work well enough for winters in Calgary, get one that is maintenance free and doesn’t cost a fortune like DS.

[rc2002]

I don’t even know what brand I have at home. Sorry to sound like I’m sounding off, just that Desert Springs has good advertising koolaid and floor installers make a lot of profit pushing them as the best humidifiers invented. Any type of pad humidifier will work well enough for winters in Calgary, get one that is maintenance free and doesn’t cost a fortune like DS.

I changed out my drum humidifier for a pad humidifier back in ~2012 and didn’t notice any change in humidity level or water bills. The pad type is much lower maintenance which is nice. I considered DS (IIRC they were cheaper back then) but the consensus I got from talking to people and looking up reviews online was that it was overpriced for what you get and that certain parts would fail and need replacing.

[revelations]

I've gone from pad -> cheap drum -> desert spring.

Reason I switched from pad is that it does not provide nearly enough humidity in the home during sub zero conditions in our older (2x4 wall) home. Newer homes might not have this issue.

I went from ~20% with pad to ~30% with drum. Ideal would be 40% but thats not reasonable without serious improvements elsewhere.

Agree that the cheap drums are disgusting but I would spend the money on the DS unit simply because a) its better built than cheap drum units b) the collector disks can be thrown in a dishwasher c) comes with auto-flush (65$).

[The_Penguin]

Update:

Just did my (a bit late) annual humidifier maintenance. Wow, the Desert Spring was gnarly. I should have taken pictures.
That said it scraped out without much trouble. A bit of CLR on the stubborn spots and all is well.
The drum discs cleaned up with just running water, and bare hands.

I still haven't added an autoflush, but it's working well.

One thing I did (not sure if I mentioned it before) is powered it from the furnace, so that the motor only runs when the humidistat calls for humidity AND the furnace is on.
I think that's where some complaints come from (motor failing) due to it spinning even when the furnace is off.

That's one thing sadly lacking on the DS, a temp sensor. The Wait 5000 has a sensor that activates when it senses heat from the furnace.

On that note, we still have a Wait 5000 on the basement furnace. The solenoid/valve failed (again) and nobody seems to carry the original part. Everyone (even AMRE) carries a "universal" one for $98.00!!!

I got one from Amazon for $28.00, problem solved for another couple of years.

[lilmira]

I don't recommend the autoflush. Mine started leaking shortly and I took it off. I saw similar looking timer valve on Amazon. I think they might be the same product.
My main problem has been the float valve. They just don't last and I would end up with a puddle underneath. I have since put a generic humidifier solenoid to feed water to the float valve when the furance powers the humidifier. The float valve is more like a regulator now and I don't care if it doesn't close.

[zieg]

Old GeneralAire pad unit here. House is stuck around 30% this week. New pad made no difference. It's mounted on the furnace side which seems like the better option because the air doesn't have a chance to lose any heat before it hits the pad? I did check the manual and it says either way is fine. The way everything is laid out it wouldn't be possible to fit it on the return side anyway.

The interesting bit was that the manual also says you can get 30% more performance out of it if you plumb it to a hot water source. I'm reading mixed opinions about whether that's actually a good idea. Thoughts?