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Hvac Question..


Gerritt

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Ok ..... So I dont want to ask the HVAC guy I use at work for fear of looking stupid lol..

 

My wife was complaining that the house was dry and her hands were cracking.. So I said I might as well start up our furnace mounted humidifier... so I went down stairs clean the tray etc and set the controls to the outside temp etc... Then I started to look at the humidifier.. and thought... Hmmmm... something just doesnt look right..

 

 

Here is what I am looking at...

 

humid-1.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

Seems odd to me the humidifier is mounted on the Heat side with a flex hose connected to the cold air return... therefor the Cold air return is sucking any moist air into the furnace filter will this not promote mold in the furnace itself? Spreading mold spores through the house as the filter will become moist?? I use an allergen furnace filter due to my sons allergies.. is this a real issue?? and should I be looking at replacing my humidifier? it is a sears model that came with the house when I bought it.

 

Thanks in advance!

Edited by Gerritt
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That style of humidfier will spread mold spores thruout the house very quickly if not maintained.Most humifiers will if not maintained.I assume it is a drum type that is in there.The Aprilaire with a fan motor and total loss water system are marginally better if maintained.The drum type have a standing cesspool that the sponge rolls around in and distributes thru the house.A good cleaning and replacement of the "sponge" will help the situation.

Joe

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Great... I thought something just did not look correct... as it looked so inefficient circling back through the furnace (Cold air return) back into the supply, in order to add humidity to the house

 

Looks like I will bring my HVAC guy to install a new one corectly.. Great...

 

 

Gerritt.

Edited by Gerritt
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ok...this is strange...check out these instructions to a furnace humidifier...it says to mount it on the warm air side, not the cold air return....

 

http://www.autoflohumidifiers.com/pdf-file...Instl-Instr.pdf

 

I've seen answers on the web stating cold air return too...jeez....nice and clear for everyone!!!

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Any standing water can produce mold. It should be fine during the winter months, but shut off the water supply during the summer. Clean it out good in the fall before turning the water back on. Replace the sponge pad then too. They're only a few bucks.

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Yup.The Drumatic style would not be my first choice.I put one of them in my MIL s house!I would go with a unit with a fan in it like the Aprilaire.The reason some of them are installed on the cold(return) side is that the heated air being pulled thru the humidifier and recycled thru the furnace will be able to hold more moisture.When it gets down to it it doesn't matter one way or another.The air is still being pulled thru the humidifier and thru the furnace again with that type of set up.Some types mount on the supply,some on the return.I would prefer to have any type that has water trickling thru a media and going down the drain over one that has a water resiviour.

Joe

Edited by Daplumma
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OK

a humidifier would need to be on the heat side not the cold side

 

the water/drum type needs the heat to get the water into the air

even an electric steamer type would be most effective on the hot side of the unit

 

That's what I thought too Terry. I always thought that the sensor for humidity control has to be on the cold air return to see what the level is as air returns to the furnace.

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Wrong Terry. The drum type should be installed on the cold air side with the 6" flex pipe connected to the hot side. The 6" flex pipe sends hot air into the center of the drum and out through the water soaked sponge. It is a very efficient way of adding moisture to the house when installed this way. But it does have it's problems, as discussed above.

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Does the humidistat read the water content in the furnace room or in the air shaft? If it is reading in the room, this would explain why some are hooked into the cold air shaft since warm air has greater space between air molecules and can hold more water vapour. So 40% humidity at 50 Degrees F and 40 % at 70 degrees F are totally different in terms of water volume. Also, cold air over warm water is very efficient at creating evaporation...just ask Buffalo NY.

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It reads the humidity inside the return duct if installed correctly Rick. Ideally the humidistat should be centrally installed in the living area of the house. If wiring is a problem, it can be installed in the return air duct upstream from the humidifier. This gives a good sample of the overall house humidity but only when the furnace is running. It's also a pain to go into the basement to adjust it.

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Same as what Dan described, I have a forced air electric furnace and my humidifier (drum type) is mounted on the supply (cold) side of the system. It's been there since the furnace was new and it works just fine. I keep it clean though.

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When I bought our house I sealed the humidifier off from the system using the Steel plate to seal the Flexline.. next I emptied the tray and turned off the water supply to the Humidifier...I cleaned the tray and float etc before I shut it down and just did the same about an hour ago... the unit is clean... but for how long.. it hasnt been used in over 4 years till today.. I am still concerned with moisture settling in the filter (should I be concerned with the filter?) or do I say stuff it and spend a few bucks for a newer more efficient and less mold emitting model if such a unit exsists???

 

is my current unit still adding humidity to the house or should I shut it down till I can get my HVAC guy here? no sense in wasting hydro etc...

 

thanks guys.

 

Ger.

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I have the Aprilaire total loss system with a separate forced air fan on the supply side. It is easy to install and does a good job of keeping the house moist. If you go to a total loss system make sure that you have a dependable way to get rid of the water. If you do have to use a pump don't forget to wire it into the overflow protection circuit that will turn off the humidifyer if the pump fails.

 

Art

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Gerrit you need a little moisture in the air in the winter months. Like you said your wifes hands get dry. when your asleep your nose and throat will get dry, your furniture and floor wood will dry and shrink. Having moisture in the air will help on you heating bill. You'll have to play with the stat for awhile till you get the best setting. To much moisture you'll have water running down your windows. The way it looks in your picture it's on backwards.

Edited by Fish Farmer
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