FAQ of electric humidifier, filterless humidifier, whole home humidifier

Why do I need a whole house humidifier in my home?

The reasons for installing a whole home humidifier in your home are threefold : 1. health – you feel better and your body feels better when the humidity levels are above 25%. 2. your home – low humidity levels can cause your wooden walls and floors to crack, your furniture to come apart, and wall coverings to come off. 3. Savings – with a higher humidity level you feel warmer at cooler levels so you can lower the thermostat and save money! So a whole home humidifier is necessary for your health as well as for your furniture at home.

How often should I replace my humidifier pad of whole home humidifier?

Usually once per year, however, the amount of time necessary between replacing humidifier pads of whole home humidifier varies with local water conditions and actual time of humidifier operation.

Can I clean the pad of whole home humidifier? How do I do this?

It is very difficult to clean either the foam or the expanded metal pad once there has been much mineral build up on the pad of whole home humidifier. However, a mixture of white vinegar and water will sometimes help to remove some of the buildup when the pad is soaked in this solution.

How do I clean off the mineral build up inside of the electric humidifier when I change the evaporator pad?

The solution described in the question above will help to soften the buildup and make it easier to remove in electric humidifier too.

What time of the year should I clean the electric humidifier and replace the pad?

The best time of the year to do routine maintenance on the electric humidifier is in the spring at the end of the humidifier season, when the buildup is still soft and more easily removed than after a hot summer which has had time to bake the mineral buildup on like rock. The pad should also be replaced at this time and any repairs necessary made and necessary parts ordered and replaced.

What exactly is a bypass-type humidifier? How does it work?

A bypass style or type of humidifier is one that utilizes the pressure difference between the positive pressure supply side and the negative pressure return air duct. The unit is located either on the supply or return duct and a bypass line is run to the other duct. When the furnace is running, the hot air is pushed out of the positive supply duct, through the wet evaporator pad, and sucked into the supply duct. The wet evaporated air is then repassed through the furnace and distributed throughout the home.

What is a drain-type humidifier? Is it better than the other types?

The drain type of humidifier is one in which the water that flows down the evaporator pad and is not evaporated is drained away as excess water. This type of humidifier is typically used when the local water has a very high mineral content which causes a much quicker build up on the pad. Along with not recirculating the water and with additional excess water which helps to flush the minerals off, this type of unit works best in areas with a lot of ‘stuff’ in the water. It’s not any better than the other types, just for different applications.

What is the material for the two types of pads?

The two different types of humidifier pads are a urethane foam pad with a scrim cloth outer retainer and an expanded aluminum metal pad.

What is the white powdery substance coating the expanded aluminum pad, and does this mean the pad is a used one?

The white coating on the expanded aluminum pad is a wash coating on the pad used to make the water stay on the pad longer and thus give it more time to be evaporated. This is done to all new pads and doesn’t mean the pad in used.

What is the ‘Sylgard’ treatment on all of the foam pads?

The ‘Sylgard’ is a Dow Corning treatment that is bonded to each AutoFlo foam pad. It is an anti-microbial, anti fungus and mildew chemical treatment that helps to prevent problems with all three.

How can I prevent the mineral build up on the inside of the unit and on the pad if you are not buying filterless humidifier?

Installing a good water filter will help if it is not a filterless humidifier. A reverse osmosis filter system, which will eliminate almost all of the matter in the water, is the best available. However mineral buildup is really a fact of life for a humidifier. Some homeowners feel that using treatment tablets will also help to lessen the buildup in filterless humidifier.

Which side of the Humidifier does the bypass line connect to?

Either side of the unit is satisfactory to hook the bypass flex tube. The unit will work equally well on either side.

My Humidifier doesn’t seem to be putting out enough humidity to satisfy my requirements. What can I do to increase the output of my unit?

Assuming that the unit was sized to the home correctly in the first place, there are only two things that can really affect the output of an evaporative humidifier; the plenum hot air temperature, and the time of operation of the humidifier. There is usually not much that can be done to change the plenum temperature, and if the Humidistat is set so that the humidifier is always on when the furnace is on, then the only other thing that can be done is to run the furnace blower when the furnace is not on.

How to I set the Humidistat correctly?

A Humidifier is usually installed for the comfort of the family and the humidistat should be set accordingly. The humidistat should always be set high enough to give a satisfactory comfort level and not so high to cause condensation inside the home.

I am getting moisture on the walls and windows of my home. What does this mean?

When moisture starts to build up on the walls and windows while the humidifier is operating, this means that the amount or level of moisture in the air is higher than the air can support. This usually happens at the start of the humidifier season or after a sudden drop in outside temperature. This condition should not be allowed to continue, and can be solved by setting the humidistat to a progressively lower setting until the moisture disappears.