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Topics:
What’s
the best setting for my humidistat?
What’s the best setting for my humidistat? For the greatest comfort and best indoor air quality in your home, set your humidistat between 30 and 40 percent humidity. At that level, health-endangering conditions (such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, mites, ozone production, etc. ) are greatly reduced.
How much humidity should I have in my home? The short answer is 35%; however, the ideal range by most research is between 40% and 60%, if the home is properly constructed to handle humidity that high. That is why the compromise level agreed to by ARI Standards is 35%.
I’m getting too much humidity. What should I do? Make sure your humidifier is set to the proper setting. See question 1. If the set point is below the actual humidity in the space, and the control is operating properly, the humidifier is not contributing to the problem. You may need to increase ventilation to maintain the proper level of humidity.
How often should I service my humidifier? This will vary depending upon the type of humidifier you have, the hardness of your water and the operating time of your unit. If you have a Honeywell flow-thru unit or if you have a reservoir-type humidifier with an automatic flushing timer (HC40), once a year is generally sufficient. Contact your HVAC contractor for advice specific to your needs.
Which Honeywell humidifier is best for my home? This question takes an in-depth answer due to the complexity of selecting the proper humidifier for each application. Listed below are the factors you must consider to properly determine the correct units.
What size humidifier do I need? Sizing a humidifier is a function of several things - home size, construction type, climate, occupant’s lifestyle, and HVAC equipment to name a few. Honeywell has developed an easy to use software tool which takes into account all of the factors involved, and recommends the right humidifier for each particular application. This way, possible mistakes from using oversimplified sizing techniques can be avoided.
Should my humidifier operate during the summer months? Because summer air is naturally more humid in most parts of the country, it is generally not necessary to humidify during the summer months. In fact, dehumidification is often desirable. Fortunately, your air conditioner is an effective dehumidifier. There are parts of the country where the climate requires humidification in conjunction with cooling to maintain proper indoor air quality. This specific application requires in depth knowledge of psychometric conditions throughout the HVAC system. Consult Thomas R. Owens Company for details on this application.
Why is humidification so important in a new home? First to improve healthfulness of the home by limiting the growth of bacteria, viruses, etc. The second is to protect the structure itself. New home interiors today are often enhanced by the use of expensive hardwood for floors, staircases, hand railings, cabinets, door trim and miscellaneous moldings. Most of this woodwork is manufactured in a controlled environment of about 50 percent relative humidity. If you take these moisture-sensitive hardwoods and move them from the humidified mill to an un-humidified home, they are suddenly exposed to a rapid drop in humidity. The unavoidable result is shrinkage that cheapens the appearance and value of the home.
What areas of the country need additional humidification during the winter months? This map shows the areas of the country that generally need humidification at some time during the year.
What about pollution from my humidifier? Do they pollute? Evaporative type humidifiers evaporate pure water vapor. They do not pollute. In a research program conducted at Penn State University in 1989, these type units were tested and found not to emit any harmful bacteria.
Humidity is expressed by measuring the amount of moisture present at a given temperature versus the amount of moisture the air is capable of holding at the same temperature. This moisture level is expressed as a percentage, measured by using a sling psychometer and psychometric charts or an electronic analog type hygrometer.
Can I use a humidifier with an electronic air cleaner? Yes. Evaporative type humidifiers release water as pure vapor. Water vapor will not create any problems with an electronic air cleaner. Misting or spray type units mounted on the return air plenum could cause problems with an electronic air cleaner.
I’m not getting enough humidity. What’s wrong? This is a very difficult question to answer due to the many things that can cause low humidity output. The first thing to determine is if the application is properly sized. Other things to look for include humidity losses due to high air change rates or inoperative humidifier, due to electrical, water supply or air flow problems.
How much water should my humidifier use? My water bill went up after they installed mine. Drum and steam units use only the water that they evaporate, unless a flushing timer is utilized. If a flushing timer is used, these units will use five to seven gallons per day in addition to what is evaporated. A flow thru unit will use between three and six gallons of water per hour of operation. One half to three quarters of a gallon will be evaporated per hour to condition the air, while the rest flows down the humidifier pad. As it does so, the water flushes mineral deposits down the drain, thereby allowing longer service intervals between pad replacement.
When it’s very cold outside I get condensation on my windows. What can be done? This problem occurs because the temperature of the surface of the windows has fallen below the dew point of the air in the living space, causing water to condense on the window. The only way to correct this, without replacing all your windows with higher efficiency windows, is to lower the humidity set point, so that the dew point drops below the temperature of the window. That is why many humidity controls come with a table of recommended set points that get lower with colder outside temperatures. Unfortunately, it is not very practical to manually adjust your humidity set point every time the weather changes. If you live in a climate where the temperature regularly drops below 20 degrees we highly recommend that a Honeywell PC8900 Comfort Control Center be installed with a C7089A Outdoor Temperature Sensor to control the humidifier. This control will estimate the window temperature in the house based on the outside temperature, calculate the dew point in the living space, and prevent humidification in conditions which would cause moisture to condense on the windows. This will solve the problem. |
