Humidifiers (live, moving to, area)

[Katzpur]

My experience with swamp coolers -- and we had one for years -- is that they:

1. Are extremely noisy if turned to a high enough setting to do much good.
2. Do not cool the house even close to uniformly.
3. Are in constant need of repair and maintenance.

[fittj]

I moved from Utah to Tennessee, and my question is where do I buy a dehumidifier!!? I'll take the dry air. I find it so much more comfortable. I'm in decent shape, but after vacuuming I'm practically sweating bullets...even with the air conditioning on.

I grew up in Utah and nobody gets humidifiers, except for those who aren't used to it. I think we're just all used to how dry it is; and prefer it that way. However, I can see how it would help respratory issues and such.

[skibarbie]

My parents are in Kansas and have the same problem with humidity. At almost the same time as we were getting the whole house humidifier installed, they were getting the de-humidifier installed. Check with a local heating/air conditioning contractor and they should be able to hook you up!

[altajoe]

Follow up:

The house I purchased is in the Ogden Valley (Eden to be exact) and I will be making some upgrades to the heating/cooling system soon. It has forced air gas heat and A/C.

I am not so much concerned with DE-humidifying the house and the relative humidity is so low. But, because of it, I will be installing a humidifier, which should considerably help the winter dryness.

Any thoughts on the specific manufacturer/unit from those who may have experience?

Thanks again in advance.

[kaytidid]

Are you using a whole house humidifer through the heating system? We have tossed around the idea of one of those, so I am also interested in what brands people recommend.

[dcisive]

We purchased an Aprilair brand system which is incorporated on the main HVAC system in your utility room. It is compact and easy to change out the filter it uses each year as regular maintenance. I wouldn't think it would be difficult to retrofit it to a HVAC system of any brand. Very efficient and effective for a central air system.

[eggalegga]

I bought a new furnace, central a/c & humidifier in June. They're all Lennox products. So far, so good. It's a power humidifier so it comes on when the thermostat calls for humidity and not just when the furnace blower is on. I set my thermostat for 35% humidity per the recommmendation of the installer. I've yet to see any signs that 35% is too high for my home. I had the installer come out and adjust the water flow to the humidifier as it seemed too much was draining out via the drainage line. I think it uses 18 gallons per day.

The power models contain a built in fan motor that eliminates the need for the bypass duct. These are typically mounted on the supply side of the system. They are more expensive than the bypass models, and the motors must be oiled frequently. They also tend to throw some water scale onto the cooling coil sometimes.

I've noticed a HUGE difference in the air comfort in my home. Growing up in Utah, I have always had dry skin & hair. I have 3 bottles of lotion at various places in my home because I'm constantly trying to moisturize. I haven't used as much lotion as I used to. I drink a lot of water & very little caffiene. So my diet isn't worsening my dry skin/hair. My house guests have also noticed the difference.

[dcisive]

Geez Egg...you make it sound like a infomercial. also very inviting. Think I'll come over for some tea sometime

[skibarbie]

Honeywell Steam Humidifier is the way to go..DM me if you want specifics about how fabulous, cost, contractor etc..

[altajoe]

The Honeywell Steam Humidifier was recommended by the HVAC guy. I assume it's fabulous