How Do I Get More Humidity Out of My Humidifier?
J. Paige Freeland, Marketing Manager, General Filters, Inc.
As a manufacturer of whole-house humidifiers we often get calls from home owners asking: “how do I get more humidity out of my humidifier?” Or, "which setting offers more humidity?”
Numerous factors contribute to humidity levels in one’s home:
- First, it’s important to know that each humidifier manufactured is designed for a finite, maximum humidity output. Ensuring the humidifier initially selected for installation should be properly sized by a qualified technician, to consider:
- The square feet of the home
- Ceiling height
- Number of fireplaces
- Age of home; type of widows
- Type of insulation in your home
- Amount of woodwork and wooden items (artwork, musical instruments) in the home
- Future plans for home additions or installation of wood floors
- Climate at the given location
- Installing an evaporative or fan-powered humidifier with the hot water supply produces approximately 20% higher humidity output.
- Manual humidistat: for more humidity, turn the dial towards the higher number. Automatic humidistat: with an outdoor sensor installed, all you have to do is select the desired % humidity level and the humidity level will be maintained. Set to a higher number for more humidity.
- Ensure you replace your Vapor Pad® (Also called: humidifier pad, humidifier filter, water panel, water filter) at the start of each heating season. You may need to replace it more often depending on the water supply’s sediment content or the humidifier’s run time. Do not wash/clean the pad, as you wash also off the coating that holds water to the pad and your humidifier will produce zero humidity as a result.
- Perform other maintenance when you replace your Vapor Pad, such as checking water lines and the solenoid valve for clogs, and removing scale buildup from the distributor trough and drain pan.
- There may be simple things forgotten, so check that:
- There is power to the unit (plugged in and turned on)
- The water supply is turned on
- The humidistat is set to the humidity level you would like
- The damper is turned to “open” or “winter”
- The Vapor Pad is new / not clogged
- The solenoid valve is not blocked; that it is allowing water to run to the humidifier
- What is the temperature? Colder air is not capable of holding as much moisture as warmer air.
- Your furnace run time and plenum temperature supports the humidity output you need
- Have you remodeled your home after the installation of your humidifier; adding on a room or installing hard wood floors? Did you install a new fireplace? These may increase the demand for humidity from your humidifier, and you just may need to replace your unit with a higher output humidifier.
- Has the water pressure changed in your home for some reason? Or is the water line not fully open?
As you can see, there are numerous considerations in selecting the humidifier for a home. Understanding them prior to selection will set you and the home owner up for a positive humidifier experience.
