Anyone have or install a whole-home humidifier? I hate winter and I hate the heat running. We usually run a small one in the bedroom at night and another in our living area...but its usually not enough. Tired of waking up dry as the desert. I'm looking at installing one of those that hooks up to the furnace ducts. I've seen two basic types....powered (fan) and bypass units. I need to see how much space I have and if I can fit one or the other where it would need to be installed. The wiring looks pretty basic....a few wires to the thermostat and furnace controls....basic plumbing to a fresh water pipe....and somewhere to plug it in. Not sure if I have a plug available but I might be able to piggyback off another plug somewhere and run a new outlet. Anyways, anyone know anything about these? Thanks!
The plumbing and wire-up for them is a cinch. Even you should be able to install one. The biggest pain is getting water service to it and then tapping/coupling along with the condenser drain line. Overall, they are a very nice solution to dry winter air in a home. Many people with allergic tendencies swear by them.
I have terrible allergies and my sinuses are always messed up. From the research I've done they do look easy to instally ya smartass! The one I'm looking at is a Honeywell and it comes with a self-tapping valve that you clamp onto either a hot or cold water line. My furnace is in the same room as my washer/dryer and water tank so it should be pretty simple for all that. Like I said...biggest issue might be actually having a receptacle within distance to plug the sucker in! Would a drip drain in the floor suffice for the drain? The type of the ac condenses and drains into? Its not connected to any pipe drainage....I think its just a deep hole.
I need to get one soon too. I have been told the wood floors could separate if you don't have one. Take pictures when you do the install!
Will do. The way my unit is installed doesn't allow much room above the furnace to install one. I need to do some measuring to see what type of unit I can install if I can indeed install one. Not sure if the AC coils might be in the way as well. I'll post up whatever info and pics I can if I put one in! The install does look really straightforward assuming some basic handyman skills....ability to cut a hole in duct....ability to connect some wires...ability to connect some piping.
Not a fan of self-tapping plumbing setups. As time progresses, you increase the likelihood of drips and leaks. Put in a T with a proper valve to avoid this. That said, the saddle setup works just fine for most people. Me? I want to always have full control even in the event of valve corrosion or failure. saddle setup picture -- Note, this individual has a shutoff valve before the tapped line anyway, so he's safe from catastrophic flooding from this particular line. Extension cords will do for powering the unit (not a huge electrical demand--it's a small pump inside), but most furnaces of contemporary times do have power outlets on them. A drip drain in the floor? You don't actually have a drain in that same room as the washer & dryer you could use for overflow from the humidifier? How does your washer empty itself? Honestly, that drip drain should suffice, as there is about as much, if not less, overflow (when the unit is properly calibrated) of water than what your A/C would put out as condensation in the summer months.
Putting in a T shouldn't be any problem. I might just run the unit off an extension cord then...wasn't sure of the power demands. Our laundry/utility room is still unfinished so I probably could easily wire up another outlet from somewhere else. I know the dryer runs off 220 but the washer is plain ol' 110....or is it vice versa So I guess this leaves me with the question of whether I have room for it or not.
I don't see an outlet anywhere on the outside of it. Would it be behind the panel? Kinda a cheapo furnace I'm sure since its a starter home....not the highest quality of anything in here. The furnace and ducts are rather small too. I'll have to post up a pic to show you what I'm working with here.
I'll have to pull off some of the covers to see what might be behind them. Here's what I'm working with. The ducts are 14" wide....and I have abuot 22" from the furnace to the bend on top. The Honeywell I'm looking at says assembled its 14" wide x 18" tall. THat would leave me room for the wires and water connection thats on the bottom. I just need to find a template to see how big the hole has to be to cut out. Stupid image...I tried 3 times to rotate and save it in PB....screw it!
Just cut off the plug and tap onto one hot leg of the furnace or water heater at the breaker JK, dont do that
There is usually a lower cover that houses a potentiometer for how hot the thing can go and that is usually where the outlet is at. If I were to wire it though I would drill a hole into the furnace and run a conduit into it. I would then tap off of the breakers output (one leg) for the humidifier and hook it up like that
Yeah....like I know what you just said I might go pick one up this weekend and see what the template is like and if it will fit. If I get to installing it....I'll let you know! I don't mind doing wiring of outlets etc....but I'm not sure I'm comfy messing with my furnace wiring!
