Is dry air messing with you and your loved ones? An HVAC system humidifier will help add moisture to your air and alleviate health issues, reduce damage to property, and improve the comfort of your home. Small, portable humidifiers are fine if you just want to add a little moisture to a single room, but with a whole-home humidifier, the moisture is added directly to your air supply via your HVAC system. Know the differences between HVAC system humidifiers, and you will make the best choice for your home.
Whole-Home Humidifiers Are the Answer
The best way to improve your air quality is to invest in a whole-home humidifier. When you install a whole-home humidifier for furnaces or other heating equipment, it uses the air sourced directly from your duct system. It then infuses moisture into your air, and it’s circulated throughout your entire home.
A whole-home humidifier for your home is connected directly to your HVAC system, allowing you to use a smart thermostat to control the humidity level circulated throughout your home. Humid air is better at transmitting warmth and will help your heating system operate more efficiently. Humidity controlled year-round is beneficial for reducing:
- Sore throats
- Cracked, dry, and itchy skin
- Nosebleeds
- Allergy symptoms
- Damage to property
- Infections and illnesses
Best HVAC System Humidifiers
- Bypass Humidifier:
A common humidifier for furnaces is a bypass humidifier, which adds moisture to warm air via its water panel. The humidifier is installed on a bypass duct, where air travels through its water panel and moisture is added to the warm air. Bypass humidifiers don’t have a blower motor, so they rely on your furnace’s blower motor to operate. Since the bypass humidifier doesn’t have a motor, it won’t operate unless the furnace is running. However, without a blower motor, they create less noise than other humidifiers, and they experience fewer breakdowns due to fewer moving parts. Bypass humidifiers for furnaces are good options if you have extra space to install the bypass duct for the humidifier.
- Fan-Powered Humidifier:
A fan-powered humidifier operates similar to the bypass humidifier, except the fan-powered humidifier has a dedicated blower motor. This means even when your furnace is off, the humidifier is still able to operate and add moisture to your indoor air. You get more humidity control when your home needs it without running your furnace or heating equipment unnecessarily. This humidifier doesn’t require bypass ducting, which makes installation easier if space is limited to your current heating equipment. Fan-powered humidifiers do use more energy since they operate their own motor and run even when the furnace is off, but the flexibility to install them in tighter spaces, like a utility closet, can make them more convenient.
- Steam Humidifier:
A steam humidifier for furnaces operates differently than a bypass or fan-powered humidifier. It moisturizes the air by producing steam that is circulated through your home to the indoor air. The steam is created from boiled water and dispersed through the ductwork by the system’s blower motor. A steam humidifier can operate whether the furnace is on or off. It knows when moisture is needed for your indoor air and will turn your furnace’s fan on low to disperse the steam when necessary if it’s not currently on. Installation is flexible for a steam humidifier similar to a fan-powered unit. A steam humidifier for your home increases the humidity level faster than any other humidifier!
Enhance your indoor air quality with a whole-home humidifier for your home! Douglas Cooling & Heating offers several whole-home humidifier options, and our NATE-certified professionals will install your new equipment quickly and correctly. Call us today and feel the difference a whole-home humidifier can make in your home.
