Author Topic: Humidifier on a heat pump system...  (Read 11792 times)

K Frame

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Humidifier on a heat pump system...
« on: January 16, 2009, 05:45:35 PM »
Anyone put a humidifier on their heat pump air handler?

Honeywell is neigh on useless. They don't indicate on their boxes or website whether their units are heat pump compatible or not.

I do have information on Desert Spring model that would be perfect, but I'm having a problem finding the unit locally.

In this kind of weather the ultrasonic model I have can barely keep the living room humidified, let alone the whole house.
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cassandra and sara's daddy

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Re: Humidifier on a heat pump system...
« Reply #1 on: January 16, 2009, 06:03:52 PM »
let me kmow what you find out. i had a unit on my airhandler but i heat with wood so i got lil good from it. i have 5 humidifiers scattered around house put an ungodly amount of water in em to barely keep up
It is much more powerful to seek Truth for one's self.  Seeing and hearing that others seem to have found it can be a motivation.  With me, I was drawn because of much error and bad judgment on my part. Confronting one's own errors and bad judgment is a very life altering situation.  Confronting the errors and bad judgment of others is usually hypocrisy.


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Harold Tuttle

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Re: Humidifier on a heat pump system...
« Reply #2 on: January 16, 2009, 06:12:48 PM »
I have an aprilaire on my MD house's heat pump
http://www.aprilaire.com/index.php?znfAction=ProductDetails&category=5&item=700
It has a humidistat switch on a hot water tapped line that irrigates a mesh grid & a fan blows across it.

It worked well, but the gas heat in my new house is dramatically better and there is no humidifier

33 percent humidity right now
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cassandra and sara's daddy

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Re: Humidifier on a heat pump system...
« Reply #3 on: January 16, 2009, 06:51:35 PM »
i  have the same unit but room temp air doesn't work as well over the grid it doesn't keep up ith the drying effect of the woodstove  i even hot wired it to come on whenever the fan runs and ran it constantly.
It is much more powerful to seek Truth for one's self.  Seeing and hearing that others seem to have found it can be a motivation.  With me, I was drawn because of much error and bad judgment on my part. Confronting one's own errors and bad judgment is a very life altering situation.  Confronting the errors and bad judgment of others is usually hypocrisy.


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Harold Tuttle

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Re: Humidifier on a heat pump system...
« Reply #4 on: January 16, 2009, 08:20:18 PM »
are to tapped into hot water for the supply?
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He only has one purpose--Do bad things to good people! Mit science! What good is science if no one gets hurt?!"

cassandra and sara's daddy

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Re: Humidifier on a heat pump system...
« Reply #5 on: January 16, 2009, 08:28:35 PM »
yea but its in a crawl space and it pulls so lil water i doubt it often gets even lukewarm.and since the air being circulated is at best in high 70's its not putting out much moisture.  i fill the humidifier bi have in front of the woodstove with 4-5 gallons a day
It is much more powerful to seek Truth for one's self.  Seeing and hearing that others seem to have found it can be a motivation.  With me, I was drawn because of much error and bad judgment on my part. Confronting one's own errors and bad judgment is a very life altering situation.  Confronting the errors and bad judgment of others is usually hypocrisy.


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K Frame

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Re: Humidifier on a heat pump system...
« Reply #6 on: January 16, 2009, 08:54:46 PM »
You may want to try one of the console humidifiers that you can get at Lowes or Home Depot.
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cassandra and sara's daddy

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Re: Humidifier on a heat pump system...
« Reply #7 on: January 16, 2009, 09:47:19 PM »
thats what i have parked right where the hot air blows off the woodstove i fill both tanks on it twice a day and it runs dry each time. the r/h is in the teens in the airstream. i fight to get it over 50% and suceed intermittantly. i have the dryer vented inside during winter that helps a bunch.
It is much more powerful to seek Truth for one's self.  Seeing and hearing that others seem to have found it can be a motivation.  With me, I was drawn because of much error and bad judgment on my part. Confronting one's own errors and bad judgment is a very life altering situation.  Confronting the errors and bad judgment of others is usually hypocrisy.


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280plus

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Re: Humidifier on a heat pump system...
« Reply #8 on: January 16, 2009, 11:29:27 PM »
Yup, you can put a humidifier on a heat pump. I like Aprilaire myself, the bypass kind that you monut on the return and take a 6" piece of "buc duc" from the supply side and route it to the input on the humidifier. They hadve a 600 model (if I recall the # correctly) that incorporates an outdoor temp sensor and adjusts humidity according to outdoor temp. Not sure what Honeywell has, I know they have a bypass type but not sure if they monitor outdoor temp with any of them.
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Re: Humidifier on a heat pump system...
« Reply #9 on: January 17, 2009, 06:28:48 AM »
I forgot, Honetwell now offers a "True Steam" humidifier which is a small duct hung unit that injects steam. My concern is that is uses 7 amps continuously while it injects this steam. Kind of an electricity hog.
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K Frame

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Re: Humidifier on a heat pump system...
« Reply #10 on: January 17, 2009, 06:40:58 AM »
Yep, that's why I've rejected the steamers.

I've also rejected the ones that inject a fine mist of water in the outbound air stream. Heat pump system temperatures are too low and could lead to incomplete evaporation and mold build up.

I'm looking at one that has been suggested to me, the Hamilton 800D. http://www.hamiltonhomeproducts.com/humidifiers.htm

Advantages are that it doesn't require any complex wiring into the electrics of the heat pump itself. Others I have looked at do, and that's where I draw the line as a DIY'er.
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Re: Humidifier on a heat pump system...
« Reply #11 on: January 17, 2009, 07:37:18 AM »
Those are ok and the "self cleaning" feature is a plus but the big problem with the drum types are they hold water in the tank 24/7 and can mold up on you. If you go that way I suggest you drain it and keep it dry over the summer because that's when the worst problems arise. The minerals usually collect on the media pad. I'm looking at humidifiers for the recording studio project I'm working on. I've found no good solution. The bypasses use too much water, the steamers use too much electricity, the misters also inject the minerals into the air causing dusty buildup in the spaces and the drum types have the mold issue I was just talking about. And I just right now remembered I was supposed to stop in Hartford on the way back from New Haven yesterday to pick up my new Fluke digital hygrometer. Dammit!!  :laugh:
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K Frame

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Re: Humidifier on a heat pump system...
« Reply #12 on: January 17, 2009, 10:53:52 AM »
Well, I guess one way of dealing with the mineralization would be to put a reverse osmosis filter on the system. I THINK those remove the lion's share of the minerals, don't they?

The mold problem could be solved by one of the ultraviolet units.

But yes, I fully intend to drain it when the heating season is over.
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geronimotwo

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Re: Humidifier on a heat pump system...
« Reply #13 on: January 17, 2009, 11:08:34 AM »
Quote
I've also rejected the ones that inject a fine mist of water in the outbound air stream. Heat pump system temperatures are too low and could lead to incomplete evaporation and mold build up.


i tried an injection nozzle type, and it lead to ductwork and furnace corrosion. i think the main problem was with mineral buildup that lead to an uneven spray pattern and dripping.
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Re: Humidifier on a heat pump system...
« Reply #14 on: January 17, 2009, 11:09:29 AM »
yea, RO can work but kind of pricey and maintenance heavy. The minerals aren't a problem. The media picks them up and holds them and you just change it once a year before the new seaso. Draining and drying for the summer is the most important rule I'd say. Most people don't and boy do them things slime up. Eeeewww...  :O

That's why the bypass units have picked up a following but they use a LOT of water so there are drawbacks to all of them.

Hot water to the drum type is not a necessity as the water will cool off in the reservoir before it ever gets to the media. Works wonders for the bypass ones though. The HW steamer REQUIRES hot water.
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K Frame

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Re: Humidifier on a heat pump system...
« Reply #15 on: January 17, 2009, 01:22:07 PM »
I've seriously considered getting one of the console units that looks like a piece of furniture, but I really don't want to have a piece of furniture sitting around.

Right now I have the old ultrasonic singing away in the living room. I doubt that it's even making a dent. But, I leave the door open to the bathroom when I'm taking a shower and don't turn on the fan, so I'm sure that's helping somewhat.  :laugh:


Oh, and just for the record... Honeywell drives me fricking nuts. You have to buy their installation kit separate from their humidifier, and the installation kit, which isn't much of anything at all, is about as expensive as the humidifier.
« Last Edit: January 17, 2009, 01:27:26 PM by Mike Irwin »
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Re: Humidifier on a heat pump system...
« Reply #16 on: January 17, 2009, 01:54:18 PM »
Which kind of HW humidifier, steam or bypass?
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K Frame

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Re: Humidifier on a heat pump system...
« Reply #17 on: January 17, 2009, 05:44:13 PM »
Which kind of HW humidifier, steam or bypass?

Huh?

Or are you talking to Geronimo?

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Re: Humidifier on a heat pump system...
« Reply #18 on: January 17, 2009, 06:09:34 PM »
You in respnse to this:

Quote
Oh, and just for the record... Honeywell drives me fricking nuts. You have to buy their installation kit separate from their humidifier, and the installation kit, which isn't much of anything at all, is about as expensive as the humidifier.


Which style humidifier?
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K Frame

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Re: Humidifier on a heat pump system...
« Reply #19 on: January 17, 2009, 06:11:34 PM »
Oh, beats the hell out of me.

I was getting ticked at them when they weren't indicating clearly on the box whether or not it was suitable for use with a heat pump system. I'm thinking bypass, though, needs their extra installation kit. Hell, if that's the case, why not just sell everything a la carte.
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280plus

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Re: Humidifier on a heat pump system...
« Reply #20 on: January 17, 2009, 06:20:50 PM »
They normally come with a teeny transformer, a humidistat and a saddle type piercing valve. You supply the 6" buc duc, the water inlet tube, drain tube and a pump to carry the water away if you can't use gravity for some reason, which will require even more drain tube. The inlet is 1/4" tube copper or nylon, the drain is 1/2" clear vinyl and the discharge tube off the pump is 3/8" clear vinyl. You can drain it they same way/place as your A/C condensate.
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