Benefits of a Whole-House Humidifier

Even though our customers are in northern New Jersey (and not the desert region of the Southwest), installing a whole-house humidifier has multiple benefits, especially as winter (with its drier air) and heating season approach.

A whole-house humidifier integrates with the HVAC system and adds moisture to the indoor air throughout the house (not just the room in which a portable unit is placed). This makes it more comfortable for everyone to breathe easier anywhere in the home. Even better, a properly humidified home can promote higher heating system efficiency.

There are three main types of whole-house humidifiers—steam, fan-powered, and bypass. Our team can recommend the best one for your home, depending on its size, your HVAC system setup (furnace or heat pump), and your comfort goals.

• Steam humidifiers produce the most humidity and operate independently of your furnace, so they are good solutions for larger homes or extremely dry climates.
• Bypass humidifiers use your furnace’s blower fan to circulate air through a moisture panel. These are a cost-effective and energy-efficient option, especially for homes in which running the furnace regularly isn’t an issue.
• Fan-powered models use an internal fan to push air through a water panel, delivering moisture efficiently with moderate energy use.

At Bloomfield Cooling, Heating & Electric, we install high-quality Carrier humidifiers, including those with fan-assisted power, which:

• Manage indoor humidity – Your home’s indoor air will feel moisturized and because the humidifier delivers the right amount of humidity:
  • Wood furniture, floors, and musical instruments are protected against the drying, warping, and cracking due to exposure to too much dry air over time.
  • Humidified air reduces the feeling of itchy skin, scratchy throat, and dry nasal passages and cuts down on static electricity. Everyone might sleep better, too, without the aid of portable humidifiers at the bedside.
  • Balanced humidity levels help reduce airborne allergens and viruses, so family members with allergies will appreciate that!
• Improve energy efficiency
  • Properly humidified air is heavier than dry air, preventing it from escaping the house, which leads to lower energy costs.
  • Also, the humidifier helps make the air feel warmer, which helps occupants feel more comfortable and may lead to lowering the temperature setting.

Homes heated by furnace
The humidifier operates in conjunction with the furnace blower motor. When the humidifier control detects a need for humidity and the blower motor is operating, water flows to the distribution tray located at the top of the humidifier, then flows by gravity over the humidifier pad.

Dry, hot air is moved through the humidifier pad, evaporation occurs, and the humidified air carries moisture as vapor throughout the house. The humidifier pad also traps minerals and solid residue (scale) from the water and during operation, a small, steady stream of water drains and flushes away the rest down the drain. This also prevents damage to the humidifier and keeps “white dust” from circulating throughout the house.

Homes with heat pumps
For homes that have heat pumps, we recommend Carrier’s Performance fan-powered humidifier, which blows moisture vapor directly into your ducts. Fan-powered humidifiers are excellent options for heat pump systems because they can function independently of the furnace blower and don’t rely on furnace-produced hot air to evaporate water.

Why Choose a Fan-Powered Whole-House Humidifier?

With a fan-powered whole house humidifier, an internal fan blows air across a water panel, which in turn helps these units produce the proper amount of humidity. They are a good choice for medium-to-large homes.

Unlike humidifiers that rely on the air handler’s blower to move air through the system, fan-powered models have their own built-in fan, so they operate more independently and efficiently.

How fan-powered humidifiers work
After water flows into the humidifier’s water panel or evaporator pad, the internal fan pulls warm air from the furnace or air handler across the water panel, where it picks up moisture. This creates humidified air that gets pushed through the HVAC system’s ductwork to every room. The dedicated fan helps deliver more moisture to the air more quickly, making them more effective in larger homes that have higher humidity needs (or for households with higher humidity requirements).

Since the fan doesn’t depend on the HVAC blower being on, it can operate even when the heat is not actively in play. This provides more consistent humidity control throughout the day.

In general, fan-powered humidifiers maintain ideal indoor humidity level (between 30-50%), which as explained above, helps the house feel warmer and more comfortable, even at lower thermostat settings. They are also compact in size, which makes them an excellent option for homes where the HVAC area is tight. They are also easier to install than steam humidifiers since they don’t require a separate water heater connection.

Carrier Whole-Home Humidifiers

Carrier humidifiers tie into your heating and cooling system easily, making them a convenient, effective whole-home solution. They offer trouble-free performance and maintenance, since all housing parts that come in contact with water are non‑metal (except for the valve and humidifier pad) and don’t rust or corrode. They are available for homes heated by furnace or heat pump.

Carrier’s whole-house humidifiers add up to 34 gallons of moisture per day, and maintain that constant ideal humidity level of 30-50%. Carrier equipment comes with a 10-year or five-year parts only limited warranty, and a three-year labor limited warranty, which our team will explain to you. Bloomfield Cooling, Heating & Electric is a factory-authorized Carrier dealer and installer.

Humidifier Check is Part of Fall Maintenance

Our service technicians check the humidifier’s operation, humidity sensor, and humidity output to ensure excess moisture is not being created (which can lead to mold or mildew growth). The fall checkup includes replacing the spent humidifier pads (which accumulate scale) as well, so that your system is ready to go for heating season.

Have you scheduled your fall checkup yet? Our $50 discount per unit expires October 31, so call us today at 973-237-0505 to set up your appointment!