Humidifiers
New
Lenox, IL 60451
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BYPASS HUMIDIFIER
- Manual humidistat
- Bypass humidifier mounts easily on the warm or
return plenum and delivers 12 to 17 gallons per day (depending on
the model)
- A portion of the heated air from the furnace
passes through a water-soaked pad where it absorbs additional
moisture and then returns for distribution throughout your home.
- Water is metered across the patented KineticFlo
trough. Unevaporated water drains from the bottom of the unit to
eliminate mineral buildup.
POWER HUMIDIFIER
- Manual humidistat
- Fan-powered unit mounts easily on the warm air
plenum and delivers 18 gallons per day
- A portion of the heated air from the furnace
passes through a watersoaked pad where it absorbs additional
moisture and then returns for distribution throughout your home.
- Water is metered across the patented KineticFlo
trough. Unevaporated water drains from the bottom of the unit to
eliminate mineral buildup.
It’s
All Relative
Proper humidity levels keep you healthier and more comfortable.
Your heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system can do
more than heat and cool your home. It can also keep the humidity at a
comfortable level in winter and summer. It’s a delicate balance: if
it’s too low, you’ll feel the effects of colds, respiratory
infections, and asthma more, and some of the furnishings in your home
will literally dry out. If it’s too high, you’ll be uncomfortable
but mold and mildew will flourish. They love moisture!
Residential HVAC systems balance temperature and humidity. The best
person to design a system appropriate for your climate and your
comfort needs is a professional ACCA member contractor. He or she
understands the science of your home and applies the principles
contained in the ACCA design and technical manuals to the design,
selection, and installation of an HVAC system that’s right for you.
ACCA manuals are the industry standard, often incorporated into local
building codes and endorsed or recommended by the Department of
Energy, the Environmental Protection Agency, and equipment
manufacturers.
Relatively Speaking …
Relative humidity (RH) is the percent of moisture actually in the air
compared to the maximum amount of moisture the air can hold at that
temperature. Cold air can hold less moisture than warm air. At 70ºF,
air can hold as much as 12 times the amount of moisture as 10ºF air.
That’s why it’s usually more humid in the hot summer months.
Winter Humidification
Most heating systems just heat the air, changing the temperature, not
the humidity. Cold air is dry, and forced-air systems and heat pumps
pull outside air for heating. When 10°F outside air is heated to 70°F,
the humidity level in your home will be the same as the outside
air’s, around 7%. That’s one reason your skin feels dryer, perhaps
even chapped, in the winter. So in dry cold climates, you will
probably want to add a humidifier to your heating system.
The effects of bacteria, viruses, fungi, respiratory infections,
allergic rhinitis and asthma, and ozone production during the winter
can be minimized by higher humidity levels. Studies have shown that
wintertime levels of 68°F/60% RH are just as comfortable as 72°F/30%
RH; so by increasing the RH and lowering the temperature, you will
minimize negative effects while lowering your utility bills.
Because the outside air temperature and RH can change in a short time,
even a few hours, a computer-controlled humidifier is probably your
best choice. It will automatically adjust for these fluctuations to
provide enough moisture for a healthy, comfortable home and minimize
or prevent window and cold surface condensation.
Summer Dehumidification
Air conditioners pull moisture from the air (HVAC professionals call
that “latent heat,” as opposed to “sensible heat,” the
temperature) as they cool it, which is one reason you feel better in
an air conditioned home. If they didn’t, you’d feel cold and
clammy instead of cool and comfortable. In particularly hot and humid
climates, however, you may need to augment the dehumidifying capacity
of your system.
Very high moisture levels give you that “sticky” feeling and may
lead to health problems resulting from the growth of bacteria,
viruses, fungi, dust mites, and mold. Air at 78°F/30% RH provides the
same level of comfort as does 74°F/70% RH air. In the summer, turning
the thermostat up lowers your utility bills, so dehumidifying can save
you money as well as add to your comfort.
Although your air conditioning system or stand-alone dehumidifier is
designed to remove moisture and decrease the RH levels in your home,
in very humid areas of the country, it may not be capable of lowering
the levels below 60% RH. In such cases, your ACCA quality contractor
may suggest alternative or additional equipment and control
strategies.
It’s Your Choice!
The choice is yours: a comfort and health indoor air system, or a
furnace/boiler and an air conditioner. Since more than a third of your
time is spent in your home, it is important to make the right choice.
© Air Conditioning Contractors of America Association, Inc., www.acca.org.
Reprinted with permission.
