I'm going to get a new heat pump/air handler system, and I'm considering a humidifier. Tri-County Aire has Honeywell steam humidifiers available. Does anybody use something like this? Is it effective? Is it really expensive to operate?

I'm going to get a new heat pump/air handler system, and I'm considering a humidifier. Tri-County Aire has Honeywell steam humidifiers available. Does anybody use something like this? Is it effective? Is it really expensive to operate?

I would get different quotes before purchasing a system. The sales person will assist you . Try Service Magic and they will let you know who is in your area that is a good company..

I would get different quotes before purchasing a system. The sales person will assist you . Try Service Magic and they will let you know who is in your area that is a good company..

Thanks; always good to do. I'm just curious about the type of humidification and whether it will prove costly to raise the humidy by 5%....

Wirelessly posted (Baconator 9000: Opera/9.80 (J2ME/MIDP; Opera Mini/4.2.13918/812; U; en) Presto/2.2.0)

I looked when I replaced my HVAC and it wasn't worth it. To many issues with steam humidifiers (rust,mold, mildew.) I know these can be avoided but it just wasn't worth the risk or effort.

I got a good one for the bedroom and we use that instead.

I have a humidifier on my forced air system, but it's cold vapor, not steam. It requires a lot of maintenance to keep the mold/mildew from forming, and the water here is very hard so everything gets clogged up with lime and calcium. I turned it off a few years ago and don't use it.

I have a humidifier on my forced air system, but it's cold vapor, not steam. It requires a lot of maintenance to keep the mold/mildew from forming, and the water here is very hard so everything gets clogged up with lime and calcium. I turned it off a few years ago and don't use it.


Yea that! Not a good option for the reasons stated. I would invest in a decent room humidifier at far less money and no mold problems. If anyone in your house is asthmatic or an allergy sufferer do not do a central humidifier!!! The ducts WILL become moldy and stale smelling.

I installed a bypass humidifier when I installed my system(yes, I was a tech at the time) and am pleased with it. I wouldn't recommend spending the extra money on steam over a simple bypass unit. You will have to have the insert changed or change it yourself every year as stated above. You can probably do it yourself for about $20 or probably triple to quadruple that for one of these price gouging HVAC companies around here.

If your house is old and leaky you will probably notice very little difference in humidity though. If it is not too old and you don't have any problems with drafts a decent bypass humidifier should do fine. April Aire is the manufacture I have.