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Furnace

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I want to install a house humidifier. Right now I'm thinking of buying an Aprilaire 600. But my house set up does not look anything like the videos I've seen. Are the vents behind the insulation? See picture. I'm thinking of putting it right above the drain pump. Would that work?

Tuan
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Yes, the ducts are behind that silver insulation. Cutting the Aprilaire 600 in above the condensation pump as you suggested would be ideal.

feetwet
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I just installed one of those. It needs a gravity drain and has a ton of overflow, so definitely you'll need to install above the pump. Be aware you need to tie into both the supply and the return ducts (one will be above the furnace and the other to the side). Also, I'd recommend against using that brand in an unconditioned space. It is not very tightly sealed and leaks a fair amount of air and the housing is not insulated. The controls and the sensor are the same device and needs to be mounted onto the wall of a duct upstream of the unit. I would recommend a steam injection unit rather than a bypass, however they are more expensive.

Paul
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Instead of a whole-house humidifier, how about spending the money on sealing your house's air leaks? That will have an effect of increasing the indoor relative humidity , while simultaneously lowering your heating and air conditioning bills; it will eventually pay for itself if you stay in the house long enough and if your house is very leaky (and I'm guessing it is if you're wanting to install a whole-house humidifier). You'll save money instead of spending money to buy more electricity and water to run the humidifier, and you'll also avoid add ing risk to your house; purposely adding moisture into a house increases the mold risk--especially a modern wood-framed house that includes a lot of components made out of OSB, paper-faced drywall, and particleboard.

iLikeDirt
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  • This is probably a better comment than answer (the downvote is not mine) – Jeremy Apr 08 '15 at 00:25
  • That's interesting that you think the cause was due to air leak. My house is fairly new. It was built in 2010. As far as I know it is pretty efficient. I was under the impression that it is too efficient, to that point that the recycled air is too dry. Both my son and I are having bloody noses in the morning. That's why I'm looking to install a humidifier. Am I wrong? (not my downvote either) – Tuan Apr 08 '15 at 00:40
  • Generally, tight houses have higher indoor humidity, because the moisture you generate inside from breathing, cooking, and showering doesn't get sucked outside as quickly. Your house being new does not in any imply that is was built tightly (most still aren't), and there is no such thing as a house that is "too efficient;" the biggest contributor to low indoor humidity is air leakage, not your heating system drying the ai.r – iLikeDirt Apr 08 '15 at 01:50