# Anyone have the humidifier that is permanently plumbed?



## Bassmantweed (Jan 12, 2015)

Not talking about the ones that go in line with the hot air system. talking about something that could sit in a room and maybe be plumbed using a ice-maker type hose.


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## pen (Jan 12, 2015)

I haven't come across one in conversation that I recall and couldn't find one in a search tonight either.

My thought is if they do exist, they are rare, since a humidifier w/out the use of duct work is essentially a room humidifier.  Humidifiers require maintenance, and often drains as well, and doing it as a point source situation would be an odd-ball,,,,, at least that's my guess.  

What are you currently doing?  What are the problems?  Maybe that might help you come up with a different solution or product.  

Good luck,

pen


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## Bassmantweed (Jan 12, 2015)

I'm sure my problems aren't that much different from others I run the pellet stove 24 seven and my house is extremely dry. the humidifiers I have are rather small capacity and it's very annoying to fill them up three or four times a day.  I wish there were something that I could just install and and maybe run a line to to where I didn't have to refill it all the time. 

I do have hot air and I could run the fan but I find that really doesn't help the humidity in my house and with my heating system I would really love to have something in the room with the stove so as the air is being heated it could also be humidified


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## Jon1270 (Jan 12, 2015)

A few years ago I used a small float valve like this, connected via icemaker line to a saddle valve on cold water pipe, to fill a reservior for an automatic watering system when I was starting a lot of seedlings in the basement.  I think it would be fairly easy to fit one to a typical room humidifier.


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## midwestcoast (Jan 14, 2015)

Unless it had an overflow drain I definitely wouldn't trust a float valve in my house. They work for toilets, but how many times have you seen a toilet that didn't shut off completely? Now imagine that water running out on your living room floor. 
If you have unfinished basement below, you could run a supply line with shutoff in the basement to a spot near your humidifier. Then connect it in heating season with braided hose or tube... into the reservoir & fill by opening a regular ball valve behind the unit.
Would look a bit strange & probably against code.
A bigger humidifier sounds much easier. Mine holds 6 gallons which usually lasts well more than a day and keeps my leaky old house humid enough. There are plenty of bigger units too.


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## midwestcoast (Jan 14, 2015)

Btw, mine is an Essick 821-000


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## xman23 (Jan 16, 2015)

I had the same thought to add a automatic supply to the large one I have. But you definitely need to have a overflow drain. I planned on setting the whole thing in a base pan with a drain. But it's all a project I have no time for. So in the mean time, 3 years so far I refill it a few times a day.


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## pen (Jan 16, 2015)

xman23 said:


> I had the same thought to add a automatic supply to the large one I have. But you definitely need to have a overflow drain. I planned on setting the whole thing in a base pan with a drain. But it's all a project I have no time for. So in the mean time, 3 years so far I refill it a few times a day.



Yep, As I see it, no matter how it is done, a humidifier, is a pet...... Some take more maintenance than others, but at the end of the day, they all need a certain amount of attention..... 

In the situation of humidification, where evaporation leads to a buildup of deposits, anything that increases our chances to not pay attention to the system increases our chances to have a problem. (why I am OK with manual filling versus automation)

Different types of systems need different maintenance too.  The last humidifier I had, which lasted 7 years did a great job and we didn't have to replace the filters often, because it had a pump and poured water down over the "filter" elements.  However, If we didn't clean the tank out regularly, the pump would plug and it was a 2 hour job tearing the thing apart (in a way that the manual didn't recommend) to take care of the issue.

We now have a wick type system, that is doing the job just fine, takes less cleaning, but the "filters" (or elements, or whatever the should be called) need to be replaced more often since the minerals end up building up in them.

Long story short, the cost of both over the course of a few years will end up being the same, but I have found the wick, where I have to change the filters more often is actually less time intensive and the "filters" are much cheaper too.

But as with many things, your mileage may vary,,,, especially depending on water condition.

Good Luck,

pen


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