How do you humidify?

[SidecarFlip]

How do you control condensation on your windows and glass doors? I can only humidify to the point where my wood sash stays dry. I have 20+ year old insulated glass that in not latest window technology. I can bump up the humidity a few percentage points but nowhere near the 50% that is recommend.

We have newer double pane storms and still get a touch of condensation on the corners. I'm pretty content with less than 50%RH. So long as I'm not a 'sparky' with the dog, all is good.

 

[SidecarFlip]

Air Infiltration is the reason we need to humidify, another good reason to put an oak on our pellet stoves. We add a lot of humidity to homes by cooking, showers, and doing laundry/dishes.

This chart may be helpful.

When The Outdoor
Temperature is
This Relative Humidity
Should Be Maintained
+40°F 45%
+30° 40%
+20° 35%
+10° 30%
0° 25%
-10° 20%
-20° 15%

Good reference chart for 'rule of thumb' reference.

Wick filters seem a little hard to come by this year for some odd reason..... (not really a filter but called that...)

Problem with too little humidity is even though you are consuming pellets at a high rate of speed and the ambient temperature is high in your house, it still 'feels' cold because your body is aspirating moisture and cooling itself (I think thats the way that works....??)

 

[F4jock]

One large Lasko in the she room as the stove and set st 50%. When it gets really cold outside we knock it back to 45%.

 

[Bob E]

I have a simple ReliOn electric mist humidifier, holds about a gallon. I like it because it is really easy to take apart to clean. In my new place with a water softener keeping it clean really isn't a problem. The water at my old place had lots of calcium and lime scale. I had to chip that stuff off of the heating element in that humidifier with a screw driver and hammer maybe once a month or once every couple months otherwise it would get too hot and shut itself off.

 

[johninwi]

I have an Essick, and thanks for the reminder to fill it.

 

[Lake Girl]

I have the Sunbeam referred to earlier. Run it at night on high in the living room and it seems to keep RH around 32 +/- ... House water pulled from the lake that is spring feed. We did look at a house on another lake nearby but the water was orange (high iron) and I'm a water snob Knew it would bother me to have water that colour so it got struck off the list of possibles...

Well water sure is tough on appliances and fixtures in a house...

 

[bogieb]

Air Infiltration is the reason we need to humidify, another good reason to put an oak on our pellet stoves. We add a lot of humidity to homes by cooking, showers, and doing laundry/dishes.

This chart may be helpful.

When The Outdoor
Temperature is
This Relative Humidity
Should Be Maintained
+40°F 45%
+30° 40%
+20° 35%
+10° 30%
0° 25%
-10° 20%
-20° 15%

Thanks for the chart. Found out my cheapy, stand alone thermometer that I use to monitor the temp in the bedroom has a humidity needle on it. Says I'm at 38%. That is with the Vick's humidifier on, laundry hanging in the basement (instead of usiing the drier) and washing the bird cage and letting it air dry. Oh, and both stoves are on OAKs. May be a bit dry for some, but I am happy with it.

Funny thing though when I stopped at the local Cumberland Farms and got a coffee, the Styrofoam cup wouldn't stay still as it was trying to follow my hand after I set it down to dump in flavoring before filling with coffee. Happened several times (I fascinate easily). Guess I need to break out the Working Hands cream to moisturize.

 

[RKS130]

For the house we have two evaporative humidifiers from when the kids were babies. One is parked in front of the stove and puts a couple of gallons a day of moisture into the air. The other is in our bedroom, putting maybe a gallon a day out.

 

[SidecarFlip]

I have the Sunbeam referred to earlier. Run it at night on high in the living room and it seems to keep RH around 32 +/- ... House water pulled from the lake that is spring feed. We did look at a house on another lake nearby but the water was orange (high iron) and I'm a water snob Knew it would bother me to have water that colour so it got struck off the list of possibles...

Well water sure is tough on appliances and fixtures in a house...

Orange undies are't too cool either, unless you are into them..... In Michigan, bad water is a way of life I guess,

My Sunbeam split the water tanks so I taped them with foil tape and that lasted, oh, 3 months and that was that. Priced new tannks and they cost mre than the whole unit so I got 2 new units. So far so good. At least the old units provided some good spare parts. 2 nice motors for spare blower motors for the stove and a couple micro switches for what, I'll find a use someday....