Choosing (And Installing) A Whole House Humidifier In South Jersey

We’ve previously written about the importance of humidity control in the winter and the benefits of going with a whole house humidifier for your home in Ventnor, Margate, Ocean City, or anywhere in South Jersey.

If you’re thinking about going from plug-in models to an appliance that manages humidity in every room, then you’re in the right place! We’ll give you a quick overview of everything you need to consider when choosing the right one for your home.

Of course, we can’t cover everything here, but it’s a start. Once you have an idea of what you want, call or email us at Broadley’s. We’ll help you zero in on the perfect solution for your South Jersey home.

In this article, we’ll briefly review the benefits of a whole home humidifier versus a portable model. Then, we’ll cover forced air humidifier models and humidifiers for heat pump options.

After that, we’ll look at evaporative, steam, and self-contained models. And, we’ll talk about how we install these. Installation isn’t something you can handle on your own, but it’s good to know what goes into it all the same.

Let’s get started!

Portable Vs. Whole Home Humidifier

Here’s what to consider when weighing a whole home humidifier that’s permanently installed versus continuing to use portable plug-on models.

The permanently-installed models treat the entire house instead of just the room where you plug them in. Because they cover more space, and because they’re more powerful, these setups are much more effective overall than any smaller one you’ll buy online or at the drug store.

Next, the whole house models don’t require nearly as much attention. You don’t have to turn them on and off, and there’s no filling them with water.

These work with humidistats that regulate when they turn on and off, just like how your furnace works using a thermostat. And, we tap into your home’s water supply for moisture, so you never have to fill a reservoir tank.

Really, the only potential drawback is the cost. Most plug-in models are under $50, and maybe you’ll pay up to $200 for the most deluxe model. By contrast, it’s easy to pay $1,000 or more for a whole-home model and installation.

But, if you’ve been using portable models for a while, then you’ll quickly see that the price is worth it for the upgrade.

Forced Air Humidifier For South Jersey Homes

If you have a conventional HVAC system that uses ductwork and vents, then you’ll need a forced-air humidifier for your home in South Jersey. Like the furnace and AC, these distribute moisture along with cooled or heated air. It pushes through the ductwork and out of the vents in your home.

The actual device hooks directly to your furnace. Or, we position it very close to the heater. Then, as air passes through your regular system, it goes through the humidifier before hitting the ductwork.

That’s the point where the moisture gets added. Then, it spreads throughout the house. Various models work a little differently, but that’s the general idea for these.

Humidifier For Heat Pump Systems In South Jersey

Next is choosing a humidifier for a heat pump system. Since you don’t have a centralized duct system, you need one that works differently than the forced-air models. Instead of sending moisture with the furnace’s air, you need to treat each zone in your home individually.

The model you’ll need should be able to hook directly to each air handler. The other option is a self-contained model that works separately from whatever heating system you have. We’ll look at all these options next.

Three Typical Types Of Whole Home Humidifiers

When choosing a whole home humidifier for your home, you’ll most likely choose between these types of models:

• • Evaporative
  • Steam
  • Self-Contained

Evaporative

Evaporative models are the most common when you’re looking for one that attaches to a furnace. These use a pad on the inside of the system. It stays wet all the time with water from your house’s main supply.

That moisture evaporates as warm air from the furnace passes through the system and over the pad. The water vapor then travels with the heat through the forced air system and gets distributed throughout your home.

From there, you have two options. The first option is the powered humidifiers that come with a fan to pull water onto and across the pad. The other is a bypass model that relies on the furnace’s blower to do that work.

Neither requires much electricity, but for the most part, the self-powered ones do a better job of evenly treating your home.

Steam

The alternate to the pad models are ones that use steam. With these, your humidifier boils water and houses the steam in a canister. When your humidistat reads low humidity, it releases the steam, which travels through the ductwork.

These work a little better than the evaporative models. They also use less water and even less electricity. But, you’ll pay more upfront for one of these. That’s worth considering if you’re on a budget.

Self-Contained

Homes with ductless mini splits or heat pumps would likely use a self-contained model. But, you can use one of these with any system. That’s because, as the name implies, these humidifiers operate independently of whatever HVAC system your home uses.

You’ll have these installed throughout the house, and they’re usually easy to put in out-of-the-way spots where they can do the job without affecting the look and feel of your home.

We often put them in crawl spaces, closets or attach them to joists in the basement. From there, we connect them to the water supply and electric, and you’re good to go. Since they work independently, you can use them alongside heat pumps, radiant floor heat, or any system.

Whole House Humidifier Installation In South Jersey

Broadley’s offers whole house humidifier installation for homes in Margate, Northfield, Ventnor, Ocean City, and any town in South Jersey. We’ve been in the heating and cooling business for more than a century and are up-to-date on the latest technology and home comfort solutions. Call or email us today for a free consultation!