You probably already know that a whole-house humidifier adds moisture to dry, heated air. But do you know how a whole-house humidifier works? The more you know about a humidifier, the more you’ll appreciate the technology and how it helps keep your home comfortable and healthy.
The parts of whole-house humidifiers might vary a little between models, but all of them include five important components: water, a water collection medium, a blower, a valve or float that controls water, and humidity control settings.
Without water, a humidifier can’t add much-needed moisture to your indoor air. Whole-house humidifiers are connected to a water supply line. However, the water flow in most water supply lines is too powerful for a humidifier, so the water inlet orifice manages its flow and slows it down.
Then the water goes through the water inlet valve, which is controlled by a solenoid to maintain the amount of water going into the unit. The solenoid is in turn controlled by the humidistat, which is responsible for making sure that the right amount of water is fed into the humidifier to provide enough moisture to adequately humidify the air.
Finally, the water goes through the water feed tube and lands on a water collection medium, which is usually known as the evaporator pad. Other names for it include evaporator panel and water wick.
The water evaporator pad holds the water as it is evaporated into the indoor air with the help of a blower. Any mineral deposits that are contained in the water will be filtered out by the pad and can build up over time. A water evaporator pad needs to be cleaned or replaced every year because of this buildup.
After the water is evaporated into the indoor air, the excess water in the pad flows towards the drain pan. The pan then directs the water into a household drain. This prevents mold growing in the unit, which can happen with water that is left standing too long.
For more information about how a whole-house humidifier works, contact us at Arpi’s Industries. We’ve proudly served the greater Calgary area since 1963.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Calgary, Alberta about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about whole-house humidifiers and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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