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Guide to Furnace Humidifiers

By Travis Baugh

Carrier furnaces are well-known for their ability to keep you warm and cozy during the wintertime. But creating a comfortable indoor environment during colder months takes more than just heating the air in your home. That’s why adding a furnace humidifier – often called a whole-house or furnace mounted humidifier – to your HVAC system can be the key to your family’s comfort. Here’s why:

Because cooler air doesn’t hold as much moisture as warm air, it’s also important to have the right humidity level. Dry indoor air can cause skin irritation or scratchy throats, and may also damage wood furniture. It’s common to address this by using small, portable humidifiers, but they require frequent water refills, and ultimately don't support your whole home. To address this, have your local Carrier expert install a properly matched HVAC humidifier to your furnace to circulate moist air through ductwork to your entire home. And if your furnace has variable fan speeds, your system can take indoor moisture control to the next level.

a woman and son sit and enjoy the benefits of a furnace humidifier

Furnace and HVAC Humidifier for Whole-Home Comfort

To see how a furnace and HVAC humidifier combination can work in your home, talk to your Carrier dealer during your next furnace service. Your dealer will be able to recommend a whole-house humidifier compatible with your current system to create the optimal humidity level for enhance comfort, protecting wood furnishings, and improving indoor air quality. If you are most concerned with comfort and furnishings, you should be targeting a range of 35 to 55 percent relative indoor humidity.

A furnace humidifier is attached to your furnace or duct system and includes a water source. Indoor air flows through the humidifier where it absorbs moisture and returns to your home as warm, humidified air from your furnace. Furnaces with a connected HVAC humidifier can control the moisture level throughout your home. Doing so can make the air feel warmer, which allows your system to operate at a lower temperature and can help save on energy costs. This type of whole-home humidification cannot be reliably achieved using a portable room humidifier.

3 Types of Furnace Humidifiers

Once you’ve decided to improve your comfort with a furnace and humidifier setup, you’ll need to make another decision – what type of whole house humidifier best fits your needs. There are three different types of furnace humidifiers: steam humidifiers, bypass humidifiers, and fan humidifiers.

Steam Humidifiers

What is it? A steam humidifier heats water until it creates steam which is released into your ventilation ductwork. 

Who is it right for? These humidifiers are usually more expensive and use more energy, but are great for larger homes as they can deliver moisture to larger spaces more effectively than bypass or fan-powered humidifiers. Unlike bypass humidifiers, steam humidifiers can work independently of the HVAC system, which means they can humidify the air without the need for the furnace blower to be running.

Bypass Humidifiers

What is it? A bypass humidifier, also known as a flow-through humidifier, uses heated airflow from your furnace to absorb moisture from a pad inside the humidifier and distributes the humidified air throughout your home.

Who is it right for? Bypass humidifiers are great for those looking for energy efficiency as bypass humidifiers generally use minimal energy because they don’t have their own fans; they rely on the furnace’s blower, which can be more energy-efficient. Without a built-in fan, bypass humidifiers operate quietly, making them a good option for those who prefer minimal noise.

Fan Humidifiers

What is it? A fan humidifier uses its own fan to draw air into the humidifier unit where it absorbs moisture and then returns the humidified air to your duct system.

Who is it right for? Fan-powered humidifiers are often a middle ground between bypass and steam humidifiers. They are more powerful and efficient than bypass models but generally more affordable and easier to maintain than steam humidifiers. Unlike bypass humidifiers, fan-powered models have built-in fans that actively blow air across a water panel, allowing them to add moisture to the air more quickly and efficiently.

There is another humidifier option homeowners seek out – portable room humidifiers. While portable models can be less expensive initially, they don’t provide a whole-home solution and they require daily refilling and frequent cleaning.

Furnace Humidifiers Pros And Cons

So far, we’ve covered many reasons why a furnace humidifier might be a great addition to your comfort system. Increased comfort, protecting wood furnishings and potentially improving indoor air quality to name a few. However, furnace humidifiers do have some potential downsides. That’s why it’s important to understand the HVAC humidifier pros and cons before making your decision.

A furnace humidifier can be a prone to mineral build-up and bacteria or mold growth in the humidifier and evaporator pad. Leaking water lines or clogged drain lines from the humidifier are potential issues as well. These types of issues can be mitigated with proper maintenance and annual inspections. While furnace humidifiers are not an absolute necessity, they do offer a number of benefits that make the effort and expense worthwhile.

hvac humidifier for furnace installed in a home

Health Reasons

Dry indoor air can cause a number of annoying discomforts such as dry and cracked skin, sore throat, eye irritation, and even dehydration. More concerning, the National Institutes of Health have reported that low humidity can contribute to higher incidences of allergies and other respiratory infections.1

Climate Conditions

Some areas of the country are more naturally prone to dry air. Cold-weather regions lead to drier indoor air because lower temperatures make it more difficult for water to vaporize and become airborne. This dry air can contribute to dry skin and lips and other dry-air issues already documented in this article.

Comfort

A whole-house furnace humidifier can improve your comfort by minimizing dry, itchy skin, dry nasal passages, chapped lips and more. Properly humidified air feels warmer than dry air, which may allow you to turn down your thermostat to help make your home more energy efficient. You can achieve these comfort benefits with an easy to clean humidifier that only requires annual maintenance and the convenience of not having to refill a water tank.

Budget

Furnace humidifiers offer long-term cost benefits by maintaining optimal humidity levels, reducing heating expenses as moist air feels warmer, allowing for lower thermostat settings. Investing in more advanced models can result in further savings as these systems are designed for efficiency, with the opportunity for fewer part replacements and minimal water wastage. Ensuring the humidifier works efficiently with proper air.

The Best Whole House Humidifier For Furnace

a carrier dealer discusses humidifiers for furnaces with a couple

The best whole house humidifier for your home will provide enhanced comfort, minimal maintenance and will be sized to support humidity control for the entire coverage area of your home. Most offer the convenience of a continuous water supply so you won’t need to worry about refilling a tank, and some models include digital control over humidity levels. If you are currently thinking about buying a furnace, now would be a great time to consider this option.

If whole-house humidifiers are out of your budget you can try looking for a portable model to provide comfort in specific rooms. A portable humidifier will need to be refilled often – as an example, a smaller model that can take one gallon of water might need to be refilled after 36 hours of operation. And they won’t provide comfort, air quality and efficiency benefits similar to those provided by a whole-house furnace humidifier. If you think your family might benefit from installing a furnace humidifier, find a Carrier dealer in your area and make an appointment to today.

1https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1474709/

Frequently Asked Questions About Furnace Humidifiers

Yes, you can add a humidifier to your HVAC system, and it’s a common practice for improving indoor air quality. Whole-house humidifiers can be integrated directly into the HVAC system, allowing them to add moisture to the air as it circulates throughout your home. This setup provides consistent humidity levels and enhances comfort, especially during dry seasons. When installing, it’s important to choose a suitable humidifier model that matches your system's capacity. Professional installation is recommended to ensure proper integration and functionality.
Yes, furnace humidifiers can be a good idea, particularly in areas of the country where low humidity is a regular issue or during winter when indoor air humidity levels can become low. Furnace humidifiers enhance indoor air quality and comfort, making them a valuable addition to your heating system, by helping stabilize humidity levels and alleviate issues caused by low humidity as such as dry skin and static electricity.
Yes, adding a humidifier to your furnace can worth it, especially in dry climates or during winter months when indoor air tends to become excessively dry. A humidifier helps maintain optimal humidity levels, improving comfort and reducing issues like dry skin and static electricity. It can also protect wooden furniture and flooring from cracking due to low humidity. Moreover, maintaining proper humidity levels can enhance energy efficiency, allowing you to set your thermostat a few degrees lower while still feeling comfortable. Overall, a whole-house humidifier can be a valuable investment for better indoor air quality and comfort.
Yes, you should run your furnace humidifier in the winter, as indoor air tends to become dry due to heating systems and cold outdoor temperatures. Keeping humidity levels between 30% and 50% is ideal for comfort and health during the winter months.
The best type of humidifier for a furnace is a whole-house humidifier. These systems integrate directly with your HVAC system, allowing for even humidity distribution throughout your home. Options like steam humidifiers or fan-powered humidifiers are highly effective. Steam humidifiers provide moisture regardless of temperature, while fan-powered models use water panels to humidify the air efficiently. Both types require professional installation and maintenance but offer long-lasting, consistent humidity control for improved indoor air quality and comfort.
The average cost of adding a humidifier to your furnace typically ranges from $400 to $1,000. This includes the price of the unit itself, which can vary based on the type of humidifier, as well as installation costs. Additional expenses may arise from necessary modifications to your HVAC system or ongoing maintenance.
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