In article <1992Dec30.184020.3845@nsisrv.gsfc.nasa.gov> john@ice.stx.com writes:
>I'm looking for a good Humidifier to install on my furnace. I have looked
>at AprilAir and Sears versions so far. They operate in completely different ways. One has a spinning drum and the other sprays water into a metal mesh. Anyone have any reccomendations on which type/brand is better and on how
>hard to install these things can be. Thanks in advance for any help.
>
>John DiMarzio
>Hughes STX Corp.
>john@ice.stx.com
I just had an April-Aire model installed on my furnace. I asked the same
question you just did a month or two ago and only got a few responses.
(I won't repost the whole summay here, e-mail me if you want it).
Basically what I found out is that there are many different types of
humidifiers. The drum type - which roll a drum (or belt) around in a pan
of water and then the forced air kind, which force air through a screen
which has water running over it. (These are the only types I considered)
I counted out the drum type because I don't want a pan of water sitting around
exposed to the air blowing around in the ducts.
Of the forced air kinds, there are two, one that collects the water
in a pan and keeps recirculating it over the screen. This one requires
cleaning of the pan and has a pump (to pump the water over the screen).
The other, does not collect the water, it lets it run over the screen and
then down the drain. No pan and no pump (unless there is no drain near
your furnace).
I finally settled on the April-Aire model 550. It is a non-recirculating
type. The water is trickled over a mesh that the air is forced through.
Then the water drains out of the unit. I draind it into the condensation
pump for the air conditioner (so I didn't have to buy another pump, I don't
have a floor drain near the furnace. I did have to change the pump
destination to be indoors).
I had it installed. I could have done all of it except connect it electrically
to the furnace, but I really didn't want to spend the time.
My mother has had an April-Aire recirculating unit on her furnace for about
ten years and has never had a problem with it I could not fix.
I believe the drum (belt) types require more maintenance (cleaning), but
are much easier to install.
Tony
--
=-=-= These opinions are nothing but my own, and I may not even want them =-=-=
Tony Salerno
antonio.j.salerno@att.COM "These pretzels are makin' me thirsty"