FAQ
There are 3 main types of whole house humidifiers:
Bypass – This type of whole house humidifier works by drawing warm air from your home’s furnace and allows it to pass through the water panel to activate the evaporation process. The air is moisturized and then distributed throughout your home. They can either be installed in the supply or return plenum of your forced air handling system. These types require a floor drain, but drainless bypass humidifiers are also available.
Fan-Powered – Fan-powered humidifiers work the same way as bypass humidifiers but include a fan that speeds up the evaporation process by blowing air across the water panel. Because of the fan, this type of humidifier is able to produce about 1 gallon more moisture daily than bypass humidifiers. These types don’t require a bypass duct so they can be installed in small spaces.
Steam – This type of whole house humidifier adds humidity to the air by electrically heating water to create steam even without the help of a furnace. The steam is then distributed throughout your home with the help of the system blower. Steam humidifiers are the fastest and most efficient at humidifying entire homes. They work as needed independently of your HVAC system.
What is a drainless bypass humidifier?
A drainless bypass humidifier recirculates water by using a special kind of water panel within the system, eliminating the need for a floor drain or prevents standing water. Basically, gravity pulls the water down to the bottom of the unit while the water panel uses a “wicking” action to draw the water back up to the top, recirculating it until 100% of the water deposited into the unit is used.
What does a water panel do?
The water panel is considered the heart of the whole-house humidifier. The water panel provides the moisture needed to humidify your home as the air passes through it. When the humidifier detects that there’s a dip in moisture, water is applied to the water panel and the air from the furnace blows through it, starting the evaporation process. The air picks up the water from the water panel and the moisturized water is then distributed throughout your home.
How often should I change my water panel?
With Aprilaire whole-house humidifiers, the water should be changed once a year, ideally before the heating season begins. Drainless bypass humidifiers, however, need to have their water panel changed at least twice a year because it wears out faster due to the special evaporation process it goes through.
Final Thoughts
When you think “whole-house humidifier,” think Aprilaire. For decades the Aprilaire brand has consistently produce whole-house humidifiers that are reliable, effective, and reasonably priced.
If we had to choose among all the humidifiers in this list, we would definitely pick the Aprilaire 400 because of its water-conserving feature and impressive specifications. For a large whole-house humidifier, the 400 is reasonably priced, and its automated humidity control boosts convenience and optimizes the humidifier’s performance depending on external conditions.