Now That It’s Fall, Your Whole-House Humidifier Needs Attention

With the heating months approaching, inspect and clean your whole-house humidifier to get peak-performance from it this winter. It’s beneficial to your comfort, your health, and helps achieve full energy-efficiency in your home.

Scale and mineral deposits can quickly accumulate on the interior of the humidifier, which promotes the growth of mold, mildew and bacteria. These deposits can lead to clogged water panels and valves, causing a reduction in efficiency which increases energy costs, reduces comfort, and exacerbates health issues like asthma, allergies, dry skin and nose, and itchy eyes.

With this in mind, it is important to replace water panels regularly in order to promote proper humidity control. Luckily, most systems provide easy access to this panel by way of a removable cover. Seasonal changes require little more than removing this cover, discarding the clogged, contaminated pad, and making the necessary replacement. To ensure you have positioned the pad correctly, look for a marking indicating the direction in which the pad should be inserted (most have a paint marking to differentiate the top from the bottom).

Of course, it’s a good idea to clean away existing moisture, lime and scale in the area before replacing the pad. You can also ensure that the drain pan and hose are free of obstructions and/or contaminants (bleach is a good option here). You’ll also want to inspect and clean the orifice to ensure that buildup is not impeding proper water flow.

Keep in mind that whole-house humidifiers differ slightly in layout from model to model. If you are unclear about any of these procedures or parts, please refer to the manufacturer’s guide of your system or seek the assistance of a trained professional. Also make a mental note to give your system another cleaning after the heating season is over. Cleaning your whole-house humidifier at least twice a year is good preventive maintenance.

Once you have performed this simple maintenance, your system should do well to provide you with humidified air. If you continue to experience issues, seek professional assistance.

For more energy-saving and cool-weather preparation tips, call the professionals at Acosta Heating, Cooling & Electrical.