The basics and maintenance of a humidifier in St. Louis.
Why a whole-house humidifier. Dry winter air in St. Louis means static and static shocks, cracked trim, and dry skin. A whole-house humidifier fixes that from the basement.
How an evaporative humidifier works. Water goes in the top. A pad hangs in the middle. The furnace blower pushes warm, dry air through the wet pad, the air picks up moisture, and the ductwork carries it to every room. No tank to fill, no mist, no white dust.
The water path. When the control calls for humidity and the blower is running, a solenoid valve opens. Water flows through a small orifice to the distribution tray and spreads across the top of the pad. Whatever doesn't evaporate runs to the drain and carries the minerals with it. When the humidifier is running, you’ll see a small, steady trickle of water going down the drain tube.
The bypass damper. A short duct lets some warm air detour through the humidifier and back into the return. A damper handle on the unit controls that detour. Open in the WINTER position for heating season. Closed, in the SUMMER position, during the cooling season when you don’t need added moisture.
Setting the control. The control is a dial near the thermostat or a HumidiTrac mounted in the return duct. Carrier's starting point on a HumidiTrac is 5. Condensation inside the windows means turn it down one notch. Dry air means turn it up one. Turning the dial to Test with the blower running flows water for one minute, then stops. Turn it back afterward; on Test, the humidifier won't run.
The pad. The pad is the part that wears out. It traps minerals, and after a heating season it's crusted. Carrier calls for a new pad every year. Replacing it means shutting off power and water, pulling the cover and the evaporative assembly, cleaning the tray and the scale insert, and flushing the drain. That's the service visit.
Humidifier service from Air Comfort Service. Air Comfort Service has serviced St. Louis homes since 1969. Add humidifier service to your heating system check, or book it on its own at aircomfortservice.com. We stand behind our work.