Are you looking for the best furnace humidifier reviews within your current budget? Then this buying guide is for you. Among other things, we’ll be clarifying the key points that will make it easier to think through the top-rated furnace humidifier comparison.
So that you can be able to make a stress-free purchase.
To ensure that air in the home is always saturated with enough moisture, you might need to supply your home with a suitable humidifier.
To prevent dryness in the air especially during the winter seasons, you should consider installing a furnace humidifier.
If you are looking forward to selecting a suitable humidifier for your home, this article will definitely help you make the best decision because it explores the distinct features of each product and brings to your attention important factors that every buyer should consider while selecting a humidifier. It also presents the recent best selling furnace humidifiers.
Best Furnace Humidifier Reviews
Honeywell HE360A Humidifier
Honeywell HE360A is among the best selling units today. Over the years, it has proved reliable and dependable, keeping the home warm and comfy at all times. It is a Whole House Humidifier used to power an entire building.
This humidifier requires little Maintenance because it is operated in a powered flow-through process.
It covers about 4,200 square feet. It’s manufacturers designed a multiple stage system together with a speed that varies so that it can suit the humidity level of the house even better. During the winter season, a Honeywell HE360A can increase the humidity of the house by 50 to 60 percent.
With this product, energy and water usage is improved, one does not have to spend too much on cooling and heating and bills are kept within reach.
It is very portable and quite light. It comes with a one year warranty, a deal fair enough because it is not even that expensive.
Pros
- Since it is designed to flow-through, the cost of maintenance is considerably reduced.
- It is portable, therefore easy to be carried from one place to another.
- It can produce sufficient humidity for the whole house even during the winter season.
- It conserves water and does not waste energy.
Cons
- The installation manual is not sold together with it.
GeneralAire 1000A Humidifier
This fan-powered humidifier is quite popular among members of the population, providing an impressive performance for homes measuring up to 3,000 square feet. When this humidifier is fully active, it humidifies up to 18 gallons of water every day.
It is very easy to install and it has everything you need to get it working.
Instead of the normal 120v, GeneralAire 1000A Humidifier requires only 24v to get it functioning. One downside of this product is that it can be noisy, the fan produces loud irritating noise especially when it is running at full speed with the heat turned up.
This Humidifier has a temperature compensating control with an automatic mode which allows you to pre-set it to your specifications and not worry about resetting it every other day.
Another interesting benefit about this Humidifier is that it comes with a 10- year warranty, so far amongst all the humidifiers we reviewed, this seems to be the longest. Note that this warranty is only valid if it was installed by an expert.
Pros
- Perfect output for medium-sized homes
- It is easy to install and to operate
- 10-years warranty and quick response to customer service.
Cons
- It is very loud, especially when it is running at full speed.
Honeywell HE240A
During the winter, dry air can cause discomfort- dry skin, irritated breathing pathways, and nasal congestion. It can also damage fixtures and pieces of furniture in the house.
While tabletop humidifiers offer short-lived relief, they are usually unable to cover a large area and may need a lot of servicing and general maintenance. With the modern Honeywell HE240 Bypass Humidifier, all these shortcomings have been taken care of.
The HE240A is one of the best whole house furnace humidifiers that hand-in-hand with your forced furnace to dispense humidified air throughout the whole house.
It has a humidity control that keeps track of the house’s relative humidity and automatically activates the humidifier if this relative humidity falls below a set humidity level.
It is designed to serve homes as large as 3000 square feet, putting out up to 16 gallons of water in a single day.
The HE240A is designed to routinely rinse and drain itself rather than drawing water from the receptacle. This process helps to keep the unit clean and free from microorganisms. An evaporator pad sieves out minerals and other impure elements from hard water so that the quality of moisture is increased.
Pros
- PerfectFLO Water Distribution
- Installation is quite easy.
- It conserves energy.
Cons
- It requires regular and constant maintenance.
Aprilaire 700 Automatic Humidifier
This Aprilaire automatic humidifier is rated 4200 square feet and puts out up to 18 gallons of water each day. This means that this device is capable of humidifying a large area of up to 4200 square feet.
It can be controlled both manually and automatically making it ideal for users who wish to save energy and water in the manual mode and users who would simply want to forget about the device after they have turned it on.
The manual mode presents services temperature and relative humidity Indicator so that you can easily change the humidifier’s output accordingly.
The unit itself is somehow bulky making it very difficult to be stationed into tight ducts around the Furnace, so always check if your space is large enough to contain it before getting it.
Additionally, it is recommended that you hire the services of an HVAC contractor to install your Humidifier.
This, of course, adds several hundred dollars to your bill but at least you are sure that the job will be done perfectly and you will enjoy the full benefits of the five-year warranty in the case of any malfunctions
Pros
- It has both automatic and manual controls.
- Covers a large area of up to 4200 square feet
- Reliable manufacturer
Cons
- It is difficult to install and one would need the services of an expert to do so.
Aprilaire 600 Humidifier
This product is typically for those who do not necessarily need the extra benefits of a fan-powered humidifier and is operating on a low budget.
Even in the absence of a fan, this unit adds up to 16.8 gallons of water into the air in a day especially when the furnace is running at maximum speed. It is rated to serve a large area of about 4000 square feet.
One advantage of this product that makes it even more attractive is that it allows you to set a constant program or a seven-day plan so that you can alter the humidity settings each day of the week if you so wish. This arrangement is perfect if you are not at home most of the time and wouldn’t want to wastewater and energy.
Even if there is an interruption in the power supply, your settings wouldn’t be lost because it has an internal battery that permits the humidifier to keep a permanent memory.
Although this humidifier uses a lot of water, complaints from users were still minimal because of how effectively it improves air quality.
Installation is meant for professionals even if you feel the urge to do it yourself so you could save some dollars, remember that you are violating Aprilaire’s five-year warranty.
Pros
- It is not expensive.
- It has a detailed programming capability plus a permanent memory
- Ideal for large homes
Cons
- It is very difficult to install by yourself and this means spending more money on installation.
- It constantly requires the furnace to be on
Furnace Humidifier Buying Guide: The Key Considerations
The primary function of a Furnace humidifier is to increase the moisture content of the air in the home. It is designed as a part of the HVAC system and it is often fixed on the ventilation duct very close to the Furnace.
These humidifiers are functional only when the furnace is active. Finding a Furnace humidifier isn’t much hard work because it is widely available in many stores.
However, choosing a humidifier can be a little overwhelming especially since there are so many options to choose from. To help make this less confusing, below are some features to look out for when choosing a Furnace humidifier.
1. Type
There are three basic types of humidifiers; aerosol, steam, and evaporative humidifiers. The steam Humidifier is similar to a vaporizer used for remedial purposes. It works by heating water up to 100° and filtering the water vapor into the air. Although this type of humidifier is a bit more expensive than the others, it is well known for its ability to discharge a significant amount of humidity.
The evaporative humidifiers consist of a drum with a maze or a cover padded with foam. This drum rotates and soaks the pad in a pan of water. However, bacteria and other harmful microorganisms could get accumulated if non-flowing water is left in the pan for a long time. It is always advisable to use a flow-through humidifier because it does not hold water.
The aerosol humidifier smatters a mizzle of water that vaporizes into the air. It is hardly used because it needs constant servicing to prevent the muzzle from getting clogged up. When the nozzle gets clogged up, it leads to damages in the humidifier unit because a closed nozzle causes water to drop into the furnace.
3. Highest Daily Output
When the humidifier is operating at full speed, a specific amount of water is capable of evaporating into the heated air within 24 hours, this amount of water is referred to as ‘Maximum out per day’ the measure of this variable is connected with the coverage rating of the humidifier unit.
Note that on a normal day, Furnace uses up 16 gallons of water in a day for a 3500 to 4000 square feet home. Before you buy a humidifier, check for the output capacity.
2. Coverage Area
The size of the house usually determines the coverage area of a furnace humidifier. Most times, this coverage area is expressed in square feet. It should correspond with the size of your home, excluding the rooms that are not connected with the duct system.
The coverage area of a furnace humidifier is usually noted on the specification so it shouldn’t be difficult to determine.
If your house is big, then you should definitely go for a big humidifier. Mounting a small Humidifier in a house measuring as big as 5,000-square feet will not be enough to completely humidify the air in the house to a satisfying degree.
Whole-house humidifiers work hand-in-hand with your home’s heating and cooling system to dispense vapor all over the house as the air is being heated or cooled.
On the other hand, one shouldn’t install a big humidifier with large coverage if your home is small. It would be a mere waste of water and electricity. Consider installing a room humidifier if your house isn’t large enough or you want it installed in a single room.
Best Furnace Humidifier Reviews: FAQs
Are furnace humidifiers worth the money?
With a furnace Humidifier, you don’t get an extra box to clutter up your living room. It enables you to save money on heating because humidified air itself feels warm, and most importantly you do not have to refill the tank now and then.
Do furnace humidifiers cause mold?
For molds to thrive in a given environment, it needs water and oxygen. They love damp areas in the home such as the bathrooms and sinks. Unless humidifiers are set too high, they are not capable of breeding molds
Can you run a furnace without a humidifier?
Yes, furnaces can be run even without a humidifier. A damper unit prevents air from moving through the Humidifier when it is not being used.
Conclusion
The task of best furnace humidifier comparison can be difficult. Most times one would need professional advice. But having been presented with some of the top furnace humidifiers, all with strong and unique features it would be easier for even an amateur to make a suitable decision.
Related: Best Aprilaire Whole House Humidifiers Comparison
Related: Best Evaporative Humidifiers Reviews