Efficient (cheap) way of adding humidity?
 

So, my humidity is too low (26%). Any tips for upping it? I've been trying to dry clothes in the air, spray a water bottle on any fabric I can that can wick it, hold the shower water till it cools, keep pasta water for the steam, and that's just tonite.
Any thoughts on the subject?

One of our posters came up with the concept that low humidity is caused by a furnace that runs too much which in turn will dry the air excessively.

The furnace runs too much because the house is leaking heat badly.

So the fix is to your low humidity is to reduce the heat leaks. In other words, stop all sources of air infiltration, and insulate, insulate, insulate.

-AC

Rob,

A low indoor winter humidity is a symptom of excess air infiltration. Outside air, at 32 F has a certain amount of moisture, but this humidity decreases rapidly as the air temp is increased.

Great time to do a FLIR or other IR test by turning on all house exhaust fans.

Just read AC's comment - we agree.

Steve

Robbmeex

A few years ago I had a fountain for my garden. I couldn't leave it outside for the winter. I got the idea it would look nice beside my indoor plants during the winter months. I would fill it with distilled water about every week while it was making a fashion statement in my living room. The distilled water was nessisary as a little splashing was occurring while it ran and tap (well water) would leave marks on the tile floor. I was so surprised to go through 5 gals. a week. I didn't keep a note on what the humidity values where but I'm sure it offered a fair output.

Randen

Assuming this is for a short term need, due to the unusually cold, dry weather this year, a couple of solutions come to mind.

For a small, store-bought unit, look for a cool mist, spinning disk impeller unit. These units put out lots of mist for their size, have no parts to replace, and are very energy efficient. Here's an example:

http://www.amazon.com/Sunbeam-645-80...095319&sr=1-17

For a homebrew unit, an old aquarium or five gallon bucket with an oversized air pump and air stones in it will do basically the same thing. Adding an aquarium heater sized to the vessel will increase output at the cost of overall efficiency.

Cheap solution: If you find a spot where you get alot of air infiltration, throw a damp towel over it. Might help humidify the air as it leaks in :)

Rob;

I'm an hour south of you and having the same problem. A stock pot boiling on the stove will provide the humidity and the energy will heat the house. The only waste will be what leaks through the cracks. With or without the stock pot you will have to deal with the leaks separately.

You have to provide the enthalpy of vaporization for the water. If you simply evaporate it you will have to add heat to maintain temperature. Considering the outdoor temperature, unless you have a high seer heat pump you won't be much worse off by running the stove.

We generally boil water about five days a year. We run the dehumidifier about 20 days a year. This year is unusually dry - and cold.

Went a bought a $15 unit. You guys are too right about the air infiltration though. Aahh, I hate to admit it, this thing LEAKS!

Robb,

What did you buy for $15? Handheld IR meter?


Steve

A humidifier.

We have small clay pots (plastic bottles with the top cut off will do) hanging on the radiators. Fill with water every week.

So todays highs we're on the 70's, so we opened all the windows. Boom, instant 40+% humidity.

I've found that two bath towels soaked in water hung up on a drying rack next to my bed would be dry the next morning, if I keep the door closed and the heat vent closed then my bed room stays cooler and the air doesn't dry out in the day time.

A small natural gas burner thats not vented will add heat and humidity.

And if your house is sealed tight at all will kill you from Carbon Monoxide poisoning!
That is not cheap.

You dont use it as your primary heat source. Only use 10,000 BTU per hour per 1000 or so square feet of house.
If your house is sealed up well enough to create CO then you wont need a humidifier.

We once tried to use a couple of cheap humidifiers.
They were ultrasonic and vibrated a piezoelectric element to make mist..
Before the end of winter, we found a layer of very fine micro-dust on
everything electronic in the house. TV sets parts were heavily coated with the white powder..

We were collecting a lot of that powder in our lungs! Not recommended,
unless you have well filtered or maybe distilled water.



We have a different model now.. Not cheap, but it works pretty well.
Vornado Evap3 1.5 gal. Whole Room Evaporative Vortex Humidifier-HU1-0034-06 at The Home Depot

When it's really dry, we run it in the living room.
But, it's been so wet around here during the winter, we haven't used it this year or last..

Hi I got a dryer vent that keeps all my wonderful laundry moisture in my so dry house. I sure helps plus gives mw COUPLE DEGREES OF HEAT. In the mean time boil some water put it inti a cup and breath it in. Good luck..

The air infiltration is correct.

The furnace does NOT remove humidity from the air. If it did, you see the condensate draining like when A/C use removes humidity.


The water fountain idea will work, but at that point you are just reinventing the wheel as a modern humidifier will be easy to use, fill, efficient, etc.

I'm the un-named guy that was so confused about this.
Just because of discomfort to my lungs and dryness of my throat,
from being in a room with over-heated air, I was fooled..

I was just going by my experience. What things feel like to me.

What feels like very dry air coming out of a heat gun or hair dryer
is actually not really dry air at all.?.

I guess hot air hand dryers in the bath rooms at the mall are heating up the
H2O on my hands and causing evaporation because the water in the heated air is warmer than the water on my hands..?..

So, breathing in hot air right from my ceramic space heater will not be breathing in dry air..
That's amazing. I've never noticed that effect.. Just wasn't paying attention.

Steam humidifiers are very good - they have two carbon rods that are submerged in the water, and the minerals in the water conduct the electricity between them and this heats the water, and it produces steam. No dust gets into the air, and it warms the room rather than chilling it.

If the steam is too slow, then add a little salt to the water and it steams faster. Believe it or not but pure water is an electrical insulator.

You need to scrape the rods - the minerals build up on them. Oh, and the other great thing about this design is when the water runs out - it shuts off. And there are no moving parts. They are inexpensive - like under $20 for a 2 gallon model.

I have not measured how much they consume, but I don't think it is very much.

I have never heard of this type.. Sounds pretty neat. A little like some kind of battery.. ;)
Got a link?

That sounds like the vicks humidifier I got. It suggests adding salt the steam better.

It sounds like how the whole house humidifiers work, the ones connected to your HVAC system.
Never seen a portable version