I just turned on my humidifier for the winter... noticed this last year as well, a lot of the water goes right through the unit. Is there a commonly available valve or restrictor that I could splice into the feed line for this so that I could adjust it so only the barest of trickles comes out of the drain tube while the unit is operating? Seems a shame to waste all that water (that I have to pay for...)
thanks
nate
On some units that water that is going through the unit is by design. Too little water and it will quickly clog up with deposits. The extra water tends to wash the deposits away and to dilute the water enough that they don't form in the first place.
It's true that it needs some water flowing through to carry out the minerals left behind as the water evaporates. But I don't see why this has to be more than a small steady stream. I adjusted this by just closing the saddle valve to get the desired flow rate. I'd say I cut it by half and still had a reasonable flow, surely enough to take out the minerals. And it would seem the water flow could vary by quite a bit from install to install depending on the water pressure, etc. No sense wasting water and energy. You would think the manufacturers would spec a min flow rate, but I've never seen it.
A needle valve ought to be available that you can adjust as needed. Other options would be a float valve to maintain a particular fill level, or a solenoid valve to turn on the water only when the unit is operating.
I haven't tried this, but I was thinking the saddle valve being basically a stop valve, would leak if in any position other than completely open or closed, because then only the packing wouldb e holding back water pressure?
nate
My unit has a plastic flow restrictor in the tubing. Just a bushing that cuts the diameter of the tubing roughly in half. You could probably fashion something to do the same thing. Heck if it's copper tubing feeding it, you could just flatten it carefully with pliers until you get the flow you want.
HTH,
Paul
What is the make & model of your humidifier?
The advantage is that the media panel doesn't load up with minerals and dissolved solids. Which would be left, after the water was evaporated into humdity. I'd not want to try to improve on that design. The wasted water isn't all that expensive.
It's not just the water, but also the heat loss that goes with it. The furnace is warming up the water, which is then being thrown away. Everyone agrees that some water flow through the media is necessary to keep minerals from building up. The question is, should it be a pint minute or a gallon, etc. With energy cost what they are today, it seems to me if you can easily save even just a little, it adds up and can be worth it.
That's why steam based humidifiers are becoming more popular. They waste almost no water at all. Here is an example:
JK
ehhhhhttttt!!! Wrong answer.
1) At that price, it is about 3 times more expensive than a traditional bypass humidifier (Aprilaire 550) 2) At 7 amps, it uses as much or more power than the blower motor in most modern furnaces. 3) Why would you want to spray water (that is what the steam turns to as soon as the air from the blower hits it) directly into your ductwork? Sounds like a great lab experiment for mold growth. If you dont want to waste water, try this model:Have something to add? Share your thoughts — no account required.
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