Some thoughts on by pass humidifiers!
#1
01-21-13, 07:08 AM
Some thoughts on by pass humidifiers!
The by pass is like adding a new heat run so causes the furnace to run longer to heat the house. The humidifier on the return is like adding a new air intake in the furnace room so it may be using up combustion air supply starving the furnace. The damper in the Aprilaire 400 is a joke so I added another damper to the connection in the supply line still even with both dampers closed plenty of air is coming through due to the suction of the return. I may just seal both the return and bypass during the months when the humidifier is not needed something Aprilaire should have incorporated into the design of the humidifier. Finally is the increased wear and tear on the furnace and air conditioner (if one doesn't seal the ducts in summer) as well as the need for more oil and electricity worth having a by pass humidifier or does a room unit make more sense?
I didn't think of any of this until this morning when it took the furnace a full hour to raise the temperature from 62 to 68.
I didn't think of any of this until this morning when it took the furnace a full hour to raise the temperature from 62 to 68.
#2
01-21-13, 07:17 AM
Group Moderator
You should not experience any heat loss in heating mode. All small portion of heated air is being recirculated....if anything...that air will become hotter.
My Aprilaire is fairly transparent.....It doesn't really add any noticeable heating time.
It should also be completely sealed......it should have NO effect on combustion or make up air near the heating unit.
My Aprilaire is fairly transparent.....It doesn't really add any noticeable heating time.
It should also be completely sealed......it should have NO effect on combustion or make up air near the heating unit.
#3
01-21-13, 07:29 AM
Hi
The unit is completely sealed to the return and so is the bypass but there is still some air leakage through the assembly itself as the cover is not airtight.
The unit is completely sealed to the return and so is the bypass but there is still some air leakage through the assembly itself as the cover is not airtight.
#4
01-21-13, 09:23 PM
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Leakage as air blowing out or in?
The damper does not have to be air tight when you close it in the summer.. it just cuts down on the air flow to prevent coil from freezing.
Not sure what the temps were in your area, but an hour or so recovery time is not bad. This am it was -8˚ here, and took my furnace an hour and half to recover, other wise most of the time it takes an hour in the winter.
The damper does not have to be air tight when you close it in the summer.. it just cuts down on the air flow to prevent coil from freezing.
Not sure what the temps were in your area, but an hour or so recovery time is not bad. This am it was -8˚ here, and took my furnace an hour and half to recover, other wise most of the time it takes an hour in the winter.
#5
01-22-13, 12:54 PM
Hi Jay
I can feel the air being sucked in around the cover of the humidifier. It would have been simple to put a gasket in the case to make an airtight seal (I put a gasket between the metal return duct and the humidifier works great).
It was 14 this morning and the furnace took 90 minutes to get the house from 62 to 68.
I can feel the air being sucked in around the cover of the humidifier. It would have been simple to put a gasket in the case to make an airtight seal (I put a gasket between the metal return duct and the humidifier works great).
It was 14 this morning and the furnace took 90 minutes to get the house from 62 to 68.
