If I get a new oil furnace with humidifier and with AC, is there a
method provided to turn the humidifier off, especially the water,
OTHER THAN the little valve on the water pipe that feeds the copper
tube to the humidifer?

Is it *automatic* that the humidifier doesn't run when the AC is on?

Or will I have to turn off the water supply? My little tapping
valve worked fine for a few years and then it got difficult. And it
was accessible for a few years, and then things got piled where I need
to put a chair to reach the ceiling. So it would be nice if it turned
off some other way.

When the humidifier doesn't run in the summer, is it only that the
electric motor doesn't turn the wheel? Or is the water turned off
too?

I had no room for a motorized humidifier in my current furnace and the
only one that fit used T-shapped fiber plates to suck water out of the
pan, which filled up the ends of the T so that the hot air going past
was humidified. A valve turned the water off when the water level in
the pan was high enough, but eventually that didnt' work well and the
water overflowed the pan through some little hole, and dripped on the
flue collector of the furnace, causing that to rust out. Maybe some
water even dripped down the main heating duct back into the furnace.


Is there any trick to replacing the tapping valve in the same place
that the current valve is? Or would there be an advantage to tapping
a hot-water pipe instead?

Thanks a lot.

mm wrote:
If I get a new oil furnace with humidifier and with AC, is there a
method provided to turn the humidifier off, especially the water,
OTHER THAN the little valve on the water pipe that feeds the copper
tube to the humidifer?

Is it *automatic* that the humidifier doesn't run when the AC is on?
....

Assuming you put it on a humidstat, it'll only run when demanded...

--

You really need to talk to the installer. Ask these same
questions. The ones I installed, only work on heat, and the
valve on the humidifier is fine. No need to close the saddle
valve.

Yours may be installed that way, or some other way. Ask the
installer. We can't see through the computer to see how s/he
installed.

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
..


"mm" wrote in message
...
If I get a new oil furnace with humidifier and with AC, is
there a
method provided to turn the humidifier off, especially the
water,
OTHER THAN the little valve on the water pipe that feeds the
copper
tube to the humidifer?

Is it *automatic* that the humidifier doesn't run when the
AC is on?

Or will I have to turn off the water supply? My little
tapping
valve worked fine for a few years and then it got difficult.
And it
was accessible for a few years, and then things got piled
where I need
to put a chair to reach the ceiling. So it would be nice if
it turned
off some other way.

When the humidifier doesn't run in the summer, is it only
that the
electric motor doesn't turn the wheel? Or is the water
turned off
too?

I had no room for a motorized humidifier in my current
furnace and the
only one that fit used T-shapped fiber plates to suck water
out of the
pan, which filled up the ends of the T so that the hot air
going past
was humidified. A valve turned the water off when the water
level in
the pan was high enough, but eventually that didnt' work
well and the
water overflowed the pan through some little hole, and
dripped on the
flue collector of the furnace, causing that to rust out.
Maybe some
water even dripped down the main heating duct back into the
furnace.


Is there any trick to replacing the tapping valve in the
same place
that the current valve is? Or would there be an advantage
to tapping
a hot-water pipe instead?

Thanks a lot.

On Tue, 30 Mar 2010 18:11:27 -0400, "Stormin Mormon"
wrote:

You really need to talk to the installer. Ask these same
questions. The ones I installed, only work on heat, and the
valve on the humidifier is fine. No need to close the saddle
valve.

Yours may be installed that way, or some other way. Ask the
installer. We can't see through the computer to see how s/he
installed.

It's not even bought yet. These were planning questions.

Thanks.

mm wrote:

If I get a new oil furnace with humidifier and with AC, is there a
method provided to turn the humidifier off, especially the water,
OTHER THAN the little valve on the water pipe that feeds the copper
tube to the humidifer?


My Aprilaire has a humidistat so it only goes on if the humidity is
low. It would be an easy task to put a switch on the 24v solenoid
valve so I never had to mess with my other settings in the summer. [I
don't have/need central air so all I do in the summer is change a
water panel.]

Is it *automatic* that the humidifier doesn't run when the AC is on?

Or will I have to turn off the water supply? My little tapping
valve worked fine for a few years and then it got difficult. And it
was accessible for a few years, and then things got piled where I need
to put a chair to reach the ceiling. So it would be nice if it turned
off some other way.

I wouldn't want to mess with one of those little taps. If I really
wanted to turn off the water supply frequently I'd put in a proper
ball valve.

-snip-
Is there any trick to replacing the tapping valve in the same place
that the current valve is? Or would there be an advantage to tapping
a hot-water pipe instead?


Aprilaire recommends using hot water. There is a monster thread
from last fall where someone tried to convince us all that it was a
waste of hot water. He didn't convince *me* - I suspect there are
others who feel that Aprilaire knows what they are talking about.

Jim

On 3/30/2010 5:21 PM, mm wrote:
If I get a new oil furnace with humidifier and with AC, is there a
method provided to turn the humidifier off, especially the water,
OTHER THAN the little valve on the water pipe that feeds the copper
tube to the humidifer?

Is it *automatic* that the humidifier doesn't run when the AC is on?

Or will I have to turn off the water supply? My little tapping
valve worked fine for a few years and then it got difficult. And it
was accessible for a few years, and then things got piled where I need
to put a chair to reach the ceiling. So it would be nice if it turned
off some other way.

When the humidifier doesn't run in the summer, is it only that the
electric motor doesn't turn the wheel? Or is the water turned off
too?

I had no room for a motorized humidifier in my current furnace and the
only one that fit used T-shapped fiber plates to suck water out of the
pan, which filled up the ends of the T so that the hot air going past
was humidified. A valve turned the water off when the water level in
the pan was high enough, but eventually that didnt' work well and the
water overflowed the pan through some little hole, and dripped on the
flue collector of the furnace, causing that to rust out. Maybe some
water even dripped down the main heating duct back into the furnace.


Is there any trick to replacing the tapping valve in the same place
that the current valve is? Or would there be an advantage to tapping
a hot-water pipe instead?

Thanks a lot.

I turn off the tap valve in the summer. There is a control and it does
not run constantly in the winter. You set it for where you want it.
Advantage of tapping into hot water pipe is minuscule as it takes
considerably more calories to vaporize than heat to boiling point.
My Aprilaire advises a new evaporation honeycomb like unit once a year.
Some units may have water filters needing occasional cleaning.

On Mar 30, 4:21*pm, mm wrote:
If I get a new oil furnace with humidifier and with AC, is there a
method provided to turn the humidifier off, especially the water,
OTHER THAN the little valve on the water pipe that feeds the copper
tube to the humidifer?

Is it *automatic* that the humidifier doesn't run when the AC is on?

Or will I have to turn off the water supply? * * *My little tapping
valve worked fine for a few years and then it got difficult. *And it
was accessible for a few years, and then things got piled where I need
to put a chair to reach the ceiling. *So it would be nice if it turned
off some other way.

When the humidifier doesn't run in the summer, is it only that the
electric motor doesn't turn the wheel? * Or is the water turned off
too? * *

I had no room for a motorized humidifier in my current furnace and the
only one that fit used T-shapped fiber plates to suck water out of the
pan, which filled up the ends of the T so that the hot air going past
was humidified. *A valve turned the water off when the water level in
the pan was high enough, but eventually that didnt' work well and the
water overflowed the pan through some little hole, and dripped on the
flue collector of the furnace, causing that to rust out. *Maybe some
water even dripped down the main heating duct back into the furnace.

Is there any trick to replacing the tapping valve in the same place
that the current valve is? * Or would there be an advantage to tapping
a hot-water pipe instead?

Thanks a lot.

April Air makes some of the best humidifier units, System 2000 is
maybe the best oil unit and efficency nears condensing units, you wont
have problems with an April Air

On Mar 31, 8:08*am, ransley wrote:
On Mar 30, 4:21*pm, mm wrote:





If I get a new oil furnace with humidifier and with AC, is there a
method provided to turn the humidifier off, especially the water,
OTHER THAN the little valve on the water pipe that feeds the copper
tube to the humidifer?

With any reasonable unit, yes. You can turn it off using the
humidistat, which is usually mounted on the return plenum. It could
also be mounted in the living space by the thermostat.



Is it *automatic* that the humidifier doesn't run when the AC is on?

Usually not, but it could be. Most are wired so the humdidifier is
powered up when the furnace blower is on. In which case it has power
and you use the humidistat to turn it off during AC season. Or it
could be wired to only be powered up when the furnace gas valve is
powered, ie when the burner is on.




Or will I have to turn off the water supply? * * *My little tapping
valve worked fine for a few years and then it got difficult. *And it
was accessible for a few years, and then things got piled where I need
to put a chair to reach the ceiling. *So it would be nice if it turned
off some other way.

When the humidifier doesn't run in the summer, is it only that the
electric motor doesn't turn the wheel? * Or is the water turned off
too? * *

Normally the water is left on. If the humidifier is actually running,
it would activate a solenoid valve to get the water running. If you
use a bypass model humidifier, you will need to move the damper to
close off the bypass during AC season. With a self-powered unit with
a fan, you don't need the bypass duct.




I had no room for a motorized humidifier in my current furnace and the
only one that fit used T-shapped fiber plates to suck water out of the
pan, which filled up the ends of the T so that the hot air going past
was humidified. *A valve turned the water off when the water level in
the pan was high enough, but eventually that didnt' work well and the
water overflowed the pan through some little hole, and dripped on the
flue collector of the furnace, causing that to rust out. *Maybe some
water even dripped down the main heating duct back into the furnace.

Is there any trick to replacing the tapping valve in the same place
that the current valve is? * Or would there be an advantage to tapping
a hot-water pipe instead?

You can't tap the pipe again in the same place. Provided it doesn't
leak, you could just shut it off and tap nearby. Or else remove it,
and repair the pipe at the current location.

According to Aprilaire, using hot water gives a higher evaporation
rate. We had a big debate about that here about a year ago. I did
some tests on mine and measured a substantially higher evaporation
rate using hot water than cold. Whether you use hot or cold depends
on the size of the house, unit size, and the relative cost of fuel you
use for heating water versus the furnace fuel. The extra heat
doesn't get lost, it winds up in the house.




Thanks a lot.

April Air makes some of the best humidifier units, System 2000 is
maybe the best oil unit and efficency nears condensing units, you wont
have problems with an April Air- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

I agree about Aprilaire. Over the years many people here have used
them and everyone I can recall was very happy with them, including me.

In that case..... you can plan to have the installer wire it
to the heat only part of the system.

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
..


"mm" wrote in message
...


It's not even bought yet. These were planning questions.

Thanks.

On Mar 31, 9:30*am, "Stormin Mormon"
wrote:
In that case..... you can plan to have the installer wire it
to the heat only part of the system.

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
*www.lds.org
.

"mm" wrote in message

...

It's not even bought yet. *These were planning questions.

Thanks.

I would think you do not want to leave the unit filled with water all
summer when it is not in use..

Mark

On Mar 31, 12:00*pm, Mark wrote:
On Mar 31, 9:30*am, "Stormin Mormon"





wrote:
In that case..... you can plan to have the installer wire it
to the heat only part of the system.

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
*www.lds.org
.

"mm" wrote in message

.. .

It's not even bought yet. *These were planning questions.

Thanks.

I would think you do not want to leave the unit filled with water all
summer when it is not in use..

Mark- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

All of the new ones I've seen do not have any water in them when they
are not running. Most use panels that the water trickels over and
the excess drains out. Others use a spray mist. There may be some
of the old type with tubs and floats, but I think they are dinosaurs.

The older units did use a basin with a fill valve, and
rotating drum. The newer Aprilaire (and I've seen similar
Honewyell) use a drain under the evaporator pad. No water
remains in the unit during the summer.

Note.... it's important to close the damper on the
humidifier when summer starts, open it for winter.

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
..


"Mark" wrote in message
...

I would think you do not want to leave the unit filled with
water all
summer when it is not in use..

Mark