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Tool Talk Discussion Forum

Furnace humidifier

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Bob - MI

12-09-2007 09:24:08




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Every year at this time I get looking at the humidifier on the furnace and how much calcium scale is in it. We are on city water here and I wonder if there's an in-line filter that I can install to cut this down a bit. I have a small copper line tapped off the cold side of the water heater that feeds into the unit so I have some flexibility to mount something if there is if I need to.

The unit is a Gereral Aire rotating drum model.

Thanks in advance for your ideas!

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Sunspot

12-11-2007 09:24:47




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 Re: Well Sulphur in reply to Bob - MI, 12-09-2007 09:24:08  
I was on a sulfur well for a few years. The water ran to an aeration tank that held about 200 gallons. That took most of the stink out but about once a month I threw in a half cup of bleach. That always worked.



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PaulW_NJ

12-09-2007 10:42:28




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 Re: Furnace humidifier in reply to Bob - MI, 12-09-2007 09:24:08  
I had a similar rotating brush humidifier on my forced hot air furnace with a similar hard water problem as you mention. I would think a water softener would reduce the mineral deposits you experience, but I never saw the need to bother with changing salt, etc. I basically removed the rotating brush at the end of the heating season and cleaned it first manually scraping out the loose layers, and then chemically with Zep Calcium and Lime Remover. There are other brands. These are acids that react with the salts, dissolving them. Just let it soak for an hour or two. The polycarbonate shell, and the rotating brush always cleaned up very well. I changed to a different style humidifier and now I just change and discard the media pad once or twice a season.

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buickanddeere

12-09-2007 10:37:57




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 Re: Furnace humidifier in reply to Bob - MI, 12-09-2007 09:24:08  
We pulled the furnace humidifier off due to condensation on the windows and mold on the ceilings. Too much of a good thing. For kids with sniffles we just use a portable electric humidifier for a couple of days in their room at night.



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Dan Bear Kelley

12-09-2007 09:48:54




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 Re: Furnace humidifier in reply to Bob - MI, 12-09-2007 09:24:08  
My dad and I fought this for years! No convenient solutions. If it isn't calcium, it's something else. A whole-house water softener will take care of calcium, and eliminate a bunch of other problems as well. A small reverse-osmosis fitration system at your kitchen sink can be installed, with a line running over to your furnace. I say small, because they are expensive. This way, you would have tastier drinking water, too. A more inexpensive approach would be polyethelene filters. But depending on your water, they will need replacing frequently (3 or 4 months). You could have an under-sink filter of this type, so you would not have to replace it as often, and then you could run a line from there to your furnace (and ice maker). Some units have two filters, one of them being a charcoal cannister. Those are good. Whatever filter you buy, get one where you can order filters online. That will save you time hunting for them. Then, you need to worry about mold and growths. These humidifiers are a hassle, but boy they sure make it nicer in the house!! I'm on a well, here in Colorado, and my biggest hassle is dissolved sulphur. I'll win one of these years! Good luck!

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PaulW_NJ

12-09-2007 10:49:32




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 Re: Furnace humidifier in reply to Dan Bear Kelley, 12-09-2007 09:48:54  
Dan Bear

You mentioned you have a problem with dissolved sulfur on your well. I assume that's the rotten egg sulfide smell I experience on my water well on the farmhouse I am restoring. I don't live there so I haven't needed to deal with it yet, but what is your solution to the problem? I also appear to have an iron issue which sometimes gives a rusty color, but the hydrogen sulfide smell is the biggest problem. As the sulfur problem has increased, the iron problem has decreased. They must be linked somehow. Would appreciate your thoughts.

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Dan Bear Kelley

12-09-2007 13:04:53




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 Well Sulphur II in reply to PaulW_NJ, 12-09-2007 10:49:32  
Back in January 2003, Ted posted this:

Charcoal filters actually make the sulphur smell worse. They do trap the odor, but when you shut water flow off, the sulphur migrates back out of the filter in to the surrounding water. That means that when you turn the water back on you just about get knocked over by the concentrated smell until you've flowed quite a bit of water through the filter.

Chlorination does an excellent job of getting rid of sulphur smell. This can be as simple as dumping some bleach (you'll learn how much very quickly) down your well every couple of weeks. Bleach also helps with rust in the water, incidentally. Iron can't be removed from water, but rust (in reasonable quantities) can be removed by your water softener. Bleach and chlorine are oxidizers, so the "rust" the iron in the water, allowing it to be removed. If you've got a lot of iron in the water, a rust filter is in order, though, since it can destroy your softener.

Here's a good link, too: //www.ytmag.com/cgi-bin/viewit.cgi?bd=nboard&th=359586

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Dan Bear Kelley

12-09-2007 12:56:35




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 Well Sulphur in reply to PaulW_NJ, 12-09-2007 10:49:32  
Hi Paul W, I haven't solved the sulphur problem, yet. I've already got a paper filter inline for well sediment. I think the next step is a polypropoline filter, but I'm rather dreading it, since I know I'll have to replace that frequently. The reverse-osmosis filter is really the way to go, since it back-flushes itself and there is less maintenance. I just can't afford it right now. What I'd really like to do is a 10x10 or 12x12 bump-out on the house. In there, I'd put the water heater, washer, dryer, water softener and all that filtration gear. As my wife will attest, my dreams are always bigger than my wallet. :-) I'll probably be looking online for more options.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

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Bob - MI

12-09-2007 09:24:45




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 Re: Furnace humidifier in reply to Bob - MI, 12-09-2007 09:24:08  
Typo: General Aire



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Dusty MI

12-09-2007 16:50:40




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 Re: Furnace humidifier in reply to Bob - MI, 12-09-2007 09:24:45  
Many years ago when learning he heating business, I was told not to hook humidifiers to soft water lines because of the salt in the water. Today we are using potassium chloride instead or calcium chloride (salt). I've often woundered if about using it in a humidifer.

Dusty



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