Homeowners who have an installed a whole-home humidifier know the benefits they provide. During the dry winter season, a humidifier adds much-needed moisture back into the home, providing relief from sore throats, dry and itchy skin, nose bleeds and sinus irritation.
During the summer, we don’t need the added humidity in our homes, so the damper should be closed to keep any additional moisture out of your system. If you fail to do this before the summer starts, it can lead to poor airflow in your air conditioner which will draw the cool air back over your cooling coils and could cause the system to freeze-up.
When the colder season approaches, it will be time to turn on your furnace. So, it’s extremely important to remember to open your humidifier damper for the upcoming heating season.
There are several types of humidifiers, among them:
- Portable humidifiers
- Single room humidifiers
- Flow-through humidifiers. A flow-through humidifier for furnaces uses freshwater that flows through the system and drains away. This advice only applies to flow-through humidifiers, which are attached directly to your home comfort system
Where do I find my damper?
The damper could be one of two things:
- a knob or lever with a summer/winter setting which you should switch back and forth when each season starts
- or a piece of metal that covers the duct opening.
To find out which one you have, consult your home comfort system’s manual.
Depending on the kind of damper that you have, you might have to manually open and close the cover or simply switch the knob back and forth once the seasons change.
How to open your humidifier damper for winter
- Ensure that the water supply is on — follow the copper line from the humidifier to the small valve.
- Open the damper for the winter season. If your damper is not labelled, it should be found parallel to the duct, where it allows the humidity to enter the duct system.
- Set the humidity level on your humidistat or thermostat to your desired level and allow about 48 hours for the humidity level to change inside your home. Every home is different, but a level between 30 – 40% humidity is typically ideal for keeping your home warm and comfortable in the winter, without leaving condensation on the windows.
- Remember to replace the humidifier water panel annually – or call A1 and we are happy to assist with this task. Your water panel helps you maintain optimal humidity levels by supporting the evaporation process.Scaling can build up over time and this will affect the performance of your humifier.
If you have any questions about your humidifier or any other part of your home comfort system, please don’t hesitate to contact us — we’re always happy to help!
