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Adding humidity to your wood heated home

Started by woodroe, January 13, 2022, 10:54:10 AM

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woodroe

Looking to hear what other people are using for room or home humidifiers . 
Not having much luck finding decent wicks for my 1.5 gal fan driven honeywell humidifier, although 
the original wick worked good for quite some time.
The new ones I just got only wicked the water good for a few days, wasted money there .
Down to 40% humidity now and using a fair amount of wood these days.
I remember we had a big cabinet unit at the farm as a kid. Had a revolving screen that picked up water
as it went through the reservoir at the bottom and a fan blew through it. Good rig there.  
Not sure about any of the stuff being sold today.
Anyone have any good solutions for a 900 sq ft 1st floor area  ?
Skidding firewood with a kubota L3300.

beenthere

Using and like the Levoit Ultrasonic humidifier. Clean with vinegar about once a week. Puts out about 1.5 gallon of water a day. 

Beats previous models that had water cascading over filters that would crust up all too quickly and have to be changed out regularly. 
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

tawilson

AIRCARE 831000 Space-Saver, White Whole House Evaporative Humidifier 2700 sq. ft Amazon.com: AIRCARE Space-Saver Evaporative Whole House Humidifier (2,700 sq ft) : Home & Kitchen
I've been using this one for a couple years with no complaints. Replaced one that had tanks to fill. Just fill a bucket and dump it in. 
Tom
2017 LT40HDG35 WIDE
BMS250 and BMT250 sharpener/setter
Woodmaster 725

47sawdust

40% humidity is pretty low.I get a little anxious when ours gets to 50%.
We heat with a wood cook stove and a Hearthstone soapstone stove.
A 2 gallon SS bucket and 2 large teakettles sit on the Hearthstone all the time.
My wife also hangs laundry on wooden drying racks.
Some might think us backwards but it seems a good direction to go.
Mick
1997 WM Lt30 1999 WM twin blade edger Kubota L3750 Tajfun winchGood Health Work is my hobby.

Nathan4104

Our humidity is also low inside, even into the upper 30's sometimes.  
Like 47 does, we keep a kettle on the stove and dry laundry on a rack.  
When it's below -25 we look for a few inches of condensation on the windows, nearing -35 it'll start to be frost. (Double pane gas filled vinyl framed 8 year old house)
We don't pay much attention to it, the wood floor moves a bit and the butcher block countertop does it's thing.  
Hot cup of tea anyone? 

Nathan4104

Had me curious so I had to check..... it's only 33% humidity.... Outside it's -25 and there's hardly any condensation on the windows! Have to shower without the HRV fan I suppose, lol.  

mudfarmer

Big old cast iron teakettle on the stove here, too. Lots of houseplants helps a little I think (it must, they need water all the dang time :D)


Try not to kick the snow off your boots when you come inside, just let it go everywhere all over the floor? :)

Crusarius

I have a cast iron pot on the wood stove with water in it all the time. But with the radiant floor heat I have been tempted to put water on the floor.

thecfarm

woodroe, I had one of those big things too. It worked!!!
Seem like a foot wide, knee high and on wheels. Best part was the brown plastic wood grain.  ;D
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

woodroe

Yup, thats the one, thing could throw out some moisture.
One thing is for sure, the more wood you burn, like we are lately, the drier things inside get.
I've got a clothes line off the balcony in the cathedral living room that I'm going to 
hang a old heavy wet blanket from for awhile for starters. Hopefully it won't drip too much.

Skidding firewood with a kubota L3300.

sum1

Quote from: Crusarius on January 13, 2022, 08:18:04 PM
I have a cast iron pot on the wood stove with water in it all the time. But with the radiant floor heat I have been tempted to put water on the floor.
Same here cast iron pot on a trivet goes thru at least 5 liters a day.

kelLOGg

I have a Holmes DH unit and like woodroe I have found the wicks do not last and can't be cleaned for reuse. So I did this: I installed an aquarium pump in the bottom of the unit and directed the water flow to the top of the wick for it to trickle down like a small waterfall and evaporate in the air flow. I use the same filter all season at the end of which the cylindrical wick is hard-crusted with minerals and is tossed out. Without the pump the wick will last about 2 weeks and no longer absorb moisture due to mineral encrustation and has to be replaced. This setup has worked very well for 5 or more years.
Cook's MP-32, 20HP, 20' (modified w/ power feed, up/down, loader/turner)
DH kiln, CatClaw setter and sharpener, tandem trailer, log arch, tractor, thumb tacks

woodroe

Quote from: kelLOGg on January 14, 2022, 07:29:01 AM
I have a Holmes DH unit and like woodroe I have found the wicks do not last and can't be cleaned for reuse. So I did this: I installed an aquarium pump in the bottom of the unit and directed the water flow to the top of the wick for it to trickle down like a small waterfall and evaporate in the air flow. I use the same filter all season at the end of which the cylindrical wick is hard-crusted with minerals and is tossed out. Without the pump the wick will last about 2 weeks and no longer absorb moisture due to mineral encrustation and has to be replaced. This setup has worked very well for 5 or more years.
Well thats an ingenious concept. And I just happen to have an aquarium pump too. 
Skidding firewood with a kubota L3300.

kelLOGg

If pics of what I did will help I will PM them to you.
Cook's MP-32, 20HP, 20' (modified w/ power feed, up/down, loader/turner)
DH kiln, CatClaw setter and sharpener, tandem trailer, log arch, tractor, thumb tacks

woodroe

Thanks, I would appreciate that because I'm stumped as to 
how it would work with my setup. I did get the pump out and seems to 
be an aeration device, water cascades out of it onto a 4" shelf.
Skidding firewood with a kubota L3300.

woodroe

But if its too much trouble don't bother. I'll figure something out.
Skidding firewood with a kubota L3300.

kelLOGg

No trouble. I decided to add it to post. The pump has a separate plug because it was too difficult to wire it to the on/off switch on the humidifier. it was a long time ago and I don't remember why.



 

Cook's MP-32, 20HP, 20' (modified w/ power feed, up/down, loader/turner)
DH kiln, CatClaw setter and sharpener, tandem trailer, log arch, tractor, thumb tacks

woodroe

That is pretty clever. Thanks for the info.
Skidding firewood with a kubota L3300.

samandothers

Glad you posted that.  I was wondering how you directed the water.  Looks like a piece of pvc, I recon any pipe with holes would work.

I need to do something for humidity.  Just started burning woodstoves in a new house.  The I have a cast iron pot on top of a stove, but it is not supplying enough.  Humidity is about 35.  I feel like I need to get a humidifier of some sort.  

Thanks for all the ideas here.

woodroe

When you start getting fingertip sparks at the light switches like I was you know
your air is too dry inside.
Got up to 43% yesterday with a little effort. 
Found a couple heavy cotton curtains to the tune of about 
50 sq ft. 
Soaked and spun out slightly in the wash machine then hung on the cathedral ceiling clothes line, repeat.
Ceiling fan on low helps distribute the moisture. Had a low of 38% humidity few days back. Was getting a spark 
at every light switch then, better now. 
Use what you got right ?
I know someone here who isn't buying new humidifier wicks every other week. 
Skidding firewood with a kubota L3300.

Don P

Having an outside air kit on the stove can help depending on the house. If you are using indoor air for combustion it is being made up by drafts from outdoors, which is low humidity when it warms up. Pulling your combustion air through a duct directly from outdoors to the stove helps with depressurizing the house. I need new windows and doors and a general tightening up before that would be the critical issue. 

samandothers

I have an outside air adapter on the upstairs stove that works fine.  The one in the basement is an issue to get it to draw.  I had to disconnect it.  The basement stove draws better without the outside air adapter.  I am not sure the issue.  It feeds under the concrete floor then rises on to exit an outside wall about 12" or so up.  There may be several elbows under the concrete.  I have ran a vacuum hose in it about 8 feet or so.  

Don P

It sounds like too much developed length on the intake pipe. There is enough resistance the natural draft cannot easily overcome it. It's basically shutting down the intake. If there isn't a more direct path the "solution" I've seen for making it sealed combustion is mechanical forced draft, less than ideal.

farmfromkansas

When I built this house 40 years ago, built my own door frames, and used Maclinburg duncan thresholds.  The rubber strips are worn out from my wife walking on them, and now can't seem to buy those rubber strips.  So my outside air for the wood stove comes from under the doors.
Most everything I enjoy doing turns out to be work

Don P

The stinkbugs are telling me there are plenty of ways in  :D.
MD is still around, I'd bet the millwork desk at Lowes or similar has a catalog you can pick and order from.

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