Pros And Cons Of A Drum-Style Humidifier

Posted on: 7 October 2015

A drum-style humidifier uses a pan of standing water and a rotating pad to moisten warm air to send through your home's ducts. The moistened air can help lessen the negative affects of overly dry air, which can include skin irritation and allergies. Drum-style humidifiers are one of the lower cost types of whole-house humidifiers available, but cost alone doesn't determine what unit would best suit your needs.

What are the pros and cons of a drum-style humidifier? Here are a few things to consider before you contact an HVAC installation company, such as Augusta Mechanical Heating & Air Conditioning, for assistance.

Pro: Efficient Water Use

The pan of the drum-style humidifier has a sensor that measures how much water is currently in the pan. The sensor doesn't trigger more incoming water from the supply line until the pan level is so low the rotating pad can no longer dip into the water as the pad passes.

The water refilling setup makes drum-style humidifiers one of the more water efficient humidifiers available. A drum-style unit will use the majority of its water towards humidifying, unlike flow-through units, which use a constant stream of fresh water to moisten its pad with much of that water going straight down the drain.

A drum-style unit also only operates when the furnace is in use, which means that the unit won't be wasting water and energy when the furnace isn't currently drying out your home's air.

Pro: Doesn't Require Drain Line

The lack of water waste means that a drum-style unit, unlike a flow-through unit, does not need to be hooked up to a drain line. If there is a drain line near your furnace already, this might not seem like a major advantage.

But if you do not have the drain line available installing one for a flow-through unit might seem cost probative especially when a flow-through system itself is already more expensive than a drum-style unit.

Con: High Maintenance

The standing water means the drum-style unit is efficient but also provides a ripe breeding ground for bacteria and mold. Failure to conduct routine maintenance on your furnace can send that bacteria and mold rocketing through the ductwork in your home.

Regular cleaning of both the pad and pan are required to keep the potential danger at bay. Pads might also need to be replaced more frequently due to buildup of bacteria or minerals from the water.

You can also call in a furnace repair technician to help ensure that the drum-style unit is operating efficiently and safely particularly after being out of use during the summer months.

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