Important Winter Maintanence Tips by Bruce Coburn

By now everyone has done their winter heating maintenance and cleaned or replaced their furnace filters. But do you know that one of the biggest impacts on your comfort at home is not the temperature of the air but the level of humidity in the air? Experts tell us that relative humidity levels inside your home during the winter months should be kept between 30% and 40%. Maintaining winter humidity levels within that range will make the inside air feel warmer, can reduce dry, itchy skin and static shocks and will lessen the damaging effect of excessively dry air on hardwood floors, wood furniture and interior wood trim.
Many modern heating and cooling systems include a built in humidifier. It is important to keep this part of the system properly maintained. Maintenance should occur at the beginning of the heating season since that is when it is most needed and used. There are two major types of built-in humidifiers, power humidifiers and steam humidifiers. Both types require maintenance. Power humidifiers have an internal fabric element that water runs over and a fan that atomizes the water and pushes it into the air as it is flows through the ductwork. The humidifier element in a power humidifier should be replaced at the beginning of the heating system and depending on the quality of the water, again half way through the season. Steam humidifiers heat water to create steam that is introduced to air in the ducts. Steam humidifiers have a water filter that should be replaced one or two times per season, again depending on the quality of the water.
You can search on-line for do-it-yourself replacement elements and filters by looking up the manufacturer and model number on your humidifier. Even better, have your heating and cooling service mechanic replace the element or filter during their regular checkups.
If your built-in humidifier was installed more than five years ago, it’s a good idea to trace the copper water supply line back to where the water valve is. Some older water valves are of a type known as a saddle valve and are prone to leaking and clogging. You can tell a saddle valve by the style of handle it has and that it will be clamped around a water pipe. A saddle valve will have a small “T” shaped handle that will take several rotations to fully open or close. If this valve is fully open and your humidifier does not seem to be getting enough water or if the supply valve is leaking, you should have a plumber replace the valve with a new “gate” type valve.
Stay warm and comfortable all winter long by maintaining the indoor air humidity level and the humidifier that does that job.
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