Re: Humidifier to reduce need for Heating

Addle-pated, milk-clotted pig-snorker Don Ocean  <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:

>> >I am kinda curious as to why a BTU or Calory factor would be added to
>> >the disapation(sp) of humidity in the common furnace...
>> 
>> It's just a matter of physics. I admire your curiosity.

...and urge you to give it free rein.

>Simple Physics indicates the useage of waste energy..Therefore
>not a taxable energy utilized for humidification.

Would you clarify this?

>Aprilaire claims that efficiency is increased...And I agree.

Would Aprilaire be a humidifier manufacturer? 

>I think your hangup is on free perpetual motion machines. Surely they pay you 
>enough to comfortably heat your domocile.  As for your consumption
>factors
>of humidifying  a given space in the normal residence...I don't believe
>that 
>you can accurately measure it. The factors in many situations would be
>negligiable.
>Therefore not problematical. 

It takes about 1000 Btu to evaporate every pound of water,
about 3 cents, at 10 cents per kilowatt-hour...

>> >> >I would guess that you are not aware of the effiency of both old and new
>> >> >humidifier systems...
>> >>
>> >> You might be surprised to learn that it takes about 1000 Btu to evaporate
>> >> a pound of water, no matter how you do it.
>> >
>> >Even if sucked into a vapor....or injected....Or just splashed around?
>> 
>> Yes. You might say "efficient humidifiers" like green plants or wet clothes
>> on an indoor clothesline use no energy to get water vapor into house air,
>> BUT it still takes heat energy to evaporate the water. That energy has to
>> come from somewhere, in this case the house heating system.
>> 
>> This wouldn't be a big deal, if we only had to evaporate the water once, but
>> houses are not airtight. As moist indoor air leaks out and dry outdoor air
>> leaks in, we have to keep evaporating water in order to humidify house air.
>
>We have houses tight enough to blister the interior paint. And sick
>house syndrome 
>has given rise to the mandatory mechanical makeup air systems in ALL new
>homes.

Would you have any evidence to support this statement? I'm surrounded by new
home construction in PA. I don't think any of them have "makeup air systems."

>Air exchangers are required. Ultraviolet cleansing of interior ducts is
>required on 
>energy efficient homes here..

How do you know? Where is "here"?

>Especially berms. Black mold of the nasty
>kind has
>invaded ..All the way up from the southern states. 

Sounds like killer bees.

>> >Some is even ultrasounded. None of the common methods really require a
>> >lot
>> >of caloric input to disseminate.. I don't think that a perpetual motion
>> >machine
>> >is required to maintain economy of heat and humidity dispersal. A
>> >teakettle used
>> >to work quite fine on top of a space heater. I don't think the caloric
>> >loss was
>> >significant.
>> 
>> It is, if you look at the whole house.
>> 
>> >As for tight houses...All codes require 10 percent outside
>> >makeup air.

...10% of what?

>This is only in the colder US climates... 20% required elsewhere.
>
>> You might be hard-pressed to find one.

>Everything built in the last couple of years.

I was asking about the codes you mentioned.

>Install them every day to National code!!

I was not aware that the US had a national building code.
What is it called? Where can I buy a copy?

>Also local code...We follow
>Minnesota, Iowa
>Nebraska, Illinois,North Dakota, Montana, Wyoming and Wisconson.. 

Who are "we"?

>> >And that usually requires and air-exchanger in most American climates.
>> 
>> I think you will find air-air heat exchangers are rarely required.
>
>Required by code again... 

Which code? Would you please cite a paragraph number?

Nick