Re: Humidifier to reduce need for Heating

Nick Pine wrote:
> 
> 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.

Simple Physics indicates the useage of waste energy..Therefore
not a taxable energy utilized for humidification. Aprilaire 
claims that efficiency is increased...And I agree. 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. 
> 
> >> >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.
Air exchangers are required. Ultraviolet cleansing of interior ducts is
required on 
energy efficient homes here.. Especially berms. Black mold of the nasty
kind has
invaded ..All the way up from the southern states. 

> 
> >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.

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.

Install them every day to National code!! Also local code...We follow
Minnesota, Iowa
Nebraska, Illinois,North Dakota, Montana, Wyoming and Wisconson.. 
> 
> >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... 
> 
> Nick