Your whole-house humidifier works hard during the cold Mid-Ohio winter to help ensure that your family stays healthy throughout the heating season, prevent the wood in your home from drying out and keeping static electricity from zapping your electronics. Maintaining the optimum humidity level of 30 to 50 percent requires keeping your whole-house humidifier running regularly, which will cause normal wear and tear as well as sediment and scale buildup on the components of your unit. Regular humidifier maintenance is crucial to keeping your system working efficiently all winter long and extending its life.
A qualified HVAC professional will perform the following key maintenance tasks on your whole-house humidifier:
- Clean the surfaces of the unit to remove any mineral deposits and mold growth.
- Repair any drips or leaks.
- Clean the fan and pump on an evaporative humidifier.
- Check the solenoid valve, which regulates the flow of water to the humidifier. Sediment buildup and scale will reduce the volume of water that flows through the valve, lowering the unit's capacity. Your technician will clean or replace the valve if necessary.
- Check the orifice, which releases water into the distribution tray, for mineral buildup and remove the buildup or replace the component if necessary.
- Replace the water panel, which contains tiny holes through which air flows. If the holes become clogged with mineral buildup, your unit won't operate efficiently.
- Level the system to ensure water flows evenly down the panel.
- Check the drain line for kinks and blockages that can cause water to back up and result in unsafe moisture levels in the basement, promoting mold and mildew growth.
At the end of the season, turn off your whole-house humidifier and thoroughly dry it. Remove any mineral buildup and sediment from the unit and close the seasonal damper.
For more expert advice on maintaining your whole-house humidifier, or to schedule regular humidifier maintenance, please contact us at Joe Behr Plumbing & Heating, committed to honesty, quality and dependability. We have proudly served Mid-Ohio since 1965.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Mid-Ohio area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about humdifier maintenance and other HVAC topics, visit our website.
