Humidifier maintanance

[HMCFab9]

Do whole house humidifiers need maintenance & if so, what needs to be done?
I have a Chippewa model 224, serial # 85978 Mfg by Research products Madison, Wis on my furnace.
It's probably original to the house / furnace & the house is probably 50-60+ years old. Do these things need regular maintenance? It has always worked, but this year it seems like there is quite a bit more water coming out of the drain tube going into the floor drain. Do I need to take it apart /clean it?

 

[Stinger]

Aside from replacing the filter, they don't typically need anything. Of course if the filter hasn't been changed forever there may be other issues (calcium buildup, bacteria, etc.). I go through a few filters each winter in my whole home humidifier.

 

[anthony666]

i dunno specifics about your model, but all the ones ive ever messed with need to be pulled apart and de-calcified regularly to get rid of hard water deposits

one of my radiant customers gets me to mess with his, because there's water in in, so it must be part of the radiant system .. yea ?? anyway .. it's got some metal matrix type thing inside of expanded metal and i swear after a month it's so full of calcium you can't get it out to clean it .. it's like some national geographic show where they pull giant honey combs out of tree trunks or something .. except calcium tastes like ****

 

[Rockhead261]

Its not a "filter" , it's a water panel and it should be periodically replaced depending on the hardness of your water. For the money, usually under 10 bucks, it's probably worth replacing annually anyway.

More water coming out of the drain means less water is being introduced into the air. High humidity levels inside mean less evaperation, but a plugged water panel will also not evaporate water as efficiently.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

 

[theoldwizard1]

At least once a year...

• Remove calcium/mineral build up on all interior parts. CLR or diluted sulfuric acid. Rinse everything with clear water.
• Replace the "pad"

.

 

[PWC Repair]

Agreed, water "pad" or "panel" needs replaced on a regular maintenance schedule. There are 3 pretty common sizes that any HVAC supply house should have in stock. Research Products is also the parent company of Aprillaire.