Alberta Furnace & Heating Services | Humidification
Providing Quality Residential Humidification
The Alberta Furnace & Heating Services team provides quality humidification and air filtration services to homes across the Calgary area, improving residents’ personal comfort as well as the structural integrity of their homes/belongings within our dry, fluctuating climate.
Our services include (but are not limited to):
- Humidifier Sales & Installations
- Humidifier Parts Supply
- Humidifier Servicing
- Annual Service Option
- Custom Humidifier Design
- High Efficiency Air Cleaners
- Filter Replacements (Large Selection)
If you don’t see your specific service needs listed above, please feel free to ask in a contact form query.
The Importance of Humidification
Let’s Talk About The Effects of Humidity…
Humidity refers to the water vapour within a given space, or—in the case of Calgary—the lack thereof! Humidification (the process of adding moisture to the air) is a crucial element of indoor air quality, especially in our dry (and seasonally-variable) climate.
Proper humidification enhances your personal comfort!
Dry air attempts to rob your skin of the moisture it has in order to (in a way) balance itself. For example, imagine that you’ve just had a nice, long shower. You feel good in the bathroom; however, once you step into the hallway you immediately feel chilly, despite knowing that the hallway is only a couple of degrees cooler than the bathroom was in reality. This is called “evaporative cooling.” It happens because the bathroom was humid and the hallway (without a humidifier) would be drier, so that dry air effectively removes the water from your skin to make up for its deficit. This ultimately leaves you feeling colder.
Introducing humidity control to your home can help keep you feeling more comfortable at lower temperatures, because it reduces the amount of humidity the air needs to “take” for itself. Not only can this reduce the need to “turn up” the thermostat, but it can similarly help alleviate other discomforts such as dry nose; dry, scratchy throat; and itchy skin, as well as reducing static electricity.
Proper humidity control also affects our homes, preventing structural damage and moisture complications.
Persistently low levels of humidity or even constantly changing levels of humidity, affect practically everything in your home, from furniture to musical instruments, electronic equipment, hardwood floors, wood paneling, joists/studs, drywall, and so on. For example, the wood in our walls and furniture will shrink and expand depending on moisture levels in the air. This causes joints to separate and cracks to appear.
On the other hand, persistently high levels of humidity are a problem, too. Over-humidification, especially during the cooler months, can lead to condensation build up around colder areas (such as windows), which can cause moisture problems such as mold and mildew.
The Alberta Furnace & Heating Services team is knowledgeable on the effects that our unique climate has on home humidification, capable of accurately sizing humidifiers, and skilled with a variety of makes & models. We are here to help! Please feel free to contact us with any further questions you may have.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are some important considerations when it comes to humidification?
Relative humidity is the ratio of water vapor present in the air compared to the maximum amount of water vapor the air could hold under the same conditions. This is expressed as a percentage. Outside air at 10 F and 70%RH (relative humidity) can drop to as low as 7% RH(as dry as a desert) when heated to normal inside temperatures.
Recommended indoor humidity is about 40-45%.
Unfortunately, there are two factors that prevent us from maintaining that level year round: Outdoor air temperature fluctuations and improper humidifier sizing.
Outside Air Temperature
Because of the windows in an average home, the colder it is outside, the lower you must set your humidity otherwise you will end up with another problem–over-humidification. The higher humidity in your home will condensate out on the colder surface of the window (unless your have high quality windows with very little heat loss) causing moisture problems such as mold and mildew and ruining the window casing and drywall underneath.
Humidifier Sizing
Many builders/contractors are unaware of how to size a humidifier to the size of home, how vapor migration works, and what the true capacity of the humidifier they’re selling is (most manufacturers state the capacity under the most optimum conditions). This results in undersizing or oversizing a home and a very unhappy customer.
For these reasons, it is important to put careful thought into the type and size of your humidifier!
What types of humidifier do you suggest?
Alberta Furnace’s preferred type of humidifiers are the Furnace Drip (Flow-Thru).
Only these types will provide humidity for our unique climatic conditions (Chinooks, spring, fall & winter). Other types rely on the warm air for the energy for evaporation and there are too many times throughtout our seasons when the furnace does not run enough to provide the energy to give the humidity needed for our dry climate.
What humidifiers do you carry?
Please note that the following humidifiers are provided with manual humidistat operation, although outdoor temperature compensating humidistats are available. We have found that most do not operate properly in Calgary’s unique climate conditions; however, we have found that the Honeywell Pro 9000 IAQ, a combination programmable thermostat/compensating humidistat that works extremely well. Compensating humidistats raise and lower the humidity level for you based on the outside air temperature. This will prevent excessive condensation on your windows in colder weather.
Please also note that we do offer a custom design service. In the case of a custom design, please give us a call for a free consultation!
Manual Operation Options:
Aprilaire
- Model 300 (18 gal/day) (@2000 sq.ft on average tight homes*) per quote basis. This humidifier is normally installed in situations where there is no forced air (furnace); ie homes or condos with in-floor heating only. (We can service Model 350)
- Parts: 5-Year Limited Warranty on Covered Components from installation date**
- Labour: 1 Year from installation date.
Lennox Healthy Climate
- Model HCWP3-18 and Aprilaire 700M
- Parts: 5-Year Limited Warranty from production date**
- Labour: 1 Year from installation date
GeneralAire Filters
- Model 1042
- Model 81 (service only)
- Parts: 5-Year Limited Warranty from production date**
- Labour: 1 Year from installation date
*On looser (older) homes, the sq.ft will be less and on very tight homes, the sq.ft will be more.
**Units must be installed by a licensed HVAC installer.
**This does not include normal maintenance items; ie evaporative pad/panel, orifice/strainer, float seal/assembly.
Prices subject to change without notice.
Do you offer parts delivery?
In Calgary, we offer free delivery of humidifiers, air cleaners, and their parts on orders over $20.00.
For smaller orders in Calgary and any orders for areas outside Calgary, we ship by regular mail and charge a shipping/handing charge.
Do you offer annual service?
For those of our clients who do not wish to tackle their own humidifier maintenance, we offer an annual reminder & service where the client is phoned at the same time every year to book their once/year service.
What does humidifier maintenance entail?
All of the following tips apply to the Calgary Area:
Drum Types/Spray Types/Disc Types
- Once every 2 years; replace rubber seal in float assembly.
- Twice/year; replace sponge pad (does not apply to disc types).
- Once/month; clean drum, drum pad and pan with vinegar/water solution. Left any longer than that and you will have to use an acid descaler.
- Once/week; to reduce bacterial buildup, use bacterial tablet or clean once/week or use bacterial powder once every 2-3 weeks.
Drip (Flow-Thru) Types
- Once/year; replace water panel.*
- Once every 3 or 4 years, replace orifice and inline strainer in solenoid valve. Tubing can be replaced every few years or flushed out to remove mineral buildup.
*This is normal maintenance only. If in the downtown area, or if you are living in an area under construction, you may have to replace the water panel more often.
ALBERTA FURNACE & HEATING SERVICES