Whole-House Humidifier Installation in Las Vegas, NV

• Bypass. Mounts on the ductwork with a short duct linking supply and return. The pressure difference pushes warm air through a wet pad, and the moisture it picks up is carried into the house. It has no fan of its own and few parts to fail, but it only adds much moisture while the heat is running.
• Fan-powered. Uses its own fan to push air across the pad, so it puts out more moisture than a bypass unit of similar size and needs no bypass duct. It works best with warm air too.
• Steam. Boils water electrically and injects steam into the airstream. It has the highest and most precise output and can work with only the blower running, without a call for heat. It needs its own electrical circuit, uses more electricity and collects scale fastest.

The choice comes down to the size of the home, how often your heat runs, whether you have a furnace or a heat pump, and what power and drain connections are available near the unit. Heat pumps deliver cooler supply air than furnaces, which limits what pad-type units can evaporate, so steam is often the better match for them.

1. We check the furnace or air handler and the ducts for a mounting spot with enough room and airflow.
2. We cut in the unit and, for bypass models, the connecting duct with a damper you can close in summer.
3. We connect a water line with its own shutoff valve and run a drain line.
4. We wire the unit so it can only run when the blower is moving air, and mount the humidistat.
5. We set a starting humidity level and show you how to adjust it.

More is not better. Too much humidity leaves condensation on windows on cold nights and can put moisture inside ducts and wall cavities, which invites mold. Start around 30 to 35 percent and raise it slowly. Most units are shut off for the cooling season, since the air conditioner removes some moisture as it runs, and none should be adding moisture during monsoon humidity. If your air handler is in the attic, we take extra care with the water and drain connections, because a leak there ends up in the ceiling.

Las Vegas tap water is very hard: about 280 parts per million, or 16 grains per gallon, according to the Las Vegas Valley Water District. When a humidifier evaporates that water, the minerals stay behind. Pads crust over and stop wicking, the small orifice that meters water clogs, drain lines narrow, and steam canisters fill with scale. A humidifier that has quit is more often scaled up than broken.

• Replace the pad at least once a season, and check it midway through.
• Clean the water distribution tray, orifice and drain line when the pad is changed.
• Replace or clean the steam canister when the unit calls for it.
• Look for drips or white mineral tracks around the unit and its water valve.
• Shut off the water and close the bypass damper when you stop using it for the season.

We can do all of this during a maintenance visit. A water treatment system can reduce scale, though some steam units have specific water requirements, so we check the manufacturer's instructions first.

Call 702-497-0888 and tell us what you are noticing and what kind of heating system you have. A licensed technician will come out, measure the humidity in the house, look at the equipment and ductwork, and say plainly which type fits and what upkeep it will need with our water. If you already have a humidifier that has stopped working, we service all makes and models and will tell you whether it needs a cleaning, a part or a replacement.