Whole-House Dehumidifiers for Condominiums and Townhouses

Wednesday, November 18, 2009 by Dennie Plomedahl

Do you have high levels of moisture in your condominium or town-home, but don't like the fact that portable dehumidifiers are noisy and an eyesore?  Not to mention the pain-in-the- back hassle of emptying the tank every day.  If so, Aprilaire has the whole-house solution for you.

Compact size makes dehumidification easy
The Aprilaire Model 1730A dehumidifier is the solution to whole-house dehumidification in smaller homes and condominiums.  Its compact size allows for easy installation in smaller equipment closets where standard-sized units won't fit.  It works in conjunction with your HVAC system, quietly removing damaging moisture from every room in your home.  Maintenance is a breeze; all you have to do is clean or replace the air filter on an annual basis.  There are no messy tanks to empty and clean, no stress on your back, and no hassles.

Contact your local Aprilaire dealer and schedule the installation of your Aprilaire whole- house dehumidifier today.  You'll be glad you did.

Aprilaire - fresh ideas for indoor air.
 

Is My Indoor Relative Humidity OK?

Wednesday, November 18, 2009 by Dennie Plomedahl

Question from Jim Brockway

"At 68 degrees in home, my humidity is 25.  Is that OK?"

Excellent question, Jim.  The answer is...it depends.  The critical temperature is not the temperature inside your home, but the temperature outside your home.  Have I confused you yet?  Let me explain.

The proper level of indoor relative humidity (RH) is a moving target based mainly on the outdoor temperature.  The lower the outdoor temperature, the lower your indoor RH% should be.  This is to prevent condensation from forming on your windows and in your walls.  An example would be a glass of your favorite beverage with and without ice in it.  Without ice, the beverage is warmer and the outside of your glass stays dry.  When you add ice to chill it, the outside surface of the glass is cold and begins to sweat.  Unless you have a coaster, you get water all over the surface it's sitting on, which can ruin it. 

Proper indoor RH is no different.  An Aprilaire whole-house humidifier with premium digital control utilizes an outdoor temperature sensor to continually adjust your indoor RH, providing maximum comfort and protection 24/7. 

Now, to answer your question, 25% indoor RH is about perfect when your outdoor temperature is at 0 degrees Fahrenheit.  That's pretty cold.  At 20 degrees Fahrenheit, you should be around 35%, and at 40 degrees or higher, you should be at 45% indoor RH.  I'm going to guess that your outdoor temperature is not zero and that you are in dire need of humidification.  Please contact your local Aprilaire dealer and schedule the installation of your Aprilaire humidifier with premium digital control today.

Thanks for the question, Jim. 
 

IAQ in Condos - response to Lynne's comment

Tuesday, November 17, 2009 by Tom Ruse
Commented on by Lynne Benoit at 11-17-2009 3:46 PM (UTC)
 
We have been told we need a unit in the condo and it cannot go in the attic because of freezing. The cost is prohibitive. What alternatives do you have?


Lynne, I couldn't tell if you were inquiring about a DEhumidifier (to take moisture out) or a Humidifier (to add moisture when heating your home dries out your air).

If you need to DEhumidify, Aprilaire offers a stand-alone high capacity unit that can be used in any room and doesn't require ducting. You just need a floor drain, or if you want to drain it to the outdoors, possibly add a condensate pump.


If you need a humidifier, Aprilaire model 350 or 360 are self-contained units that draw air from one room, say a laundry room or utility closet, humidifies it and sends it through the wall into living space.

Your best bet is to call a local Aprilaire dealer to assess your spedific needs.

As a last resort, if these alternatives don't work for your condo for some reason, then you should consider portables. They are not as efficient and they do require extra maintenance, but are better than nothing.

Thanks for asking!


 

Dehumidify Your Entire Home

Friday, November 13, 2009 by Dennie Plomedahl

It's November 11, 2009 and....what's up with this weather?  We are experiencing unseasonably warm temperatures and an excessive amount of rain in WI which has led to high levels of indoor relative humidity (RH).  And although it's warm for the season, it's not warm enough  for air conditioning, which means your indoor RH can make you uncomfortable and lead to other problems such as mold or mildew.

Aprilaire has your whole-house solution
Aprilaire is a leading manufacturer of whole-house dehumidifiers.  They work in conjunction with your home's HVAC system to remove excess moisture from every room of your home.  Aprilaire also puts you in control of your indoor RH.  Our dehumidifiers operate to the level of RH that you dial in, ensuring your comfort and protection year-round, regardless of the temperature.

Call your local Aprilaire dealer and schedule the installation of your Aprilaire whole-house dehumidifier today.  You'll be glad you did.

Aprilaire - fresh ideas for indoor air.

Humidify for Energy Savings, Health AND Comfort

Wednesday, November 11, 2009 by Tom Ruse
Here's a shameless copy and paste of a customer review on Amazon. I hesitate to show this, because it's from a do-it-yourselfer.

We DON'T RECOMMEND installing these units yourself. We get all kinds of complaints from homeowners who tried and failed. IT'S NOT WORTH IT! Spend the extra money and call a qualified HVAC contractor! It's a one-time deal. Don't cheap out!

Besides, if you install one yourself, it NULIFIES THE WARRANTY!

Anyway, the point is ENERGY SAVINGS! With proper humidity, IT'S FOR REAL!



5.0 out of 5 stars Aprilaire Model 700 Humidifier, August 4, 2008
By BigCheese (Wisconsin) - See all my reviews
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
Easy to install and automatically adjusts to keep house comfortable while preventing too much moisture and condensation from forming on windows. With proper humidity control we were able to reduce thermostat setting by 3-5ºF and pocket the fuel savings.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  
Was this review helpful to you?  Yes No
 
Report this | Permalink

Aprilaire - The Cure for Dry Air

Friday, November 6, 2009 by Dennie Plomedahl

It's November 5, 2009....Do you know what your indoor relative humidity (RH) level is?  If you own an Aprilaire humidifier with automatic digital control, you do.

Heated air is dry air
It's a fact that the air in your home dries out when your heat comes on with the cold winter
season.  This brings on all the ailments associated with dry air: annoying shocks from
static electricity, dry, itchy skin, feeling "too cold" despite normal thermostat settings,
irritated sinuses, sore throats, and more.  These symptoms cause unneeded suffering and
leave you miserable.  This is no way to live.

A whole-house humidifier from Aprilaire with automatic digital control is your solution to dry air.  It works in conjunction with your home’s HVAC system to add soothing moisture to every room of your home.  And the digital control confirms the RH% in your home, giving you peace of mind that Aprilaire is on the job, protecting you and your family from the devastating effects of dry air.

Contact your Aprilaire dealer and schedule the installation of your whole-house humidifier today.  You'll be glad you did.

Aprilaire - Protecting your family from dry air for over 50 years!
 

Asthma and the H1N1 Virus

Wednesday, October 28, 2009 by Pat Reid

"Those with asthma are four-times more likely than those without the

respiratory disease to end up hospitalized if they contract H1N1, and Dr.

William Busse of the UW School of Medicine says that's raising concerns about

the effectiveness of the vaccine among that population.

Researchers at the UW School of Medicine are now looking for possible

interactions between asthma sufferers and the H1N1 vaccine. They're conducting

clinical trials to determine how much of the vaccine needs to be given to people

with asthma, along with what impact any medication they're taking could have on

its effectiveness."

When we seal-up our homes for the on coming flu season, it's important to remember to take preparations to prevent sickness in ourselves and family. Gargle with mouthwash or salt water, wash hands regularly, keep your hands away from your face and keep your home as clean as possible.  One way to do this is install a whole home air cleaner. Getting a high efficiency air cleaner can removes up to 98% of the airborne particulateit traps from your air, down to .3 micorns (including virus sized particulate).

Aprilaire makes the model 5000 electronic air cleaner that captures and kills small virus sized particles. Go to www.aprilaire.com to learn more about high efficency air cleaners today.

Humidify - Slam Dunk

Thursday, October 22, 2009 by Tom Ruse

It is totally true - properly humidified air is healthier, more comfortable and can save energy. Of all the indoor air quality issues and products made to fix those issues, a whole house humidifier probably addresses the most problems in the easiest way.

A dehumidifier does too, for the same reasons.

Air cleaners, purifiers, ventilation and all those things are important; especially if you have chronic respiratory health problems or allergies.

But even if you don't, being more comfortable while you breathe healthier air is a slam dunk! Humidity control is what it's all about.

Aprilaire is Your Whole-House Humidifier Solution

Tuesday, October 20, 2009 by Dennie Plomedahl

You know you need a humidifier.  You understand all the benefits that come with properly humidified air: health, comfort, protection of assets, and energy savings.  Now comes the tricky part; which humidifier do you buy?

Answer these three questions before you purchase
There are three simple questions you need to ask yourself to determine which humidifier is best for you:

1) Is noise important?
2) Do you have children?
3) How much humidification do you require?

We covered items one and two in our last blogs.  Let's finish up with number three today by asking how much humidification do you require.  Or, put another way, how many rooms do you have and how big are they?

Your house has more than one room
Unless you live in a one-room efficiency, you probably have 2-3 bedrooms, a living room, a kitchen, and more.  It would take one portable humidifier for every room in your home to adequately increase your comfort and protect your valuable possessions.  That's five or more units to fill and clean every day.  And, have the remote control for your TV handy as you'll have to crank up the volume to get over all the noise.

A whole-house humidifier from Aprilaire is your best solution.  It works in conjunction with your home’s HVAC system to add soothing, protecting moisture to every room in your home.  It operates quietly and efficiently, with only annual maintenance required: no tanks to fill and clean, no noise, no hassles.

Call your Aprilaire dealer and schedule the installation of your whole-house humidifier today.  You'll be glad you did.

Aprilaire - providing all the humidification you need for over 50 years!
 

Protect Your Children with an Aprilaire Humidifier

Friday, October 16, 2009 by Dennie Plomedahl

You know you need a humidifier.  You understand all the benefits that come with properly humidified air: health, comfort, protection of assets, and energy savings.  Now comes the tricky part; which humidifier do you buy?

Answer these three questions before you purchase
There are three simple questions you need to ask yourself to determine which humidifier is best for you:

1) Is noise important?
2) Do you have children?
3) How much humidification do you require?

In my last blog we explored question number one.  Today, let's look at number two.  Why do we ask that?  The answer is easy; safety.  Warm mist humidifiers use a heating element to heat the water and can have very hot surfaces.  These portable humidifiers sit out in the open in your home where your children can touch them.  OUCH!

Aprilaire has your safety solution.  A whole-house humidifier from Aprilaire works in conjunction with your home’s HVAC system, out of sight and out of reach of your curious little ones.  And, unlike portable humidifiers that add moisture to only one room at a time, Aprilaire distributes soothing moisture throughout your entire home, protecting your family members from dry air no matter what room they're in.

Call your Aprilaire dealer and schedule the installation of your whole-house humidifier today.  You'll be glad you did.

Aprilaire - protecting your family for over 50 years!
 

Now is the Time to Maintain Your Humidifier

Monday, October 12, 2009 by Dennie Plomedahl

Comment from Denise
It's time for me to replace the filters on my Aprilaire humidifiers.  Please contact me with information on how to do that.  Thank you.

Hi Denise,
The filters you refer to are called water panel evaporators and they are the heart of an Aprilaire humidifier.  This is where the moisture is picked up by the air in your heating system, and from there is distributed throughout your home.  To maintain optimum humidifier performance, it is recommended that you change this item on an annual basis.

The best way to have your humidifier properly serviced is by your local Aprilaire dealer.  Your local dealer will have the expertise to not only change out the water panel evaporator, but also to check other critical aspects of the humidifier to ensure it performs properly this upcoming heating season. 

If you feel you can do it yourself, you can still purchase the water panel evaporator over
the counter from your local Aprilaire dealer.  If you don't have a dealer, you can purchase from the Aprilaire e-store.  All orders ship out same day for your convenience.

Thank you for your inquiry, Denise.  And thank you for supporting Aprilaire.

 

Don't Lower Your Temperature to Dehumidify

Wednesday, September 30, 2009 by Dennie Plomedahl

Do you lower your thermostat to the point where you are uncomfortably cold just so you can remove excess humidity from your home?  Are you tired of feeling cold and clammy, tired of wearing a sweater in your home in the summertime?  Did you know there is a whole-house solution that not only removes moisture from your home, but allows you to raise your thermostat setting so you can once again call your home a comfortable place to live?

Aprilaire has your moisture removal solution
A whole-house dehumidifier from Aprilaire works in conjunction with your home's HVAC system to remove excess humidity from your home.  And, unlike an air conditioner that controls to temperature, an Aprilaire dehumidifier is controlled by a dehumidistat that constantly measures the relative humidity (RH) in your home and controls the moisture level to the setpoint that you determine.

What does that mean to you?  First of all, your home and other valuable assets are protected from the damage of mold and other moisture-related problems.  Second, you can tuck away your sweater and live in comfort once again because your home will be a more comfortable place to live.  However, be prepared to host more parties, because once your friends and neighbors have experienced your most comfortable environment, you'll have the most popular house on the block.

Aprilaire - making homes more comfortable for over 50 years.
 


Choosing the Right Humidifier

Tuesday, September 22, 2009 by Dennie Plomedahl

You know you need a humidifier.  You understand all the benefits that come with properly humidified air: health, comfort, protection of assets, and energy savings.  Now comes the tricky part; which humidifier do you buy?

Answer these three questions before you purchase
There are three simple questions you need to ask yourself to determine which humidifier is best for you:

1) Is noise important?
2) Do you have children?
3) How much humidification do you require?

Today, let's explore question number one.  How important is noise in your home?  Portable humidifiers have fans to move the moisture from the holding tank into the room.  Fans can make quite a bit of noise.  If your humidifier is sitting in your living room, will you have to turn up the television or stereo so you can hear it over the humidifier?  If it is in your bedroom, will you be able to sleep with all that noise?  Also, portable humidifiers only provide moisture to the room they are in, so you will need several of them to properly humidify your home.  That's a lot of extra, unnecessary noise.

If noise is an issue in your home, Aprilaire is your humidification solution.  An Aprilaire humidifier installs on your home’s HVAC system, out of sight and out of mind, quietly providing soothing humidification throughout your entire home.  And, unlike portable humidifiers, Aprilaire has no tanks to fill and clean and only requires annual maintenance.

Call your Aprilaire dealer and schedule the installation of your whole-house humidifier today and quietly add soothing moisture to your home tomorrow.

Aprilaire - quietly adding moisture to homes for over 50 years. 
 

Study Shows Healthy Levels of Humidity Can Control Spread of Flu Viruses

Friday, September 18, 2009 by Dennie Plomedahl

Did you know...proper levels of humidity can reduce influenza survival, transmission, and seasonality.  Studies done at Oregon State University indicate the key to reducing airborne tranmission of the flu is maintaining the proper levels of humidity as measured by absolute humidity.  Absolute humidity is the measure of the actual water vapor content of the air irrespective of temperature. 

Adding moisture is the key
In cold winter months when your furnace is heating and drying the air, you cannot sustain proper levels of humidification without adding moisture.  In other words, you need a humidifier.  The addition of a humidifier to your home will make you more comfortable, protect your belongings from the ill-effects of dry air, and, as this study shows, protect your health from the devastating effects of the flu.

Your local Aprilaire dealer has your best solution for proper humidity.  Aprilaire humidifiers work in conjunction with your home's HVAC system to add moisture to every room of your home, ensuring your health and comfort regardless of which room you are in.  Call your Aprilaire dealer and schedule the installation of your whole-house humidifier today.  This is one of the most important calls you can make in protecting the health of your family this upcoming flu season.  Maintaining healthy humidity levels is an important part of a comprehensive strategy you can use to reduce the spread of viruses.  Keeping surfaces clean and avoiding contact with others infected are also essential.

Aprilaire - protecting your family’s health for over 50 years.
 

Proper Humidity Gets Your House Back in the Zone

Wednesday, September 2, 2009 by Dennie Plomedahl

Is your house a hassle?  It can be if your indoor humidity is out of whack.  An excellent article in USA Today speaks to all the things that can go wrong if your home's relative humidity (RH) is outside the optimal range of 30% to 60%.  RH that is out of whack can lead to damaged wood floors and electronic equipment, increased dust, respiratory problems, throat and skin irritation, rot, pests, mold and mildew, dust mites, and allergies.  Any or all of these conditions can drive you nuts and cost you money!

Aprilaire has the solution
Aprilaire has a full line of whole-house products to eliminate the hassles of RH that is out of whack.  Whether it's a humidifier to add moisture to the air during those dry, winter months, or a dehumidifier to remove excess moisture in the summer, Aprilaire has a whole- house product for you.  Aprilaire works in conjunction with your home's HVAC system to add or remove moisture from your entire home, quietly and efficiently.  Maintenance is a breeze as well, with only annual service required.


Call your Aprilaire dealer and get your house back in the optimal zone today!
 

Why You Need a Whole-House Dehumidifier

Thursday, August 27, 2009 by Dennie Plomedahl

Did you know....There's nothing like a third party endorsement to prove your point.  For example, as an Aprilaire employee, I am more than willing to explain all the reasons why you need to install a dehumidifier in your home: comfort, protection, health, and energy savings.  Of course, you'll say all I want to do is sell more Aprilaire product.  But what if you heard this from someone who did not have a vested interest in any company’s product?  Would you be more apt to listen?  Probably so.

The Natural Handyman
Jerry Alonzy, a.k.a the Natural Handyman, makes a living by providing homeowners sensible advice pertaining to home-related topics.  In an article on dehumidifiers, he talks about everything from why you need one to how to purchase the right one for your needs.  He has some excellent advice on brand choice and where to buy.  He says he always asks himself the following questions: "If this product needs service or parts, can I get them locally?" and "Will this company be in business a year...or 5 years from now?” 

The answer is Aprilaire
Aprilaire is the most respected name in whole-house dehumidification for a reason.  First, our products are installed by respected HVAC professionals in your community.  Their livelihoods depend on treating you, their customer, the way you wish to be treated.  Second, Aprilaire has been doing this longer than anyone else.  We are the experts in whole-house comfort and protection.  Our reputation for quality is second to none.

Contact your local Aprilaire dealer and schedule the installation of your whole-house dehumidifier today.  You'll be glad you did.

Aprilaire - providing comfort and protection for over 50 years!
 

Don't Suffer From the Affects of Dry Air

Tuesday, August 25, 2009 by Dennie Plomedahl

Did you know....Dry air is a pain, literally.  But don't take my word for it, ask Jonathon R. Richards of Ezine Articles.  You can find his expert advice on this website as well as the Flat Fee MLS website.  Mr. Richards has deep insight on how dry air in your home can make your life miserable.


People learn to live with dry air
Most people never stop to think why they wake up every morning with a dry, scratchy throat, or why their nasal membranes are severly dry and cracking (oftentimes to the point where their nose is bleeding).  If the air in your home is so dry that your home's plaster and expensive woodwork is shrinking and cracking, what do you think it is doing to your skin?  This is not normal and you certainly do not have to put up with it.


Aprilaire has the solution
A whole-house humidifier from Aprilaire provides soothing, relieving moisture to every room in your home.  You will no longer wake up with that scratchy throat and you will drastically reduce your usage of skin moisturizer.  Plus, Aprilaire works in conjunction with your home's HVAC system, quietly and efficiently.  You'll never even know it's there except for the fact that you'll be more comfortable than ever.


Call you Aprilaire dealer and schedule the installation of your Aprilaire whole-house humidifier today.  You'll be glad you did.


Aprilaire - Protecting your health for over 50 years. 
 

IAQ for Condos

Friday, August 21, 2009 by Tom Ruse

When it comes to indoor air quality concerns, there are special considerations for condo owners, apartment dwellers, etc.

In some cases, if you can't control the ductwork in your dwelling, you're stuck with portable solytions to humidity control and air cleaning.

For many condo owners, though, there may be avenues if you have control of a ducted HVAC system. Aprilaire now has humidifiers, dehumidifiers and even air cleaners that are small enough for many condo applications.

Your local Aprilaire contractor should be able to determine the products that are right for your home.

Why do homes need ventilation?

Friday, August 21, 2009 by Tom Ruse

Pollution from power plants, cars, and other transportation is a well-known contributor to outdoor air pollution, but our indoor air quality is often worse; it can be up to 10 times worse for you than the air outside. Microbial pollutants like mold, pet dander and plant pollen can combine with chemicals like radon and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) to create a pretty toxic environment in your home; since we spend an average of 90% of our time indoors and 65% of our time inside our homes, according to theNational Safety Council, that can aggravate allergies, asthma and worse.

Everything that comes in to our homes has the potential to be harmful to our health; this includes things from the building materials and elements that hold our homes together to the furniture we sit on and the paint that goes on the walls. Indoor air pollution can be bad, but it doesn't have to be.

What causes poor indoor air quality?
Indoor air pollution can be easy to manage once you understand where it comes from. Looking at the image above gives you some idea of the more common sources for poor indoor air quality. In many cases, it comes from chemicals that are part of the things that you bring into your home; the polyurethane common in mattresses, formaldehyde and organic chemicals like dioxin, polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) andpolybrominated biphenyl (PBB) used in lots of furniture and other interior elements are all harmful to us humans. Drapes, carpets and other absorbent fabrics can help trap these nasties, along with dust, mites and other allergens, and our modern, mostly airtight homes keep them inside. Remember this: if there are chemicals and VOCs in a product, there are chemicals and VOCs that could come out, and they won't be good for you if they do.

 

Poor indoor air can be improved through ventilation. Bringing in fresh outdoor air and/or exhausting stale air will improve your overall indoor air quality. Aprilaire offers systems that can do both.

Aprilaire Dehumidifies Your Entire Home

Thursday, August 20, 2009 by Dennie Plomedahl

Do you live in just one room of your house?  Do you cook, eat, and sleep in the living room or do you move around from room to room as the mood hits you?  How about one floor?  Do you spend all your time in the basement?  Of course not.  Then why would you place a dehumidifier in just one room of your house?

Excess humidity is everywhere
Humidity doesn't just hang out in the living room to watch TV with you.  It's in the kitchen, the bathroom, bedrooms, and basement.  Excess humidity is everywhere.  So why would you purchase a portable dehumidifier and put it in just one room of your house?  You wouldn't.  In fact, portable manufacturers recommend different size units depending on which floor of your house you’re putting it on, with the overall recommendation to purchase a dehumidifier for every floor.  Ouch!  Not only do you purchase three dehumidifiers, but you have the hassles of emptying three tanks every day and the joy of paying to operate all three. 

A whole-house dehumidifier from Aprilaire is the solution to excess humidity.  It works in conjunction with your home’s HVAC system to efficiently remove moisture from every room of your home.  Aprilaire also means hassle-free maintenance as there are no tanks to empty and clean Also, it's in your equipment room so you aren't constantly tripping over it.  Contact your local Aprilaire dealer and schedule the installation of your whole-house dehumidifier today.

Aprilaire - providing hassle-free comfort and protection for over 50 years!