Question submitted to Aprilaire:

I am interested in installing a whole house humidifier. Primary reason is to reduce crackin

Our house is 18 months old and has a conventional A/C system with ceiling mounted air vents. At the moment they are closed and covered with magnetic vent covers for the winter.

For heat we have a gas fired boiler providing hot water for an in floor radiant heat system "warm board".

Question: Would an Aprilaire system work in conjunction with this type of heat? I assume system would relay on using A/C ducts with a continuous air flow/fan to distribute moist air.

Aprilaires' response:

Thank you for contacting us regarding your interest in the Aprilaire humidifier product line. We are happy to assist you with questions relating to a humidifier recommendation for your application. Based upon the information provided it appears that your heating application consists of hot water radiant floor heat with no duct work required for that system. This type of heating application would typically require the use of one of our self contained humidifiers such as the 350 and 360 models. However, in your application it appears that you do have an air conditioning application that is currently utilizing duct work. Since you do have an air conditioning application in the home the air handler and duct work from this application could be utilized for the use of an Aprilaire whole home humidifier. When utilizing one of our duct mounted humidifiers on an air handler of an air conditioning application, it would require that the humidifier be utilized with hot water at all times and to work in conjunction with the fan operation of the air handler. This type of installation of the application will still allow the humidifier to provide optimum levels of humidification into the home during the driest time of the year. We have listed several questions below that will assist us in identifying the best humidifier for your application at this time.

1.The square footage of the home?
2.The ceiling height within the home?
3.The age of the home?
4.Any new renovations to the home such as windows, siding, and/or insulation?
5.The number of heating systems?
6.The type of heat? 
7.Is there access to a drain?

We would be glad to further assist you regarding a recommendation for your application. Upon receiving further information regarding your application, we can determine which product would be best for your application. However, the best individual to make the final decision on a product for your application is a Licensed HVAC contractor.  If you could please reply to this email at your earliest convenience, we would be delighted to assist you further.