If your home is dry in winter, a whole-home humidifier will dramatically improve your quality of life. It can protect your wood floors and furnishings, and mean fewer sore throats and colds. A higher humidity level makes it easier to feel warmer at a lower temperature, meaning you spend less on heating.
GeneralAire has been making whole-home humidifiers since the 1950s, and still makes some of the best and most reliable humidifiers on the market. They offer a variety of humidification technologies to suit different budgets and humidification requirements.
Ottawa Home Services are experts in helping home owners choose the right humidifiers for their needs. There are a lot of pros and cons to the different technologies that makes the perfect humidifier for one person a less than ideal choice for another. There are lots of technical details that your consultant can walk you through easily.
Our quotes are free, and our 100% satisfaction guarantee means you’ll be happy with your whole-home humidifier for years to come.
Our GeneralAire Whole-Home Humidifiers
Ottawa Home Services usually recommends the humidifiers shown in the table below. For technical details (for example, compatibility with water softeners) please speak with an Ottawa Home Services heating and cooling expert.
| Model | Method | Maximum Home Size* | Maintenance | Manufacturer’s Warranty |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 570M Humidifier Download Brochure |
Flow through | 2,000 sq. ft. |
Low – replace pad yearly |
10 year warranty |
| 1042LH Humidifier Download Brochure |
Flow through | 2,800 sq. ft. |
Low – replace pad yearly |
5 year warranty |
| 900M Humidifier Download Brochure |
Flow through | 2,800 sq. ft. |
Low – replace pad yearly |
10 year warranty |
| 1099LHS Humidifier Download Brochure |
Flow through | 3,000 sq. ft. |
Low – replace pad 2X per season |
5 year warranty |
| DS15P Humidifier Download Brochure |
Steam | 3,500 sq. ft. |
Low – just change cylinder periodically (usage dependant) |
2 year warranty |
| DS25 Humidifier Download Brochure |
Steam | 6,000 sq. ft. |
Low – just change cylinder periodically (usage dependant) |
2 year warranty |
| DS50 Humidifier Download Brochure |
Steam | 10,000 sq. ft. |
Low – just change cylinder periodically (usage dependant) |
2 year warranty |
* May Vary with Ceiling Height
Humidification Methods
There are 3 main ways that a whole-home humidifier can work. This is very basic, so take into account that GeneralAire humidifiers are more sophisticated:
- Steam: water is heated and steam is produced and distributed through your air ducts. Pros: the most effective way to humidify your home and doesn’t waste water. Cons: more expensive, water scale can accumulate inside over time.
- Flow-through or bypass: water is allowed to drip onto a pad by a valve. The air from your furnace passes by the pad and the evaporated water is carried with it. This is the “Goldilocks” solution, balancing cost and effectiveness. A drain line carries any excess water away.
- Reservoir/rotating drum: your heated air passes through a rotating wheel or drum. This drum has pads that have been moistened by dipping in a standing supply of water. Pros: the most inexpensive way to humidify your home. Cons: not as effective at making your air more moist, risk of mould due to standing water.
Because we don’t believe them to be effective, we don’t carry reservoir-drum type humidifiers at this time.
The GFX3 Humidifier Control
To get the best possible performance from your humidifier, use the GFX3 control. Featuring an easy to read LCD display, it’s the most accurate humidifier gauge on the market today: RG (77°F, 25C) 10%-90% ± 3% RH.
Other features:
- Two control modes: manual or automatic adjustment versus outdoor humidity levels.
- A wider humidity range (10% to 75%) means the GFX3 is great for wine cellars, humidors, and almost any type of indoor conditions.
The GFX3 boasts incredible accuracy, thanks to a larger number of samples of your home’s air provided by extensive venting. It can be mounted on a wall or inside a duct and it is just as accurate either way.
You’ll Get the Right Humidifier – Guaranteed
No one knows homes and humidification equipment like the experts at Ottawa Home Services – we guarantee it. Ask for your free quote and start breathing better air this winter!
