That depends on the local climate. Care must be taken to ensure the Desert Spring Humidifier is not subjected to freezing as this will damage the unit and may cause leaks. Units located above a ceiling should also include the installation of the overflow line. See Page 5 item 7 of the installation guide.

Yes, although care must be taken to ensure the Desert Spring Humidifier is not subjected to freezing as this will damage the unit and may cause leaks. Units located above a ceiling should also include the installation of the overflow line. You can reduce the risk of freezing by carefully insulating the incoming water line, 6 inch flex duct, and humidifier unit itself with fiberglass insulation (be sure not to put insulation directly against the motor).

In the average home, the humidifier will require only one cleaning annual. We recommend that this be done at the end of the season when it is shut down for the summer air-conditioning season. If you have hard water or other excessive minerals in your water supply, more frequent cleanings may be necessary. If significant mineral deposits are present in the reservoir, it should be drained and cleaned. This only take a few minutes.

Most likely, yes. The Desert Spring humidifier was specifically designed to be a simple replacement for most existing drum and flow-through humidifiers. In the event that the duct openings are slightly different in size, it should be easy to cut a larger hole or to cover the extra space with a small piece of sheet metal. Yes, absolutely! However, installation on fiber-board duct will require additional means of support to carry the full weight of the unit when it is full of water.

Yes, as long as it is a 24 volt power source (which it should be). We recommend that you use a volt-meter to test the circuit before connecting your humidifier as hooking up your Desert Spring to a source of power greater than 24 volts could cause serious damage to the electronic components and/or injury.

Yes! The Desert Spring humidifier works on ALL forced air furnaces (electric, natural gas, heating oil, propane, and wood), as well as heat pumps. Due to their hotter output air temperature, the humidity output will be slightly higher on traditional furnaces compared to heat pumps. Ask us for advice if you have a heat pump and a home larger than about 2,800 sq ft.

You will require a level, Philips, hex and/or slot screw drivers, pencil, adjustable wrench, drill, tin snips, and a measuring tape - that is it!

No, a floor drain is not required unless you use the optional AutoFlush accessory or use the optional overflow knock-out.

Yes. Do keep in mind that a water softener does not actually remove hard water minerals though. It works to keep calcium and magnesium suspended in the water by causing sodium ions to combine with carbonates in the water so that the hard water minerals cannot combine to form mineral scale. When the soft water evaporates, it will still leave behind a residue, often more than if a softener were not used.

This is not generally recommended since the moisture added to the air could condense when it comes in contact with the very cold air conditioning coils. You will likely not need supplemental humidity during the summer months anyway.

The Desert Spring furnace humidifier is backed by one-year manufacturer's warranty on all parts, including the motor, evaporative media, humidistat, transformer, etc. Extended warranties are also available - please call us toll free at 1-866-376-2690 for more details and prices if you are interested. Extended warranties are also included free with some of our extra value packages! About the Desert Spring furnace humidifier | How the Desert Spring furnace humidifier works | Best humidifier | FAQ

The Desert Spring Humidifier requires a sturdy piece of duct to support its weight. Generally HV systems use flexible ducts, so some means of support for the unit must be created. The airflow through the humidifier must also be reduced to roughly 800 feet per minute. Also, see notes on attic installations below.

The degree of water hardness has an impact on the amount of periodic cleaning required to remove mineral accumulation in the basin which is necessary to keep the disc wheel rotating freely. You may also consider installation of an optional in-line water filter (see PRODUCTS section of the website), which will remove 95% of the lime/scale in the water before it enters the humidifier.

A water softener does not remove calcium, but works to keep the calcium suspended in hard water. As a result, there is an increase in the total load of precipitate that results from evaporation. Therefore, homes with soft water generally require more maintenance than with hard water. Also, the resultant precipitate from water treated with softener is more slurry-like and can be difficult to clean.

No, not if the airflow in the furnace is properly set up for the type of filter used and the filter is properly maintained. In rare cases where the filter has become sufficiently dirty, the air stream will experience a sudden and severe pressure drop and some moisture may condense out on the filter. If this occurs, check your filter, or consult with an experienced HVAC contract to verify the furnace airflow is sufficient for the type of filter used.

No, the Desert Spring Humidifier is a passive evaporative device. Therefore, the air will only absorb and carry away what it can hold in the by-pass air stream. Only active systems, such as steam and spray (misting) units, can introduce excess moisture when not properly installed or maintained.

No. moisture will NOT condense on your filter as long as your filter is not severely clogged and dramatically restricting air flow. The Desert Spring furnace humidifier is a passive evaporative device. Therefore the air passing through the unit will only carry as much moisture as it can hold. Similarly, the moisture will not condense in your duct work. Steam or atomizing humidifiers can cause these problems, but not a passive by-pass humidifier like the Desert Spring.

Samuel Champlain, a French navigator and cartographer, sailed by Mount Desert Island in 1604. He named it "Isles des Monts Desert," with the accent on the last syllable, as it is in the French language. He wasn't implying that it was a desert. The phrase means "island of barren mountains." That's why it's pronounced both as it is spelled and as the French meaning would be pronounced (dessert).

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However, the question should be: "Does my crawl space have higher mold levels than what is found in the outside air?" When checking for mold, 10 minute air samples need to be compared to the same outside, which is considered to be the baseline. A visual inspection is also possible, but not as conclusive.

Sometimes yes, sometimes no. It depends if there is space between ceiling joists. You need at least 24 inches opening between joists for the air cleaner. If you have adequate clearance, an attic crawlspace installation is similar to the drop ceiling scenario. Cut the appropriate sized hole in the ceiling material and finish the edges with the supplied trim. You'll need to use mounting hardware to support the weight of the unit from a suitable part of your building's framework.

Answer: Generally we say 18 inches, however that distance is just a recommendation. The actual height should be enough to allow for routine maintenance of support systems. The appraiser must have access to the crawl space, and enter to the extent of head and shoulders at a minimum. The appraiser must look for evidence of infestation, rot or any other detrimental conditions. Answer: The subject property should not be rejected.

Consider that if a sewer backs up in a dirt or gravel crawl space it is impossible to effectively clean it. Even removal of the gravel or dirt will still leave residual contaminants. Sealing the crawl space with a vapor barrier and laying a 4" concrete slab floor will result in no more sewage!

We consider an ABC concrete floor system a mini basement. Use your crawl spaces for storage as you would a basement.

We recommend three weeks, as there will be some residual water content emitted as the concrete cures.

Even a gravel crawl space will increase the humidity of the air. Remember that a crawl space is just a hole in the ground and water will be attracted to that area. Gravel works well as a cover-up and to hide this condition. Gravel will also add a tremendous amount of dust in your house, especially if you have a forced air heating system.

The StormBLOCKER??? shelter must be anchored to an approved concrete foundation. This allows the shelter to be built on the lowest floor of a home, which might be a basement. The addition of a shelter in a home with a crawl space would usually be done in or around the garage where the proper floor could be poured.

Yes. The crawl space beneath a house is another place where ventilation is important. The crawl space can evaporate gallons of water each day. When you seal the crawl space, that water penetrates the floor above and causes more humidity problems in the home. Providing foundation vents in the crawl space reduces the humidity, and a vapor barrier (like polyethylene film) on the ground prevents moisture leakage into the house above. Be sure that attic or crawl spaces are properly ventilated.

Put a space between the number and units: In air, sound travels at about 330 m/s (depending on temperature). The speed of light is about 300 000 000 m/s. Count the number of seconds between seeing lightning and hearing thunder, then divide by 3 for the approx. distance of the lightning in kilometers.

Absolutely! The Desert Spring has originally designed to tackle the hard water conditions found in Calgary, Alberta, Canada! The unique disc assembly is designed to self clean on each rotation through the reservoir, causing the vast majority of minerals to settle in the basin rather than accumulating on the evaporative surfaces. This allows the Desert Spring to maintain its peak efficiency on a continuous basis.