Now that winter is here, furnaces are working hard in the Kansas City area. And when your furnace is running, it dries the air out in your home. As a result, you experience static electricity, itchy skin, and cracked woodwork.
If you have a whole-house humidifier, you should NOT be experiencing those things. But if you still are, or are seeing water leaking all over your basement floor, you may be having humidifier issues.
Have You Replaced Your Humidifier Pad Lately?
Just like your furnace has a filter, your humidifier has a pad that needs to be changed. If you can’t remember ever changing that pad, you may be in for a big surprise!
Over time, that pad can get caked with calcium deposits from the hard water in the Kansas City area. That crusty humidifier pad can then actually block the water from going through the drain hose at the bottom of the humidifier.
This is where you see that water leaking from the bottom of the humidifier, which will then leak onto the floor. Make sure and change that pad every year!
No Water At All? Solenoid…Saddle Valve…Huh?
When your humidifier is running properly, you should see water draining through the drain line coming from your humidifier. You should see this when the furnace is running.
If your furnace is running and you don’t see any water, your humidifier isn’t able to produce any humidity for your home. There are a couple of possible reasons for this:
- Saddle Valve. This is the valve that attaches to the water line in your home and supplies water to the humidifier. If this valve goes bad or gets clogged, it won’t be able to provide the water necessary for the humidifier to operate.
- Solenoid Valve. This valve is on the humidifier and controls the water flow through the humidifier. This valve can also go bad, which means there won’t be any water for the humidifier.
These are the main components that can cause a humidifier breakdown for your Kansas City area home. It’s important to change that pad and clean that humidifier each season.
If you aren’t comfortable maintaining your humidifier, just call City Wide Heating & Cooling at 913-384-6006 and we will be happy to send a technician to your home!