Help

[Chris]

The air in our 2003 Fleetwood Entertainer is so dry now that the hot air furnace is running.
Since I have heard so many worries about mold, mildew, walls falling apart , etc., I have two questions I need to be answered please.

1) can we put a humidifier unit on the Coleman propane furnace

Or

2) can we run room humidifiers?

I am so paranoid now, because I am worried if we do either of these things our walls will collapse and we will all get sick from mold spores....but right now everyones skin is so dry we feel like lizards......please help

Thank You

[Meg]

This mold spore scare in ridiculous I never heard of anybody REALLY getting sick from mold and mildew but now it's "all the rage" so to speak (like ADD in children). Why has this not been a problem before? I grew up in a house built in 1914 that was probably FULL of God knows what and I never suffered any health problems, nor did my 4 siblings and 2 parents. What kind of symptons arise from mold exposure?

[John]

The answer to both of your questions is yes. You can install a humidifier on the furnace or get a portable. Humidifiers do not cause mold, water penetration does and the humidifier just adds moisture to the air and has several benefits.
Your home will feel warmer at a lower temp which save on heating bills.
It is good for your health because your skin and mucus membranes need the moisture.
Your furniture will be in better shape because the wood will not dry out as bad.
Your computer will not shock you every time you touch it so you can continue to visit the web.

Installing a humidifier on the furnace is not a difficult job and they are not expensive. You can get an active (it sprays water into the duct) or passive (air passes through a foam pad that contains water) humidifier and both will work fine the active being the better and more expensive of the two. I would not worry about mold from a humidifier and it is one of the best additions you can make for the money.

[Chris]

John -
But I thought that moisture levels in MF homes are a problem? If it gets too high it can cause serious problems. Is it humidifiers don't put enough moisture in the air?
I know that I hear all the talk about vapor barriers, ground moisture, etc. but humidifiers are not a problem?

[John]

Moisture levels in any home are a problem but that is saturated moisture. The moisture that a humidifier puts out is suspended in the air and unless you have enough for your windows to weep and walls to sweat than you don't have a problem. Most mold is caused by a significant amount of water that is let stand or absorbed by the wood with no ventilation which means no moving air. The humidifier works by suspending moisture in circulating air. No home either a MH or a site built should be so tight that there is no ventilation because that would result in other problems. Houses breath but the problem comes when water is left standing and mold can form. One of the biggest problems is standing water under a home because the wood will wick the water. I wouldn't live without a humidifier in winter and have had no problems in 30 years. I have two furnances in my house and both of them have humidifiers. No dry skin and I feel better. When I stay in a hotel which has dry air I can really tell the difference.

[Chris]

Thank you very much for all your help. I am going to see what it costs to get one installed on our furnce. In the mean time i'm going to Target to buy a couple of humidifiers.

Thanks again

[John]

Chris:

Remember there is a difference between humidifiers and vaporizors and I don't know if Target has humidifiers but most home stores (home depot, lowes) or Sears does. A Bemis whole house stand up will run you about $140.00 check http://www.allergybuyersclub.com/compare-humid.html or Sears has a 7 gallon for $80.00 which should work. The biggest problem with this type is you have to keep filling it. It has been a long time since I did the installation on a furnace but it was not a difficult job and once it is installed you just set it and ignore it.