Telltale indications, again, are condensation or frost on cold surfaces such as windows, doors, walls, etc. If such condensation persists for several hours, your home should be ventilated to dissipate the potential damaging excess moisture levels. Back to top . Your humidifier will operate effectively using either hot, cold, hard or mechanically softened water. Whether to use available tap water, even though it may be quite hard, or chemically softened water, is a common concern to homeowners when installing a humidifier.
Water used in homes contains varying amounts of minerals.
The residue remaining as a result of hard water evaporation is primarily calcium and magnesium components and is usually quite hard, scaly, and dense. Residue from softened water tends to be soft and fluffy and has a greater volume than hard water scale. The service life of a Water Panel evaporator may be extended by using hard water, but in either case, the Water Panel evaporator is usually changed once a year. In the Model 445 Aprilaire Humidifier, these solids will build up on the evaporator surface, in the reservoir and pump section. This is why proper maintenance is important and necessary.