Heated Humidifier using much more water...

cybergoon · Post by **cybergoon** » Tue Dec 06, 2005 9:36 am

I have the REMstar Auto with the heated humidifier. A tank of water usually lasts me 3 nights. I have it set to 3. The last couple of weeks, when I wake up, the tank is bone dry. I don't understand why it is using soo much more water now. I even fill it slightly past the line and it is still empty in the am. Any ideas?

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Dec 06, 2005 11:04 am

waht kind of heat do you have in your house?

cybergoon · Post by **cybergoon** » Tue Dec 06, 2005 11:17 am

Gas heat. Don't really run it too much. Just enough to keep it at about 68F.

wading thru the muck! · Post by **wading thru the muck!** » Tue Dec 06, 2005 11:31 am

Sounds like the heat plate is getting too hot.... unless you accidentally poured Vodka in the chamber LOL!

cybergoon · Post by **cybergoon** » Tue Dec 06, 2005 12:08 pm

I'd be feeling much much better if I was pouring Vodka in it. I am going to try turning it down to 1 and see how that works. I am using a FF mask, so I need some humidity to keep my big mouth wet.

yardbird · Post by **yardbird** » Tue Dec 06, 2005 12:27 pm

I was about 1/4" below the fill line on mine last night and figured I'd just go without refilling as I have only been using about 1/4" of water each night. Got up this morning and it was empty. I've never used it to empty from the fill line. I'm on the hose .... last night was 7 hours (11:30pm to 6:30am).

WAFlowers · Post by **WAFlowers** » Tue Dec 06, 2005 1:08 pm

I just returned from yet another exhausting business trip to someplace cooler and drier than home. While there I found that I was going through humidifier water at a prodigious rate!

Could it just be that the relative humidity in your home is lower, possibly because of colder weather combined with your furnace use? That would account for more water being used.

ProfessorSleep · Post by **ProfessorSleep** » Tue Dec 06, 2005 2:16 pm

Yup, same here. I was draining a full tank until I set up the household humidifier. Now I have plenty left at the end of the night. I suspect, along with WAF, it is the humidity of the ambient air that accounts for the change. I keep my household humidity around 50% or a little higher (musical instruments that need the moisture), but I think I've read that 40% or so is comfortable on average (I may be wrong on that)

WAFlowers · Post by **WAFlowers** » Tue Dec 06, 2005 2:25 pm

That number (40%) sticks out in my mind too. Of course, after 8 years in Florida any humidity that low makes me feel like I'm in the desert!

snork1 · Post by **snork1** » Tue Dec 06, 2005 6:54 pm

I think they are selling us dryer water now.
Everythings getting skimpier.

I agree with the ambient humidity probably changing. Or you could be doing more mouth breathing (even with a FF mask) which generally eats through the water faster.

My water us is usually fairly consistent, but occasionally it seems to use up almost none or go through a bunch when nothing seems to have changed otherwise.

biggziff · Post by **biggziff** » Tue Dec 06, 2005 8:10 pm

Just check under the machine to see if there is any moisture. Once after cleaning mine, it started using a full tank each night. Had a leak...resealed the tank and it's all good now.

loonlvr · Post by **loonlvr** » Tue Dec 06, 2005 8:16 pm

I have a 420e which I too notice is using lots more distilled water. I fill it up quite a ways above the full line. Its set at about half, and after 7-8hrs, is nearly empty. This started when the temp went down and gas furnance use started, which really dries out the air. And I haven t had any problems filling over full line. The 420e seems to me to have a smallish chamber.

Jere · Post by **Jere** » Tue Dec 06, 2005 8:34 pm

If the tank and the machine is sealed (at least mine is), I am not sure I understand why the ambient humidity would matter. How would the machine detect the outside humidity? These machines are getting fancy, put I don't think they have added humistats (is that a word?). But what do I know.

snork1 · Post by **snork1** » Tue Dec 06, 2005 9:19 pm

Jere wrote:If the tank and the machine is sealed (at least mine is), I am not sure I understand why the ambient humidity would matter. How would the machine detect the outside humidity? These machines are getting fancy, put I don't think they have added humistats (is that a word?). But what do I know.

Its not REALLY the machines, but the drier air that is blowing through the chamber has a higher capacity for picking up moisture.

just a theory though....

Jere · Post by **Jere** » Tue Dec 06, 2005 9:43 pm

Duh! I think I had a Homer Simpson moment.