As winter approaches there is nothing better than turning on the heat, grabbing a big blanket, and tuning in to one of your favorite movies. I’m guilty of sliding into hibernation mode when the weather turns cold. This is when you need to find the best whole house humidifier.
As much as I love Fall and Winter, I can’t stand the dry, itching, and red skin that comes along with heating up my house. I used to have to sleep with my hands and feet slathered in petroleum jelly and then wrapped in socks. First – it’s not a good look. And Second – it was really uncomfortable, and my skin still wasn’t getting better.
Then I learned about the benefits humidifiers. There are many different types of humidifiers to choose from. But don’t worry, I’ll break it all down for you. In this post I talk about the benefits of a whole home humidifier. I will go through provide the best whole house humidifier reviews in my honest opinion.
If you’re in a rush, then my top recommendation would be the Aprilaire 600 Whole House Humidifier. I’ll be reviewing that, and each of the following in detail this post. To know the exact price of each humidifier, click the “Check Price” button below each individual review.
- Aprilaire 600 Whole House Humidifier
- AIRCARE MA1201 Whole-House Console-Style Evaporative Humidifier
- Honeywell HE360A1075 HE360A Whole House Humidifier
- AIRCARE 831000 Whole House Evaporative Humidifier
- Aprilaire 800 Whole House Steam Humidifier
What Are The Benefits Of A Whole House Humidifier?
You may have noticed that as soon as you turn on the heat in the fall and winter, the air in your house starts to dry up. You can feel it on your skin, or in your eyes and nasal passage. The dry air can worsen your allergies and asthma symptoms. You might even suffer from sinus infections. Or maybe you’ve noticed the damage it’s causing to those hard wood floors and cabinets that you spent a fortune to install.
With a whole home humidifier, you can add moisture to the air as you heat your home. Controlling the humidity levels throughout your house can help keep you healthy and comfortable in the colder months. And as a bonus the humidity can help keep your floors and furniture looking beautiful too!
This video does a great job of highlighting some of the key benefits of whole house humidifiers:
What Is A Whole House Humidifier?
Many of us have seen a portable room humidifier. They typically have a water tank that heats up and adds steam to a room or office. As a kid I used to sleep with one by my bed when I was feeling sick or having trouble breathing. They’re a great option for small spaces. All you have to do is keep the water tank clean and full and turn it on.
But if you want to maintain ideal humidity levels throughout your house, it could be worth it to consider a whole house humidifier. You typically install a whole home humidifier directly to your furnace system and control it with a humidistat (similar to your thermostat). That’s right – it connects straight to your home’s heating system and it automatically draws from your home’s water supply as and when it needs more moisture.
I like whole home humidifiers because they offer a very low maintenance option. It requires an initial setup and once yearly maintenance, and that’s about it. With this system you don’t have to regularly clean or fill any water tanks. It’s more of a set-it and forget-it system for the entire house.
One of the best features of whole house humidifiers is that you can control the humidity level and keep it constant throughout the house. The ideal humidity level for a house is somewhere between 30% – 45%, and with a whole house humidifier you can easily set and maintain this level.
Finally, whole home humidifiers are a low-cost option to operate. The cost benefit is two-fold. First, as you add moisture to the air, your house may feel warmer so you might actually reduce your heating bill in the colder months. Second, most whole house humidifiers are very cheap to operate, so it won’t set you back much more than the initial price of the unit.
This video goes into some of the more technical aspects if you want to understand how it works:
Of course, if too much humidity is your problem, you should consider installing a whole house dehumidifier instead.
The Best Whole House Humidifier Reviews
1. Aprilaire 600 Whole House Humidifier
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The Aprilaire 600 could be a great choice if you have a larger home, up to 4,000 square feet. I like this model because it comes with an automatic digital control which shows the humidity percentage level in your house. This makes it really easy to set and maintain an ideal humidity level throughout your home. It’s a great set-it and forget-it option.
Other customers loved how it helped reduce shocks and itchy skin in the winter and how easy it was to set and control the humidity levels. Several customers mentioned the installation was DIY friendly. For these reasons I have included this model at the top of my list of the best whole house humidifier reviews.
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2. AIRCARE MA1201 Whole-House Console-Style Evaporative Humidifier
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If you want the comfort of a whole house humidifier, but you’re on a budget, the AIRCARE MA 1201 could be the best whole home humidifier for you. The AIRCARE MA 1201 is a console-style evaporative humidifier, and it works for houses up to 3,600 square feet. It has a 3.6 gallon capacity with a 36-hour run time.
I like that this a really easy to use whole house humidifier – it has a built-in automatic humidistat, making it very easy to control. This unit also has an auto-shut off safety feature when your desired humidity level is achieved or when the water tank is empty.
Many customers love this product, and it seems to work great for small to mid-size houses. Some customers have commented that this machine works well when it is full of water; however, you must monitor the water levels to avoid mold growing. Others have commented that it can be loud and the filters required replacement on average every 3 months.
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3. Honeywell HE360A1075 HE360A Whole House Humidifier
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This is a great whole house humidifier for large homes (up to 4,200 square feet). It works the same way as the Aprilaire 600, but it is powerful enough to cover a bit more square footage. This unit does not have a digital humidistat like the Aprilaire 600, and for otherwise similar features I can’t seem to justify the higher price of the Honeywell HE360A1075.
Customers have commented that the installation was very simple, and they felt the benefits within the first few hours of switching it on. If your home is larger than 4,000 square feet, than this might be a good choice for you. Otherwise, I think the Aprilaire 600 has all the benefits and a better price tag.
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4. AIRCARE 831000 Whole House Evaporative Humidifier
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I love that this whole house humidifier has automatic controls and a digital humidistat, making it really easy to set and maintain your ideal humidity level. I also like that the tank is almost twice the size of the AIRCARE MA1201, meaning fewer refills and maintenance work for you.
Customers love that it’s easy to move around and assemble. It could be a good choice if you have a small to medium sized home and want an easy solution for a whole house humidifier.
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5. Aprilaire 800 Whole House Steam Humidifier
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At the high-end of the spectrum we have the Aprilaire 800 whole house steam humidifier. This machine is for large homes (up to 6,200 square feet) and packs a lot of power. The Aprilaire 800 is for homes in dry, arid locations, so it’s not necessary to have this level of humidifier all over the U.S. But if you are in a dry climate, this could be the best whole home humidifier for you.
The Aprilaire 800 is independent from your houses furnace system, as it works by delivering steam throughout your house through your existing duct work. If you don’t have duct work, this wouldn’t be the humidifier for you.
I like that this machine comes with an automatic digital humidistat, so it’s really east to control. It’s also a fairly low maintenance machine to operate.
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The Air Control Guy Winner: Aprilaire 600 Whole House Humidifier |
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There are a lot of considerations that go into purchasing a whole house humidifier. For instance, price, house size, and climate should all play a role in your decision.
Of the five products I’ve reviewed, the Aprilaire 600 Whole House Humidifier is my winner for best whole house humidifier. For me it has the best combination of functionality, convenience and price. And customers gave this whole house humidifier great feedback. It could be a great choice if you’re looking to install a whole house humidifier to beat the dry indoor air this winter.
Related: If you found this review helpful, you might also like our review for the best humidifier for 1000 square feet.
