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Heating & Air Conditioning

Humidifiers and softened water?

8 years ago

I'm getting ready to install a water softener and wondering if I should use the softened water with it. Wii there be any issues to the furnace or duct because of the slight elevation of salt in the water?

I'm thinking the softened water would be better for it because as it stands, I get massive scale build up on the humidifier pad... But if it can cause my duct, furnace or evap coil to corrode, I'll keep replacing the pads..

Thanks!

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Comments (2)

ionized_gw
8 years ago
What kind of humidifier do you have? Most domestic water softeners don't increase salt, they substitute sodium for heavier ions. The most typical of these heavier ions are calcium and magnesium carbonates or sulfates. (That is leaving out the small detail that two sodiums are required to replace every calcium or magnesium.) Some water softening systems don't use sodium or potassium ion exchangers, but mixed bed ion exchangers where someone comes in and changes out your expensive "tanks". These leave no sodium behind.

Sometimes calcium carbonate is added to domestic water supplies if the water source is corrosive. The corrosive tendency of water is influenced by pH (acidity) and the calcium content. Acid and low calcium is corrosive. Basic (opposite of acid) and high calcium is precipitating, liming and scaling depending on what you want to call it. The general feeling is that you want to be slightly scaling with domestic water supplies. It is better to very slowly scale pipes closed and slowly coat other plumbing instruments with calcium carbonate than to slowly dissolve them away. Does anyone disagree given that you can never have "perfect" water?

Your water softener removes the calcium. If your water is too acidic, you will start to dissolve your pipes and your humidifier. If your water treatment system is designed properly, your final pH should be OK and so should your humidifier. Be aware than I am not a water treatment expert.

The fact is, your humidifier is designed to deal with scale. What does the humidifier manufacturer say about softened water? This is probably something that should be taken up with the water softener installer if that is not you.
crab_dae
Original Author
8 years ago
ionized_gw,

Thanks for the reply... I have no idea where the manual for the humidifier might be. It was installed when the house was built 10 years ago and it's a Honeywell that's mounted on the return duct.

I have no that PH was a bigger issue then water with some salt in it and I'm not as worried about the humidifier rusting, I'm more worried about the HVAC system. Since the humidifier is mounted before the blower, that would mean the salted water would not just go through the duct, but it would pass the blower, the furnace and evap coil. Do you know if this might be a problem? I guess it depends on what type of material the furnace parts are made from. I do know the evap coil is all Aluminum.
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