In winter the air in your heated house gets really dry and can lead to allergies, skin irritations and even nosebleeds. To ensure that the air in your home remains at the ideal humidity you need to install the best Furnace humidifier that matches the size of your home, as well as your budget.
Furnace humidifiers, also known as whole house humidifiers, come in a few different configurations. Each of these different types have furnace humidifier pros and cons that you'll need to consider.
We’ve put together some furnace humidifier reviews of the 10 best whole house humidifiers on the market as well as a buying guide to help you choose the best furnace humidifier for your needs.
Best Furnace Humidifier Comparison Table
Image | Model | Type | Coverage (Sq. Feet) | Capacity (Gallons/h) | Price | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Aprilaire 700 | Powered Fan | 4200 | 0.75 | $$$ | ||
Honeywell HE360 | Powered Fan | 4200 | 0.5 | $$ | ||
Aprilaire 400 | Bypass | 4000 | 0.7 | $$ | ||
Emerson HSP2000 | Steam | 2500 | 0.54 | $$$$$ | ||
Honeywell HE260A | Bypass | 4000 | 0.5 | $$ | ||
GeneralAire 1000A | Powered Fan | 3000 | 0.75 | $$$$ | ||
Aprilaire 600M | Bypass | 4000 | 0.7 | $$ | ||
Honeywell HE120A | Drum | 4000 | 0.5 | $$ | ||
Aprilaire 500 | Bypass | 3000 | 0.5 | $$ | ||
Skuttle 190SH1 | Drum | 1 | 0.7 | $ |
Best Furnace Humidifier Reviews
We've put together whole house humidifier reviews of our top 10 units.
1. Aprilaire 700 Automatic Flow Through Furnace Humidifier
If we were looking to buy the best furnace humidifier for the money then it would be this one. A lot of furnace humidifiers struggle to adequately humidify large homes but not this unit.
It does a great job with bigger homes and will humidify a tightly sealed home of up to 4,200 square feet making it the best whole house humidifier on the market. If you compare this unit with similarly priced humidifiers you’ll find that it produces as much as 50% more moisture.
It has an evaporation capacity of 0.75 gallons per hour which is among the highest we’ve seen for these kinds of humidifiers.
The automatic controller provides temperature and humidity readings as well as important service information. While it has the automatic function you can also run it in manual mode. Installation was pretty simple and the instructions were very clear.
The controller needs to be mounted on the humidifier so make sure you choose a spot that you can easily access to change settings. It runs really quietly as well. Even when you’re in the basement all you hear is the solenoid clicking on and the sound of water entering the humidifier. If you're looking for the best furnace humidifier then this is the one to buy.
2. Honeywell HE360A Fan Powered Whole House Humidifier
Honeywell have a well earned reputation for making great temperature and humidity control devices. If you read home humidifier reviews then you'll see many of their products listed.
This powered flow through humidifier is simple to install and is one of your best options if you have a variable speed or multi-stage furnace system in your home.
It is designed to humidify homes of up to 4,200 square feet. The instructions aren’t the greatest but installation was fairly simple and took around 2 -3 hours. Amazon say that a separate installation kit is required but ignore this.
It comes with supply & drain tubing, a tapper valve and a mechanical humidistat. You might need some more ¼ inch tubing. We’d recommend getting a sail switch (Honeywell S688 Sail Switch) so the humidifier knows when the furnace is on.
Using the sail switch will save you having to mess with electrical wiring from the furnace to the humidifier. It works really quickly and you’ll feel a noticeable difference in your home within a few hours. It runs pretty quietly and you certainly won’t hear it over your furnace.
3. Aprilaire 400 Bypass Furnace Humidifier
The concern some people have with bypass humidifiers is how much water they use. This is one of our favorite bypass units because it’s drainless and is designed to use 100% of the water going into it.
Instead of having the water continuously flowing into the tray it senses when a little cup below the pad is full and then shuts the water off.
This way you get the benefit of no drainage while also avoiding the issues that go along with stagnant standing water.
The only time you’ll see any water draining out of this unit is if there’s a problem with the shutoff, or a blockage somewhere.
It comes with an automatic digital controller that is fairly simple to use and gives feedback on temperature, humidity and service info. This unit has an evaporating capacity of 0.7 gallons per hour and is suitable for homes of up to 4,000 square feet. It's not surprising that we keep seeing this unit in furnace mount humidifier reviews.
4. Emerson HSP2000 Whole House Steam Humidifier
If your house doesn’t have a forced air system then a steam humidifier is your best bet. This whole house steam humidifier is also a great solution if you want a humidifier that runs independently of your furnace.
It regulates the humidity according to the control it receives from the automatic humidistat and simply turns the furnace blower fan on when it needs to send humidity into your home.
This makes for far more efficient running of the humidifier. You can also wire it to work only when your furnace is on if you want.
Maintenance of these whole house humidifiers is really simple. No need for filter, or pad replacements. Simply give the water reservoir a clean once a year and you’re all set. If you have really hard water then you may need to do some descaling eventually. In this case it might be a good idea to install a water softener.
If you’ve tried without success to get your home’s humidity up to an optimum level then it may be time for a good steam humidifier. This is one of the best steam humidifier options if your house is 2,500 square feet or smaller and you'll see it feature regularly in whole house steam humidifier reviews .
5. Honeywell HE260A Higher Capacity Bypass Whole House Humidifier
Some bypass flow through humidifiers struggle in larger homes but this high capacity unit is rated for homes of up to 4,000 square feet.
Installation is really simple and mounts on either supply or return ducts. Amazon says that it needs a separate installation kit but that’s not the case.
It comes supplied with tubing, clamps, humidistat and filter, which is pretty much all you need.
The installation kit comes with a sail switch, solenoid with transformer and some extra ducting bits. You’re better off buying your own sail switch or just pick up the 24V straight from your furnace.
The instructions that come supplied with the unit aren’t the greatest but there are better instructions available on the internet. The instruction sheet serves as the template for the cutout of the duct so that’ll save you some measuring.
6. GeneralAire 1000A Powered Furnace Humidifier, 120V
This is not the cheapest furnace humidifier but it is one of the best powered fan humidifiers available.
It’s part of their Elite series and comes supplied with a digital humidistat and the controller allows for automatic or manual operation.
It also has an outdoor sensor to control based on outdoor relative humidity and indoor temperature. If you have a medium sized home then this is a good option as it is rated for homes of up to 3,000 square feet.
The humidifier comes with an integrated humidity control bypass damper so that you can easily isolate the humidifier during the summer months when you’re using your AC. It comes with a 10 year warranty but this is only valid if you have it installed by a professional contractor.
7. Aprilaire 600M Whole-House Humidifier with Manual Control
The 600M is one of the best bypass humidifiers on the market today. This 24V unit delivers as much as 50% more humidity than other similarly priced units.
It evaporates 0.7 gallons per hour and is capable of humidifying a home of up to 4,000 square feet.
There is an integrated bypass damper that is operated by a small handle. The label on the bypass makes it easy to adjust the damper for summer or winter.
The “M” in the model number indicates that this comes with a manual humidistat controller. These are really simple to set so there’s no fiddling with digital controllers. You can, of course, get rid of the manual humidistat controller and connect it up to a smarter thermostat that has humidity control if you prefer.
If you experience big winter temperature variations where you live then the 600A, with it’s automatic controller and outdoor sensor, may be worth the extra money. Otherwise, just go with the manual controller. It’s a simpler installation and works beautifully.
8. Honeywell HE120A Whole House Humidifier
If you’re looking for a budget option for a small to medium sized house this drum humidifier is good option if you’re looking for basic humidification.
It comes supplied with an automatic relative humidity control as well as an installation kit.
The great benefit of these drum furnace humidifiers is that they don’t require a drain. 100% of the water that goes into the humidifier gets converted into humidity so no water is wasted.
It has an overflow line but the only time you’ll see anything come out of it is if there’s a problem with the humidifier. The auto shut off valve regulates water flowing into the humidifier but if you have hard water then it can get clogged with scale.
You’ll need to replace the filter at least once a year and give the tray a clean twice a year to get rid of mineral buildup.
9. Aprilaire 500 Whole House Humidifier
This 24V bypass humidifier is a great option for medium sized homes of up to 3,000 square feet.
It’s water use efficiency is pretty good for a bypass humidifier and it delivers 0.5 gallons per hour of humidity.
It comes supplied with a digital controller, an outdoor sensor as well as the 110V to 24V transformer. You can ditch the transformer if you prefer to pick up the 24V from your furnace panel.
This unit also has an integrated bypass damper so you can close it off for the summer months.
It only uses water when the controller switches the humidifier on and the outdoor sensor results in far better control of your home’s humidity.
This was not the easiest humidifier to install, though, so bank on around 5 or 6 hours of work.
10. Skuttle 190-SH1 Drum Furnace Humidifier
Drum humidifiers are not the best furnace humidifier option but if you don’t have access to a drain, or you’re looking to save water, then this is a good budget option.
The housing is made from durable thermoplastic so you won’t get the rust, corrosion and warping issues that some of the older units suffered from. It will provide around 0.7 gallons per hour and is suitable for use in a house of up to 4,000 square feet if it’s tightly sealed.
It comes supplied with an installation kit. If you have hard water then it would be a good idea to get the Skuttle Automatic Flushing Timer as well. This flushes the humidifier periodically with fresh, clean water to prevent mold buildup and reduce cleaning and servicing requirements.
Furnace Humidifier Buying Guide
When you're looking to buy a furnace dehumidifier you first need to select a type and then make sure the capacity is sufficient for the size of your home. Here are some pointers to help you make a good choice when buying the best whole house humidifier.
Types Of Furnace Humidifiers
Whole house humidifiers, or furnace humidifiers, come in 4 main types. We've listed the furnace humidifier pros and cons of each type below.
Bypass Flow-Through Humidifier
With a bypass flow through humidifier some of the warm air from the supply side of the furnace is directed into the bypass duct of the humidifier. The humidifier has a tray that allows water to flow onto a pad that soaks up the water. The warm air that passes across the pad causes some of the water to evaporate and this evaporated water joins the air in your duct and humidifies it.
The ducting then takes the warm, moist air into your house. It’s called a flow-through humidifier because the water that isn’t absorbed by the pad flows through it rather than being collected in a pan. This flushes the unit continually which helps keep the unit clean. These units normally need to drain excess water into a drain but you do also get drainless bypass humidifiers. In duct humidifier reviews will normally state that this type is the best whole home humidifier option to go for.
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Drum Furnace Humidifier
These are very similar to the bypass flow through humidifier but they have a rotating evaporator pad rather than a stationary one. The pad rotates through a pan containing water and the water is then lifted into the warm air as it continues to rotate. The evaporated water is then carried into the ducting of your system.
These units are 100% efficient as they don’t lose any water and they deliver more humidity than the regular bypass units will. They are prone to buildup of mineral deposits, mold and bacteria because of the water that lies stagnant in the pan. To avoid this you can get an automatic flushing timer that flushes clean water through your humidifier periodically and prevents mold and mineral buildup.
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Fan-powered furnace humidifier
A fan-powered humidifier, also simply known as a power humidifier, has a built in fan that blows air across the water soaked pad. Because it generates its own air flow it doesn’t need warm air to be ducted into it to cause the water to evaporate.
You would typically get about a gallon more humidity from these units than you would from a bypass humidifier. Because you don’t have to install a bypass duct these humidifiers are a good choice if you’re trying to fit a furnace humidifier into a tight space.
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Steam Furnace Humidifier
A steam humidifier boils water to create humidity and then this steam is fed into the supply duct of your furnace system. These are a great solution if you’re looking for fast and efficient humidifying of your home. Because they don’t need hot air pushed into them these can be used in a home that doesn’t have a forced air system. They use a lot less water than the bypass units but they do use a lot of electricity.
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