Humidifiers and Dehumidifiers - Hunter portable humidifier ...did I get a lemon?

I live in N.Michigan, and the house humidity is 20-25% in the winter months. It warped my electric guitar necks, so I decided to get a small room size humidifier. I bought a 2 1/2 gal. and so far it will only increase the room humidity to 30-35%. I'd like to get it up to at least 50% for a few days straight to settle the electric guitar necks back.

I'm using distilled water, and have tried everything with this unit to get it to budge above this paltry 30% mark. I've increased the cycle to highest setting, and tried every combination of humidity level/fan level. Currently have run this thing full blast, high speed fan, at 80% setting for last 12 hours, and it still will not go above 30%. My guitar studio room is just an unused bedroom, under 100sf. Nothing special or out of the ordinary. I keep the door shut.

Do I just have a lemon? Or is there some reason for why this won't do better? Is this just the best one can get out of a portable unit...and the manufacture claims are about as trustworthy as Congress? :wall: :rolleyes:

Hunter model 33257 Care Free Humidifier Plus Evaporative Humidifier (Sam's Club)

This should take care of the room, from what I read, it's rated for up to 1,300 sq ft..

Is there a return vent, and supply in this room?

Yes, there is a return vent and supply. Hmmm...just adding more dry air? ...you thinking?

I have taken this thing out to my kitchen/dining/living area, and been running it out there, (last 16 hours full tilt) and it is doing the same thing...just going to about 30% and no further. That area is without measuring at least 700-800sf.

I closed off and covered the vents, and have run the humidifier for about 8 hours full blast, and it has brought the humidity up to 40% from the 30% I had worked so hard to build. I'm not exactly overjoyed, but I am pleased to make progress.

I think I am going to give up on this style of humidifier, (evaporative) and try the hot steam type. Working that hard to get a 90sf room from 20% to 40% is just lame, more than say lemon.

Thank you Jay for your help.

Yeah, with the vents in the room, dry air going in, and return sucking it out.

I would maybe look for a whole house unit that mounts on to the furnace.

Your unit is not bad! your problem is the rest of the home is so dry that it can't keep up!

Yes Jay, I do have a whole house humidifier mounted to my furnace, but shut the thing off some years back. I went down to the basement to start the thing back up, and the filter is shot. The water supply line, and maybe the float assembly as well is plugged up. Pan needs a good scrubbing and bleach too.

Being I just had surgery on my shoulder, (arm in a sling) I won't be pulling out my tools to repair this until I'm recuperated. I thought, hey. for the next couple months, why don't I just buy a portable humidifier? This Hunter model was only 50 bucks. Really, in about a month, we will be in our rainy season, and the humidity will be back up. I just wanted to humidify one room, my music studio (bedroom) to relieve the stress on my guitar necks the 20% humidity causes.

I never tried to just humidify one room in my house before. I thought it could be done, easier than this turned out to be. Whenever I spent a night in a dry motel room, I'd just run the shower on hot, and steam up the room, and things were fine. With that thought, I think I might have been better to get the hot steam type room humidifier. (sterile because of the heat, and no filters to replace) I really think after using this evaporative style humidifier, it is not at all effecient. My whole house is around 1100-1200sf, and this is suppose to humidify that amount of space. It ran full tilt for 18 hours centrally located 4 feet away from a cold air return, and brought 800sf up to 30% from 25%...pathetic. :rolleyes:

Anyway, thank you, and Airman as well for your help.
Time for a pain pill ... :D

How old is the house?

It could be you are having a lot of air exchange in the house with the outdoors, and it's getting it that dry. Tighten up the house can help out as well.

No, the house is only 20 years old. 2x6 walls, insulated windows and doors. Good seal and if anything too well sealed. I can burp, and even a day later tell what I ate. Typical Ranch over a poured concrete wall basement, attached garage is insulated too. Northern Michigan, so we believe in plugging all the holes. http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l236/Leland10/cold2.gif

I think its just a weak system, this evaporative type humidifier. I've been running in now 15 hours non-stop full bore, in a 90sf bedroom, with the vents shut and covered, fan and humidity settings on high, and it's only peaked at 42% humidity. from the 22-25% humidity the rest of the house is normally, right now. I've put two other hydrometers in the room to check against the reading. All three read different, but within 5%. It's snowing outside, so we are still in the dry outdoor climate. But outside is higher humidity than the interior of the house...and I'm sure it's because of the forced air heating.

I think I could bring my steam iron in this room, and run that for an hour, and get better results. Tomorrow, I'm going back into town, and shop for a steam humidifier. (like this) Swizz Style, Inc. FRED humidifier, silver - F-006 at Sears.com (http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_03298468000P?keyword=humidifier)

I'm no expert in anything..but from reading here, soooo much depends on temperature. An evap cooler efficiency depends on the temp, airflow and RH.

The steam or ultrasonic may be less temp dependent, as I said..no expert.