The two most common types of whole house humidifiers are "flow through" humidifiers or "Steam" humidifiers.  Flow through humidifiers normally have a pad inside the unit. Warm water is trickled over the pad as warm air is blown through the pad. Some of the water evaporates into the air stream and the rest goes down the drain. The benefits to this type of humidifier are that it can be installed in most applications, is relatively inexpensive and is easy to maintain. The drawback to a flow through humidifier is that the amount of moisture they can add to a home is limited since they rely on the furnace operating.  Steam humidifiers operate by heating a reservoir of water and sending steam into the air stream.  These humidifiers work independently of the furnace and can produce moisture as it's needed. Steam humidifiers also have much larger capacities and can handle much larger homes. The drawbacks of a steam humidifier are the initial cost and the challenge of running an electrical circuit from the homes electrical panel to the furnace. Maintenance can be more challenging and often requires professional help. 

When looking to purify the air in our homes it is often a three step approach; we need to remove particulates, kill or sterilize microbes and then remove odors. In order to accomplish this we need an air filter that removes particulates, has some type of UV that sterilizes microbes such as mold and bacteria, and oxidizers that remove odors. Preferred Heating & Cooling carries a full line of products that accomplish all three. We can install a basic media air filter to help reduce dust or a state-of -the -art air purification system. Contact us by phone or email for more information.

Today's sophisticated comfort controls not only control your home's temperature but can also control a home humidifier, air cleaners, and ventilation. If your home's ductwork allows we can even add multiple zones  with just one furnace. Preferred Heating and Cooling carries a full line of HVAC controls for your home. Contact us by phone or email for more information.