residential steam humidifiers

Plumb Bob

We have hot water heat, and so we are considering a free-standing steam humidifier such as the Nortec or Generalaire Elite. (There are other brands with commercial-size units, but I believe only these two make residential units.)

We are considering the steamer-blower-all-in-one units that go on a wall in living space. My question is, are they noisy? We'd have to put the unit in a fairly central location to get even humidification, and we don't want it hissing or spitting, and even boiling noises or a loud fan would be undesirable.

Are there any advantages to the two-piece units where the steam generator goes in the basement and there is a remote fan unit?

Which would you recommend, a Nortec or a GeneralAire?

Many thanks,