Wife pushing for humidifier for baby. What should I do?

ChrisJ

I really need help,

Our house is 150 years old, has lath and plaster walls, practically no insulation, original windows with storm windows and an unvented attic. I've had absolutely no water or mold issues in the attic but I also never run a humidifier for this reason. I have not done anything with the attic because I have not had time or money to insulate it and until I do that I'm not going to modify the venting.

So here is my issue.
How risky will it be to run a small humidifier in the baby's room if I keep the door closed and RH around 50%?


I've been 100% against adding any humidity into the house until we fix the attic but the baby is now sick and the wife is really pushing.

Docfletcher

Docfletcher says... Seek advice from your healthcare professional. Your child will breath better with it. Listen to your wife as they have instinct for such things. If child gets worse will end up hospitalized in mist tent.

Your concerns about mold are over done.

Mark N

Congratulation on the baby. I would run the humidifier, I ran one when my children were babies. I doubt that a 150 year old house is so tight so the extra humidity won't leak out.

ChrisJ

Docfletcher said:

Docfletcher says... Seek advice from your healthcare professional. Your child will breath better with it. Listen to your wife as they have instinct for such things. If child gets worse will end up hospitalized in mist tent.

Your concerns about mold are over done.

The wife is pushing because the doctor recommended it.

However the doctor doesn't know what other serious health risks doing this could cause down the road in our house. The last thing anyone wants is an attic or walls full of mold. Of course I want to ensure my baby is safe and gets well as quick as possible but I don't want to jump out of the pan into the fire either.

This is why I'm asking for advice.

I'm thinking if I keep this isolated to just the baby's room and keep the RH around 50% everything should be ok but I want other opinions.

SlamDunk

Dont worry about it. Humidity is good. if it rains for several days, those unconditioned spaces see a higher humidity than that.

ChrisJ

Mark N said:

Congratulation on the baby. I would run the humidifier, I ran one when my children were babies. I doubt that a 150 year old house is so tight so the extra humidity won't leak out.

Tight?
It's a two story tent right now.

If that's the case would it be safe to run the 7 gallon a day whole house humidifier I have? I used to run it until we moved because of this concern. It has a humidistat of course. We would all be happier with 40-50% RH instead of 15-20% which we end up with in the winter.

Docfletcher

I understand.

ChrisJ

SlamDunk said:

Dont worry about it. Humidity is good. if it rains for several days, those unconditioned spaces see a higher humidity than that.

True,

However when it rains the walls and underside of the roof are typically warm and not forming continuous condensation soaking the wood. I also run a dehumidifier 24\7 in the basement and crawlspaces during summer months.

The outside of the house is nothing more than clap board. No sheathing.

KC_Jones

Chris I would run the one you already have. I wouldn't buy one of those misting type humidifiers. If the one you have has the humidistat built in you will have much better control over it. We had a misting type for a while and used it into the spring for the kids. It didn't have a humidistat in it so it just keeps pumping moisture into the air. Lets just say there were towels and some shouting involved. My vote is run it, you need a lot more moisture and a much tighter house to have mold problems. My parents run 2 one on each floor in a modern fairly tight house and have zero issues with mold. Your baby will thank you....silently.

ChrisJ

Docfletcher said:

Your concerns about mold are over done.

Could very well be which is why I'm asking for advice.
If I could safely use the whole house humidifier I already own that would really be awesome but I truly am concerned.

The non-vented attic has concerned be since day one even though everything has stayed dry every year.

KC_Jones

Do you have windows in the attic? Is the attic floor insulated? I insulated my attic floor as soon as I moved in. I leave the attic windows cracked (screens installed) year round to allow for circulation. There are 5 small windows in my attic (100+ year old house).

Docfletcher

Is it a walk up attic that you can stand and walk in? If so is it between the rafter that you would like insulated?

KC_Jones

Not sure if your comment was directed at me? To clarify I have a walk up attic (unfinished storage only) and I pulled the whole floor up insulated then replaced the floor.

Docfletcher

I was asking Chris. Sorry I was not clear.

RobG

Your house is 150 years old without any major upgrades? If the house has survived this long I would not worry about running a humidifier. What is your summer RH?

ChrisJ

Docfletcher said:

Is it a walk up attic that you can stand and walk in? If so is it between the rafter that you would like insulated?

Walk up attic with half floor.
Yes, I'd prefer to insulate the rafters which is half of the reason we have held off. A lot of it is insulated under the flooring, but very little. Probably 3" if that of old insulation.

There are two windows, one on each end but I've left them alone for now as I figured I'd decide on venting when I decide on what and how I'm insulating.

In a perfect world where I have some money I'd spray foam the rafters and not vent the attic.

ChrisJ

RobG said:

Your house is 150 years old without any major upgrades? If the house has survived this long I would not worry about running a humidifier. What is your summer RH?

Major changes yes, but all of the major changes happened 80-100 years ago.

Summer RH is typically 40-50% with A/C running but under those conditions the walls and underside of the roof are not 0-20F either. Unless I'm viewing this completely wrong which is also possible.

Docfletcher

I got this of the net...

If humidity is too low, you can suffer from dry noses, skin, and throats, as well as cracked fingertips, and you're more likely to catch a cold. Dryness can also damage wood and drywall, cause your wood floors to shrink, and even cause your piano to go out of tune. Static electricity is also increased as the humidity levels decreased. Low humidity is more common in colder climates because cold air is less able to hold water vapor.

ChrisJ

Docfletcher said:

I got this of the net...

If humidity is too low, you can suffer from dry noses, skin, and throats, as well as cracked fingertips, and you're more likely to catch a cold. Dryness can also damage wood and drywall, cause your wood floors to shrink, and even cause your piano to go out of tune. Static electricity is also increased as the humidity levels decreased. Low humidity is more common in colder climates because cold air is less able to hold water vapor.

I'm not going to lie...
Aside from the pajamas this was me last year, though all of the carpet is now gone.

So yeah, some would say static was a problem.

youtu.be/DuAMNqMuL7U

ChrisJ

My mistake,

It's actually a 14 gallon per day output whole house humidifier.

I asked the wife to pickup a new wick set for it so I can fire it up tonight.

I would like to thank everyone for responding and helping me make the right decision.

Jamie Hall

There is no way, in a house that old, that you are going to get the humidity up to the point where it is a problem with a room humidifier.

To be doubly sure, simply check the windows in that room from time to time -- if they aren't dripping or misted up, you don't have a problem.

Go for it.

ChrisJ

Jamie Hall said:

There is no way, in a house that old, that you are going to get the humidity up to the point where it is a problem with a room humidifier.

To be doubly sure, simply check the windows in that room from time to time -- if they aren't dripping or misted up, you don't have a problem.

Go for it.

Jamie,

I'll be picking up four new wicks for my 14 gallon a day whole house humidifier tonight. It sounds like as long as I keep it set to 50% or below I should be safe. I will have it in a main area where it should get distributed throughout the house fairly well and I'll make sure the attic door is kept closed.

Do you agree?

And how do you mark threads as "answered" on here?

David Nadle

I say run it. Before you know it the crib will be gone and the humidifier unplugged and the house will be exactly the same.

KC_Jones

David Nadle said:

I say run it. Before you know it the crib will be gone and the humidifier unplugged and the house will be exactly the same.

You aren't kidding! They grow up so fast.

Paul48

That house has seen much higher RH than what you are talking about. Remember, it's from a time when A/C was opening the window and hope for a breeze. Bring the RH up nice and slow. Pick up a couple solar fans, like the ones they sell for boats, and keep the air in the attic moving.

vaporvac

I never had any problems with a whole house humidifier on my 100yr old house and am going to hook it back up as soon as possible. It really helps the house feel warmer as well.

Jamie Hall

In answer to the OP's question -- yes, I do agree. Carry on and enjoy!

Jamie Hall

Oh and ps -- I have no idea how to mark something as answered!

KC_Jones

I think only the OP can?! I have gotten several notifications that people accepted my answer before so I assumed it was up to the OP?

ChrisJ

Ok, humidifier clean with new wicks and up and running after being in storage since 2011. I took it completely apart so I could clean the fans which took a while.

Hopefully my dad won't see this because he'll complain that I still don't have the shoe molding done or the white on the stairs painted. I just sanded and refinished the stairs last month after pulling carpet off of them and we put down a new floor and I just haven't had time to finish.

KC_Jones

Chris my parents have 2 of that exact humidifier, have had them for years and love them.

ChrisJ

KC_Jones said:

Chris my parents have 2 of that exact humidifier, have had them for years and love them.

I used to be a big fan of Hunter humidifiers until it came time to try and clean them. Then it's a complete disaster and no matter what you do you can't get into every crevice. I bought this because my parents had the smaller single fan size which didn't use water bottles and it was super easy to maintain. I wanted the smaller one but couldn't find it so bought this one.

So far, it's very easy to keep near spotless which everyone knows is important with such a device. Only this time did I pull everything including the fans apart because it had been in the attic for so long.

icesailor

Do you even know what the RH in the house is right now? You don't have a scorched air system. Heat flows to cold, dampness flows to dryness. Except in Florida where I'm told it is the opposite.

Go to Radio Shack or Amazon and buy a wireless indoor/outdoor thermometer with two remote sensors. One outside and the other in the baby's room. It will show the temperature and humidity at all times. You will be surprised at how much humidity you have in the house.

Those roller evaporative pad humidifiers are real germ spreaders.

Whatever you do, be sure to get that humidifier going ASAP. Mother will not let go until it is running. No matter what you or anyone says, that thing will be required to save lives.

Myself, I always had a lot of house plants. Just watering them regularly put a lot of moisture into the air, and photosynthesis always kept the air fresh.

KC_Jones

My mother is a clean freak you could probably eat off the inside of hers anytime you wanted....so yeah they must be easy to clean. My dad likes the bottles says it makes it a breeze to fill. They used to have an ancient one from my grandparents that was actually somewhat similar, but had a tank. I lived with them then...total pain to fill.

ChrisJ

icesailor, of course I know what the RH is, in multiple places outdoors as well as indoors.

Tonight it was 35% and dropping in the livingroom. Typically in the winter I see 15-25% and when it gets below 20% things get kinda crunchy. Not sure what a scortched air system has to do with it? I'm still heating the air 50-70+F above ambient and my house is a sieve.

As far as these units being germ spreaders that certainly can be true, but not when you maintain them properly. This is why being able to thoroughly clean it is very important and why I stopped using a Hunter humidifier. I also run water treatment in it just to be sure nothing grows.

icesailor

"Scorched Air" is Forced Warm Air.

I built 4 houses to live in starting in 1963. All as tight as was expected at the time. All had FHW heat with copper baseboard. In coastal Massachusetts. I never saw humidity levels like you are seeing. But with a drafty house, the wind goes right through it and takes any humidity with it. Just taking showers adds moistures to the air. FWA is hot and dry unless you put moisture into it. Your using stand alone humidifiers is a plus because I had a few customers that I added steam humidifiers to their WA systems because the houses weren't lived in but the heat was on, and the burners and fans didn't run enough to add enough moisture to make a difference.

There are far more germs in moist air than in dry air. I have a daughter who lives in South Boston and works in Cambridge. She won't ride the bus in the AM to work but will ride it home in the PM. She claims that there are a lot of sick people riding the bus in the AM who should have stayed home but try to go to work. By Noon, if they are too sick to work, they have gone home. Those that work outside in cold climates don't have any near the respiratory illnesses that those that work in warm, humid spaces. I really wasn't suggesting that you not get a humidifier. In fact, I said that whatever Mother wants, get a better one. But plants really do help.

Happy wives make happy homes.

bigize

"Relative humidity levels below 25% are associated with increased discomfort and drying of the mucous membranes and skin, which can lead to chapping, itchy skin, brittle hair, colds, flu and pneumonia. Low relative humidity also increases static electricity, which causes discomfort and can hinder the operation of computers and paper processing equipment. High humidity levels can result in condensation within the building structure and on interior or exterior surfaces and the subsequent development of molds and fungi. In most American cities, ideal indoor relative humidity levels are 35% to 45% in the winter and 50% to 38% in the summer." However, a lot of people just don't worry about humidifiers in the winter because antibiotics are now free at most local grocery stores. Besides that you will need to maintain the unit. This is just my opinion, you should consult an expert.

Rich_49

Keeping the house at around 50% RH should not present any moisture issues

RobG

bigize said:

"Relative humidity levels below 25% are associated with increased discomfort and drying of the mucous membranes and skin, which can lead to chapping, itchy skin, brittle hair, colds, flu and pneumonia. Low relative humidity also increases static electricity, which causes discomfort and can hinder the operation of computers and paper processing equipment. High humidity levels can result in condensation within the building structure and on interior or exterior surfaces and the subsequent development of molds and fungi. In most American cities, ideal indoor relative humidity levels are 35% to 45% in the winter and 50% to 38% in the summer." However, a lot of people just don't worry about humidifiers in the winter because antibiotics are now free at most local grocery stores. Besides that you will need to maintain the unit. This is just my opinion, you should consult an expert.

Where do you live that you get free antibiotics? I'm movin there!

Jamie Hall

For what it's worth, i try very hard to keep the ark I care for at around 60 to 70 percent. My Steinways like that best. However, in the winter time? I'm lucky to be able to reach 50 -- in the two rooms which have the pianos, which also have big room humidifiers.

ChrisJ

Jamie Hall said:

For what it's worth, i try very hard to keep the ark I care for at around 60 to 70 percent. My Steinways like that best. However, in the winter time? I'm lucky to be able to reach 50 -- in the two rooms which have the pianos, which also have big room humidifiers.

Do you have a link to some pictures of the house? I seem to recall seeing a few but I'd like to see more if possible.