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Q & A: Designing a humidifying water wall.

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Most recent answer: 03/24/2010
Q:
I live in a home that is heated strictly by baseboard heaters, and the lack of humidity in the house during the winter months is unbearable. We have tried using single standing humidifiers, but the constant cleaning and filling is time consuming. As a solution, I have decided to install a "water wall"; this is a glass wall over which water is pumped continuously and what evaporates will be the humidification in the home. My question (as I have clculated out that I require 2 liters/hr) is "how much surface area is required for water at room temperature and a relative humidity of 25 to 30% in the room to evaporate 2 liters of water per hour".
- Eric J Avon (age 53)
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
A:
This question has many variables;   temperatures of air and water, air circulation rate, etc.   I'm not sure I could answer it even if I knew them all.   Another way to go at it is to use information that you already have: 
If your standing humidifiers work to your satisfaction,  just measure the surface area of the internal evaporators.  The required area of your water wall should be similar within a factor of two.    A small fan circulating the air near the water wall will also be helpful.

LeeH

If your 'standing humidifiers' have some active element, extrapolating will be more complicated.  Mike W.

(published on 03/24/2010)

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