8 Best Whole House Humidifiers That Will Solve Dry Air (2024)

Written By

Ile Kauppila

Expert Reviewed By

Josh Mitchell

Last Updated On

January 18, 2024

The small size and reversible design make this humidifier easy to fit even in a cramped utility closet.

Don’t let the size fool you, though. AprilAire 500 is an efficient machine that can humidify even larger homes at a low power setting (depending on how well-insulated your home is).

It doesn’t pack as much power as the AprilAire 800, but it is more than suitable for practically any home — barring, of course, the most ginormous mansion.

That efficiency is partially due to the dual sensorsthat monitor both outdoor and indoor humidity — a welcome feature that runs in the AprilAire family.

This means the smart unit knows exactly how much moisture to pump out for healthy indoor air, no matter the season.

Speaking of easy usability, the AprilAire 500 has aclear, well-lit, and straightforward control panel. It even tells you when it’s time to change the filter or book your annual maintenance appointment.

The humidifier can run on its own with a fan, or you can set it to work only when your furnace runs. I personally like the automatic setting.

The unit can humidify your home during the dry winter months while avoiding over-humidification during the summer — without you having to do anything about it!

Installing the AprilAire 500 yourself is doable, but be prepared for a demanding DIY project. Beginners may want to hire a professional, especially becauseDIY installation can void the nice 5-year warranty.

AprilAire 500 is a compact, powerful, and — best of all — affordable unit, making it one of the best whole-house humidifiers for HVAC systems.

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Living with healthy, humidified air doesn’t have to break the bank. Aircare EP9800 brings you a lot of humidity for your buck.

Unlike the AprilAire,Honeywell, orGeneralAireunits that attach to your HVAC system, the EP9800 is aconsole(that is, stand-alone) evaporative humidifier. That means itrequires next to no installation.

You only have to put together a few parts, and voila! You're ready to humidify your home in 15 minutes if you take your time.

Being a console unitdoes mean that the humidifier has to stay somewhere central in your living space. Still, Aircare has thought of that and designed the outer shell to work as a handy pedestal or end table.

The plastic case looks pretty cheap to me (your opinion may vary!), but it's inoffensive and blends among other furniture much better than theAircare 318000 or the Vornado. I appreciate that this one is available in both espresso and nutmeg colors.

I’d say put a small potted plant on the humidifier to gussy it up. The added moisture helps keep your green friend happy as a bonus!

The E9800 works very efficiently, considering its price and type.

It has a claimed maximum coverage area of 2,400 feet, which technically makes it a whole-home humidifier, but in my experience, it is better suited to 1000-1500 sq ft.

I would instead use it for smaller apartments or particularly large single rooms (unless your home has a completely open floor plan).

Using the E9800 is easy as pie. It has a straightforward display/control panel, and it features abuilt-in humidistat.

Turn the humidifier on, set the desired humidity level, and forget the unit is even there.

As a fair warning, don’t put this whole home humidifier right by your TV. It is very loud, especially in higher settings.

I found that filling the water tank is a bit of a hassle. There’s a fiddly little door on the side that’s intended to make filling easy, but be prepared to wipe up spills.

It’s a bit weird how the supposedly less fancy Aircare 318000andVornadoare easier to fill. Fortunately, E9800 has adecently-sized water tank of 3.5 gallons, so you only have to fill it once a day.

With its good performance, low price, and surface utility, the Aircare E9800 whole house pedestal humidifier brings a lot of value — especially to medium and small apartments and homes.

It’s one of the fastest-operating units I’ve seen. Even in the biggest homes, you will start feeling the effects of this steam humidifier in a few hours.

In fact, AprilAire recommends not doing that since the humidifier relies on the water's mineral content to conduct electricity.

Like the 500and700units, AprilAire 800 hasdual sensorsfor tracking indoor and outdoor humidity. This information helps it accurately maintain the desired humidity level in your home.

I found that this truly is one of the simplest humidifiers to use, once it is installed.

With installation, the story is largely the same as with the500. You can do it yourself at a medium skill level, but it might void the warranty, so I wouldn't risk it.

I should mention this humidifier’s biggest drawback — the price. This unit costs more than any other humidifier on my list and guzzles large amounts of both electricity and water.

Overall, AprilAire 800 might be pricey, but it’s also the best whole-house humidifier for very large homes.

It even has a larger claimed coverage area than its pedestal sibling, although its not as aesthetically pleasing.

Of course, it can’t compete with HVAC humidifiers — like the AprilAire units — in efficiency. I’m not knocking the 831000, though. While both types can humidify your entire home, they function differently.

The power of the Aircare 831000 actually punches way above its price tag and squarely beats the Vornadoconsole unit.

It can boost the humidity levels in small to medium-sized homes or apartments in less than an hour. That’s a great result for any type of humidifier.

The 831000 is as easy to use as its pedestal counterpart. Ithas a humidistatfor monitoring humidity levels, so you can let the device run on its own without worrying about over-humidification.

It’s not the most accurate humidistat I’ve seen, but it does the job well enough.

Filling the water tank is much less finicky than with the E9800, which is a welcome surprise. There’s also a nice little indicator for when the water level is running low.

Thehumidifier comes with wheels, which makes it more portable than its pedestal counterpart.

Unfortunately, you can see the low price point in the humidifier's build quality and design. I found that putting the wheels in with too much force can crack the water tank, which will make the unit leak. (I swear I'm just an average guy -- not the Hulk!)

Like the E9800, this unit is pretty noisy in the highest setting. Speaking of settings, the 83100only has three fan speeds.

It’s more than enough adjustability, but more options are always nice.

Finally, I want to point out that the humidistat will reset to the highest setting when you replace the filter. Again, not a deal breaker, but you do have to remember to adjust the settings after each filter replacement.

At this price point, though, the Aircare 831000 is a great device. As far as affordable console whole-house humidifiers go, this unit is definitely leading the pack.

It can be difficult to avoid over-humidification when using a humidifier in a small home, like a studio apartment.

Vornado Evap40 makes maintaining humidity levels in smaller homes easy.This evaporative humidifier was specifically designed for smaller spaces like townhomes or apartment lofts.

The listed maximum coverage for the Evap40 is 1,000 square feet — less than the Aircareunits but still plenty for most apartments.

One of the best things about this unit is the dual water tanks. Instead of having one four-gallon tank, the water capacity is split between two two-gallon ones.

The tanks are easy to detach and attach, and they don’t weigh as much as one big tank.

Filling them was somewhat tricky at first, but once you learn how to get the water past the valve, it gets much easier than with the Aircare devices, and I didn't have spills everywhere.

Operating the Evap40 is simple. There’s a switch for three different fan speeds and a twist knob for the humidity level.

However, unlike its Aircare competitors, the unit doesn’t have a digital display to show you where it’s set.

I recommend buying a cheap hygrometer to ensure you don’t accidentally raise the humidity levels too high.

The lack of fancy digital components comes with the upside of high reliability. This humidifier consists of only four components — the base, the fan, and the water tanks.

There are no hoity-toity sensors or displays that could break,so you can expect your humidifier to have a long life.

Yet, my favorite feature of this humidifier is how easy it is to clean. With so few components, it’s quick to take apart and scrub to prevent mold growth and mineral buildup.

The wicking filters can also last up to a month (depending on how hard water you use), so maintenance is pretty minimal.

Now, this small home unit is a bit noisy, particularly in the high setting. The tanks also release water through gravity, so you’ll occasionally hear them gurgle as they deposit water into the base.

As long as you don’t expect to humidify a big home with it, Vornado Evap40 is a reliable humidifier workhorse.

My third and final AprilAire unit is the AprilAire 700. Compared to the 500and800units, this one comes with a specific benefit —it’s fan-powered to push air through your home of up to 4200 square feet.

Whereas the 500 unit can run either fan-assisted or in bypass mode, the 700always functions with a fan. That means it can push humidity into your home even if your furnace isn’t running.

This makes it a great option for homes in regions with dry and warm air year-round (like the Arizona desert I live in).

Having its own fan also gives the AprilAire 700 a welcome power boost.

It beats bothAprilAire 500andGeneralAire 1000Ain humidity output, especially if you have a larger home. The unit functions efficiently and can boost the humidity in your home within hours.

That’s also useful for older homes with less-than-tight construction, as the extra power mitigates some of the humidity loss.

Like the 500and800, AprilAire 700 features adual-sensor systemto detect humidity both indoors and outdoors.

The dual sensors allow the device to automatically determine the ideal humidity level to deliver healthy, humidified air to your home. I love that I don't have to think about it, ever.

If you do use the AprilAire control unit, though, it has a good range of indicators to keep you up to date on maintenance and issues.

On the topic of installation, the 700 unit continuesAprilAire 500and800's tradition of installing the unit yourself is possible but not exactly straightforward.

This whole-house humidifier isn't particularly expensive, so I'd say use the money you save on the purchase to hire an HVAC professional — just in case.

One feature that I really like about AprilAire 700 is that it doesn't really care how hard your water is. Normal annual maintenance keeps it running, so there's no need to constantly mess with the unit.

If you’re looking for a fan powered whole-house humidifier that can work all year long, the AprilAire 700 should have you covered.

Honeywell claims this unit uses 30% less water than comparable bypass humidifiers.

In reality, these kinds of comparisons are hard to make since the actual water consumption depends on how much you use the humidifier and how well you've installed it.

What I can say is that the HE280A doesn't waste much water when properly installed.

It requires a floor drain (which can be a con for some home setups), so you can actually monitor the drainage if you use a clear pipe or tube.

The bottom line is you won't see a lot of water waste with this unit— unlike with its water-guzzling HE360A sibling.

This HVAC humidifier has a good humidity output, comparable to AprilAire 500, and a reasonably accurate humidistat (although it doesn’t quite beat the GeneralAire’s). It can humidify a medium-sized home quite efficiently.

The device comes with an installation kit, so installing it yourself is possible (just like with the AprilAire humidifiers).

However, the installation instructions aren't very clear, even for people like me who have a lot of experience.

I've also seen a lot of reports about missing components in the kit.

As such, I would rate the installation difficulty above the AprilAire's. An improperly attached unit can leak water and ruin your savings, so it might be smart to consider getting a professional to do it for you.

There's also one clear point of failure with this energy efficient humidifier — the solenoid valve. This valve controls the flow of water from your water lines to the machine, and it tends to cake up with minerals pretty quickly.

A stuck solenoid can let water run constantly, which again negates your savings.

If you live in a hard water area, I’d recommend installing a mineral scale filter or purchasing a ball valve.

Install the unit properly, though, and Honeywell HE280A can let you enjoy humidified air at lower running costs throughout your moderately sized home.

If you live with arespiratory condition(like I do with asthma), you have to be able to rely on your humidifier to accurately maintain indoor humidity levels. GeneralAire’s 1000A (the A stands for Automatic) gets the job done precisely and reliably.

I have found the GeneralAire 1000A more accurate than any other whole house humidifier on my list.

Like the AprilAire units, the 1000A features an outdoor temperature sensor. However, it’s in a class of its own when it comes tohumidistat accuracy.

The automatic mode calculates the dew point with great precision and keeps your interior humidity nice and steady.

Just set the humidity level you want and let the machine take care of everything for you.

You can also run the 1000A in manual mode if you so wish. I’m impressed with the level of accuracy and control this whole home unit offers.

The humidifier can also run off of cold or hot water. I’d recommend connecting it to a hot water line to get the most out of its respectable humidifying capabilities, though.

Like the AprilAire 700, this is afan-powered unitthat can distribute humidity through your ducts when the central heating system is off.

The 1000A squarely matches theAprilAire 700 in year-round functionality, making it a great option for dry climates. Efficiency-wise, though, it’s in the same league as the less powerful AprilAire 500— which is still very good.

I also really appreciate the 10-year warranty for the unit, which is longer than with any other unit I’ve listed. Combine that with GeneralAire’s good customer support, and you can get any issue fixed without a hassle.

There’s one caveat to the warranty, though — you have to hire an HVAC expert to install the unit.

It might be smart to do that anyway since this whole-house humidifier has by far the most complicated installation on this list.

Additionally, the collar on the solenoid valve's outlet doesn't come pre-tightened. Unless properly tightened, it will leak water. You certainly don't want any waste with this humidifier since it consumes a lot of water as is.

The higher water bill is worth the precise humidity control you get out of the GeneralAire 1000A, though.

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1. https://www.epa.gov/mold/brief-guide-mold-moisture-and-your-home
2. https://www.forbes.com/home-improvement/hvac/whole-house-humidifier-cost/
3. https://energystar-mesa.force.com/ENERGYSTAR/s/article/Are-there-ENERGY-STAR-certified-humidifiers-1600088469266
4. https://www.epa.gov/iaq-schools/moisture-control-part-indoor-air-quality-design-tools-schools