DIY Humidifier: How long does an "average" pot of water boil before it runs out of water?

It depends on how dry the air is. If the air is way too dry, just leaving an open pan of water will humidify it without heat. If the air is already relatively humid, all boiling water will do is cause condensation to form and ruin things in your home.

As far as boiling water, You are forcing a molecular change in the water and it will evaporate at a set and rapid pace. It doesn't matter what the humidity of the air is. Even at 100% humidity, if you boil water, it will evaporate and do nothing but cause condensation everywhere. A half gallon of water won't last any where near 5 hours. Maybe 1/2 hour.

Hi //A-V//,

I agree with volley and gun (not that I think you're stupid) but a half gallon of water at a medium/low boil would last maybe 45 minutes or so, depending on the relative humidity (RH) and temperature of the air, both inside and outside at the time. And a half gallon wouldn’t be enough to raise the RH in a 1500 – 1800 sq ft house to be noticeable. A whole house humidifier mounted to your central furnace or free standing units have the capacity to evaporate up to 15 to 20 gallons a day, typical for a home that size. Although it’s only on the really cold dry days that it might use that much. All come with a humidistat to control the RH level much as your thermostat controls the temperature of you home. A humidifier mounted to a central furnace is the most convenient system and would cost approximately $250 - $350 for the unit and most of the accessories. The cost to have it installed can vary quite a bit depending on the degree of time and effort and on where you live. I’m not sure on the prices of the free standing units but I’ve seen some cheaper 1 to 3 gallon a day versions for around $80. However those have to be manually filled and you’d need at least 3 or 4 of them for that size home. Also they don’t have a humidistat for controlling and maintaining a consistent RH. They do have an auto shut off safety feature to prevent boiling it dry though. The higher end free standing units have all the features and capacities of the furnace mounted systems.

Safety is the main concern using the stovetop method. Never leave anything boiling while you’re sleeping. That’s a disaster in the making. You can use a pot (the bigger the better) on the stove top to boil off as long as it’s being attended to regularly and carefully.

Do a little price checking online for the free standing models and get 2 or 3 hvac companies to give you some bids if you want the best comfort and SAFETY! But please don’t take a chance with a boiling pot going while you and your family sleep. You may get away with it for years but just one accident could be catastrophic! Well I hope I’ve been helpful and scared the h**l out of you and anyone else doing it!

30 yrs hvac exp

Stove Top Humidifier

The science. Energy use: Depends on how your tap water is heated. If you have a solar hot water system, then running the tap to warm makes perfect sense, as the water has been heated using the suns energy. If you have a small electric boiler or a gas system, then your husband is still likely correct as these vessels are purposely designed to heat water as efficiently as possible using. A cooker and saucepan is not. Gas heating is generally more eco-friendly than electric, as it consumes the fuel it uses at source (i.e. at your cooker), rather than in a power station where a significant part of it is lost in the process of it reaching you, so if you have an electric boiler and a gas cooker, there probably isn't much to choose. Water use: Obviously running the tap wastes water, and as you rightly point out, that water can be recycled. Conclusion. Personally, I would run the water hot. *edit looking over previous posts* Insulated pipes will make some difference as you will need to run off more water to get hot coming through, and your system will reheat this same water, but by the same token you still have to heat up your pan. Microwaves are very good in that they heat up only the water you plan to use, but they are not especially efficient compared to other methods when you need a fair amount of water (more than a cup of coffee's worth) The guy who said only heat what you need to use is spot on. In most households, much more energy would be saved by doing just this, than worrying about whether to run the water hot.

In short order, you will spend more on electricity than a humidifier will cost - not to mention the safety factor of the untended boiler.

You would probably do as well to close the shower drain, let in run Hot for a few minutes to steam-up the place and let the water stand overnight.

Get a humidifier or one of those tiny indoor water features.

Nope

only 1/2 hr

just get a cold or warm Humidifier

spend the money and get a humidifier. it won't last and its dangerous

A-V;

The water doesn't have to boil to raise the humidity.

If you add plants, and open containers of water, it will help without adding too much humidity, and causing condensation problems.

nope, that's stupid