Cost to Install Whole-House Humidifier – 2024 Price Guide
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A whole-home humidifier can help regulate the humidity in the home to eliminate dry air issues that commonly happen during cold winter months or in dry climates. Whole-house models are installed inside of your existing ductwork.
Some work with your HVAC system, while others can operate independently. You might find that it costs a lot less to install one than you might think.
2024 Whole-Home Humidifier Costs
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| National Average Price | $650 |
| Typical Price Range | $400 - $1,200 |
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How Much Does a Humidifier Cost?
During the winter months of the year, the indoor air in a home can become too dry, which causes discomfort and irritates the eyes, nose, and throat. Dry air also diminishes the body’s ability to fight off cold, flu, and infection. You can tell your home humidity is too dry when sparks fly from your fingertips if you touch metal after walking across the carpet.
According to Healthline, your HVAC could be the cause of these irritants. “Running the central heating unit (or other heaters) in your home during the winter months can dry out the air. During cold weather, it’s common for people to experience nosebleeds from lack of proper humidity in the house.”
The solution might be to add a whole-home humidifier to add a little moisture into the air. These units can be installed directly into the ductwork in the home. Most homeowners spend $400 to $1,200 to have a humidifier installed, but DIY kits can usually be found for under a few hundred dollars.
One thing to be mindful of if you’re considering adding a new humidifier is that a balance needs to be maintained between overly dry air and too much humidity. When a home’s humidity is too high, more than 50 percent, mold and mildew spores may start to grow.
You can install a hygrometer in your family entertainment room or living room to measure the humidity level in the home. A mechanical hygrometer costs $5 to $35, and an electric device costs $8 to $25. A humidistat is another option. Many whole-house humidifiers have one as part of the system, and if not, they cost $60 to $100 to add.
There are a few main factors that impact the total cost of a whole-home humidifier: the price of the hardware, labor, and project complexity. Keep in mind that the larger your home, the larger the unit you will need, and the higher its total costs will be.
Types of Humidifiers
One factor affecting how much the homeowner pays for a whole-house humidifier is the type. The other factor is how the moist air gets distributed, but this factor affects the cost both at purchase and long-term in the form of energy bills.
Drums
The drum humidifier is usually the least expensive whole-house humidifier at $150 to $300. These can be either bypass, meaning that they work with your existing HVAC system, or fan-powered, but both require a lot of maintenance. Residents using these systems should monitor the humidity level to ensure it does not go too high.
Steam
Steam humidifiers use electric probes that heat water and create steam depending on your home’s relative humidity. These are ordinarily independent of your HVAC system but send steam through its ducts. These are the most effective home humidifiers and often the most expensive at $400 to $1,800.
Spray Mist
The spray mist system relies on your furnace, central air, or HVAC system to create the mist and distribute it through the ducts. This system is inexpensive at $100 to $150 but does not work well with high mineral water.
Therefore, you might need to add a water softener to prolong the life of this type of system. This is the easiest type to install and most often used by DIY homeowners.
Flow-Through
The flow-through system works with an evaporative pad and creates humidity. Most eco-minded homeowners stay away from this type, as it wastes water. These typically cost $200 to $700.
Bypass
The bypass humidifier uses the heat of the furnace to create steam. These are the most effective and least expensive, though they do require more maintenance. These are also not as easy to regulate the amount of humidity dispersed into the air.
They cost around $200 to $500.
Fan-Powered
The fan-powered humidifier can work independently of or in the absence of an HVAC system. This is because, as the name suggests, there is an internal fan.
These units are often more expensive at $300 to $1,000.
Most of these units can be retrofitted to existing ducting and do not require a new furnace installation. Some are even available at hardware stores in a DIY kit version that you can install yourself if you have the time and inclination to do so.
Labor Costs to Install a Humidifier
The cost to have a whole-home humidifier professionally installed is usually $150 to $900, but that will vary based on the cost of labor in your area, the complexity of the project, and the skill level or labor rate of the technicians.
Now that you have the details on a whole-house humidifier and its average cost, it’s time to get some real numbers. We base our prices on national averages, so what you will pay in your area could be quite different. To get an accurate price for your project, you’ll need to get an estimate from an HVAC professional in your area.
If you’re looking for an HVAC technician to install a humidifier, try our technician locator service and get up to three free, no-obligation estimates from contractors in your area.
All pricing information on this page is based on average industry costs, and is subject to variance for project-specific materials, labor rates, and requirements.