Humidifiers, Dehumidifiers & Filters

Foobot Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) monitors are our personal favorite. They measure and record readings for temperature, humidity, dust (PM2.5) and chemical pollutants (VOCs). These are very useful for understanding if there is a problem to solve in your home, and also if it gets solved. See our complete review of 7 IAQ monitors.

70 Pint Frigidaire Energy Star Rated Dehumidifier. Always look for the Energy Star label, these things use a ton of juice, so paying an extra $20-30 is usually worth it. This is the largest normal size.

Very inexpensive temperature and humidity gauge. Buy a few of these and put them around the house. Start noting the swings. They tell you the high and low in the last 24 hours, and they’re very inexpensive. Watch for humidity over 60%, it should never get above that. They’re not crazy accurate, +/- 5% or so. If it’s in the budget, get a datalogger like a Foobot.

Aprilaire 213 MERV 13 Air Filter Single Pack. If you have one of our Carrier/Bryant systems, this is likely your filter. Replace it every year at a minimum, maybe up to monthly if you have lots of pets. The 210 model is MERV 10, but it’s only $3 or so less, so stick with this filter. 

Aprilaire 400 water saver humidifier. This goes on your furnace and uses about 1/3 the water of other models. Less likely to get mold issues. It also has an outdoor temperature sensor to reduce humidity on cold days to reduce chances of mold.

Aprilaire 413 Filter Single Pack for Air Purifier Models 1410, 1610, 2410, 3410, 4400, Space-Gard 2400. MERV 13 filter, the 410 is a MERV 11. If this is your replacement filter, set it up to ship automatically every 3/6/12 months, whatever your home needs. 

Duct mastic is a fast way to seal gaps in duct work. Put it on nickel thick. I put a rubber glove on, then a cotton glove on top, then smear it on. Cheap paint brushes work fine too. RCD brand is known as the gold standard. Buy an extra, go heavy. Don’t let this stuff freeze. Big boxes carry it near the duct work.

50 pint dehumidifier with a pump. Use this if you don’t have a drain close to where you need to put the dehumidifier. Look for other similar models as well with pumps. 70 pint is the largest portable size.

IQAir GC MultiGas Air Purifier. A step up from the HealthPlus model, is supposed to filter harmful gases as well.

IQAir HealthPro Plus Air Purifier. I work with a lot of engineers. They all seem to buy this purifier. If you are hypersensitive (allergies, mold, etc.) consider one of these. Not cheap at $500. Be sure to have a good whole house filter too.