A humidifier will make you more comfortable during heating season. I assume you're doing some sort of combustion forced air furnace (gas or oil). Both of these tend to dry the air out in winter. Dry air can cause dry skin.
I'd go for it.
General Disclaimer
Any advice given here is general in nature and is not necessarily valid for your given area. If in doubt check with your local codes enforcement department for what is required when doing electrical, plumbing or structural work on your house. Permits may or may not be required in your area and home owners may not be able to DIY some tasks. I have no way of knowing if you have the skills needed to complete the tasks you are asking about, when in doubt seek professional assistance.
My advice may be worth exactly what you pay me for it. :-) For the record I did not stay in a Holiday Inn Express last night.
Depending on the humidity where you live it can be a really good idea. Cuts down on static electricity during winter months too. So if it is not too pricey I would probably go for it.
Also, might ask about an April Aire air cleaner system too. The one we had installed (aprilaire 5000) only cost about 400 dollars when we replaced our furnace/air unit and the suitcase sized filter need only be changed every 12-18 months depending on if you smoke indoors. The filters are diy easy to replace and cost under 40 dollars bought online.
Gee, I wish people would put their location in their profile as I have done! Here in CO a humidifier is a must. I thought SoCA was dry, but I didn't know what dry was until I moved here! We run our humidifier at full blast all the time. If the air is too dry, it is a health problem.
Posts: 12118 | Location: Eagle, CO USA | Registered: Sep 18, 2002
Probably too late, but NO! We did a lot of research and spoke with every vendor that quoted our new HVAC install. EVERY source stated that HVAC humidifiers have come a long way in terms of moisture infusion BUT there are still plenty of issues with mold growing in the duct work with spores getting blown into the house.
I think it might depend a lot on your climate and how/when you use the humidifier?
Very dry air climate, and only using it (set at the right humidity level) during the coldest part of the winter heating season (having it turned off the rest of the season) mold should not be an issue.
Depends on the weather and how insulated and tight your home is too. The first winter in the mountains we used two room/portable humidifiers, as it was very cold and we had little kids in the house. Last winter, it was a bit milder and we were able to achieve 35-40 percent humidity, just with not running vent fans when cooking/showering.
The EPA does not warn of serious mold issues with furnace-mounted humidifiers. Room size humidifiers can be a risk if they aren't cleaned regularly... But that puts the fault on the owner, not the unit.
Besides, most people would rather not put up with static shock, squeaky floors, loose wood furniture joints/cracking, dry throat, dry skin, nosebleeds, increased respiratory infections, and lower general ambient comfort than buy in to the idea that a loose mold spore or two would be a worse threat.
It's also likely that the thermostat can be set a few degrees lower if the humidity is in the recommended 35-40% range, thus providing some energy savings.
Did you opt for the humidifier, cblselah? If you did, you won't regret it.
Had 2 and neither worked well. We are in the process of replacing an AC unit and will probably replace the furnace too. We are leaning toward not getting one installed.
Posts: 2583 | Location: Ohio | Registered: Feb 25, 2006
