If your skin feels dry, if you get frequent static shocks, or are just plain uncomfortable in your home, it may be time to buy yourself a humidifier. There are stand alone portable units and built-in furnace humidifiers.

Built-in humidifier

There are advantages and disadvantages to each, but the built-in units do not need to be constantly disinfected like the portables. I prefer an even and controlled flow of humidified air going throughout the house. A build-in humidifier is connected to the furnace and gets humidity flowing through the house at the same time that it gets heated. A unit such as the one below made by Aprilaire allows water to dampen the unit′s pad and humidify the air as it travels through the heating ducts of the house. The pad (water panel evaporator) must be changed once a year.

Here's a demonstration of how it should be replaced:

1. Turn off your thermostat

2. Turn your humidistat off and remove the front cover

3. Disconnect the feed tube from the nozzle

4. Remove the water panel evaporator unit

5. Remove the pad from the insert and distribution tray. Use a paper cloth or a brush to clean the notches of the distribution tray and the insert frame.

6. Replace the old water panel with the new one and reassemble the insert and distribution tray. There will be a mark on the top of the pad to indicate which side is up.

7. Put the water panel unit back in the unit and re-connect the feed tube

8. Close the cover and turn up humidistat to desired level (35 is ideal in the winter time)

9. Turn on your thermostat. Check that water is draining down the exit tube to make sure your unit is functional.

The humidifier should not be on during the summer. But in the winter time, approximately 35% relative humidity is recommended. Keep an eye on the windows of your house for condensation and fogging. If that occurs, bring the humidity level down a bit on the humidistat. Every house is different, so experiment with different levels.

Portable humidifier

Portable humidifiers are concealed in small cabinets. They are good for increasing humidity in a particular room (such as a child's room when he has a cold). The drawback is that you have to constantly change the water - though easy, but more frequent maintenance than a built-in central humidifier.

Console (portable) humidifiers vary by size (size of the water tank) but also by type. Ultrasonic humidifiers use high-frequency sound waves to generate a cool mist. Impeller humidifiers produce the same mist with a rotating disk. Both of these types can cause microorganisms and dust mites to spread around the house, causing allergic reactions. I would suggest you stick with the warm mist humidifiers (steam vaporizers) instead, since they eliminate pollutants as they evaporate the air.