Replies

1. 
   jlyda | May 11, 2020 09:13am | #1

   I lived in MI for 3 yrs. and know that the furnace will run for 1/4 to 1/2 of the year. Your air may get quite dry. It’s actually not healthy to dry out air passage ways in your body (one of the reasons we get sick more often in winter), but it’s also not healthy to breathe in too much mold. There’s a fine balance. I would install one. They are not that much $. Don’t crank it up very high, just a little goes a long way. You may want to try not running it at all and see if you notice anything, but I can almost guarantee you’ll want it. I did remodel a home for a couple old ladies in Ypsilanti they had furnace on at 80 and humidifier all the way up. They said they liked the interior feeling like FL. There was surface mold all over the place. A very unhealthy environment. One of the most disgusting jobs I’ve ever worked. Keep the humidity as low as you can handle, keeping health in mind.

2. 
   jimmiem | May 14, 2020 08:04am | #2

   How about using a free standing whole house humidifier? They come in different sizes. I live in Massachusetts and bought one when I replaced all the wall to wall carpeting with hardwood flooring. You set the humidity level that you want. The filters are replaceable and you add a bacteriostatic to the water.

3. 
   suburbanguy | May 15, 2020 09:49am | #3

   I'm in Ontario, outside Toronto. Get an inexpensive hygrometer. If you find that you need a humidifier, install one.
   The best thing I ever did was make my own humidifier. I've had various brands of drum humidifiers on the different homes I've owned and they were all a complete pain to clean in the spring. Even using muriatic acid, the mineral deposits were difficult/time consuming to remove. Poor float shut-off mechanisms caused leaks.... You get my point.
   I made my own with a large Rubbermaid bin. I made a wooden top (with wrapping edges for support) for mine but you could use the accompanying lid. Cut two holes to fit metal ducting flanges. You can then attach the usual flexible ducting to the bin and both "sides" of the furnace. Simply fill it with water.
   We are away for 3 months during the winter and with this unit I can turn the water supply off while we're away. The thermostat is set to 53 and when we return there is still water in the bottom of the container. Because of the large volume of water and surface area, a cup of vinegar in the water filled container will dissolve the minimal accumulation of minerals easily.
   The warm furnace air blowing over the large surface of water is enough to provide good humidification. The old drum unit sits unused and unloved on the furnace duct. It certainly helps that I already had the flange and damper on the furnace, but I'm sure that with a bit of creativity you can fashion such a damper system so that you can close it in the spring.
   During November and December, I only need to fill it every 5 or 6 weeks.
   Good luck.