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Best Furnace Humidifier Guide A furnace humidifier attaches on your furnace to circulate humidity in your home. Read the buying guide with helpful information on the various choices. A furnace humidifier can be just what you and your home needs to get through the dry months. These are best if you only need extra humidity during the cold months when the furnace will be operating. If you choose to attach it to the air conditioning unit, it can humidify when it is hot outside. If you live where it is dry all year round, look at a standalone whole house humidifier unit to keep your air healthy. See the list to the left for the Whole House Unit Page Proper home humidity can help everyone in the house stay healthier and feel better. Optimal humidity is 30-45%. Look for a humidifier with a humidistat to control the humidity level in your home. If humidity drops below 30%, it causes dry skin, eyes, sinuses, and lips. It also can have a negative impact on plants, wood furniture, instruments and antiques. Most common types of furnace house humidifier units are evaporative, flow through and drum. An evaporative furnace humidifier will use a filter to wick moisture into the air. Water is hooked up to the unit to provide a continuous flow. The air is passed from the furnace, through the filter, then into your home. These require frequent changing of the filters and would only be appropriate if your furnace is easy to access. Many HVAC furnace specialists recommend this type. A second type is a flow through unit. In this system, a drip line is hooked up to the unit from your home water and it flows over a course, textured non-absorbent pad. As the air passes by, it is humidified. This type can use a large amount of water compared to the amount of humidity gained. Another once common unit is the drum humidifier. These are not recommended because of the quick build up of minerals on the pad in the drum. The pad becomes abrasive and will not work properly to humidify your home. Depending on the model and type of furnace house humidifier you choose, you will need to clean and maintain the unit every month or every few times a year. It is just as important to keep a furnace humidifier clean and maintained, as it is a portable humidifier, to prevent bacteria build up. With proper maintenance, a humidifier will provide wonderful, soothing, healthy air for you and your home.
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