Is your house as arid as the Sahara? It may seem like it during heating season, when your skin feels dry and your throat is scratchy. Your forced-air furnace does a great job of keeping you snug and warm, but it also strips the humidity out of the air. When there is too little humidity, below 20 percent or so, you begin to feel the effects. If your hair is standing on end– literally–because the static electricity in your home is so high, then it may be time to add a humidifier to your furnace system.

ENHANCE YOUR HEATING SYSTEM Although you can add a stand-alone humidifier to any room, an installed humidifier that works with your heating system provides moister air throughout your entire home. The traditional furnace-mounted humidifier adds moisture to the air by rotating a drum over water. Another option, a bypass, flow-through humidifier, employs an antimicrobial coating on a textured aluminum sheet. Water passes over the sheet, then goes down a drain, washing away collected minerals and microbes.

WARMER AIR, LOWER COST Humid air feels warmer than dry air. You experience that in the summer. And the same principle applies to warm indoor air. When you add a humidifier to your heating system, you can lower the thermostat and enjoy reduced energy costs.

YOUR HOUSE WILL THANK YOU When your home's air is too dry, it's not uncomfortable only for you and your family, but it also dries out the wood in walls, floors and furniture. Drying wood shrinks, which can cause creaking floors or cracks in drywall and plaster.