On Sat, 2 Feb 2008 16:12:42 -0800 (PST), k
wrote:

I was wondering what style of humidifier to purchase which will attach
to my furnace. I was worried about standing water with the drum type.
I have read the reviews of the WATT brand at home depot and there have
been complaints. Does anyone recommend a model for me. I have a two
story 2500 square foot house.


My recommendation will be independent humidifiers not attached to the
furnace. The sponge drum types are easy to clean but harbor bacterial
and fungal growth in the water tray. Ultrasonic humidifiers tend to
leave an apron of mineral dust around the humidifier. I don't have a
humidifier (see below).

I took out my furnace humidifier and blanked off the opening. The old
humidifier was always hung up on too much scale buildup on the sponge
drum. It is tedious if not impossible to recondition the sponge and
they are quite expensive to replace. The extra weight wore out the
drum motor drive or the motor itself. The scale also formed on the
water float valve shutoff, the water pan and the overflow drip lines.
But what finally made me get rid of the furnace humidifier was the
slimy build up of bacterial and fungal organisms. The warm furnace
air creates an ideal environment for their growth. Fresh spores and
nutrition (pollen, vegetation fragments) are always drawn in through
the fresh air intake. They of course fruit their own spores that get
circulated through the house. That results in respiratory problems.

Since removing the furnace humidifier the house humidity feels very
comfortable with moisture from cooking, the bath and from my household
plants. The plants thrive very well and I no longer have condensation
on the glass windows.