Humidifiers and air purifiers (Reno, Spanish Springs: renting, buying a home, neighborhood)

[Hotfeet]

We've only been in Reno a month but are lovin' it so far. We like it so much that we're talking with a builder for one of the developments about buying a home and we are looking at the options. I'm wondering how many folks who want air purifiers and humidifiers simply buy the small portable units that work for one or two rooms, or instead opt for the whole-house humidifiers and air purifiers that are connected to their forced air systems.

I've been more congested than normal since moving from the Midwest and I suspect the cause is a dust allergy or an allergy to the specific plants in my neighborhood. Not sure, but an air purifier might help for that. Regarding humidity, I haven't been around Reno during the driest parts of the year so I'm not sure if I'll need a humidifier or not.

For those who suffer dust allergies, what months are the worst for you?

We like to have the windows open so for now I'm thinking of skipping the whole-house upgrade options for humidifiers and air purifiers and simply buying the small units for treating individual rooms as the need arises and running them in our bedroom at night. But any and all comments would be appreciated! I think if whole-house solutions are the best option I should have them installed now as part of the contract instead of trying to retro-fit them later.

[NevadaRE]

As far as the humidifier ... when the weather is warm the humidifier will make you feel even warmer, so you may not want to run it. When the weather is cold, running the humidifier will again make you feel warmer, so it's an advantage to have a humidifier when the weather is cold. And when the weather is cold you'll have your windows closed and your heat turned on. So it seems that a humidifier on your furnace is beneficial if the cost is reasonable. It may even save you money because if it's more humid and you feel warmer, then you can set the thermostat to a cooler temperature than you might otherwise have set.

[braindead0]

I would recommend a room humidifier first, you'll know if it's helpful the first time you wake up after sleeping in a humidified room. I would not recommend having the builder install, I doubt the quality/price will be as good as you can get after.. the builders know they can pad the prices heavily on 'options'. You'll also want to research whole house humidifiers, some can be costly maintenance wise.. some can waste a lot of water..etc.. Their are a lot of tradeoffs, it's not as simple as it might appear.

[Hotfeet]

Thanks everyone for your comments. At this point I think I'll wait to see if the furnace can be easily accessed. If it is, and if there is a water line nearby, then I'll wait to avoid the builder's pad pricing. I can appreciate that maintenance is another issue -- back in the Midwest the humidifiers would often sprout mold so I avoided them. If it wasn't mold, the hard water where I lived made them impractical (unless there was a water softener, which I didn't have).

[utsci]

We occasionally find the need for a small humidifier in a bedroom if someone has a cold or severe allergies. Otherwise, we adjusted after a few months of moving here. You will find that you drink far more liquids and there are days that it seems you just can't get enough.

[frednutcase]

Just out of curiosity, what area are you considering?? We moved here a little over a year ago from central California. We originally had in mind DeMonte Ranch or Arrow Creek.... Happily we ended up buying new in North Spanish Springs (Boneyard Flat on Google Maps)....

[Hotfeet]

Hi Fred: We are thinking of buying in the area near Lakeridge (McCarran and Lakeside Drive). We haven't yet been to Spanish Springs or anything north for that matter. I'd like to look around town a bit more to get to know the area better before buying anything, but my wife wants to stay in this part of town near where we are currently renting. If we can find some spare time later this week I'd like to take a tour around town before committing to a purchase.