Gaps appear in moldings. Furniture and collectibles shrink, warp and crack as moisture is sucked out of them by desert-dry indoor air. Musical instruments drift out of tune. Desert-dry indoor air literally pulls moisture out of wooden musical instruments, which can cause them to shrink, crack and go out of tune. A humidifier not only preserves the beautiful finish, it can reduce the need for frequent and costly retuning.
Dry air can aggravate upper respiratory problems.
Itchy skin, dry throat coughs and cracked nasal membranes are all consequences of dry air. You feel colder, even with the thermostat turned up. Dry air makes you feel colder than the actual thermostat setting because evaporating moisture on your skin causes a cooling effect. A humidifier can help lower heating bills because humidified air feels warmer. Setting your thermostat back by three degrees can reduce annual heating bills by as much as 5 percent.